Jeremiah is the son of Hilkiah, a Levitical priest. He was likely born between 650 and 645 B.C.
He was from the small village of Anathoth, about three miles northeast of Jerusalem in the territory of Benjamin (Jeremiah 1:1). It was through Jeremiah’s childhood training for holy service in the priesthood that God began grooming him for his future role.
In the 13th year of King Josiah of Judah (ca. 627 B.C.), God called Jeremiah when he was still a youth, (verse 2). In fact, God had already set Jeremiah apart for the office of a prophet before he was even born, in order to take God’s words to all Israel and to the nations (verse 5).
God sent prophets throughout history to guide and warm His people. As often happens with humans, they turned their backs and didn’t follow the instructions and warnings. Learn more about the Prophets of the Bible at Bibleinfo.com.