Jeremiah 25:3

25:3 “For the last twenty-three years, from the thirteenth year that Josiah son of Amon was ruling in Judah ¹  until now, the Lord has been speaking to me. I told you over and over again ²  what he said. ³  But you would not listen.

Jeremiah 25:11

25:11 This whole area ⁴  will become a desolate wasteland. These nations will be subject to the king of Babylon for seventy years.’ ⁵ 

Jeremiah 25:29

25:29 For take note, I am already beginning to bring disaster on the city that I call my own. ⁶  So how can you possibly avoid being punished? ⁷  You will not go unpunished! For I am proclaiming war against all who live on the earth. I, the Lord who rules over all, ⁸  affirm it!’ ⁹ 

¹ sn The year referred to would be 627 b.c. The same year is referred to in 1:2 in reference to his call to be a prophet.

² tn For the idiom involved here see the notes at 7:13 and 11:7.

³ tn The words “what he said” are not in the text but are implicit. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.

⁴ tn Heb “All this land.”

⁵ sn It should be noted that the text says that the nations will be subject to the king of Babylon for seventy years, not that they will lie desolate for seventy years. Though several proposals have been made for dating this period, many ignore this fact. This most likely refers to the period beginning with Nebuchadnezzar’s defeat of Pharaoh Necho at Carchemish in 605 b.c. and the beginning of his rule over Babylon. At this time Babylon became the dominant force in the area and continued to be so until the fall of Babylon in 538 b.c. More particularly Judah became a vassal state (cf. Jer 46:2; 2 Kgs 24:1) in 605 b.c. and was allowed to return to her homeland in 538 when Cyrus issued his edict allowing all the nations exiled by Babylon to return to their homelands. (See 2 Chr 36:21 and Ezra 1:2-4; the application there is made to Judah but the decree of Cyrus was broader.)

⁷ tn Heb “which is called by my name.” See translator’s note on 7:10 for support.

⁸ tn This is an example of a question without the formal introductory particle following a conjunctive vav introducing an opposition. (See Joüon 2:609 §161.a.) It is also an example of the use of the infinitive before the finite verb in a rhetorical question involving doubt or denial. (See Joüon 2:422-23 §123.f, and compare usage in Gen 37:8.)

⁹ tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “Oracle of Yahweh of armies.”