Jeremiah 4:17

4:17 They will surround Jerusalem ¹ 

like men guarding a field ² 

because they have rebelled against me,”

says the Lord.

Jeremiah 22:16

22:16 He upheld the cause of the poor and needy.

So things went well for Judah.’ ³ 

The Lord says,

‘That is a good example of what it means to know me.’ ⁴ 

[4:17]  ¹ tn Heb “will surround her.” The antecedent is Jerusalem in the preceding verse. The referent is again made explicit in the translation to avoid any possible lack of clarity. The verb form here is a form of the verb that emphasizes the fact as being as good as done (i.e., it is a prophetic perfect).

[4:17]  ² sn There is some irony involved in the choice of the simile since the men guarding a field were there to keep thieves from getting in and stealing the crops. Here the besiegers are guarding the city to keep people from getting out.

[22:16]  ³ tn The words “for Judah” are not in the text, but the absence of the preposition plus object as in the preceding verse suggests that this is a more general statement, i.e., “things went well for everyone.”

[22:16]  ⁴ tn Heb “Is that not what it means to know me.” The question is rhetorical and expects a positive answer. It is translated in the light of the context.