Jeremiah 25:1-8

Seventy Years of Servitude for Failure to Give Heed

25:1 In the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah, the Lord spoke to Jeremiah ¹  concerning all the people of Judah. (That was the same as the first year that Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon.) ²  25:2 So the prophet Jeremiah spoke to all the people of Judah and to all the people who were living in Jerusalem. ³  25:3 “For the last twenty-three years, from the thirteenth year that Josiah son of Amon was ruling in Judah ⁴  until now, the Lord has been speaking to me. I told you over and over again ⁵  what he said. ⁶  But you would not listen. 25:4 Over and over again ⁷  the Lord has sent ⁸  his servants the prophets to you. But you have not listened or paid attention. ⁹  25:5 He said through them, ¹⁰  ‘Each of you must turn from your wicked ways and stop doing the evil things you are doing. ¹¹  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. ¹²  25:6 Do not pay allegiance to ¹³  other gods and worship and serve them. Do not make me angry by the things that you do. ¹⁴  Then I will not cause you any harm.’ 25:7 So, now the Lord says, ¹⁵  ‘You have not listened to me. But ¹⁶  you have made me angry by the things that you have done. ¹⁷  Thus you have brought harm on yourselves.’

25:8 “Therefore, the Lord who rules over all ¹⁸  says, ‘You have not listened to what I said. ¹⁹ 

[25:1]  ¹ tn Heb “The word was to Jeremiah.” It is implicit from the context that it was the Lord’s word. The verbal expression is more in keeping with contemporary English style.

[25:1]  ² sn The year referred to would be 605 b.c. Jehoiakim had been placed on the throne of Judah as a puppet king by Pharaoh Necho after the defeat of Josiah at Megiddo in 609 b.c. (2 Kgs 23:34-35). According to Jer 46:2 Nebuchadnezzar defeated Necho at Carchemish in that same year. After defeating Necho, Nebuchadnezzar had hurried back to Babylon where he was made king. After being made king he then returned to Judah and attacked Jerusalem (Dan 1:1. The date given there is the third year of Jehoiakim but scholars are generally agreed that the dating there is based on a different system than the one here. It did not count the part of the year before New Year’s day as an official part of the king’s official rule. Hence, the third year there is the fourth year here.) The identity of the foe from the north referred to in general terms (4:6; 6:1; 15:12) now becomes clear.

[25:2]  ³ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[25:3]  ⁴ sn The year referred to would be 627 b.c. The same year is referred to in 1:2 in reference to his call to be a prophet.

[25:3]  ⁵ tn For the idiom involved here see the notes at 7:13 and 11:7.

[25:3]  ⁶ tn The words “what he said” are not in the text but are implicit. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[25:4]  ⁷ tn For the idiom involved here see the notes at 7:13 and 11:7.

[25:4]  ⁸ tn The vav consecutive with the perfect in a past narrative is a little unusual. Here it is probably indicating repeated action in past time in keeping with the idiom that precedes and follows it. See GKC 332 §112.f for other possible examples.

[25:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “inclined your ear to hear.” This is idiomatic for “paying attention.” It is often parallel with “listen” as here or with “pay attention” (see, e.g., Prov 4:20; 51:1).

[25:5]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “saying.” The infinitive goes back to “he sent”; i.e., “he sent, saying.”

[25:5]  ¹¹ 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]  ¹² tn Heb “gave to you and your fathers with reference to from ancient times even unto forever.” See the same idiom in 7:7.

[25:6]  ¹³ tn Heb “follow after.” See the translator’s note on 2:5 for this idiom.

[25:6]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “make me angry with the work of your hands.” The term “work of your own hands” is often interpreted as a reference to idolatry as is clearly the case in Isa 2:8; 37:19. However, the parallelism in 25:14 and the context in 32:30 show that it is more general and refers to what they have done. That is likely the meaning here as well.

[25:7]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[25:7]  ¹⁶ tn This is a rather clear case where the Hebrew particle לְמַעַן (lÿma’an) introduces a consequence and not a purpose, contrary to the dictum of BDB 775 s.v. מַעַן note 1. They have not listened to him in order to make him angry but with the result that they have made him angry by going their own way. Jeremiah appears to use this particle for result rather than purpose on several other occasions (see, e.g., 7:18, 19; 27:10, 15; 32:29).

[25:7]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “make me angry with the work of your hands.” The term “work of your own hands” is often interpreted as a reference to idolatry as is clearly the case in Isa 2:8; 37:19. However, the parallelism in 25:14 and the context in 32:30 show that it is more general and refers to what they have done. That is likely the meaning here as well.

[25:8]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.”

[25:8]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “You have not listened to my words.”