Discovery BoxJeremiah 10:19
Context10:19 And I cried out, 1 “We are doomed! 2
Our wound is severe!
We once thought, ‘This is only an illness.
And we will be able to bear it!’ 3
Jeremiah 5:4
Context5:4 I thought, “Surely it is only the ignorant poor who act this way. 4
They act like fools because they do not know what the Lord demands. 5
They do not know what their God requires of them. 6
Jeremiah 18:10
Context18:10 But if that nation does what displeases me and does not obey me, then I will cancel the good I promised to do to it.
Jeremiah 3:19
Context‘Oh what a joy it would be for me to treat you like a son! 8
What a joy it would be for me to give 9 you a pleasant land,
the most beautiful piece of property there is in all the world!’ 10
I thought you would call me, ‘Father’ 11
and would never cease being loyal to me. 12
[10:19] 1 tn The words, “And I cried out” are not in the text. It is not altogether clear who the speaker is in vv. 19-25. The words of vv. 19-20 would best be assigned to a personified Jerusalem who laments the destruction of her city (under the figure of a tent) and the exile of her children (under the figure of children). However, the words of v. 21 which assign responsibility to the rulers do not fit well in the mouth of the people but do fit Jeremiah. The words of v. 22 are very appropriate to Jeremiah being similar to the report in 4:19-20. Likewise the words of v. 23 which appear to express man’s incapacity to control his own destiny and his resignation to the fate which awaits him in the light of v. 24 seem more appropriate to Jeremiah than to the people. There has been no indication elsewhere that the people have shown any indication of being resigned to their fate or willing to accept their punishment. Though the issue is far from resolved a majority of commentators see Jeremiah as the speaker so identifying himself with their fate that he speaks as though he were this personified figure. It is not altogether out of the question, however, that the speaker throughout is personified Jerusalem though I know of no commentator who takes that view. For those who are interested, the most thorough discussion of the issue is probably to be found in W. McKane, Jeremiah (ICC), 1:230-35, especially 233-35. Rendering the pronouns throughout as “we” and “our” alleviates some of the difficulty but some speaker needs to be identified in the introduction to allay any possible confusion. Hence I have opted for what is the majority view.
[10:19] 2 tn Heb “Woe to me on account of my wound.” The words “woe to” in many contexts carry the connotation of hopelessness and of inevitable doom (cf. 1 Sam 4:7, 8; Isa 6:5), hence a “deadly blow.” See also the usage in 4:13, 31; 6:4 and the notes on 4:13. For the rendering of the pronoun as “we” and “our” here and in the verses to follow see the preceding note.
[10:19] 3 tn Some interpret this as a resignation to the punishment inflicted and translate “But I said, ‘This is my punishment and I will just need to bear it.’” This is unlikely given the meaning and usage of the word rendered “sickness” (חֳלִי, khali), the absence of the pronoun “my,” and the likelihood that the particle אַךְ means “only” not “indeed” (cf. BDB s.v. אַךְ 2.b and compare its usage in v. 24).
[5:4] 4 tn Heb “Surely they are poor.” The translation is intended to make clear the explicit contrasts and qualifications drawn in this verse and the next.
[5:4] 5 tn Heb “the way of the
[5:4] 6 tn Heb “the judgment [or ordinance] of their God.”
[3:19] 7 tn Heb “I, myself, said.” See note on “I thought that she might come back to me” in 3:7.
[3:19] 8 tn Heb “How I would place you among the sons.” Israel appears to be addressed here contextually as the
[3:19] 9 tn The words “What a joy it would be for me to” are not in the Hebrew text but are implied in the parallel structure.
[3:19] 10 tn Heb “the most beautiful heritage among the nations.”
