Jeremiah 12:5-6

12:5 The Lord answered, ¹ 

“If you have raced on foot against men and they have worn you out,

how will you be able to compete with horses?

And if you feel secure only ²  in safe and open country, ³ 

how will you manage in the thick undergrowth along the Jordan River? ⁴ 

12:6 As a matter of fact, ⁵  even your own brothers

and the members of your own family have betrayed you too.

Even they have plotted to do away with you. ⁶ 

So do not trust them even when they say kind things ⁷  to you.

Jeremiah 20:10

20:10 I ⁸  hear many whispering words of intrigue against me.

Those who would cause me terror are everywhere! ⁹ 

They are saying, “Come on, let’s publicly denounce him!” ¹⁰ 

All my so-called friends ¹¹  are just watching for

something that would lead to my downfall. ¹² 

They say, “Perhaps he can be enticed into slipping up,

so we can prevail over ¹³  him and get our revenge on him.

Micah 7:6

7:6 For a son thinks his father is a fool,

a daughter challenges ¹⁴  her mother,

and a daughter-in-law her mother-in-law;

a man’s enemies are his own servants. ¹⁵ 

Matthew 10:21

10:21 “Brother ¹⁶  will hand over brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise against ¹⁷  parents and have them put to death.

Matthew 10:34-36

Not Peace, but a Sword

10:34 “Do not think that I have come to bring ¹⁸  peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword. 10:35 For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, 10:36 and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household. ¹⁹ 

Luke 4:24

4:24 And he added, ²⁰  “I tell you the truth, ²¹  no prophet is acceptable ²²  in his hometown.

[12:5]  ¹ tn The words “The Lord answered” are not in the text but are implicit from the context. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[12:5]  ² tn Some commentaries and English versions follow the suggestion given in HALOT 116 s.v. II בָּטַח that a homonym meaning “to stumble, fall down” is involved here and in Prov 14:16. The evidence for this homonym is questionable because both passages can be explained on other grounds with the usual root.

[12:5]  ³ tn Heb “a land of tranquility.” The expression involves a figure of substitution where the feeling engendered is substituted for the conditions that engender it. For the idea see Isa 32:18. The translation both here and in the following line is intended to bring out the contrast implicit in the emotive connotations connected with “peaceful country” and “thicket along the Jordan.”

[12:5]  ⁴ tn Heb “the thicket along the Jordan.” The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[12:6]  ⁵ tn This is an attempt to give some contextual sense to the particle “for, indeed” (כִּי, ki).

[12:6]  ⁶ tn Heb “they have called after you fully”; or “have lifted up loud voices against you.” The word “against” does not seem quite adequate for the preposition “after.” The preposition “against” would be Hebrew עַל (’al). The idea appears to be that they are chasing after him, raising their voices along with those of the conspirators to have him killed.

[12:6]  ⁷ tn Heb “good things.” See BDB 373 s.v. II טוֹב 2 for this nuance and compare Prov 12:25 for usage.

[20:10]  ⁸ tn It would be difficult to render accurately the Hebrew particle כִּי (ki) that introduces this verse without lengthening the English line unduly. It probably means something like “This is true even though I…,” i.e., the particle is concessive (cf. BDB s.v. כִּי 2.c). No other nuance seems appropriate. The particle is left out of the translation, but its presence is acknowledged here.

[20:10]  ⁹ tn The phrase translated “Those who would cause me terror are everywhere” has already occurred in 6:25 in the context of the terror caused by the enemy from the north and in 20:3 in reference to the curse pronounced on Pashhur who would experience it first hand. Some have seen the phrase here not as Jeremiah’s ejaculation of terror but of his assailant’s taunts of his message or even their taunting nickname for him. But comparison of this passage with the first two lines of Ps 31:13 (31:14 HT) which are word for word the same as these two will show that it refers to the terror inspired by the plots of his enemies to do away with him. It is also clear from the context of that passage and the following context here that the “whispering of many” (the literal translation of “many whispering words of intrigue against me) refers to intrigues to take vengeance on him and do away with him.

[20:10]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “Denounce and let us denounce him.” The verb which is translated “denounce” (נָגַד, nagad) does not take an accusative object of person as it does here very often. When it does it usually means to inform someone. The only relevant passage appears to be Job 17:5 where it means something like “denounce.” What is probably involved here are the attempts to portray Jeremiah as a traitor (Jer 26:10) and a false prophet (see his conflict with Hananiah in Jer 28).

[20:10]  ¹¹ tn Heb “the men of my peace [who are concerned about my welfare].” For this phrase compare Ps 41:9 (41:10 HT); Jer 38:22. It is generally agreed that irony is being invoked here, hence “so-called” is supplied in the translation to bring out the irony.

[20:10]  ¹² tn Heb “watching my stumbling [for me to stumble].” Metaphorically they were watching for some slip-up that would lead to his downfall. Compare the use in Pss 35:15 and 38:17 (38:18 HT).

[20:10]  ¹³ tn All the text says literally is “Perhaps he can be enticed so that we can prevail over him.” However the word “enticed” needs some qualification. As W. McKane (Jeremiah [ICC], 1:479) notes it should probably be read in the context of the “stumbling” (= “something that would lead to my downfall”). Hence “slipping up” has been supplied as an object. It is vague enough to avoid specifics as the original text does but suggests some reference to “something that would lead to my downfall.”

[7:6]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “rises up against.”

[7:6]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “the enemies of a man are the men of his house.”

[10:21]  ¹⁶ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[10:21]  ¹⁷ tn Or “will rebel against.”

[10:34]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “cast.” For βάλλω (ballw) in the sense of causing a state or condition, see L&N 13.14.

[10:36]  ¹⁹ tn Matt 10:35-36 are an allusion to Mic 7:6.

[4:24]  ²⁰ tn Grk “said,” but since this is a continuation of previous remarks, “added” is used here.

[4:24]  ²¹ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[4:24]  ²² sn Jesus argues that he will get no respect in his own hometown. There is a wordplay here on the word acceptable (δεκτός, dektos), which also occurs in v. 19: Jesus has declared the “acceptable” year of the Lord (here translated year of the Lord’s favor), but he is not “accepted” by the people of his own hometown.