Jeremiah
Name Origin & Meaning
Scholars debate whether the root is 'rum' (to exalt) or 'ramah' (to throw, to cast). Both meanings illuminate Jeremiah's ministry — he was simultaneously the prophet God exalted above nations and the one thrown into cisterns by his enemies. The tension between divine calling and human suffering defines his prophetic identity. He is often called 'the weeping prophet' and is a profound type of Christ in his rejection and intercession.
First Biblical Appearance
“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”
God's call to Jeremiah, containing one of Scripture's most powerful statements of divine foreknowledge and prophetic calling.
Biblical Significance
Jeremiah prophesied in Jerusalem from the reign of Josiah through the fall of the city to Babylon in 586 BC. He announced the New Covenant written on hearts rather than stone — directly quoted in Hebrews 8. He was forbidden to marry, thrown into a cistern, and witnessed the destruction of the Temple. He dictated his prophecies to his scribe Baruch and was eventually taken against his will to Egypt. His laments in the book of Lamentations remain among Scripture's most profound expressions of grief.
Notable Bearers
- Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, prophet of Judah
Personality & Character
Love and human labour — the number of compassionate service and nurturing care
Spiritual symbolism drawn from Scripture and tradition
Modern Variants
A Blessing for This Name
May you know, as Jeremiah knew, that before your first breath God had already spoken your name and set you apart. May the plans He has for you be plans of peace and not of evil, giving you a future and a hope even when you stand amid the ruins of the old.