Letter of Jeremiah
An ancient Jewish warning against idolatry, preserved in some traditions with Baruch and treated in Protestant usage as Apocrypha rather than canonical Scripture.
At a Glance
A short, polemical Jewish work that condemns idols as man-made and powerless.
Key Points
- Associated with Jeremiah in later tradition
- Focuses on the futility of idols
- Preserved with Baruch in some canons and manuscripts
- Not part of the Protestant canon
Description
The Letter of Jeremiah is an extra-biblical Jewish writing traditionally linked with Jeremiah and commonly attached to Baruch in ancient manuscript and church traditions. Its message is a sustained warning against idolatry, stressing that images made by human hands cannot see, hear, save, or act. For that reason its theme closely parallels the prophets’ biblical condemnation of idols. In Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox usage it is received in connection with the deuterocanonical books, while Protestant tradition generally treats it as Apocrypha rather than canonical Scripture. Because this entry names a document rather than a doctrine, it is best classified as a literature entry rather than a theological term.
Biblical Context
Its theme closely parallels passages such as Jeremiah 10:1-16 and Psalm 115:4-8, where idols are described as powerless creations of human hands.
Historical Context
The work belongs to the world of Jewish anti-idolatry literature and is commonly dated to the Second Temple period. It is preserved with different canonical placements in Jewish and Christian manuscript traditions.
Jewish and Ancient Context
The Letter of Jeremiah reflects a strongly Jewish concern to reject the worship of manufactured images and to preserve exclusive loyalty to the living God. Its polemic fits the broader prophetic tradition against idolatry.
Primary Key Texts
- Jeremiah 10:1-16
- Psalm 115:4-8
- Baruch 6 (traditional placement in some canons and manuscripts)
Secondary Key Texts
- Isaiah 44:9-20
- Romans 1:21-25
- 1 Corinthians 10:14
Original Language Note
The work is preserved in Greek; its original language is uncertain.
Theological Significance
The Letter of Jeremiah reinforces a major biblical theme: idols are powerless and the Lord alone is worthy of worship. In Protestant theology it may be read for background and devotion, but not as binding canonical authority.
Philosophical Explanation
The writing argues that a god made by human hands cannot possess life, agency, or sovereignty. Its logic is a practical critique of idolatry rather than a speculative philosophical treatise.
Interpretive Cautions
Do not treat the Letter of Jeremiah as Protestant canonical Scripture. Also avoid reading it as a direct prophetic oracle in the same sense as the canonical book of Jeremiah.
Major Views
Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions receive it with Baruch or among the deuterocanonical writings. Protestants generally classify it as Apocrypha. Historical scholarship commonly treats it as a Jewish anti-idolatry composition.
Doctrinal Boundaries
Its authority is limited by canon. It may illustrate biblical teaching, but it should not be used to establish doctrine apart from canonical Scripture.
Practical Significance
The Letter of Jeremiah serves as a clear warning against idolatry, reminding readers to trust the living God rather than images, substitutes, or false sources of security.
Related Entries
- Baruch
- Idolatry
- Jeremiah
- Apocrypha
- Deuterocanonical books
See Also
- Jeremiah 10
- Psalm 115
- Isaiah 44
- 1 Corinthians 10
- Second Temple literature