Discovery BoxJeremiah 14:17
Context14:17 “Tell these people this, Jeremiah: 1
‘My eyes overflow with tears
day and night without ceasing. 2
For my people, my dear children, 3 have suffered a crushing blow.
They have suffered a serious wound. 4
Jeremiah 15:9
Context15:9 The mother who had seven children 5 will grow faint.
All the breath will go out of her. 6
Her pride and joy will be taken from her in the prime of their life.
It will seem as if the sun had set while it was still day. 7
She will suffer shame and humiliation. 8
I will cause any of them who are still left alive
to be killed in war by the onslaughts of their enemies,” 9
says the Lord.
Jeremiah 16:13
Context16:13 So I will throw you out of this land into a land that neither you nor your ancestors have ever known. There you must worship other gods day and night, for I will show you no mercy.’”
Jeremiah 31:35
Context31:35 The Lord has made a promise to Israel.
He promises it as the one who fixed the sun to give light by day
and the moon and stars to give light by night.
He promises it as the one who stirs up the sea so that its waves roll.
He promises it as the one who is known as the Lord who rules over all. 10
[14:17] 1 tn The word “Jeremiah” is not in the text but the address is to a second person singular and is a continuation of 14:14 where the quote starts. The word is supplied in the translation for clarity.
[14:17] 2 tn Many of the English versions and commentaries render this an indirect or third person imperative, “Let my eyes overflow…” because of the particle אַל (’al) which introduces the phrase translated “without ceasing” (אַל־תִּדְמֶינָה, ’al-tidmenah). However, this is undoubtedly an example where the particle introduces an affirmation that something cannot be done (cf. GKC 322 §109.e). Clear examples of this are found in Pss 41:2 (41:3 HT); 50:3; Job 40:32 (41:8). God here is describing again a lamentable situation and giving his response to it. See 14:1-6 above.
[14:17] 3 tn Heb “virgin daughter, my people.” The last noun here is appositional to the first two (genitive of apposition). Hence it is not ‘literally’ “virgin daughter of my people.”
[14:17] 4 tn This is a poetic personification. To translate with the plural “serious wounds” might mislead some into thinking of literal wounds.
[15:9] 5 tn Heb “who gave birth to seven.”
[15:9] 6 tn The meaning of this line is debated. Some understand this line to mean “she has breathed out her life” (cf., e.g., BDB 656 s.v. נָפַח and 656 s.v. ֶנפֶשׁ 1.c). However, as several commentaries have noted (e.g., W. McKane, Jeremiah [ICC], 1:341; J. Bright, Jeremiah [AB], 109) it makes little sense to talk about her suffering shame and embarrassment if she has breathed her last. Both the Greek and Latin versions understand “soul” not as the object but as the subject and the idea being one of fainting under despair. This idea seems likely in light of the parallelism. Bright suggests the phrase means either “she gasped out her breath” or “her throat gasped.” The former is more likely. One might also render “she fainted dead away,” but that idiom might not be familiar to all readers.
[15:9] 7 tn Heb “Her sun went down while it was still day.”
[15:9] 8 sn She has lost her position of honor and the source of her pride. For the concepts here see 1 Sam 2:5.
[15:9] 9 tn Heb “I will deliver those of them that survive to the sword before their enemies.” The referent of “them” is ambiguous. Does it refer to the children of the widow (nearer context) or the people themselves (more remote context, v. 7)? Perhaps it was meant to include both. Verse seven spoke of the destruction of the people and the killing off of the children.
[31:35] 9 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.” See the study note on 2:19 for this title. In the Hebrew text the verse reads: “Thus says the
