After the Invasion: A Reading of Jeremiah 40–44 by Keith Bodner

Abstract

Reviewed by: After the Invasion: A Reading of Jeremiah 40–44 by Keith Bodner John W. Herbst keith bodner, After the Invasion: A Reading of Jeremiah 40–44 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015). Pp. viii + 179. $90 Bodner stresses “narrative poetics” as he takes on Jeremiah 40–44. He concentrates on the MT, essentially ignoring the LXX. B.’s chief tool is narrative criticism, and he uses historical criticism as well in his efforts to relate passages and characters to other parts of Jeremiah and to the rest of the OT. The result is a thorough treatment of a section of Scripture often overlooked by scholars and readers. Jeremiah 40 is a logical place to start for two reasons: first, this chapter references the second of Jeremiah’s “double release,” and, second, it presents the Babylonian official Nebuzaradan in a new light from his prior portrayal in Jeremiah. Jeremiah 40 shifts noticeably from chap. 39, marking a separate section of the book. Yet the logic of writing a volume on this section of Jeremiah is one of a number of subjects for which I would have liked to see more. One of the strengths of After the Invasion is its analysis of four key characters of the narrative: Nebuzaradan, Gedaliah, Ishmael, and Johanan. The Book of Jeremiah earlier portrays Nebuzaradan’s superior Nebuchadnezzar as Yhwh’s tool to deal with Judah; in a similar fashion, Nebuzaradan becomes an agent of Yhwh. Jeremiah 40:1 is strange, referencing the “word of Yhwh” coming to Jeremiah, but without saying what that word is. Nebuzaradan, however, speaks to Jeremiah in vv. 2–5 using “prophetic” words containing language characteristic of Deuteronomistic retribution theology. Furthermore, Nebuzaradan engages in land redistribution, giving to the poor of the region. The Book of Jeremiah never directly acknowledges Nebuzaradan as Yhwh’s instrument, but the narrator places him in this role through strategic use of words and actions. For B., key to an appreciation of Gedaliah is the role of his family in the period from Josiah onward, beginning with Gedaliah’s grandfather Shaphan, Josiah’s emissary in 2 Kings 22. Sons and grandsons of Shaphan make sporadic appearances throughout Jeremiah, promoting a picture of a loyal family and thus suggesting that Gedaliah will be a worthy governor. B. promotes the view that Gedaliah, like Nebuzaradan, effectively stands in for Jeremiah in 40:7–41:18 (as the prophet himself is absent from this section of narrative). [End Page 115] Gedaliah is a figure of hope: this new era can be fruitful if the community will simply act with discretion. Even more significant than Gedaliah is Ishmael, whom B. dubs a “representational character.” Ishmael may be the most difficult individual to understand in these chapters; he is a “murky” figure who leaves numerous questions about his agenda and motivation. He is revealed to be of “royal seed” only in 41:1, after he had been introduced and identified as someone of questionable character. B. proposes that Ishmael’s behavior alludes to the general attitude and actions in Jeremiah of the last kings of Judah, particularly Zedekiah. Ishmael is an “anti-Zedekiah” in one sense, regularly taking firm action in contrast to Zedekiah’s indecisiveness. Yet, similar to his royal predecessor, Ishmael rejects the possibility of peaceful existence under Babylonian rule and, for reasons unspecified, is drawn to the nation of Ammon. Ishmael’s plans ultimately fail, but there may be some significance to the fact that Ishmael himself escapes to Ammon, even if he disappears after that. Ishmael is also a figure of family strife. B. highlights his capture of “the king’s daughters” in 41:10, probably the daughters of Zedekiah. This capture seems intended as a ransom for Ishmael’s Ammonite benefactors. Again, Ishmael’s exact motives are unclear. But the action itself points to the self-destruction of the house of David, which symbolically stands for the self-destruction of Judah. Even though Zedekiah’s daughters are spared exile in Babylon, they cannot escape the malfeasance of their kin. Bodner has less to say about Johanan, even though Johanan seems as important to the narrative as is his rival Ishmael. B. notes Johanan’s parallels...