Jeremiah 11:5

11:5 Then I will keep the promise I swore on oath to your ancestors to give them a land flowing with milk and honey.” ¹  That is the very land that you still live in today.’” ²  And I responded, “Amen! Let it be so, ³  Lord!”

Jeremiah 11:7

11:7 For I solemnly warned your ancestors to obey me. ⁴  I warned them again and again, ⁵  ever since I delivered them out of Egypt until this very day.

Jeremiah 11:10

11:10 They have gone back to the evil ways ⁶  of their ancestors of old who refused to obey what I told them. They, too, have paid allegiance to ⁷  other gods and worshiped them. Both the nation of Israel and the nation of Judah ⁸  have violated the covenant I made with their ancestors.

¹ tn The phrase “a land flowing with milk and honey” is very familiar to readers in the Jewish and Christian traditions as a proverbial description of the agricultural and pastoral abundance of the land of Israel. However, it may not mean too much to readers outside those traditions; an equivalent expression would be “a land of fertile fields and fine pastures.” E. W. Bullinger (Figures of Speech, 626) identifies this as a figure of speech called synecdoche where the species is put for the genus, “a region…abounding with pasture and fruits of all kinds.”

² tn Heb “‘a land flowing with milk and honey,’ as at this day.” However, the literal reading is too elliptical and would lead to confusion.

³ tn The words “Let it be so” are not in the text; they are an explanation of the significance of the term “Amen” for those who may not be part of the Christian or Jewish tradition.

⁴ tn Heb “warned them…saying, ‘Obey me.’” However, it allows the long sentence to be broken up easier if the indirect quote is used.

⁵ tn For the explanation for this rendering see the note on 7:13.

⁶ tn Or “They have repeated the evil actions of….”

⁷ tn Heb “have walked/followed after.” See the translator’s note at 2:5 for the idiom.

⁸ tn Heb “house of Israel and house of Judah.”