Four Prophets Who Came From Families Others Scorned

Another interpretation: Jeremiah, in whose days the Temple became a ruin [arimon]. Another interpretation: Jeremiah, in whose days the measure of strict judgment was raised up [nitromemah]. Son of Hilkiah (Jeremiah 1:1): Rabbi Judah son of Rabbi Simon said, from that same tribe of which it is written, I am your portion [helkekha] and your inheritance (Numbers 18:20). Rabbi Samuel bar Nahman said: There are four who come from a scorched [disreputable] family, and these are they: Phinehas, and Uriah, and Ezekiel, and Jeremiah. Phinehas: you find that when he came to reckon the lineage of Israel, they said to him, You come to trace our lineage? Eleazar, to whom was he married? Was it not to the daughter of Putiel? Is it not written, And Eleazar son of Aaron took for himself one of the daughters of Putiel (Exodus 6:25), and you come to trace our lineage? And when the Holy One, blessed be He, saw that they were demeaning him, He began to trace his lineage: Phinehas son of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest (Numbers 25:11), priest son of priest, zealot son of zealot. Uriah: Israel was demeaning him and saying, Is he not a Gibeonite? And there was also a man prophesying in the name of the LORD, Uriah son of Shemaiah of Kiriath-yearim (Jeremiah 26:20); and it is written, And their cities were Gibeon and Kephirah and Beeroth and Kiriath-yearim (Joshua 9:17). So Scripture had to trace his lineage: And I will take for Myself faithful witnesses, Uriah the priest (Isaiah 8:2). Ezekiel: Israel was demeaning him and saying, Is he not from the descendants of Rahab the harlot? So Scripture had to trace his lineage: The word of the LORD surely came to Ezekiel son of Buzi the priest (Ezekiel 1:3). Jeremiah: Israel was demeaning him and saying, Is he not from the descendants of Rahab the harlot? So Scripture had to trace his lineage: The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah (Jeremiah 1:1).