17:10 I, the Lord, probe into people’s minds.
I examine people’s hearts. 1
I deal with each person according to how he has behaved.
I give them what they deserve based on what they have done.
20:12 O Lord who rules over all, 2 you test and prove the righteous.
You see into people’s hearts and minds. 3
Pay them back for what they have done
because I trust you to vindicate my cause.
20:1 Now Pashhur son of Immer heard Jeremiah prophesy these things. He was the priest who was chief of security 4 in the Lord’s temple.
16:1 The Lord said to me,
7:9 May the evil deeds of the wicked 9 come to an end! 10
But make the innocent 11 secure, 12
O righteous God,
you who examine 13 inner thoughts and motives! 14
1 tn The term rendered “mind” here and in the previous verse is actually the Hebrew word for “heart.” However, in combination with the word rendered “heart” in the next line, which is the Hebrew for “kidneys,” it is best rendered “mind” because the “heart” was considered the center of intellect, conscience, and will and the “kidneys” the center of emotions.
2 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.”
3 tn Heb “
4 tn Heb “chief overseer/officer.” The translation follows the suggestion of P. C. Craigie, P. H. Kelley, J. F. Drinkard, Jeremiah 1-25 (WBC), 267, based on the parallel passage in 29:26-27 where this official appears to have been in charge of maintaining order in the temple.
5 tn The verbs in this verse are to be interpreted as iterative imperfects in past time rather than as futures because of the explicit contrast that is drawn in the two verses by the emphatic syntactical construction of the two verses. Both verses begin with a casus pendens construction to throw the two verses into contrast: Heb “The prophets who were before me and you from ancient times, they prophesied…The prophet who prophesied peace, when the word of that prophet came true, that prophet was known that the
6 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.” See the study note on 2:19 for explanation of this title.
7 tn Heb “the sword.”
8 tn The meaning of this word is somewhat uncertain. It occurs only here in the Hebrew Bible. BDB 1045 s.v. שֹׁעָר relates it to the noun “horrible thing” (translated “something shocking”) in Jer 5:30; 23:14 and defines it as “horrid, disgusting.” HALOT 1495 s.v. שֹׁעָר relates it to the same noun and define it as “rotten; corrupt.” That nuance is accepted here.
9 tn In the psalms the Hebrew term רְשָׁעִים (rÿsha’im, “wicked”) describes people who are proud, practical atheists (Ps 10:2, 4, 11) who hate God’s commands, commit sinful deeds, speak lies and slander (Ps 50:16-20), and cheat others (Ps 37:21). They oppose God and his people.
10 tn The prefixed verbal form is a jussive, expressing an imprecation here.
11 tn Or “the godly” (see Ps 5:12). The singular form is collective (see the plural “upright in heart” in v. 10), though it may reflect the personal focus of the psalmist in this context.
12 tn The prefixed verbal form expresses the psalmist’s prayer or wish.
13 tn For other uses of the verb in this sense, see Job 7:18; Pss 11:4; 26:2; 139:23.
14 tn Heb “and [the one who] tests hearts and kidneys, just God.” The translation inverts the word order to improve the English style. The heart and kidneys were viewed as the seat of one’s volition, conscience, and moral character.
15 tn Grk “her children,” but in this context a reference to this woman’s followers or disciples is more likely meant.
16 tn Grk “I will kill with death.” θάνατος (qanatos) can in particular contexts refer to a manner of death, specifically a contagious disease (see BDAG 443 s.v. 3; L&N 23.158).
17 tn Grk “I will give.” The sense of δίδωμι (didwmi) in this context is more “repay” than “give.”
18 sn This pronoun and the following one are plural in the Greek text.
19 tn Grk “each one of you according to your works.”