Abstract
In Walking the Ancient Paths: A Commentary on Jeremiah, Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. (with Tiberius Rata) offers a commentary “to illuminate the book of Jeremiah for a contemporary audience.” Kaiser sets out to do this in 588 pages of translations, discussions, and excurses. At the end of the lengthy treatment, there is a short glossary that could be helpful for readers unfamiliar with certain theological, literary, and text critical terms. At a total of 633 pages, this commentary is an achievement in the quantity of the work.
However, the quality of the work is lacking in several areas. The introduction offers expected information on Jeremiah, such as a discussion of what the Bible says about Jeremiah's family and early life, the historical period of his career, and some theological ideas that are prominent in the book. When Kaiser speaks of the prophet and the book, he says that Jeremiah wrote it with help from Baruch. Kaiser does not include expected nuances and caveats to that claim, particularly for a book as complex as Jeremiah. Issues such as editorial layers and redaction are minimally mentioned. Theological concepts such as inspiration and revelation are also lacking, which might have been appreciated considering the perspective of the book. When topics like composition history and the relationship between the Hebrew and Greek traditions of Jeremiah are broached, Kaiser mentions some of the scholarly debates without always situating himself within them. The introduction concludes with a section-by-section outline of Jeremiah which Kaiser says builds on the work of Theodore Laetsch (Concordia, 1952). The bibliography at the end of the introduction lists the commentaries that are cited in the volume. Significant studies are missing, such as commentaries by Louis Stulman (Abingdon Press, 2005) and Leslie Allen (Westminster John Knox Press, 2008). The most glaring omission is Jack Lundbom's three-volume commentary on Jeremiah in the Anchor Yale Bible Commentary Series (Doubleday, 1999 and 2004).
The chapters treat Jeremiah in eight sections: Prologue: The Call of Jeremiah (1:1–19), The Personal Struggles of the Prophet (2:1–25:38), Increasing Unbelief and Opposition (26:1–29:32), The Restoration of Israel and Judah to the Land (30:1–33:26), The Call for Faithfulness (34:1–36:32), The Siege, Fall, and Aftermath in Jerusalem (37:1–45:5), Prophecies Against Nine Nations (46:1–51:64), and The Fall of Jerusalem (52:1–34). Each section has several subunits in which Kaiser translates the Masoretic Text, notes variants in the Septuagint, and provides verse-by-verse commentary on the passages. The commentary brings in a variety of Old and New Testament texts to elucidate aspects of Jeremiah and to show the book's presence and influence within the Christian biblical canon. Four excurses appear at the end of the book: The Ark of the Covenant, The Queen of Heaven, Shub Shebut, and Topheth. Given their brevity, it might have been more helpful to include this content within the main text of the book. Moreover, the rationale for why each topic is given an excursus is unclear.
The volume includes many assumptions and inferences on dating and interpreting Jeremiah's prophecies without offering compelling evidence. Several sections contain snarky and judgmental remarks about people in antiquity and in the present. Countless exclamations (with ample exclamation points!), generalizations, and vague rants permeate the book. The synopsis claims: “Each section is followed by devotional and application insights that guide the reader in applying the text to their everyday lives.” It is difficult to determine where, if anywhere, these insights can be found.
Interaction with more diverse and more recent scholarship might have enhanced this work. Studies in feminist criticism could have enriched the discussions of the human-divine marriage metaphor, references to daughter of my people and daughter Zion, and the Queen of Heaven excursus. Scholarship in literary criticism could have made the discussions of imagery and the mix of poetry and prose texts more interesting and informative. Studies on Jeremiah's influence and reception in Jewish and Christian faith communities could have supported the theological aims of the work. Although some readers might appreciate its style and content, Walking the Ancient Paths leaves much to be desired.