Jeremiah 1:2-3
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Jeremiah's ministry didn't just begin in the thirteenth year of Josiah's reign; the wording suggests that God's Word was a constant, ever-present reality to him from that point forward, not a fleeting message. This emphasizes the enduring nature of God's communication and Jeremiah's lifelong calling, even amidst a time of significant national upheaval.
to whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, and until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the captivity of Jerusalem in the fifth month.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah receives his prophetic calling during the reign of Josiah, a time when the king was actively trying to reform Judah after years of idolatry. This divine message arrives in the thirteenth year of Josiah's rule, marking the beginning of Jeremiah's extensive ministry that would span the reigns of several kings and ultimately witness the nation's downfall. His message, delivered during this period of attempted revival and later decline, would challenge the people and leaders alike to return to God.
Jeremiah's prophecy didn't start with his own ideas or insights. It began with a direct encounter with the divine. But what does it mean for the 'word of the LORD' to 'come' to someone?
The verse highlights that the "word of the LORD came" to Jeremiah. This phrase isn't just a literary flourish; it signifies a divine impartation. Jeremiah wasn't the source of this message; he was a recipient and a conduit. His role was to carry and deliver what God had spoken, not to originate it. This emphasizes the authority and divine origin of the prophetic message.
Think of it like receiving a crucial message from a trusted source – you don't change the words; you deliver them accurately because of their importance. Jeremiah's calling was to be a faithful messenger of God's truth, even when that truth would be difficult to hear and deliver.
This verse pinpoints the exact year Jeremiah's ministry began: the thirteenth year of King Josiah's reign. Why is this specific timing so significant for the unfolding message?
Jeremiah's call occurred during a pivotal time in Judah's history, specifically the thirteenth year of King Josiah's reign (around 629-627 BC). This was not just any year; it was shortly after Josiah had initiated significant religious reforms. He had discovered the Book of the Law and was leading the nation in a renewed commitment to God's commands.
However, despite these outward reforms, a deep-seated corruption remained. Jeremiah's ministry, which continued for over 40 years through subsequent kings, would expose the superficiality of these reforms and call the people to true repentance. The timing suggests that even in a period of religious revival, God's people still needed a strong, persistent prophetic voice to confront sin and call them back to genuine faith. The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah precisely when Judah was at a crossroads, needing more than just a surface-level cleansing.
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Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Noun
The term referring to the supreme Being of Israel, who entered into covenant relationship with His people. It is the personal, proper name of God in the Hebrew Bible, revealing His eternal, self-existent nature.
dābār · Hebrew Noun
A formal, historical declaration of an oracle or divine message received by a prophet from God. It carries the authority of the speaker, who is the Creator Himself.
gālût · Hebrew Noun
A state of forced relocation or exile. Biblically, it is often seen as a consequence of divine judgment for covenant unfaithfulness, yet it maintains the hope of future restoration.
Jeremiah's call in the 13th year of Josiah's reign places him at a pivotal moment, just as Josiah's significant religious reforms were underway, but crucially, before the pivotal discovery of the Book of the Law and the subsequent dramatic shifts in Judah's political fortunes leading to exile.
c. 640 BC
Josiah becomes King of Judah
Josiah ascends to the throne at a young age, during a period of religious and political instability following his father Amon's assassination.
c. 632 BC
Josiah begins religious reforms
Josiah initiates a sweeping reform movement to purge Judah of idolatry and restore true worship of Yahweh, a process that would unfold over years.
c. 629 BC— this verse
Jeremiah receives his prophetic call
In the thirteenth year of Josiah's reign, Jeremiah hears the word of the LORD and is called to his prophetic ministry, just as Josiah's reforms are gaining momentum.
c. 622 BC
Discovery of the Book of the Law
During renovations of the Temple, a scroll believed to be the Book of the Law is discovered. Josiah's reaction to its contents intensifies his reforms.
609 BC
Death of King Josiah
Josiah is killed in battle against the Egyptians at Megiddo, a tragic event that marks a significant turning point and the end of his influential reign.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah and deports a group of the Judean elite, including the young prophet Daniel, signifying the rising threat of Babylon.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
Nebuchadnezzar's forces destroy Jerusalem and its magnificent Temple, ending the Davidic monarchy and leading to widespread exile of the Judean people.
Like Jeremiah, Ezekiel begins his prophetic ministry by stating the specific time period and kings under whom he received the word of the Lord, highlighting the temporal context of God's message.
Isaiah 6:1-8This passage describes Isaiah's call to prophecy, emphasizing that the 'word of the Lord' came to him directly from God, just as it did to Jeremiah, underscoring the divine origin of prophetic messages.
1 Kings 18:1This verse also marks a specific point in time ('after many days,' 'in the third year') when the word of the Lord came to Elijah, showing a pattern of God initiating contact with His prophets during significant historical periods.
Acts 3:21Peter speaks of prophets from 'ancient times' whose words foretold the present events, connecting Jeremiah's ministry to the ongoing prophetic tradition that God has used throughout history to reveal His will.
barnesJeremiah 1:2: "To whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign."
Came - literally, was (and in Jeremiah 1:4 ); the phrase implies that Jeremiah possessed God's word from that time onward, not fitfully as coming and going, but constantly. The thirteenth year of his reign - According to the ordinary reckoning, this would be 629 b.c., but if the Ptolemaic canon be right in putting the capture of Jerusalem at 586 b.c., it wo…
cambridgeJeremiah 1:2: "To whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign."
2 . in the days of, etc .] See introductory note. in the thirteenth year of his reign ] c. b.c. 626. The period included in these two verses is one of 40 years, viz. the latter part of Josiah’s reign = 18 years; that of Jehoahaz = 3 months; that of Jehoiakim = 11 years; that of Jehoiachin = 3 months; that of Zedekiah = 11 years. The omission of the names of…
Jeremiah's ministry didn't just begin in the thirteenth year of Josiah's reign; the wording suggests that God's Word was a constant, ever-present reality to him from that point forward, not a fleeting message. This emphasizes the enduring nature of God's communication and Jeremiah's lifelong calling, even amidst a time of significant national upheaval.
Jeremiah receives his prophetic calling during the reign of Josiah, a time when the king was actively trying to reform Judah after years of idolatry. This divine message arrives in the thirteenth year of Josiah's rule, marking the beginning of Jeremiah's extensive ministry that would span the reigns of several kings and ultimately witness the nation's downfall. His message, delivered during this period of attempted revival and later decline, would challenge the people and leaders alike to return to God.
Jeremiah receives his prophetic calling during the reign of Josiah, a time when the king was actively trying to reform Judah after years of idolatry. This divine message arrives in the thirteenth year of Josiah's rule, marking the beginning of Jeremiah's extensive ministry that would span the reigns of several kings and ultimately witness the nation's downfall. His message, delivered during this period of attempted revival and later decline, would challenge the people and leaders alike to return to God.
"to whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, and until the end of the eleventh year of…" — Jeremiah's ministry didn't just begin in the thirteenth year of Josiah's reign; the wording suggests that God's Word was a constant, ever-present reality to him from that point forward, not a fleet…
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Last reviewed October 2026
