The Messiah (23:5f; 30:9, 33:14-26). 

        We refer to these Messianic passages not so much for their intrinsic importance as for the light they cast on prophetic interpretation generally.

        There is little, if anything, in these passages that goes beyond the revelation given through earlier prophets. But their occurrence shows that Jeremiah fully shared the Messianic hopes of his predecessors. Why, then, do they play such a small part in his message, instead of being the focusi future hopes as in Isa. 1-35? (The question presupposes not the prophet’s free choice of message, but that the message, in ways beyond our knowledge, shaped itself to the spiritual experience and understanding of the prophet).

        The most obvious reason is that it was the same motive as led Jeremiah to attack all externals in religion that distracted men from the inner truth. For the people the king was God’s anointed, and therefore a pledge of His favour. Before the people could take comfort in the Righteous Branch, or Shoot (23:5) they had to face the grim fact that the royal tree would have to be hewn down (36:30; 22:30; 39:6; cf. Isa. 11:1).

        Relative silence in a book of the Bible on a matter already. revealed does not imply either ignorance or dissent.