The Fall of Jerusalem: By placing the description of the fall of Jerusalem after the oracles against the foreign nations and as last in the canonical book, the editor reminds the reader of what is of first order importance in the book. Yes, Babylon and the other foreign nations will get what they deserve, but Judah deserves its punishment as well. The description of the fall of Jerusalem also is a way of showing how Jeremiah’s earlier prophetic words did come to pass. It is Jeremiah not the false prophets (see Jeremiah 28) who spoke truth.

Jeremiah 52 is very similar to 2 Kings 24:18–25:30. Indeed, this may indicate the same theological circle edited both the historical book and the prophet’s words. This circle can possibly be identified as Deuteronomic in the light of the fact that many of…