48:6 You have heard; now look at all the evidence! 1
Will you not admit that what I say is true? 2
From this point on I am announcing to you new events
that are previously unrevealed and you do not know about. 3
48:2 Indeed, they live in the holy city; 4
they trust in 5 the God of Israel,
whose name is the Lord who commands armies.
31:10 Hear what the Lord has to say, O nations.
Proclaim it in the faraway lands along the sea.
Say, “The one who scattered Israel will regather them.
He will watch over his people like a shepherd watches over his flock.”
50:2 “Announce 8 the news among the nations! Proclaim it!
Signal for people to pay attention! 9
Declare the news! Do not hide it! Say:
‘Babylon will be captured.
Bel 10 will be put to shame.
Marduk will be dismayed.
Babylon’s idols will be put to shame.
Her disgusting images 11 will be dismayed. 12
1 tn Heb “gaze [at] all of it”; KJV “see all this.”
2 tn Heb “[as for] you, will you not declare?”
3 tn Heb “and hidden things, and you do not know them.”
4 tn Heb “they call themselves [or “are called”] from the holy city.” The precise meaning of the statement is uncertain. The Niphal of קָרָא (qara’) is combined with the preposition מִן (min) only here. When the Qal of קָרָא is used with מִן, the preposition often indicates the place from which one is summoned (see 46:11). So one could translate, “from the holy city they are summoned,” meaning that they reside there.
5 tn Heb “lean on” (so NASB, NRSV); NAB, NIV “rely on.”
6 tn Heb “in that day.” The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
7 tn Heb “will become” (so NASB); NAB “shall be turned to.”
8 tn The verbs are masculine plural. Jeremiah is calling on other unnamed messengers to spread the news.
9 tn Heb “Raise a signal flag.”
10 sn Bel was originally the name or title applied to the Sumerian storm god. During the height of Babylon’s power it became a title that was applied to Marduk who was Babylon’s chief deity. As a title it means “Lord.” Here it is a poetical parallel reference to Marduk mentioned in the next line.
11 tn The Hebrew word used here (גִּלּוּלִים, gillulim) is always used as a disdainful reference to idols. It is generally thought to have originally referred to “dung pellets” (cf. KBL 183 s.v. גִלּוּלִים). It is only one of several terms used in this way, such as “worthless things” (אַלִילִים, ’alilim), “vanities,” or “empty winds” (הֲבָלִים, havalim).
12 tn The verbs here are all in the tense that views the actions as though they were already done (the Hebrew prophetic perfect). The verbs in the next verse are a mixture of prophetic perfects and imperfects which announce future actions.