Jeremiah 25:37

25:37 Their peaceful dwelling places will be laid waste ¹ 

by the fierce anger of the Lord. ² 

Jeremiah 23:10

23:10 For the land is full of people unfaithful to him. ³ 

They live wicked lives and they misuse their power. ⁴ 

So the land is dried up ⁵  because it is under his curse. ⁶ 

The pastures in the wilderness are withered.

Jeremiah 9:10

The Coming Destruction Calls For Mourning

9:10 I said, ⁷ 

“I will weep and mourn ⁸  for the grasslands on the mountains, ⁹ 

I will sing a mournful song for the pastures in the wilderness

because they are so scorched no one travels through them.

The sound of livestock is no longer heard there.

Even the birds in the sky and the wild animals in the fields

have fled and are gone.”

[25:37]  ¹ tn For this meaning of the verb used here see HALOT 217 s.v. דָּמַם Nif. Elsewhere it refers to people dying (see, e.g., Jer 49:26; 50:30) hence some see a reference to “lifeless.”

[25:37]  ² tn Heb “because of the burning anger of the Lord.”

[23:10]  ³ tn Heb “adulterers.” But spiritual adultery is clearly meant as also in 3:8-9; 9:2, and probably also 5:7.

[23:10]  ⁴ tn For the word translated “They live…lives” see usage in Jer 8:6. For the idea of “misusing” their power (Heb “their power is not right” i.e., used in the wrong way) see 2 Kgs 7:9; 17:9. In the original text this line (really two lines in the Hebrew poetry) are at the end of the verse. However, this places the antecedent too far away and could lead to confusion. The lines have been rearranged to avoid such confusion.

[23:10]  ⁵ tn For the use of this verb see 12:4 and the note there.

[23:10]  ⁶ tc The translation follows the majority of Hebrew mss (מֵאָלָה, me’alah) rather than the Greek and Syriac version and a few Hebrew mss which read “because of these” (מֵאֵלֶּה [me’elleh], referring to the people unfaithful to him).

[9:10]  ⁵ tn The words “I said” are not in the text, but there is general agreement that Jeremiah is the speaker. Cf. the lament in 8:18-9:1. These words are supplied in the translation for clarity. Some English versions follow the Greek text which reads a plural imperative here. Since this reading would make the transition between 9:10 and 9:11 easier it is probably not original but a translator’s way of smoothing over a difficulty.

[9:10]  ⁶ tn Heb “I will lift up weeping and mourning.”

[9:10]  ⁷ tn Heb “for the mountains.” However, the context makes clear that it is the grasslands or pastures on the mountains that are meant. The words “for the grasslands” are supplied in the translation for clarity.