This book examines the problem of theodicy arising from the fall of Jerusalem (587 B.C.E.) in the book of "Jeremiah". It explores the ways in which the authors of the book of "Jeremiah" tried to explain away their God's responsibility while clinging to the idea of divine mastery over human affairs. In order to trace the development of a particular book's understanding of God's role in meting out punishments, this book analyzes all the passages containing the pivotal word, ("to provoke to anger") in "Deuteronomistic History" and the book of "Jeremiah".