Discovery BoxJeremiah 32:1
Context32:1 In the tenth year that Zedekiah was ruling over Judah the Lord spoke to Jeremiah. 1 That was the same as the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar.
Jeremiah 6:1-30
Context6:1 “Run for safety, people of Benjamin!
Get out of Jerusalem! 2
Sound the trumpet 3 in Tekoa!
Light the signal fires at Beth Hakkerem!
For disaster lurks 4 out of the north;
it will bring great destruction. 5
6:2 I will destroy 6 Daughter Zion, 7
who is as delicate and defenseless as a young maiden. 8
6:3 Kings will come against it with their armies. 9
They will encamp in siege all around it. 10
Each of them will devastate the portion assigned to him. 11
6:4 They will say, 12 ‘Prepare to do battle 13 against it!
Come on! Let’s attack it at noon!’
But later they will say, 14 ‘Oh, oh! Too bad! 15
The day is almost over
and the shadows of evening are getting long.
6:5 So come on, let’s go ahead and attack it by night
and destroy all its fortified buildings.’
6:6 All of this is because 16 the Lord who rules over all 17 has said:
‘Cut down the trees around Jerusalem
and build up a siege ramp against its walls. 18
This is the city which is to be punished. 19
Nothing but oppression happens in it. 20
6:7 As a well continually pours out fresh water
so it continually pours out wicked deeds. 21
Sounds of violence and destruction echo throughout it. 22
All I see are sick and wounded people.’ 23
6:8 So 24 take warning, Jerusalem,
or I will abandon you in disgust 25
and make you desolate,
a place where no one can live.”
6:9 This is what the Lord who rules over all 26 said to me: 27
“Those who remain in Israel will be
like the grapes thoroughly gleaned 28 from a vine.
So go over them again, as though you were a grape harvester
passing your hand over the branches one last time.” 29
“Who would listen
if I spoke to them and warned them? 31
Their ears are so closed 32
that they cannot hear!
Indeed, 33 what the Lord says is offensive to them.
They do not like it at all. 34
6:11 I am as full of anger as you are, Lord, 35
I am tired of trying to hold it in.”
The Lord answered, 36
“Vent it, then, 37 on the children who play in the street
and on the young men who are gathered together.
Husbands and wives are to be included, 38
as well as the old and those who are advanced in years.
6:12 Their houses will be turned over to others
as will their fields and their wives.
For I will unleash my power 39
against those who live in this land,”
says the Lord.
6:13 “That is because, from the least important to the most important of them,
all of them are greedy for dishonest gain.
Prophets and priests alike,
all of them practice deceit.
6:14 They offer only superficial help
for the harm my people have suffered. 40
They say, ‘Everything will be all right!’
But everything is not all right! 41
6:15 Are they ashamed because they have done such shameful things?
No, they are not at all ashamed.
They do not even know how to blush!
So they will die, just like others have died. 42
They will be brought to ruin when I punish them,”
says the Lord.
6:16 The Lord said to his people: 43
“You are standing at the crossroads. So consider your path. 44
Ask where the old, reliable paths 45 are.
Ask where the path is that leads to blessing 46 and follow it.
If you do, you will find rest for your souls.”
But they said, “We will not follow it!”
“I appointed prophets as watchmen to warn you, 48 saying:
‘Pay attention to the warning sound of the trumpet!’” 49
But they said, “We will not pay attention!”
“Hear, you nations!
Be witnesses and take note of what will happen to these people. 51
6:19 Hear this, you peoples of the earth: 52
‘Take note! 53 I am about to bring disaster on these people.
It will come as punishment for their scheming. 54
For they have paid no attention to what I have said, 55
and they have rejected my law.
6:20 I take no delight 56 when they offer up to me 57
frankincense that comes from Sheba
or sweet-smelling cane imported from a faraway land.
I cannot accept the burnt offerings they bring me.
I get no pleasure from the sacrifices they offer to me.’ 58
6:21 So, this is what the Lord says:
‘I will assuredly 59 make these people stumble to their doom. 60
Parents and children will stumble and fall to their destruction. 61
Friends and neighbors will die.’
6:22 “This is what the Lord says:
‘Beware! An army 62 is coming from a land in the north.
A mighty nation is stirring into action in faraway parts of the earth.
6:23 Its soldiers are armed with bows and spears.
They are cruel and show no mercy.
They sound like the roaring sea
as they ride forth on their horses.
Lined up in formation like men going into battle
to attack you, Daughter Zion.’” 63
6:24 The people cry out, 64 “We have heard reports about them!
We have become helpless with fear! 65
Anguish grips us,
agony like that of a woman giving birth to a baby!
6:25 Do not go out into the countryside.
Do not travel on the roads.
For the enemy is there with sword in hand. 66
They are spreading terror everywhere.” 67
6:26 So I said, 68 “Oh, my dear people, 69 put on sackcloth
and roll in ashes.
Mourn with painful sobs
as though you had lost your only child.
For any moment now 70 that destructive army 71
will come against us.”
“I have made you like a metal assayer
to test my people like ore. 73
You are to observe them
and evaluate how they behave.” 74
“All of them are the most stubborn of rebels! 76
They are as hard as bronze or iron.
They go about telling lies.
They all deal corruptly.
6:29 The fiery bellows of judgment burn fiercely.
But there is too much dross to be removed. 77
The process of refining them has proved useless. 78
The wicked have not been purged.
6:30 They are regarded as ‘rejected silver’ 79
because the Lord rejects them.”
Jeremiah 13:1-27
Context13:1 The Lord said to me, “Go and buy some linen shorts 80 and put them on. 81 Do not put them in water.” 82 13:2 So I bought the shorts as the Lord had told me to do 83 and put them on. 84 13:3 Then the Lord spoke to me again and said, 85 13:4 “Take the shorts that you bought and are wearing 86 and go at once 87 to Perath. 88 Bury the shorts there 89 in a crack in the rocks.” 13:5 So I went and buried them at Perath 90 as the Lord had ordered me to do. 13:6 Many days later the Lord said to me, “Go at once to Perath and get 91 the shorts I ordered you to bury there.” 13:7 So I went to Perath and dug up 92 the shorts from the place where I had buried them. I found 93 that they were ruined; they were good for nothing.
13:8 Then the Lord said to me, 94 13:9 “I, the Lord, say: 95 ‘This shows how 96 I will ruin the highly exalted position 97 in which Judah and Jerusalem 98 take pride. 13:10 These wicked people refuse to obey what I have said. 99 They follow the stubborn inclinations of their own hearts and pay allegiance 100 to other gods by worshiping and serving them. So 101 they will become just like these linen shorts which are good for nothing. 13:11 For,’ I say, 102 ‘just as shorts cling tightly to a person’s body, so I bound the whole nation of Israel and the whole nation of Judah 103 tightly 104 to me.’ I intended for them to be my special people and to bring me fame, honor, and praise. 105 But they would not obey me.
13:12 “So tell them, 106 ‘The Lord, the God of Israel, says, “Every wine jar is made to be filled with wine.”’ 107 And they will probably say to you, ‘Do you not think we know 108 that every wine jar is supposed to be filled with wine?’ 13:13 Then 109 tell them, ‘The Lord says, “I will soon fill all the people who live in this land with stupor. 110 I will also fill the kings from David’s dynasty, 111 the priests, the prophets, and the citizens of Jerusalem with stupor. 112 13:14 And I will smash them like wine bottles against one another, children and parents alike. 113 I will not show any pity, mercy, or compassion. Nothing will keep me from destroying them,’ 114 says the Lord.”
13:15 Then I said to the people of Judah, 115
“Listen and pay attention! Do not be arrogant!
For the Lord has spoken.
13:16 Show the Lord your God the respect that is due him. 116
Do it before he brings the darkness of disaster. 117
Do it before you stumble 118 into distress
like a traveler on the mountains at twilight. 119
Do it before he turns the light of deliverance you hope for
into the darkness and gloom of exile. 120
13:17 But if you will not pay attention to this warning, 121
I will weep alone because of your arrogant pride.
I will weep bitterly and my eyes will overflow with tears 122
because you, the Lord’s flock, 123 will be carried 124 into exile.”
“Tell the king and the queen mother,
‘Surrender your thrones, 126
for your glorious crowns
will be removed 127 from your heads. 128
13:19 The gates of the towns in southern Judah will be shut tight. 129
No one will be able to go in or out of them. 130
All Judah will be carried off into exile.
They will be completely carried off into exile.’” 131
“Look up, Jerusalem, 133 and see
the enemy 134 that is coming from the north.
Where now is the flock of people that were entrusted to your care? 135
Where now are the ‘sheep’ that you take such pride in? 136
13:21 What will you say 137 when the Lord 138 appoints as rulers over you those allies
that you, yourself, had actually prepared as such? 139
Then anguish and agony will grip you
like that of a woman giving birth to a baby. 140
13:22 You will probably ask yourself, 141
‘Why have these things happened to me?
Why have I been treated like a disgraced adulteress
whose skirt has been torn off and her limbs exposed?’ 142
It is because you have sinned so much. 143
13:23 But there is little hope for you ever doing good,
you who are so accustomed to doing evil.
Can an Ethiopian 144 change the color of his skin?
Can a leopard remove its spots? 145
‘That is why I will scatter your people 147 like chaff
that is blown away by a desert wind. 148
13:25 This is your fate,
the destiny to which I have appointed you,
because you have forgotten me
and have trusted in false gods.
13:26 So I will pull your skirt up over your face
and expose you to shame like a disgraced adulteress! 149
13:27 People of Jerusalem, 150 I have seen your adulterous worship,
your shameless prostitution to, and your lustful pursuit of, other gods. 151
I have seen your disgusting acts of worship 152
on the hills throughout the countryside.
You are doomed to destruction! 153
How long will you continue to be unclean?’”
[32:1] 1 tn Heb “The word which came to Jeremiah from the
[6:1] 2 tn Heb “Flee for safety, people of Benjamin, out of the midst of Jerusalem.”
[6:1] 3 tn Heb “ram’s horn,” but the modern equivalent is “trumpet” and is more readily understandable.
[6:1] 4 tn Heb “leans down” or “looks down.” This verb personifies destruction leaning/looking down from its window in the sky, ready to attack.
[6:1] 5 tn Heb “[It will be] a severe fracture.” The nation is pictured as a limb being fractured.
[6:2] 3 tn The verb here is another example of the Hebrew verb form that indicates the action is as good as done (a Hebrew prophetic perfect).
[6:2] 4 sn Jerusalem is personified as a young maiden who is helpless in the hands of her enemies.
[6:2] 5 tn Heb “The beautiful and delicate one I will destroy, the daughter of Zion. The English versions and commentaries are divided over the rendering of this verse because (1) there are two verbs with these same consonants, one meaning “to be like” and the other meaning “to be destroyed” (intransitive) or “to destroy” (transitive), and (2) the word rendered “beautiful” (נָוָה, navah) can be understood as a noun meaning “pasture” or as a defective writing of an adjective meaning “beautiful, comely” (נָאוָה, na’vah). Hence some render “Fair Zion, you are like a lovely pasture,” reading the verb form as an example of the old second feminine singular perfect. Although this may fit the imagery of the next verse, that rendering ignores the absence of a preposition (לְ or אֶל, lÿ or ’el, both of which can be translated “to”) that normally goes with the verb “be like” and drops the conjunction in front of the adjective “delicate.” The parallel usage of the verb in Hos 4:5 argues for the meaning “destroy.”
[6:3] 4 tn Heb “Shepherds and their flocks will come against it.” Rulers are often depicted as shepherds; see BDB 945 s.v. רָעָה 1.d(2) (cf. Jer 12:10). The translation of this verse attempts to clarify the point of this extended metaphor.
[6:3] 5 tn Heb “They will thrust [= pitch] tents around it.” The shepherd imagery has a surprisingly ominous tone. The beautiful pasture filled with shepherds grazing their sheep is in reality a city under siege from an attacking enemy.
[6:3] 6 tn Heb “They will graze each one his portion.” For the use of the verb “graze” to mean “strip” or “devastate” see BDB 945 s.v. רָעָה 2.c. For a similar use of the word normally meaning “hand” to mean portion compare 2 Sam 19:43 (19:44 HT).
[6:4] 5 tn These words are not in the text but are implicit in the connection. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[6:4] 6 tn Heb “Sanctify war.” This is probably an idiom from early Israel’s holy wars in which religious rites were to precede the battle.
[6:4] 7 tn These words are not in the text but are supplied in the translation for clarity. Some commentaries and English versions see these not as the words of the enemy but as those of the Israelites expressing their fear that the enemy will launch a night attack against them and further destroy them. The connection with the next verse, however, fits better with them if they are the words of the enemy.
[6:4] 8 tn Heb “Woe to us!” For the usage of this phrase see the translator’s note on 4:13. The usage of this particle here is a little exaggerated. They have lost the most advantageous time for attack but they are scarcely in a hopeless or doomed situation. The equivalent in English slang is “Bad news!”
[6:6] 6 tn Heb “For.” The translation attempts to make the connection clearer.
[6:6] 7 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.”
[6:6] 8 tn Heb “Cut down its trees and build up a siege ramp against Jerusalem.” The referent has been moved forward from the second line for clarity.
[6:6] 9 tn Or “must be punished.” The meaning of this line is uncertain. The LXX reads, “Woe, city of falsehood!” The MT presents two anomalies: a masculine singular verb with a feminine singular subject in a verbal stem (Hophal) that elsewhere does not have the meaning “is to be punished.” Hence many follow the Greek which presupposes הוֹי עִיר הַשֶּׁקֶר (hoy ’ir hasheqer) instead of הִיא הָעִיר הָפְקַד (hi’ ha’ir hofqad). The Greek is the easier reading in light of the parallelism, and it would be hard to explain how the MT arose from it. KBL suggests reading a noun meaning “licentiousness” which occurs elsewhere only in Mishnaic Hebrew, hence “this is the city, the licentious one” (attributive apposition; cf. KBL 775 s.v. פֶּקֶר). Perhaps the Hophal perfect (הָפְקַד, hofÿqad) should be revocalized as a Niphal infinitive absolute (הִפָּקֹד, hippaqod); this would solve both anomalies in the MT since the Niphal is used in this nuance and the infinitive absolute can function in place of a finite verb (cf. GKC 346 §113.ee and ff). This, however, is mere speculation and is supported by no Hebrew
[6:6] 10 tn Heb “All of it oppression in its midst.”
[6:7] 7 tc Heb “As a well makes cool/fresh its water, she makes cool/fresh her wickedness.” The translation follows the reading proposed by the Masoretes (Qere) which reads a rare form of the word “well” (בַּיִר [bayir] for בְּאֵר [bÿ’er]) in place of the form written in the text (Kethib, בּוֹר [bor]), which means “cistern.” The latter noun is masculine and the pronoun “its” is feminine. If indeed בַּיִר (bayir) is a byform of בְּאֵר (be’er), which is feminine, it would agree in gender with the pronoun. It also forms a more appropriate comparison since cisterns do not hold fresh water.
[6:7] 8 tn Heb “Violence and destruction are heard in it.”
[6:7] 9 tn Heb “Sickness and wound are continually before my face.”
[6:8] 8 tn This word is not in the text but is supplied in the translation. Jeremiah uses a figure of speech (enallage) where the speaker turns from talking about someone to address him/her directly.
[6:8] 9 tn Heb “lest my soul [= I] becomes disgusted with you.”
[6:9] 9 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.”
[6:9] 10 tn The words “to me” are not in the text but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[6:9] 11 tn Heb “They will thoroughly glean those who are left in Israel like a vine.” That is, they will be carried off by judgment. It is not necessary to read the verb forms here as two imperatives or an infinitive absolute followed by an imperative as some English versions and commentaries do. This is an example of a third plural verb used impersonally and translated as a passive (cf. GKC 460 §144.g).
[6:9] 12 tn Heb “Pass your hand back over the branches like a grape harvester.” The translation is intended to clarify the metaphor that Jeremiah should try to rescue some from the coming destruction.
[6:10] 10 tn These words are not in the text but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[6:10] 11 tn Or “To whom shall I speak? To whom shall I give warning? Who will listen?” Heb “Unto whom shall I speak and give warning that they may listen?”
[6:10] 12 tn Heb “are uncircumcised.”
[6:10] 14 tn Heb “They do not take pleasure in it.”
[6:11] 11 tn Heb “I am full of the wrath of the
[6:11] 12 tn These words are not in the text but are implicit from the words that follow. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[6:11] 13 tn Heb “Pour it out.”
[6:11] 14 tn Heb “are to be captured.”
[6:12] 12 tn Heb “I will reach out my hand.” This figure involves both comparing God to a person (anthropomorphism) and substitution (metonymy) where hand is put for the actions or exertions of the hand. A common use of “hand” is for the exertion of power or strength (cf. BDB 290 s.v. יָד 2 and 289-90 s.v. יָד 1.e(2); cf. Deut 34:12; Ps 78:42; Jer 16:21).
[6:14] 13 tn Heb “They heal [= bandage] the wound of my people lightly”; TEV “They act as if my people’s wounds were only scratches.”
[6:14] 14 tn Heb “They say, ‘Peace! Peace!’ and there is no peace!”
[6:15] 14 tn Heb “They will fall among the fallen.”
[6:16] 15 tn The words, “to his people” are not in the text but are implicit in the interchange of pronouns in the Hebrew of vv. 16-17. They are supplied in the translation here for clarity.
[6:16] 16 tn Heb “Stand at the crossroads and look.”
[6:16] 17 tn Heb “the ancient path,” i.e., the path the
[6:16] 18 tn Heb “the way of/to the good.”
[6:17] 16 tn These words are not in the text but are implicit in the interchange of pronouns in the Hebrew of vv. 16-17. They are supplied in the translation here for clarity.
[6:17] 17 tn Heb “I appointed watchmen over you.”
[6:17] 18 tn Heb “Pay attention to the sound of the trumpet.” The word “warning” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.
[6:18] 17 tn These words are not in the text but are implicit from the flow of the context. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[6:18] 18 tn Heb “Know, congregation [or witness], what in [or against] them.” The meaning of this line is somewhat uncertain. The meaning of the noun of address in the second line (“witness,” rendered as an imperative in the translation, “Be witnesses”) is greatly debated. It is often taken as “congregation” but the lexicons and commentaries generally question the validity of reading that word since it is nowhere else applied to the nations. BDB 417 s.v. עֵדָה 3 says that the text is dubious. HALOT 747 s.v. I עֵדָה, 4 emends the text to דֵּעָה (de’ah). Several modern English versions (e.g., NIV, NCV, God’s Word) take it as the feminine singular noun “witness” (cf. BDB 729 s.v. II עֵדָה) and understand it as a collective. This solution is also proposed by J. A. Thompson (Jeremiah [NICOT], 259, n. 3) and appears to make the best sense in the context. The end of the line is very elliptical but is generally taken as either, “what I will do with/to them,” or “what is coming against them” (= “what will happen to them”) on the basis of the following context.
[6:19] 20 tn Heb “disaster on these people, the fruit of their schemes.”
[6:20] 19 tn Heb “To what purpose is it to me?” The question is rhetorical and expects a negative answer.
[6:20] 20 tn The words “when they offer up to me” are not in the text but are implicit from the following context. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[6:20] 21 tn Heb “Your burnt offerings are not acceptable and your sacrifices are not pleasing to me.” “The shift from “your” to “their” is an example of the figure of speech (apostrophe) where the speaker turns from talking about someone to addressing him/her directly. Though common in Hebrew style, it is not common in English. The shift to the third person in the translation is an accommodation to English style.
[6:21] 20 tn This is an attempt to render the Hebrew particle rendered “behold” joined to the first person pronoun.
[6:21] 21 tn Heb “I will put stumbling blocks in front of these people.” In this context the stumbling blocks are the invading armies.
[6:21] 22 tn The words “and fall to their destruction” are implicit in the metaphor and are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[6:23] 22 sn Jerualem is personified as a young maiden helpless before enemy attackers.
[6:24] 23 tn These words are not in the text, but, from the context, someone other than God is speaking and is speaking for and to the people (either Jeremiah or the people themselves). These words are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[6:24] 24 tn Or “We have lost our strength to do battle”; Heb “Our hands hang limp [or helpless at our sides].” According to BDB 951 s.v. רָפָה Qal.2, this idiom is used figuratively for losing heart or energy. The best example of its figurative use of loss of strength or the feeling of helplessness is in Ezek 21:12 where it appears in the context of the heart (courage) melting, the spirit sinking, and the knees becoming like water. For other examples compare 2 Sam 4:1; Zeph 3:16. In Neh 6:9 it is used literally of the builders “dropping their hands from the work” out of fear. The words “with fear” are supplied in the translation because they are implicit in the context.
[6:25] 24 tn Heb “For the enemy has a sword.”
[6:25] 25 tn Heb “Terror is all around!”
[6:26] 25 tn These words are not in the text but are implicit from the context.
[6:26] 26 tn Heb “daughter of my people.” For the translation given here see 4:11 and the translator’s note there.
[6:26] 28 tn Heb “the destroyer.”
[6:27] 26 tn These words are not in the text but are supplied in the translation for clarity. Note “I have appointed you.” Compare Jer 1:18.
[6:27] 27 tn Heb “I have made you an assayer of my people, a tester [?].” The meaning of the words translated “assayer” (בָּחוֹן, bakhon) and “tester” (מִבְצָר, mivtsar) is uncertain. The word בָּחוֹן (bakhon) can mean “tower” (cf. BDB 103 s.v. בָּחוֹן; cf. Isa 23:13 for the only other use) or “assayer” (cf. BDB 103 s.v. בָּחוֹן). The latter would be the more expected nuance because of the other uses of nouns and verbs from this root. The word מִבְצָר (mivtsar) normally means “fortress” (cf. BDB 131 s.v. מִבְצָר), but most modern commentaries and lexicons deem that nuance inappropriate here. HALOT follows a proposal that the word is to be repointed to מְבַצֵּר (mÿvatser) and derived from a root בָּצַר (batsar) meaning “to test” (cf. HALOT 143 s.v. IV בָּצַר). That proposal makes the most sense in the context, but the root appears nowhere else in the OT.
[6:27] 28 tn Heb “test their way.”
[6:28] 27 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
[6:28] 28 tn Or “arch rebels,” or “hardened rebels.” Literally “rebels of rebels.”
[6:29] 28 tn Heb “The bellows blow fiercely; the lead is consumed by the fire.” The translation tries to clarify a metaphor involving ancient metallurgy. In the ancient refining process lead was added as a flux to remove impurities from silver ore in the process of oxidizing the lead. Jeremiah says that the lead has been used up and the impurities have not been removed. The translation is based on the recognition of an otherwise unused verb root meaning “blow” (נָחַר [nakhar]; cf. BDB 1123 s.v. I חָרַר and HALOT 651 s.v. נָחַר) and the Masoretes’ suggestion that the consonants מאשׁתם be read מֵאֵשׁ תַּם (me’esh tam) rather than as מֵאֶשָּׁתָם (me’eshatam, “from their fire”) from an otherwise unattested noun אֶשָּׁה (’eshah).
[6:29] 29 tn Heb “The refiner refines them in vain.”
[6:30] 29 tn This translation is intended to reflect the wordplay in the Hebrew text where the same root word is repeated in the two lines.
[13:1] 30 tn The term here (אֵזוֹר, ’ezor) has been rendered in various ways: “girdle” (KJV, ASV), “waistband” (NASB), “waistcloth” (RSV), “sash” (NKJV), “belt” (NIV, NCV, NLT), and “loincloth” (NAB, NRSV, NJPS, REB). The latter is more accurate according to J. M. Myers, “Dress and Ornaments,” IDB 1:870, and W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah (Hermeneia), 1:399. It was a short, skirt-like garment reaching from the waist to the knees and worn next to the body (cf. v. 9). The modern equivalent is “shorts” as in TEV/GNB, CEV.
[13:1] 31 tn Heb “upon your loins.” The “loins” were the midriff of the body from the waist to the knees. For a further discussion including the figurative uses see, IDB, “Loins,” 3:149.
[13:1] 32 tn Or “Do not ever put them in water,” i.e., “Do not even wash them.”
[13:2] 31 tn Heb “according to the word of the
[13:2] 32 tn Heb “upon your loins.” The “loins” were the midriff of the body from the waist to the knees. For a further discussion including the figurative uses see R. C. Dentan, “Loins,” IDB 3:149-50.
[13:3] 32 tn Heb “The word of the
[13:4] 33 tn Heb “which are upon your loins.” See further the notes on v. 1.
[13:4] 34 tn Heb “Get up and go.” The first verb is not literal but is idiomatic for the initiation of an action.
[13:4] 35 tn There has been a great deal of debate about whether the place referred to here is a place (Parah [= Perath] mentioned in Josh 18:23, modern Khirbet Farah, near a spring ’ain Farah) about three and a half miles from Anathoth which was Jeremiah’s home town or the Euphrates River. Elsewhere the word “Perath” always refers to the Euphrates but it is either preceded by the word “river of” or there is contextual indication that the Euphrates is being referred to. Because a journey to the Euphrates and back would involve a journey of more than 700 miles (1,100 km) and take some months, scholars both ancient and modern have questioned whether “Perath” refers to the Euphrates here and if it does whether a real journey was involved. Most of the attempts to identify the place with the Euphrates involve misguided assumptions that this action was a symbolic message to Israel about exile or the corrupting influence of Assyria and Babylon. However, unlike the other symbolic acts in Jeremiah (and in Isaiah and Ezekiel) the symbolism is not part of a message to the people but to Jeremiah; the message is explained to him (vv. 9-11) not the people. In keeping with some of the wordplays that are somewhat common in Jeremiah it is likely that the reference here is to a place, Parah, which was near Jeremiah’s hometown, but whose name would naturally suggest to Jeremiah later in the
[13:4] 36 sn The significance of this act is explained in vv. 9-10. See the notes there for explanation.
[13:5] 34 tc The translation reads בִּפְרָתָה (bifratah) with 4QJera as noted in W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah (Hermeneia), 1:393 instead of בִּפְרָת (bifrat) in the MT.
[13:6] 35 tn Heb “Get from there.” The words “from there” are not necessary to the English sentence. They would lead to a redundancy later in the verse, i.e., “from there…bury there.”
[13:7] 36 tn Heb “dug and took.”
[13:7] 37 tn Heb “And behold.”
[13:8] 37 tn Heb “Then the word of the
[13:9] 38 tn Heb “Thus says the
[13:9] 39 tn In a sense this phrase which is literally “according to thus” or simply “thus” points both backward and forward: backward to the acted out parable and forward to the explanation which follows.
[13:9] 40 tn Many of the English versions have erred in rendering this word “pride” or “arrogance” with the resultant implication that the
[13:9] 41 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[13:10] 39 tn Heb “to listen to my words.”
[13:10] 40 tn Heb “and [they follow] after.” See the translator’s note at 2:5 for the idiom.
[13:10] 41 tn The structure of this verse is a little unusual. It consists of a subject, “this wicked people” qualified by several “which” clauses preceding a conjunction and a form which would normally be taken as a third person imperative (a Hebrew jussive; וִיהִי, vihi). This construction, called casus pendens by Hebrew grammarians, lays focus on the subject, here calling attention to the nature of Israel’s corruption which makes it rotten and useless to God. See GKC 458 §143.d for other examples of this construction.
[13:11] 40 tn The words “I say” are “Oracle of the
[13:11] 41 tn Heb “all the house of Israel and all the house of Judah.”
[13:11] 42 tn It would be somewhat unnatural in English to render the play on the word translated here “cling tightly” and “bound tightly” in a literal way. They are from the same root word in Hebrew (דָּבַק, davaq), a word that emphasizes the closest of personal relationships and the loyalty connected with them. It is used, for example, of the relationship of a husband and a wife and the loyalty expected of them (cf. Gen 2:24; for other similar uses see Ruth 1:14; 2 Sam 20:2; Deut 11:22).
[13:11] 43 tn Heb “I bound them…in order that they might be to me for a people and for a name and for praise and for honor.” The sentence has been separated from the preceding and an equivalent idea expressed which is more in keeping with contemporary English style.
[13:12] 41 tn Heb “So you shall say this word [or message] to them.”
[13:12] 42 tn Heb “Every wine jar is supposed to be filled with wine.”
[13:12] 43 tn This is an attempt to render a construction which involves an infinitive of a verb being added before the same verb in a question which expects a positive answer. There may, by the way, be a pun being passed back and forth here involving the sound play been “fool” (נָבָל, naval) and “wine bottle” (נֶבֶל, nebel).
[13:13] 42 tn The Greek version is likely right in interpreting the construction of two perfects preceded by the conjunction as contingent or consequential here, i.e., “and when they say…then say.” See GKC 494 §159.g. However, to render literally would create a long sentence. Hence, the words “will probably” have been supplied in v. 12 in the translation to set up the contingency/consequential sequence in the English sentences.
[13:13] 43 sn It is probably impossible to convey in a simple translation all the subtle nuances that are wrapped up in the words of this judgment speech. The word translated “stupor” here is literally “drunkenness” but the word has in the context an undoubted intended double reference. It refers first to the drunken like stupor of confusion on the part of leaders and citizens of the land which will cause them to clash with one another. But it also probably refers to the reeling under God’s wrath that results from this (cf. Jer 25:15-29, especially vv. 15-16). Moreover there is still the subtle little play on wine jars. The people are like the wine jars which were supposed to be filled with wine. They were to be a special people to bring glory to God but they had become corrupt. Hence, like wine jars they would be smashed against one another and broken to pieces (v. 14). All of this, both “fill them with the stupor of confusion” and “make them reel under God’s wrath,” cannot be conveyed in one translation.
[13:13] 44 tn Heb “who sit on David’s throne.”
[13:13] 45 tn In Hebrew this is all one long sentence with one verb governing compound objects. It is broken up here in conformity with English style.
[13:14] 43 tn Or “children along with their parents”; Heb “fathers and children together.”
[13:14] 44 tn Heb “I will not show…so as not to destroy them.”
[13:15] 44 tn The words “Then I said to the people of Judah” are not in the text but are implicit from the address in v. 15 and the content of v. 17. They are supplied in the translation for clarity to show the shift from the
[13:16] 45 tn Heb “Give glory/respect to the
[13:16] 46 tn The words “of disaster” are not in the text. They are supplied in the translation to explain the significance of the metaphor to readers who may not be acquainted with the metaphorical use of light and darkness for salvation and joy and distress and sorrow respectively.
[13:16] 47 tn Heb “your feet stumble.”
[13:16] 48 tn Heb “you stumble on the mountains at twilight.” The added words are again supplied in the translation to help explain the metaphor to the uninitiated reader.
[13:16] 49 tn Heb “and while you hope for light he will turn it into deep darkness and make [it] into gloom.” The meaning of the metaphor is again explained through the addition of the “of” phrases for readers who are unacquainted with the metaphorical use of these terms.
[13:17] 46 tn Heb “If you will not listen to it.” For the use of the feminine singular pronoun to refer to the idea(s) expressed in the preceding verse(s), see GKC 440-41 §135.p.
[13:17] 47 tn Heb “Tearing [my eye] will tear and my eye will run down [= flow] with tears.”
[13:17] 48 tn Heb “because the
[13:17] 49 tn The verb is once again in the form of “as good as done” (the Hebrew prophetic perfect).
[13:18] 47 tn The words “The
[13:18] 48 tn Or “You will come down from your thrones”; Heb “Make low! Sit!” This is a case of a construction where two forms in the same case, mood, or tense are joined in such a way that one (usually the first) is intended as an adverbial or adjectival modifier of the other (a figure called hendiadys). This is also probably a case where the imperative is used to express a distinct assurance or promise. See GKC 324 §110.b and compare the usage in Isa 37:30 and Ps 110:2.
[13:18] 49 tn Heb “have come down.” The verb here and those in the following verses are further examples of the “as good as done” form of the Hebrew verb (the prophetic perfect).
[13:18] 50 tc The translation follows the common emendation of a word normally meaning “place at the head” (מַרְאֲשׁוֹת [mar’ashot] plus pronoun = מַרְאֲוֹשׁתֵיכֶם [mar’aoshtekhem]) to “from your heads” (מֵרָאשֵׁיכֶם, mera’shekhem) following the ancient versions. The meaning “tiara” is nowhere else attested for this word.
[13:19] 48 tn Heb “The towns of the Negev will be shut.”
[13:19] 49 tn Heb “There is no one to open them.” The translation is based on the parallel in Josh 6:1 where the very expression in the translation is used. Opening the city would have permitted entrance (of relief forces) as well as exit (of fugitives).
[13:19] 50 sn The statements are poetic exaggerations (hyperbole), as most commentaries note. Even in the exile of 587
[13:20] 49 tn The words “Then I said” are not in the text. They are supplied in the translation to show the shift in speaker from vv. 18-19 where the
[13:20] 50 tn The word “Jerusalem” is not in the Hebrew text. It is added in the Greek text and is generally considered to be the object of address because of the second feminine singular verbs here and throughout the following verses. The translation follows the consonantal text (Kethib) and the Greek text in reading the second feminine singular here. The verbs and pronouns in vv. 20-22 are all second feminine singular with the exception of the suffix on the word “eyes” which is not reflected in the translation here (“Look up” = “Lift up your eyes”) and the verb and pronoun in v. 23. The text may reflect the same kind of alternation between singular and plural that takes place in Isa 7 where the pronouns refer to Ahaz as an individual and his entourage, the contemporary ruling class (cf., e.g., Isa 7:4-5 [singular], 9 [plural], 11 [singular], 13-14 [plural]). Here the connection with the preceding may suggest that it is initially the ruling house (the king and the queen mother), then Jerusalem personified as a woman in her role as a shepherdess (i.e., leader). However, from elsewhere in the book the leadership has included the kings, the priests, the prophets, and the citizens as well (cf., e.g., 13:13). In v. 27 Jerusalem is explicitly addressed. It may be asking too much of some readers who are not familiar with biblical metaphors to understand an extended metaphor like this. If it is helpful to them, they may substitute plural referents for “I” and “me.”
[13:20] 51 tn The word “enemy” is not in the text but is implicit. It supplied in the translation for clarity.
[13:20] 52 tn Heb “the flock that was given to you.”
[13:20] 53 tn Heb “the sheep of your pride.” The word “of your people” and the quotes around “sheep” are intended to carry over the metaphor in such a way that readers unfamiliar with the metaphor will understand it.
[13:21] 50 tn Or perhaps more rhetorically equivalent, “Will you not be surprised?”
[13:21] 51 tn The words “The
[13:21] 52 tn Or “to be rulers.” The translation of these two lines is somewhat uncertain. The sentence structure of these two lines raises problems in translation. The Hebrew text reads: “What will you do when he appoints over you [or punishes you (see BDB 823 s.v. פָּקַד Qal.B.2 for the former, Qal.A.3 for the latter)] and you, yourself, taught them over you friends [or chiefs (see BDB 48 s.v. I אַלּוּף 2 and Ps 55:13 for the former and BDB 49 s.v. II אַלּוּף and Exod 15:15 for the latter)] for a head.” The translation assumes that the clause “and you, yourself, taught them [= made them accustomed, i.e., “prepared”] [to be] over you” is parenthetical coming between the verb “appoint” and its object and object modifier (i.e., “appointed over you allies for rulers”). A quick check of other English versions will show how varied the translation of these lines has been. Most English versions seem to ignore the second “over you” after “you taught them.” Some rearrange the text to get what they think is a sensible meaning. For a fairly thorough treatment see W. McKane, Jeremiah (ICC), 1:308-10.
[13:21] 53 tn Heb “Will not pain [here = mental anguish] take hold of you like a woman giving birth.” The question is rhetorical expecting a positive answer.
[13:22] 51 tn Heb “say in your heart.”
[13:22] 52 tn Heb “Your skirt has been uncovered and your heels have been treated with violence.” This is the generally accepted interpretation of these phrases. See, e.g., BDB 784 s.v. עָקֵב a and HALOT 329 s.v. I חָמַס Nif. The significance of the actions here are part of the metaphor (i.e., personification) of Jerusalem as an adulteress having left her husband and have been explained in the translation for the sake of readers unfamiliar with the metaphor.
[13:22] 53 tn The translation has been restructured to break up a long sentence involving a conditional clause and an elliptical consequential clause. It has also been restructured to define more clearly what “these things” are. The Hebrew text reads: “And if you say, ‘Why have these things happened to me?’ Because of the greatness of your iniquity your skirts [= what your skirt covers] have been uncovered and your heels have been treated with violence.”
[13:23] 52 tn This is a common proverb in English coming from this biblical passage. For cultures where it is not proverbial perhaps it would be better to translate “Can black people change the color of their skin?” Strictly speaking these are “Cushites” inhabitants of a region along the upper Nile south of Egypt. The Greek text is responsible for the identification with Ethiopia. The term in Greek is actually a epithet = “burnt face.”
[13:23] 53 tn Heb “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? [Then] you also will be able to do good who are accustomed to do evil.” The English sentence has been restructured and rephrased in an attempt to produce some of the same rhetorical force the Hebrew original has in this context.
[13:24] 53 tn The words, “The
[13:24] 54 tn Heb “them.” This is another example of the rapid shift in pronouns seen several times in the book of Jeremiah. The pronouns in the preceding and the following are second feminine singular. It might be argued that “them” goes back to the “flock”/“sheep” in v. 20, but the next verse refers the fate described here to “you” (feminine singular). This may be another example of the kind of metaphoric shifts in referents discussed in the notes on 13:20 above. Besides, it would sound a little odd in the translation to speak of scattering one person like chaff.
[13:24] 55 sn Compare the threat using the same metaphor in Jer 4:11-12.
[13:26] 54 tn Heb “over your face and your shame will be seen.” The words “like a disgraced adulteress” are not in the text but are supplied in the translation to explain the metaphor. See the notes on 13:22.
[13:27] 55 tn Heb “Jerusalem.” This word has been pulled up from the end of the verse to help make the transition. The words “people of” have been supplied in the translation here to ease the difficulty mentioned earlier of sustaining the personification throughout.
[13:27] 56 tn Heb “[I have seen] your adulteries, your neighings, and your shameless prostitution.” The meanings of the metaphorical references have been incorporated in the translation for the sake of clarity for readers of all backgrounds.
[13:27] 57 tn Heb “your disgusting acts.” This word is almost always used of idolatry or of the idols themselves. See BDB 1055 s.v. שִׁקֻּוּץ and Deut 29:17 and Jer 4:1; 7:30.
