50:7 All who encountered them devoured them.
Their enemies who did this said, ‘We are not liable for punishment!
For those people have sinned against the Lord, their true pasture. 1
They have sinned against the Lord in whom their ancestors 2 trusted.’ 3
9:28 “Then, when they were at rest again, they went back to doing evil before you. Then you abandoned them to 4 their enemies, and they gained dominion over them. When they again cried out to you, in your compassion you heard from heaven and rescued them time and again.
9:11 “All Israel has broken 6 your law and turned away by not obeying you. 7 Therefore you have poured out on us the judgment solemnly threatened 8 in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against you. 9 9:12 He has carried out his threats 10 against us and our rulers 11 who were over 12 us by bringing great calamity on us – what has happened to Jerusalem has never been equaled under all heaven!
3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under 15 the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world may be held accountable to God.
1 tn This same Hebrew phrase “the habitation of righteousness” is found in Jer 31:23 in relation to Jerusalem in the future as “the place where righteousness dwells.” Here, however, it refers to the same entity as “their resting place” in v. 6 and means “true pasture.” For the meaning of “pasture” for the word נָוֶה (naveh) see 2 Sam 7:8 and especially Isa 65:10 where it is parallel with “resting place” for the flocks. For the meaning of “true” for צֶדֶק (tsedeq) see BDB 841 s.v. צֶדֶק 1. For the interpretation adopted here see G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers, Jeremiah 26-52 (WBC), 365. The same basic interpretation is reflected in NRSV, NJPS, and God’s Word.
2 tn Heb “fathers.”
3 sn These two verses appear to be a poetical summary of the argument of Jer 2 where the nation is accused of abandoning its loyalty to God and worshiping idols. Whereas those who tried to devour Israel were liable for punishment when Israel was loyal to God (2:3), the enemies of Israel who destroyed them (i.e., the Babylonians [but also the Assyrians], 50:17) argue that they are not liable for punishment because the Israelites have sinned against the
4 tn Heb “in the hand of” (so KJV, ASV); NAB “to the power of.”
5 tn Heb “you have done truth.”
6 tn Or “transgressed.” The Hebrew verb has the primary sense of crossing a boundary, in this case, God’s law.
7 tn Heb “by not paying attention to your voice.”
8 tn Heb “the curse and the oath which is written.” The term “curse” refers here to the judgments threatened in the Mosaic law (see Deut 28) for rebellion. The expression “the curse and the oath” is probably a hendiadys (cf. Num 5:21; Neh 10:29) referring to the fact that the covenant with its threatened judgments was ratified by solemn oath and made legally binding upon the covenant community.
9 tn Heb “him.”
10 tn Heb “he has fulfilled his word(s) which he spoke.”
11 tn Heb “our judges.”
12 tn Heb “who judged.”
13 tn Grk “hardness.” Concerning this imagery, see Jer 4:4; Ezek 3:7; 1 En. 16:3.
14 tn Grk “in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.”
15 tn Grk “in,” “in connection with.”