Der süße Schlaf in Jeremia 31,26 in vergleichender Perspektive

Jer 31,26 speaks of the prophet’s sweet slumber seemingly without a substantial connection with the preceding prophecy (V 23–25 or even prophecies 30,5–31,25), but the verse is to be understood against its ancient background. In ancient Near Eastern and Greek cultures, the relation between dreams and the emotions that confirm them was taken for a serious fact. Thus, from the comparative point of view, the verse does not appear to align poorly with the prophecy in V 23–25 anymore, but fits in with other ancient documents as a legitimate means to confirm the dream message. Especially in comparison with the usual pessimistic Eastern notion of emotions accompanying dreams, Jer 31,26 stands out as an unusually hopeful version of their relation.