Jeremiah 6:9-12

Context

6:9 This is what the Lord who rules over all¹ said to me:²

“Those who remain in Israel will be

like the grapes thoroughly gleaned³ 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

6:10 I answered,⁵

“Who would listen

if I spoke to them and warned them?⁶

Their ears are so closed⁷

that they cannot hear!

Indeed,⁸ what the Lord says is offensive to them.

They do not like it at all.⁹

6:11 I am as full of anger as you are, Lord,¹⁰

I am tired of trying to hold it in.”

The Lord answered,¹¹

“Vent it, then,¹² on the children who play in the street

and on the young men who are gathered together.

Husbands and wives are to be included,¹³

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 power¹⁴

against those who live in this land,”

says the Lord.

[6:9] ¹tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.”

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

[6:9] ³tn 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] ⁴tn 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] ⁵tn These words are not in the text but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[6:10] ⁶tn 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] ⁷tn Heb “are uncircumcised.”

[6:10] ⁸tn Heb “Behold!”

[6:10] ⁹tn Heb “They do not take pleasure in it.”

[6:11] ⁹tn Heb “I am full of the wrath of the Lord.”

[6:11] ¹⁰tn 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] ¹¹tn Heb “Pour it out.”

[6:11] ¹²tn Heb “are to be captured.”

[6:12] ¹³tn 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).