The book of Jeremiah poses a challenge to biblical scholarship in terms of its literary
composition and textual fluidity. This study offers an innovative approach to the problem by
focusing on an instructive case study. Building on the critical recognition that the prophecy
contained in Jer 10:1-16 is a composite text this study systematically discusses the various
literary strands discernible in the prophecy: satirical depictions of idolatry an Aramaic
citation and hymnic passages. A chapter is devoted to each strand revealing its compositional
development-from the earliest recoverable stages down to its late reception. A range of
pertinent evidence-culled from the literary text-critical and linguistic realms-is examined
and sets within broader perspectives with an eye open to cultural history and the development
of theological outlook. The investigation of a particular text has important implications for
the textual and compositional history of Jeremiah as a whole. Rather than settling for the
common opinion that Jeremiah developed in two main stages reflected in the MT and LXX
respectively a nuanced supplementary model is advocated which better accords with the
complexity of the available evidence.
