This detailed treatment of the Confessions of Jeremiah utilizes both form criticism and source criticism. It endeavours to establish the provenance and focus of Confessions by asking if the "I" of the Confessions is Jeremiah or represents Israel. A history of the extensive research on the Confessions is provided followed by an evaluation of the "form" of the Confessions--lawsuit or lament. The distinctive features of the poetic and prose sections of Jeremiah are also examined with a view of assessing with which material the Confessions have greater affinity. Lastly, an attempt is made to explore the role and function of the Confessions within the book of Jeremiah.