Abstract
In evaluating Jeremiah’s hope for a Davidic restoration, scholars have failed to note, or have made too little of, the links between Jer 23 and Deut 17:14–20. In both passages, the king has a restricted role, for example, in neither does the anticipated king have a military or salvific function. In the case of Jer 23:5, the only task specified for the promised king in David’s line is that “[he] shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.” This judicial function is understood in terms of the protection and support of the vulnerable social groups who are repeatedly identified in Deuteronomy as needing assistance. The only role assigned to the future king of Jer 23 is ensuring social justice, and this truncated model of kingship compared to the typical ANE pattern is the result of inner-biblical exegesis of the royal paradigm found in Deut 17:14–20.
