Discovery BoxJeremiah 50:38
Context50:38 A drought will come upon her land;
her rivers and canals will be dried up. 1
All of this will happen because her land is filled with idols. 2
Her people act like madmen because of 3 those idols they fear. 4
Jeremiah 49:13
Context49:13 For I solemnly swear,” 5 says the Lord, “that Bozrah 6 will become a pile of ruins. It will become an object of horror and ridicule, an example to be used in curses. 7 All the towns around it will lie in ruins forever.”
Jeremiah 36:30
Context36:30 So the Lord says concerning King Jehoiakim of Judah, “None of his line will occupy the throne of David. 8 His dead body will be thrown out to be exposed to scorching heat by day and frost by night. 9
[50:38] 1 tc Heb “a drought against her waters and they will dry up.” Several of the commentaries and modern English versions accept the emendation proposed by BHS and read here “sword” (חֶרֶב [kherev] in place of חֹרֶב [khorev], the change of only one vowel) in keeping with the rest of the context. According to BHS this reading is supported by the Lucianic and Hexaplaric recensions of the LXX (the Greek version) and the Syriac version. In this case the drying up of the waters (of the canals) is attributed to neglect brought about by war conditions. However, it is just as likely that these versions are influenced by the repetition of the word “sword” as the Hebrew and the other versions are influenced by the concept of “drying up” of the waters to read “drought.” Hence the present translation, along with the majority of modern English versions, retains the Hebrew “drought.”
[50:38] 2 tn Heb “for it is a land of idols.” The “for,” however, goes back to the whole context not just to the preceding prediction (cf. BDB 473-74 s.v. כִּי 1.c and compare usage in Isa 21:6 listed there).
[50:38] 3 tc Or “Her people boast in.” This translation is based on the reading of the majority of Hebrew
[50:38] 4 tn Heb “by the terrors.” However, as HALOT 40 s.v. אֵימָה indicates these are “images that cause terror” (a substitution of the effect for the cause). The translation of this line follows the interpretation of the majority of modern English versions and all the commentaries consulted. NIV, NCV, and God’s Word reflect a different syntax, understanding the subject to be the idols just mentioned rather than “her people” which is supplied here for the sake of clarity (the Hebrew text merely says “they.”) Following that lead, one could render “but those idols will go mad with terror.” This makes excellent sense in the context which often refers to effects (vv. 36b, d, 37c, 38b) of the war that is coming. However, that interpretation does not fit as well with the following “therefore/so,” which basically introduces a judgment or consequence after an accusation of sin.
[49:13] 5 tn Heb “I swear by myself.” See 22:5 and the study note there.
[49:13] 6 sn Bozrah appears to have been the chief city in Edom, its capital city (see its parallelism with Edom in Isa 34:6; 63:1; Jer 49:22). The reference to “its towns” (translated here “all the towns around it”) could then be a reference to all the towns in Edom. It was located about twenty-five miles southeast of the southern end of the Dead Sea apparently in the district of Teman (see the parallelism in Amos 1:12).
[49:13] 7 tn See the study note on 24:9 for the rendering of this term.
[36:30] 9 sn This prophesy was not “totally” fulfilled because his son Jehoiachin (Jeconiah) did occupy the throne for three months (2 Kgs 23:8). However, his rule was negligible and after his capitulation and exile to Babylon, he himself was promised that neither he nor his successors would occupy the throne of David (cf. Jer 22:30; and see the study notes on 22:24, 30).
[36:30] 10 sn Compare the more poetic prophecy in Jer 22:18-19 and see the study note on 22:19.
