Discovery BoxJeremiah 16:11
Context16:11 Then tell them that the Lord says, 1 ‘It is because your ancestors 2 rejected me and paid allegiance to 3 other gods. They have served them and worshiped them. But they have rejected me and not obeyed my law. 4
Jeremiah 25:5
Context25:5 He said through them, 5 ‘Each of you must turn from your wicked ways and stop doing the evil things you are doing. 6 If you do, I will allow you to continue to live here in the land that I gave to you and your ancestors as a lasting possession. 7
Jeremiah 32:18
Context32:18 You show unfailing love to thousands. 8 But you also punish children for the sins of their parents. 9 You are the great and powerful God who is known as the Lord who rules over all. 10
Jeremiah 35:8
Context35:8 We and our wives and our sons and daughters have obeyed everything our ancestor Jonadab commanded us. We have never drunk wine. 11
Jeremiah 35:18
Context35:18 Then Jeremiah spoke to the Rechabite community, “The Lord God of Israel who rules over all 12 says, ‘You have obeyed the orders of your ancestor Jonadab. You have followed all his instructions. You have done exactly as he commanded you.’
[16:11] 1 tn These two sentences have been recast in English to break up a long Hebrew sentence and incorporate the oracular formula “says the
[16:11] 2 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 12, 13, 15, 19).
[16:11] 3 tn Heb “followed after.” See the translator’s note at 2:5 for the explanation of the idiom.
[16:11] 4 tn Heb “But me they have abandoned and my law they have not kept.” The objects are thrown forward to bring out the contrast which has rhetorical force. However, such a sentence in English would be highly unnatural.
[25:5] 5 tn Heb “saying.” The infinitive goes back to “he sent”; i.e., “he sent, saying.”
[25:5] 6 tn Heb “Turn [masc. pl.] each person from his wicked way and from the evil of your [masc. pl.] doings.” See the same demand in 23:22.
[25:5] 7 tn Heb “gave to you and your fathers with reference to from ancient times even unto forever.” See the same idiom in 7:7.
[32:18] 9 tn Or “to thousands of generations.” The contrast of showing steadfast love to “thousands” to the limitation of punishing the third and fourth generation of children for their parents’ sins in Exod 20:5-6; Deut 5:9-10; Exod 34:7 has suggested to many commentators and translators (cf., e.g., NRSV, TEV, NJPS) that reference here is to “thousands of generations.” The statement is, of course, rhetorical emphasizing God’s great desire to bless as opposed to the reluctant necessity to punish. It is part of the attributes of God spelled out in Exod 34:6-7.
[32:18] 10 tn Heb “pays back into the bosom of their children the sin of their parents.”
[32:18] 11 tn Heb “Nothing is too hard for you who show…and who punishes…the great [and] powerful God whose name is Yahweh of armies, [you who are] great in counsel…whose eyes are open…who did signs…” Jer 32:18-22 is a long series of relative clauses introduced by participles or relative pronouns in vv. 18-20a followed by second person vav consecutive imperfects carrying on the last of these relative clauses in vv. 20b-22. This is typical of hymnic introductions to hymns of praise (cf., e.g., Ps 136) but it is hard to sustain the relative subordination which all goes back to the suffix on “hard for you.” The sentences have been broken up but the connection with the end of v. 17 has been sacrificed for conformity to contemporary English style.
[35:8] 13 tn Heb “We have not drunk wine all our days.” Actually vv. 8b-9a are a series of infinitive constructs plus the negative לְבִלְתִּי (lÿvilti) explaining the particulars of how they have obeyed, i.e., by not drinking wine…and by not building….” The more direct declarative statement is used here to shorten the sentence and is more in keeping with contemporary style.
[35:18] 17 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies, the God of Israel.” For this title, which occurs again in the following verse, see the notes on 7:3 and the study note on 2:19.
