Jeremiah: Fortified City, Bronze Walls, and Iron Pillar against the Whole Land

Abstract

In Jer 1:18a, God promises to make Jeremiah “a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land.” In the prevailing scholarly opinion, these metaphors were meant to encourage and reassure the prophet, offering him divine protection from persecution by “the kings of Judah, its princes, its priests, and the people” (1:18b) whom his mission was likely to antagonize. Examining the references to walls, fortified cities, pillars, bronze, and iron in the Hebrew Bible and other ancient Near Eastern literature, the present article argues that at least two of the metaphors in question, “fortified city” and “bronze walls,” primarily describe the militant character of Jeremiah’s ministry. In a world torn by war, the prophet was called to wage a warfare of his own, battling for the people’s minds. Any encouragement conveyed by these expressions is secondary, having to do with the prophet’s invincibility in the face of violent opposition to his rhetorical onslaught. However, the connotations of the third metaphor, “iron pillar,” seem to be completely different and it may even clash with the other two.