Jeremiah 15:12

15:12 Can you people who are like iron and bronze

break that iron fist from the north? ¹ 

Jeremiah 52:17

52:17 The Babylonians broke the two bronze pillars in the temple of the Lord, as well as the movable stands and the large bronze basin called the “The Sea.” ²  They took all the bronze to Babylon.

Jeremiah 6:28

6:28 I reported, ³ 

“All of them are the most stubborn of rebels! ⁴ 

They are as hard as bronze or iron.

They go about telling lies.

They all deal corruptly.

Jeremiah 39:7

39:7 Then he had Zedekiah’s eyes put out and had him bound in chains ⁵  to be led off to Babylon.

Jeremiah 52:20

52:20 The bronze of the items that King Solomon made for the Lord’s temple (including the two pillars, the large bronze basin called “The Sea,” the twelve bronze bulls under “The Sea,” and the movable stands ⁶ ) was too heavy to be weighed.

Jeremiah 52:22

52:22 The bronze top of one pillar was about seven and one-half feet ⁷  high and had bronze latticework and pomegranate-shaped ornaments all around it. The second pillar with its pomegranate-shaped ornaments was like it.

Jeremiah 15:20

15:20 I will make you as strong as a wall to these people,

a fortified wall of bronze.

They will attack you,

but they will not be able to overcome you.

For I will be with you to rescue you and deliver you,” ⁸ 

says the Lord.

Jeremiah 52:11

52:11 He had Zedekiah’s eyes put out and had him bound in chains. ⁹  Then the king of Babylon had him led off to Babylon and he was imprisoned there until the day he died.

Jeremiah 52:18

52:18 They also took the pots, shovels, ¹⁰  trimming shears, ¹¹  basins, pans, and all the bronze utensils used by the priests. ¹² 

Jeremiah 1:18

1:18 I, the Lord, ¹³  hereby promise to make you ¹⁴  as strong as a fortified city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall. You will be able to stand up against all who live in ¹⁵  the land, including the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and all the people of the land.

[15:12]  ¹ tn Or “Can iron and bronze break iron from the north?” The question is rhetorical and expects a negative answer. The translation and meaning of this verse are debated. See note for further details. The two main difficulties here involve the relation of words to one another and the obscure allusion to iron from the north. To translate “literally” is difficult since one does not know whether “iron” is subject of “break” or object of an impersonal verb. Likewise, the dangling “and bronze” fits poorly with either understanding. Options: “Can iron break iron from the north and bronze?” Or “Can one break iron, even iron from the north and bronze.” This last is commonly opted for by translators and interpreters, but why add “and bronze” at the end? And what does “iron from the north” refer to? A long history of interpretation relates it to the foe from the north (see already 1:14; 4:6; 6:1; 13:20). The translation follows the lead of NRSV and takes “and bronze” as a compound subject. I have no ready parallels for this syntax but the reference to “from the north” and the comparison to the stubbornness of the unrepentant people to bronze and iron in 6:28 suggests a possible figurative allusion. There is no evidence in the Bible that Israel knew about a special kind of steel like iron from the Black Sea mentioned in later Greek sources. The word “fist” is supplied in the translation to try to give some hint that it refers to a hostile force.

[52:17]  ² sn For discussion of the items listed here, see the study notes at Jer 27:19.

[6:28]  ³ tn These words are not in the text but are supplied in the translation for clarity. Some takes these words to be the continuation of the Lord’s commission of Jeremiah to the task of testing them. However, since this is the evaluation, the task appears to be complete. The words are better to be taken as Jeremiah’s report after he has completed the task.

[6:28]  ⁴ tn Or “arch rebels,” or “hardened rebels.” Literally “rebels of rebels.”

[39:7]  ⁴ tn Heb “fetters of bronze.” The more generic “chains” is used in the translation because “fetters” is a word unfamiliar to most modern readers.

[52:20]  ⁵ tc The translation follows the LXX (Greek version), which reflects the description in 1 Kgs 7:25-26. The Hebrew text reads, “the twelve bronze bulls under the movable stands.” הַיָּם (hayyam, “The Sea”) has been accidentally omitted by homoioarcton; note that the following form, הַמְּכֹנוֹת (hammÿkhonot, “the movable stands”), also begins with the article.

[52:22]  ⁶ tn Heb “five cubits.” A “cubit” was a unit of measure, approximately equivalent to a foot and a half.

[15:20]  ⁷ sn See 1:18. The Lord renews his promise of protection and reiterates his call to Jeremiah.

[52:11]  ⁸ tn Heb “fetters of bronze.” The more generic “chains” is used in the translation because “fetters” is a word unfamiliar to most modern readers.

[52:18]  ⁹ sn These shovels were used to clean the altar.

[52:18]  ¹⁰ sn These trimming shears were used to trim the wicks of the lamps.

[52:18]  ¹¹ tn Heb “with which they served (or “fulfilled their duty”).”

[1:18]  ¹⁰ tn See the note on “Jeremiah” at the beginning of v. 17.

[1:18]  ¹¹ tn Heb “today I have made you.” The Hebrew verb form here emphasizes the certainty of a yet future act; the Lord is promising to protect Jeremiah from any future attacks which may result from his faithfully carrying out his commission. See a similar use of the same Hebrew verb tense in v. 9, and see the translator’s note there.

[1:18]  ¹² tn Heb “I make you a fortified city…against all the land….” The words “as strong as” and “so you will be able to stand against all the people of…” are given to clarify the meaning of the metaphor.