Jeremiah 36:5

36:5 Then Jeremiah told Baruch, “I am no longer allowed to go ¹  into the Lord’s temple.

Jeremiah 50:8

50:8 “People of Judah, ²  get out of Babylon quickly!

Leave the land of Babylonia! ³ 

Be the first to depart! ⁴ 

Be like the male goats that lead the herd.

[36:5]  ¹ tn Heb “I am restrained; I cannot go into.” The word “restrained” is used elsewhere in Jeremiah of his being confined to the courtyard of the guardhouse (33:1; 39:15). However, that occurred only later during the tenth year of Zedekiah (Jer 32:1-2) and Jeremiah appears here to be free to come and go as he pleased (vv. 19, 26). The word is used in the active voice of the Lord preventing Sarah from having a baby (Gen 16:2). The probable nuance is here “I am prevented/ debarred” from being able to go. No reason is given why he was prevented/debarred. It has been plausibly suggested that he was prohibited from going into the temple any longer because of the scathing sermon he delivered there earlier (Jer 26:1-3; 7:1-15).

[50:8]  ² tn The words “People of Judah” are not in the Hebrew text but are implicit from the context. They have been supplied in the translation to clarify the subject of the address.

[50:8]  ³ tn Heb “the land of the Chaldeans.” See the study note on 21:4 for explanation.

[50:8]  ⁴ tn The words “Be the first to leave” are not in the text but spell out the significance of the simile that follows. They have been supplied in the translation for clarity.