Jeremiah 6:9

6:9 This is what the Lord who rules over all ¹  said to me: ² 

“Those who remain in Israel will be

like the grapes thoroughly gleaned ³  from a vine.

So go over them again, as though you were a grape harvester

passing your hand over the branches one last time.” ⁴ 

Jeremiah 23:3

23:3 Then I myself will regather those of my people ⁵  who are still alive from all the countries where I have driven them. I will bring them back to their homeland. ⁶  They will greatly increase in number.

Jeremiah 42:19

42:19 “The Lord has told you people who remain in Judah, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’ Be very sure of this: I warn you ⁷  here and now. ⁸ 

Jeremiah 50:26

50:26 Come from far away and attack Babylonia! ⁹ 

Open up the places where she stores her grain!

Pile her up in ruins! ¹⁰  Destroy her completely! ¹¹ 

Do not leave anyone alive! ¹² 

[6:9]  ¹ tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.”

[6:9]  ² tn The words “to me” are not in the text but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[6:9]  ³ 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]  ⁴ 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.

[23:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “my sheep.”

[23:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “their fold.”

[42:19]  ⁹ tn Heb “Know for certain that I warn you…” The idea of “for certain” is intended to reflect the emphatic use of the infinitive absolute before the volitive use of the imperfect (see IBHS 587-88 §35.3.1h and 509 §31.5b). The substitution “of this:” for “that” has been made to shorten the sentence in conformity with contemporary English style.

[42:19]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “today.”

[50:26]  ¹³ tn Heb “Come against her from the end.” There is a great deal of debate about the meaning of “from the end” (מִקֵּץ, miqqets). Some follow the suggestion of F. Giesebrecht in BDB 892 s.v. קָצֶה 3 and emend the text to מִקָּצֶה (miqqatseh) on the basis of the presumed parallel in Jer 51:31 which is interpreted as “on all sides,” i.e., “from every quarter/side.” However, the phrase does not mean that in Jer 51:31 but is used as it is elsewhere of “from one end to another,” i.e., in its entirety (so Gen 19:4). The only real parallel here is the use of the noun קֵץ (qets) with a suffix in Isa 37:24 referring to the remotest part, hence something like from the end (of the earth), i.e., from a far away place. The referent “her” has been clarified here to refer to Babylonia in case someone might not see the connection between v. 25d and v. 26.

[50:26]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “Pile her up like heaps.” Many commentators understand the comparison to be to heaps of grain (compare usage of עֲרֵמָה (’aremah) in Hag 2:16; Neh 13:15; Ruth 3:7). However, BDB 790 s.v. עֲרֵמָה is more likely correct that this refers to heaps of ruins (compare the usage in Neh 4:2 [3:34 HT]).

[50:26]  ¹⁵ sn Compare Jer 50:21 and see the study note on 25:9.

[50:26]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “Do not let there be to her a remnant.” According to BDB 984 s.v. שְׁאֵרִית this refers to the last remnant of people, i.e., there won’t be any survivors. Compare the usage in Jer 11:23.