Discovery BoxJeremiah 8:4--10:25
Context“Tell them, ‘The Lord says,
Do people not get back up when they fall down?
Do they not turn around when they go the wrong way? 2
8:5 Why, then, do these people of Jerusalem 3
continually turn away from me in apostasy?
They hold fast to their deception. 4
They refuse to turn back to me. 5
8:6 I have listened to them very carefully, 6
but they do not speak honestly.
None of them regrets the evil he has done.
None of them says, “I have done wrong!” 7
All of them persist in their own wayward course 8
like a horse charging recklessly into battle.
8:7 Even the stork knows
when it is time to move on. 9
The turtledove, swallow, and crane 10
recognize 11 the normal times for their migration.
But my people pay no attention
to 12 what I, the Lord, require of them. 13
8:8 How can you say, “We are wise!
We have the law of the Lord”?
The truth is, 14 those who teach it 15 have used their writings
to make it say what it does not really mean. 16
8:9 Your wise men will be put to shame.
They will be dumbfounded and be brought to judgment. 17
Since they have rejected the word of the Lord,
what wisdom do they really have?
8:10 18 So I will give their wives to other men
and their fields to new owners.
For from the least important to the most important of them,
all of them are greedy for dishonest gain.
Prophets and priests alike,
all practice deceit.
8:11 They offer only superficial help
for the hurt my dear people 19 have suffered. 20
They say, “Everything will be all right!”
But everything is not all right! 21
8:12 Are they ashamed because they have done such disgusting things?
No, they are not at all ashamed!
They do not even know how to blush!
So they will die just like others have died. 22
They will be brought to ruin when I punish them,
says the Lord.
8:13 I will take away their harvests, 23 says the Lord.
There will be no grapes on their vines.
There will be no figs on their fig trees.
Even the leaves on their trees will wither.
The crops that I gave them will be taken away.’” 24
“Why are we just sitting here?
Let us gather together inside the fortified cities. 26
Let us at least die there fighting, 27
since the Lord our God has condemned us to die.
He has condemned us to drink the poison waters of judgment 28
because we have sinned against him. 29
8:15 We hoped for good fortune, but nothing good has come of it.
We hoped for a time of relief, but instead we experience terror. 30
8:16 The snorting of the enemy’s horses
is already being heard in the city of Dan.
The sound of the neighing of their stallions 31
causes the whole land to tremble with fear.
They are coming to destroy the land and everything in it!
They are coming to destroy 32 the cities and everyone who lives in them!”
“Yes indeed, 34 I am sending an enemy against you
that will be like poisonous snakes which cannot be charmed away. 35
And they will inflict fatal wounds on you.” 36
“There is no cure 38 for my grief!
I am sick at heart!
8:19 I hear my dear people 39 crying out 40
throughout the length and breadth of the land. 41
They are crying, ‘Is the Lord no longer in Zion?
Is her divine King 42 no longer there?’”
The Lord answers, 43
“Why then do they provoke me to anger with their images,
with their worthless foreign idols?” 44
8:20 “They cry, 45 ‘Harvest time has come and gone, and the summer is over, 46
and still we have not been delivered.’
8:21 My heart is crushed because my dear people 47 are being crushed. 48
I go about crying and grieving. I am overwhelmed with dismay. 49
8:22 There is still medicinal ointment 50 available in Gilead!
There is still a physician there! 51
Why then have my dear people 52
not been restored to health? 53
9:1 (8:23) 54 I wish that my head were a well full of water 55
and my eyes were a fountain full of tears!
If they were, I could cry day and night
for those of my dear people 56 who have been killed.
9:2 (9:1) I wish I had a lodging place in the desert
where I could spend some time like a weary traveler. 57
Then I would desert my people
and walk away from them
because they are all unfaithful to God,
a congregation 58 of people that has been disloyal to him. 59
“These people are like soldiers who have readied their bows.
Their tongues are always ready to shoot out lies. 61
They have become powerful in the land,
but they have not done so by honest means. 62
Indeed, they do one evil thing after another 63
and do not pay attention to me. 64
9:4 Everyone must be on his guard around his friends.
He must not even trust any of his relatives. 65
For every one of them will find some way to cheat him. 66
And all of his friends will tell lies about him.
9:5 One friend deceives another
and no one tells the truth.
These people have trained themselves 67 to tell lies.
They do wrong and are unable to repent.
9:6 They do one act of violence after another,
and one deceitful thing after another. 68
They refuse to pay attention to me,” 69
says the Lord.
9:7 Therefore the Lord who rules over all says, 70
“I will now purify them in the fires of affliction 71 and test them.
The wickedness of my dear people 72 has left me no choice.
What else can I do? 73
9:8 Their tongues are like deadly arrows. 74
They are always telling lies. 75
Friendly words for their neighbors come from their mouths.
But their minds are thinking up ways to trap them. 76
9:9 I will certainly punish them for doing such things!” says the Lord.
“I will certainly bring retribution on such a nation as this!” 77
“I will weep and mourn 79 for the grasslands on the mountains, 80
I will sing a mournful song for the pastures in the wilderness
because they are so scorched no one travels through them.
The sound of livestock is no longer heard there.
Even the birds in the sky and the wild animals in the fields
have fled and are gone.”
“I will make Jerusalem 82 a heap of ruins.
Jackals will make their home there. 83
I will destroy the towns of Judah
so that no one will be able to live in them.”
“Who is wise enough to understand why this has happened? 85
Who has a word from the Lord that can explain it? 86
Why does the land lie in ruins?
Why is it as scorched as a desert through which no one travels?”
9:13 The Lord answered, “This has happened because these people have rejected my laws which I gave them. They have not obeyed me or followed those laws. 87 9:14 Instead they have followed the stubborn inclinations of their own hearts. They have paid allegiance to 88 the gods called Baal, 89 as their fathers 90 taught them to do. 9:15 So then, listen to what I, the Lord God of Israel who rules over all, 91 say. 92 ‘I will make these people eat the bitter food of suffering and drink the poison water of judgment. 93 9:16 I will scatter them among nations that neither they nor their ancestors 94 have known anything about. I will send people chasing after them with swords 95 until I have destroyed them.’” 96
9:17 The Lord who rules over all 97 told me to say to this people, 98
“Take note of what I say. 99
Call for the women who mourn for the dead!
Summon those who are the most skilled at it!” 100
9:18 I said, “Indeed, 101 let them come quickly and sing a song of mourning for us.
Let them wail loudly until tears stream from our own eyes
and our eyelids overflow with water.
9:19 For the sound of wailing is soon to be heard in Zion.
They will wail, 102 ‘We are utterly ruined! 103 We are completely disgraced!
For our houses have been torn down
and we must leave our land.’” 104
“So now, 106 you wailing women, hear what the Lord says. 107
Open your ears to the words from his mouth.
Teach your daughters this mournful song,
and each of you teach your neighbor 108 this lament.
9:21 ‘Death has climbed in 109 through our windows.
It has entered into our fortified houses.
It has taken away our children who play in the streets.
It has taken away our young men who gather in the city squares.’
9:22 Tell your daughters and neighbors, ‘The Lord says,
“The dead bodies of people will lie scattered everywhere
like manure scattered on a field.
They will lie scattered on the ground
like grain that has been cut down but has not been gathered.”’” 110
“Wise people should not boast that they are wise.
Powerful people should not boast that they are powerful. 112
Rich people should not boast that they are rich. 113
9:24 If people want to boast, they should boast about this:
They should boast that they understand and know me.
They should boast that they know and understand
that I, the Lord, act out of faithfulness, fairness, and justice in the earth
and that I desire people to do these things,” 114
says the Lord.
9:25 The Lord says, “Watch out! 115 The time is soon coming when I will punish all those who are circumcised only in the flesh. 116 9:26 That is, I will punish the Egyptians, the Judeans, the Edomites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, and all the desert people who cut their hair short at the temples. 117 I will do so because none of the people of those nations are really circumcised in the Lord’s sight. 118 Moreover, none of the people of Israel 119 are circumcised when it comes to their hearts.” 120
10:1 You people of Israel, 121 listen to what the Lord has to say to you.
10:2 The Lord says,
“Do not start following pagan religious practices. 122
Do not be in awe of signs that occur 123 in the sky
even though the nations hold them in awe.
10:3 For the religion 124 of these people is worthless.
They cut down a tree in the forest,
and a craftsman makes it into an idol with his tools. 125
10:4 He decorates it with overlays of silver and gold.
He uses hammer and nails to fasten it 126 together
so that it will not fall over.
10:5 Such idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field.
They cannot talk.
They must be carried
because they cannot walk.
Do not be afraid of them
because they cannot hurt you.
And they do not have any power to help you.” 127
“There is no one like you, Lord. 129
You are great.
And you are renowned for your power. 130
10:7 Everyone should revere you, O King of all nations, 131
because you deserve to be revered. 132
For there is no one like you
among any of the wise people of the nations nor among any of their kings. 133
10:8 The people of those nations 134 are both stupid and foolish.
Instruction from a wooden idol is worthless! 135
10:9 Hammered-out silver is brought from Tarshish 136
and gold is brought from Uphaz 137 to cover those idols. 138
They are the handiwork of carpenters and goldsmiths. 139
They are clothed in blue and purple clothes. 140
They are all made by skillful workers. 141
10:10 The Lord is the only true God.
He is the living God and the everlasting King.
When he shows his anger the earth shakes.
None of the nations can stand up to his fury.
10:11 You people of Israel should tell those nations this:
‘These gods did not make heaven and earth.
They will disappear 142 from the earth and from under the heavens.’ 143
10:12 The Lord is the one who 144 by his power made the earth.
He is the one who by his wisdom established the world.
And by his understanding he spread out the skies.
10:13 When his voice thunders, 145 the heavenly ocean roars.
He makes the clouds rise from the far-off horizons. 146
He makes the lightning flash out in the midst of the rain.
He unleashes the wind from the places where he stores it. 147
10:14 All these idolaters 148 will prove to be stupid and ignorant.
Every goldsmith will be disgraced by the idol he made.
For the image he forges is merely a sham. 149
There is no breath in any of those idols. 150
10:15 They are worthless, mere objects to be mocked. 151
When the time comes to punish them, they will be destroyed.
10:16 The Lord, who is the inheritance 152 of Jacob’s descendants, 153 is not like them.
He is the one who created everything.
And the people of Israel are those he claims as his own. 154
He is known as the Lord who rules over all.” 155
10:17 Gather your belongings together and prepare to leave the land,
you people of Jerusalem 156 who are being besieged. 157
10:18 For the Lord says, “I will now throw out
those who live in this land.
I will bring so much trouble on them
that they will actually feel it.” 158
10:19 And I cried out, 159 “We are doomed! 160
Our wound is severe!
We once thought, ‘This is only an illness.
And we will be able to bear it!’ 161
10:20 But our tents have been destroyed.
The ropes that held them in place have been ripped apart. 162
Our children are gone and are not coming back. 163
There is no survivor to put our tents back up,
no one left to hang their tent curtains in place.
10:21 For our leaders 164 are stupid.
They have not sought the Lord’s advice. 165
So they do not act wisely,
and the people they are responsible for 166 have all been scattered.
10:22 Listen! News is coming even now. 167
The rumble of a great army is heard approaching 168 from a land in the north. 169
It is coming to turn the towns of Judah into rubble,
places where only jackals live.
10:23 Lord, we know that people do not control their own destiny. 170
It is not in their power to determine what will happen to them. 171
10:24 Correct us, Lord, but only in due measure. 172
Do not punish us in anger or you will reduce us to nothing. 173
10:25 Vent your anger on the nations that do not acknowledge you. 174
Vent it on the peoples 175 who do not worship you. 176
For they have destroyed the people of Jacob. 177
They have completely destroyed them 178
and left their homeland in utter ruin.
[8:4] 1 tn The words “the
[8:4] 2 sn There is a play on two different nuances of the same Hebrew word that means “turn” and “return,” “turn away” and “turn back.”
[8:5] 3 tc The text is quite commonly emended, changing שׁוֹבְבָה הָעָם (shovÿvah ha’am) to שׁוֹבָב הָעָם (shovav ha’am) and omitting יְרוּשָׁלַםִ (yÿrushalaim); this is due to the anomaly of a feminine singular verb with a masculine singular subject and the fact that the word “Jerusalem” is absent from one Hebrew
[8:5] 4 tn Or “to their allegiance to false gods,” or “to their false professions of loyalty”; Heb “to deceit.” Either “to their mistaken beliefs” or “to their allegiance to false gods” would fit the preceding context. The former is more comprehensive than the latter and was chosen for that reason.
[8:5] 5 sn There is a continuing play on the same root word used in the preceding verse. Here the words “turn away from me,” “apostasy,” and “turn back to me” are all forms from the root that was translated “go the wrong way” and “turn around” in v. 4. The intended effect is to contrast Judah’s recalcitrant apostasy with the usual tendency to try and correct one’s mistakes.
[8:6] 5 tn Heb “I have paid attention and I have listened.” This is another case of two concepts being joined by “and” where one expresses the main idea and the other acts as an adverbial or adjectival modifier (a figure called hendiadys).
[8:6] 6 tn Heb “What have I done?” The addition of the word “wrong” is implicit in the context and is supplied in the translation for clarity. The rhetorical question does not function as a denial of wrongdoing, but rather as contrite shock at one’s own wrongdoing. It is translated as a declaration for the sake of clarity.
[8:6] 7 tn Heb “each one of them turns aside into their own running course.”
[8:7] 7 tn Heb “its appointed time.” The translation is contextually motivated to avoid lack of clarity.
[8:7] 8 tn There is debate in the commentaries and lexicons about the identification of some of these birds, particularly regarding the identification of the “swallow” which is more likely the “swift” and the “crane” which some identify with the “thrush.” For a discussion see the Bible encyclopedias and the UBS handbook Fauna and Flora of the Bible. The identity of the individual birds makes little difference to the point being made and “swallow” is more easily identifiable to the average reader than the “swift.”
[8:7] 9 tn Heb “keep.” Ironically birds, which do not think, obey the laws of nature, but Israel does not obey the laws of God.
[8:7] 10 tn Heb “do not know.” But here as elsewhere the word “know” is more than an intellectual matter. It is intended here to summarize both “know” and “follow” (Heb “observe”) in the preceding lines.
[8:7] 11 tn Heb “the ordinance/requirement of the
[8:8] 9 tn Heb “Surely, behold!”
[8:8] 10 tn Heb “the scribes.”
[8:8] 11 tn Heb “The lying pen of the scribes have made [it] into a lie.” The translation is an attempt to make the most common interpretation of this passage understandable for the average reader. This is, however, a difficult passage whose interpretation is greatly debated and whose syntax is capable of other interpretations. The interpretation of the NJPS, “Assuredly, for naught has the pen labored, for naught the scribes,” surely deserves consideration within the context; i.e. it hasn’t done any good for the scribes to produce a reliable copy of the law, which the people have refused to follow. That interpretation has the advantage of explaining the absence of an object for the verb “make” or “labored” but creates a very unbalanced poetic couplet.
[8:9] 11 tn Heb “be trapped.” However, the word “trapped” generally carries with it the connotation of divine judgment. See BDB 540 s.v. לָכַד Niph.2, and compare usage in Jer 6:11 for support. The verbs in the first two lines are again the form of the Hebrew verb that emphasizes that the action is as good as done (Hebrew prophetic perfects).
[8:10] 13 sn See Jer 6:12-15 for parallels to 8:10-12. The words of Jeremiah to the people may have been repeated on more than one occasion or have been found appropriate to more than one of his collection of messages in written and edited form. See Jer 36:4 and Jer 36:28 for reference to at least two of these collections.
[8:11] 15 tn Heb “daughter of my people.” For the translation given here see 4:11 and the note on the phrase “dear people” there.
[8:11] 16 tn Heb “They heal the wound of my people lightly.”
[8:11] 17 tn Heb “They say, ‘Peace! Peace!’ and there is no peace!”
[8:12] 17 tn Heb “They will fall among the fallen.”
[8:13] 19 tn Or “I will completely destroy them.” The translation which is adopted is based on the revocalization of the MT which appears to mean literally “gathering I will sweep them away,” a rather improbable grammatical combination. It follows the suggestion found in HALOT 705 s.v. סוּף (Hiph) of reading אֹסֵף אֲסִיפָם (’ose, a first singular Qal imperfect of אָסַף [’asaf] followed by a noun אָסִיף [’asif] with possessive suffix) instead of the MT’s אָסֹף אֲסִיפֵם (’aspf ’asifem, a Qal infinitive absolute of אָסַף [’asaf] followed by the Hiphil imperfect of סוּף [suf] plus suffix). For parallel usage of the verb אָסַף (asaf) see BDB 62 s.v. אָסַף Qal.4, and for a similar form of the verb see Mic 4:6. The alternate translation follows the suggestion in BDB 692 s.v. סוּף Hiph: אָסֹף (’asof) is to be interpreted as a form of the Hiphil infinitive absolute (הָסֵף [hasef] would be expected) chosen for assonance with the following form. This suggestion would gain more credence if the MT is to be retained in Zeph 1:2 where parallel forms are found. However, that text too has been questioned on lexical and grammatical grounds. The translation adopted fits the following context better than the alternate one and is based on less questionable lexical and grammatical parallels. The Greek translation which reads “they shall gather their fruits” supports the translation chosen.
[8:13] 20 tn The meaning of this line is very uncertain. A possible alternate translation is: “They have broken the laws that I gave them.” The line reads rather literally “And I gave them they passed over them.” The translation adopted treats the first expression as a noun clause (cf. GKC 488-89 §155.n) which is the subject of the following verb, i.e., “the things I gave them [contextually, the grapes, etc.] passed over from them.” The alternate translation treats the expression as a dangling object (a Hebrew casus pendens) resumed by the pronoun “them” and understands “the things that I gave them” to be the law or some related entity which is often the object of this verb (see BDB 717 s.v. עָבַר Qal.1.i). Neither of these translations is without its weakness. The weakness of the translation which has been adopted is the unusual use it assigns to the object suffix of the verb translated “pass over.” The weakness of the alternate translation is the rather abrupt and opaque introduction of a new topic of reference (i.e., the laws) into the context. On the whole the latter weakness would appear to outweigh the former. This line is missing from the Greek version and J. Bright (Jeremiah [AB]) and J. A. Thompson (Jeremiah [NICOT]) despair of giving a translation. For other possible suggestions see, W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah (Hermeneia), 1:285-86.
[8:14] 21 tn The words “The people say” are not in the text but are implicit in the shift of speakers between vv. 4-13 and vv. 14-16. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[8:14] 22 tn Heb “Gather together and let us enter into the fortified cities.”
[8:14] 23 tn Heb “Let us die there.” The words “at least” and “fighting” are intended to bring out the contrast of passive surrender to death in the open country and active resistance to the death implicit in the context.
[8:14] 24 tn The words “of judgment” are not in the text but are intended to show that “poison water” is not literal but figurative of judgment at the hands of God through the agency of the enemy mentioned in v. 16.
[8:14] 25 tn Heb “against the
[8:15] 23 tn Heb “[We hoped] for a time of healing but behold terror.”
[8:16] 25 tn Heb “his stallions.”
[8:16] 26 tn The words “They are coming to destroy” are not in the text. They are inserted to break up a long sentence in conformity with contemporary English style.
[8:17] 27 tn These words which are at the end of the Hebrew verse are brought forward to show at the outset the shift in speaker.
[8:17] 28 tn Heb “Indeed [or For] behold!” The translation is intended to convey some of the connection that is suggested by the Hebrew particle כִּי (ki) at the beginning of the verse.
[8:17] 29 tn Heb “I am sending against you snakes, poisonous ones which cannot be charmed.” In the light of the context literal snakes are scarcely meant. So the metaphor is turned into a simile to prevent possible confusion. For a similar metaphorical use of animals for enemies see 5:6.
[8:17] 30 tn Heb “they will bite you.” There does not appear to be any way to avoid the possible confusion that literal snakes are meant here except to paraphrase. Possibly one could say “And they will attack you and ‘bite’ you,” but the enclosing of the word “bite” in quotations might lead to even further confusion.
[8:18] 29 tn The words, “Then I said” are not in the text but there is a general consensus that the words of vv. 18-19a are the words of Jeremiah. These words are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[8:18] 30 tn The meaning of this word is uncertain. The translation is based on the redivision and repointing of a word that occurs only here in the MT and whose pattern of formation is unparalleled in the Hebrew Bible. The MT reads מַבְלִיגִיתִי (mavligiti) which BDB provisionally derives from a verb root meaning “to gleam” or “to shine.” However, BDB notes that the text is dubious (cf. BDB 114 s.v. מַבְלִיגִית). The text is commonly emended to מִבְּלִי גְּהֹת (mibbÿli gÿhot) which is a Qal infinitive from a verb meaning “to heal” preceded by a compound negative “for lack of, to be at a loss for” (cf., e.g., HALOT 514 s.v. מַבְלִיגִית and 174 s.v. גּהה). This reading is supported by the Greek text which has an adjective meaning “incurable,” which is, however, connected with the preceding verse, i.e., “they will bite you incurably.”
[8:19] 31 tn Heb “daughter of my people.” For the translation given here see 4:11 and the note on the phrase “dear people” there.
[8:19] 32 tn Heb “Behold the voice of the crying of the daughter of my people.”
[8:19] 33 tn Heb “Land of distances, i.e., of wide extent.” For parallel usage cf. Isa 33:17.
[8:19] 34 tn Heb “her King” but this might be misunderstood by some to refer to the Davidic ruler even with the capitalization.
[8:19] 35 tn The words, “The
[8:19] 36 sn The people’s cry and the
[8:20] 33 tn The words “They say” are not in the text; they are supplied in the translation to make clear that the lament of the people begun in v. 19b is continued here after the interruption of the
[8:20] 34 tn Heb “Harvest time has passed, the summer is over.”
[8:21] 35 tn Heb “daughter of my people.” For the translation given here see 4:11 and the note on the phrase “dear people” there.
[8:21] 36 tn Heb “Because of the crushing of the daughter of my people I am crushed.”
[8:21] 37 tn Heb “I go about in black [i.e., mourning clothes]. Dismay has seized me.”
[8:22] 37 tn Heb “balm.” The more familiar “ointment” has been used in the translation, supplemented with the adjective “medicinal.”
[8:22] 38 tn Heb “Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there?” In this context the questions are rhetorical and expect a positive answer, which is made explicit in the translation.
[8:22] 39 tn Heb “daughter of my people.” For the translation given here see 4:11 and the note on the phrase “dear people” there.
[8:22] 40 tn Or more clearly, “restored to spiritual health”; Heb “Why then has healing not come to my dear people?”
[9:1] 39 sn Beginning with 9:1, the verse numbers through 9:26 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 9:1 ET = 8:23 HT, 9:2 ET = 9:1 HT, 9:3 ET = 9:2 HT, etc., through 9:26 ET = 9:25 HT. Beginning with 10:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.
[9:1] 40 tn Heb “I wish that my head were water.”
[9:1] 41 tn Heb “daughter of my people.” For the translation given here see 4:11 and the note on the phrase “dear people” there.
[9:2] 41 tn Heb “I wish I had in the desert a lodging place [inn, or place to spend the night] for travelers.”
[9:2] 42 tn Or “bunch,” but this loses the irony; the word is used for the solemn assemblies at the religious feasts.
[9:2] 43 tn Heb “they are all adulterers, a congregation of unfaithful people.” However, spiritual adultery is, of course, meant, not literal adultery. So the literal translation would be misleading.
[9:3] 43 tn The words “The
[9:3] 44 tn Heb “They have readied [or strung] their tongue as their bow for lies.”
[9:3] 45 tn Heb “but not through honesty.”
[9:3] 46 tn Heb “they go from evil to evil.”
[9:3] 47 tn Or “do not acknowledge me”; Heb “do not know me.” But “knowing” in Hebrew thought often involves more than intellectual knowledge; it involves emotional and volitional commitment as well. For יָדַע meaning “acknowledge” see 1 Chr 28:9; Isa 29:21; Hos 2:20; Prov 3:6. This word is also found in ancient Near Eastern treaty contexts where it has the idea of a vassal king acknowledging the sovereignty of a greater king (cf. H. Huffmon, “The Treaty Background of Hebrew yada,” BASOR 181 [1966]: 31-37).
[9:4] 45 tn Heb “Be on your guard…Do not trust.” The verbs are second masculine plural of direct address and there seems no way to translate literally and not give the mistaken impression that Jeremiah is being addressed. This is another example of the tendency in Hebrew style to turn from description to direct address (a figure of speech called apostrophe).
[9:4] 46 tn Heb “cheating, each of them will cheat.”
[9:5] 47 tn Heb “their tongues.” However, this is probably not a natural idiom in contemporary English and the tongue may stand as a part for the whole anyway.
[9:6] 49 tc An alternate reading for vv. 5d-6b is: “They wear themselves out doing wrong. Jeremiah, you live in the midst of deceitful people. They deceitfully refuse to take any thought of/acknowledge me.” The translation which has been adopted is based on a redivision of the lines, a redivision of some of the words, and a revocalization of some of the consonants. The MT reads literally “doing wrong they weary themselves. Your sitting in the midst of deceit; in deceit they refuse to know me” (הַעֲוֵה נִלְאוּ׃ שִׁבְתְּךָ בְּתוֹךְ מִרְמָה בְּמִרְמָה מֵאֲנוּ דַעַת־אוֹתִי). The Greek version reads literally “they do wrong and they do not cease to turn themselves around. Usury upon usury and deceit upon deceit. They do not want to know me.” This suggests that one should read the Hebrew text as שֻׁב׃ תֹּךְ בְּתוֹךְ מִרְ־מָה בְּמִרְ־מָה מֵאֲנוּ דַעַת אוֹתִי הַעֲוֵה נִלְאוּ, which translated literally yields “doing evil [= “they do evil” using the Hiphil infinitive absolute as a finite verb (cf. GKC 346 §113.ff)] they are not able [cf. KBL 468 s.v. לָאָה Niph.3 and see Exod 7:18 for parallel use] to repent. Oppression on oppression [cf. BDB 1067 s.v. תֹּךְ, II תּוֹךְ]; deceit on deceit. They refuse to know me.” This reading has ancient support and avoids the introduction of an unexpected second masculine suffix into the context. It has been adopted here along with a number of modern commentaries (cf., e.g., W. McKane, Jeremiah [ICC], 1:201) and English versions as the more likely reading.
[9:6] 50 tn Or “do not acknowledge me”; Heb “do not know me.” See the note on the phrase “do not take any thought of me” in 9:3.
[9:7] 51 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.”
[9:7] 52 tn Heb “I will refine/purify them.” The words “in the fires of affliction” are supplied in the translation to give clarity to the metaphor.
[9:7] 53 tn Heb “daughter of my people.” For the translation given here see 4:11 and the note on the phrase “dear people” there.
[9:7] 54 tc Heb “For how else shall I deal because of the wickedness of the daughter of my people.” The MT does not have the word “wickedness.” The word, however, is read in the Greek version. This is probably a case of a word dropping out because of its similarities to the consonants preceding or following it (i.e., haplography). The word “wickedness” (רַעַת, ra’at) has dropped out before the words “my dear people” (בַּת־עַמִּי, bat-’ammi). The causal nuance which is normal for מִפְּנֵי (mippÿne) does not make sense without some word like this, and the combination of רַעַת מִפְּנֵי (mippÿne ra’at) does occur in Jer 7:12 and one very like it occurs in Jer 26:3.
[9:8] 53 tc This reading follows the Masoretic consonants (the Kethib, a Qal active participle from שָׁחַט, shakhat). The Masoretes preferred to read “a sharpened arrow” (the Qere, a Qal passive participle from the same root or a homonym, meaning “hammered, beaten”). See HALOT 1354 s.v. II שָׁחַט for discussion. The exact meaning of the word makes little difference to the meaning of the metaphor itself.
[9:8] 54 tn Heb “They speak deceit.”
[9:8] 55 tn Heb “With his mouth a person speaks peace to his neighbor, but in his heart he sets an ambush for him.”
[9:9] 55 tn Heb “Should I not punish them…? Should I not bring retribution…?” The rhetorical questions function as emphatic declarations.
[9:10] 57 tn The words “I said” are not in the text, but there is general agreement that Jeremiah is the speaker. Cf. the lament in 8:18-9:1. These words are supplied in the translation for clarity. Some English versions follow the Greek text which reads a plural imperative here. Since this reading would make the transition between 9:10 and 9:11 easier it is probably not original but a translator’s way of smoothing over a difficulty.
[9:10] 58 tn Heb “I will lift up weeping and mourning.”
[9:10] 59 tn Heb “for the mountains.” However, the context makes clear that it is the grasslands or pastures on the mountains that are meant. The words “for the grasslands” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[9:11] 59 tn The words “the
[9:11] 60 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[9:11] 61 tn Heb “a heap of ruins, a haunt for jackals.”
[9:12] 61 tn The words, “I said” are not in the text. It is not clear that a shift in speaker has taken place. However, the words of the verse are very unlikely to be a continuation of the
[9:12] 62 tn Heb “Who is the wise man that he may understand this?”
[9:12] 63 tn Heb “And [who is the man] to whom the mouth of the
[9:13] 63 tn Heb “and they have not walked in it (with “it” referring to “my law”).
[9:14] 65 tn Heb “they have gone/followed after.” See the translator’s note at 2:5 for the idiom.
[9:14] 66 tn Heb “the Baals,” referring either to the pagan gods called “Baals” or the images of Baal (so NLT).
[9:14] 67 tn Or “forefathers,” or “ancestors.” Here the referent could be the immediate parents or, by their example, more distant ancestors.
[9:15] 67 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies, the God of Israel.”
[9:15] 68 tn Heb “Therefore, thus says the
[9:15] 69 tn Heb “I will feed this people wormwood and make them drink poison water.” “Wormwood” and “poison water” are not to be understood literally here but are symbolic of judgment and suffering. See, e.g., BDB 542 s.v. לַעֲנָה.
[9:16] 70 tn Heb “I will send the sword after them.” The sword here is probably not completely literal but refers to death by violent means, including death by the sword.
[9:16] 71 sn He will destroy them but not completely. See Jer 5:18; 30:11; 46:28.
[9:17] 71 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.”
[9:17] 72 tn Heb “Thus says Yahweh of armies.” However, without some addition it is not clear to whom the command is addressed. The words are supplied in the translation for clarity and to help resolve a rather confusing issue of who is speaking throughout vv. 16-21. As has been evident throughout the translation, the speaker is not always indicated. Sometimes it is not even clear who the speaker is. In general the translation and the notes have reflected the general consensus in identifying who it is. Here, however, there is a good deal of confusion about who is speaking in vv. 18, 20-21. The Greek translation has the
[9:17] 74 tn Heb “Call for the mourning women that they may come and send for the wise/skilled women that they may come.” The verbs here are masculine plural, addressed to the people.
[9:18] 73 tn The words “And I said, ‘Indeed” are not in the text. They have been supplied in the translation to try and help clarify who the speaker is who identifies with the lament of the people.
[9:19] 75 tn The words “They will wail” are not in the text. They are supplied in the translation to make clear that this is the wailing that will be heard.
[9:19] 76 tn Heb “How we are ruined!”
[9:19] 77 tn The order of these two lines has been reversed for English stylistic reasons. The text reads in Hebrew “because we have left our land because they have thrown down our dwellings.” The two clauses offer parallel reasons for the cries “How ruined we are! [How] we are greatly disgraced!” But the first line must contain a prophetic perfect (because the lament comes from Jerusalem) and the second a perfect referring to a destruction that is itself future. This seems the only way to render the verse that would not be misleading.
[9:20] 77 tn The words “I said” are not in the text. The text merely has “Indeed, yes.” The words are supplied in the translation to indicate that the speaker is still Jeremiah though he now is not talking about the mourning woman but is talking to them. See the notes on 9:17-18 for further explanation.
[9:20] 78 tn It is a little difficult to explain how the Hebrew particle כִּי (ki) is functioning here. W. L. Holladay (Jeremiah [Hermeneia], 1:311) may be correct in seeing it as introducing the contents of what those who call for the mourning women are to say. In this case, Jeremiah picks up the task as representative of the people.
[9:20] 79 tn Heb “Listen to the word of the
[9:20] 80 tn Heb “Teach…mournful song, and each woman her neighbor lady…”
[9:21] 79 sn Here Death is personified (treated as though it were a person). Some have seen as possible background to this lament an allusion to Mesopotamian mythology where the demon Lamastu climbs in through the windows of houses and over their walls to kill children and babies.
[9:22] 81 tn Or “‘Death has climbed…city squares. And the dead bodies of people lie scattered…They lie scattered…but has not been gathered.’ The
[9:23] 83 sn It is not always clear why verses were placed in their present position in the editorial process of collecting Jeremiah’s sermons and the words the
[9:23] 84 tn Or “Strong people should not brag that they are strong.”
[9:23] 85 tn Heb “…in their wisdom…in their power…in their riches.”
[9:24] 85 tn Or “fairness and justice, because these things give me pleasure.” Verse 24 reads in Hebrew, “But let the one who brags brag in this: understanding and knowing me that I, the
[9:25] 88 tn Heb “punish all who are circumcised in the flesh.” The translation is contextually motivated to better bring out the contrast that follows.
[9:26] 89 tn Heb “all those who are cut off on the side of the head who live in the desert.” KJV and some other English versions (e.g., NIV “who live in the desert in distant places”; NLT “who live in distant places”) have followed the interpretation that this is a biform of an expression meaning “end or remote parts of the [far] corners [of the earth].” This interpretation is generally abandoned by the more recent commentaries and lexicons (see, e.g. BDB 802 s.v. פֵּאָה 1 and HALOT 858 s.v. פֵּאָה 1.β). It occurs also in 25:33; 49:32.
[9:26] 90 tn Heb “For all of these nations are uncircumcised.” The words “I will do so” are supplied in the translation to indicate the connection with the preceding statement.
[9:26] 91 tn Heb “house of Israel.”
[9:26] 92 tn Heb “And all the house of Israel is uncircumcised of heart.”
[10:1] 91 tn Heb “house of Israel.”
[10:2] 93 tn Heb “Do not learn the way of the nations.” For this use of the word “ways” (דֶּרֶךְ, derekh) compare for example Jer 12:16 and Isa 2:6.
[10:2] 94 tn Heb “signs.” The words “that occur” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[10:3] 95 tn Heb “statutes.” According to BDB 350 s.v. חֻקָּה 2.b it refers to the firmly established customs or practices of the pagan nations. Compare the usage in Lev 20:23; 2 Kgs 17:8. Here it is essentially equivalent to דֶּרֶךְ (derekh) in v. 1, which has already been translated “religious practices.”
[10:3] 96 sn This passage is dripping with sarcasm. It begins by talking about the “statutes” of the pagan peoples as a “vapor” using a singular copula and singular predicate. Then it suppresses the subject, the idol, as though it were too horrible to mention, using only the predications about it. The last two lines read literally: “[it is] a tree which one cuts down from the forest; the work of the hands of a craftsman with his chisel.”
[10:4] 97 tn The pronoun is plural in Hebrew, referring to the parts.
[10:5] 99 tn Heb “And it is not in them to do good either.”
[10:6] 101 tn The words “I said” are not in the Hebrew text, but there appears to be a shift in speaker. Someone is now addressing the
[10:6] 102 tn The form that introduces this line has raised debate. The form מֵאֵין (me’en) normally means “without” and introduces a qualification of a term expressing desolation or “so that not” and introduces a negative result (cf. BDB 35 s.v. II אַיִן 6.b). Neither of these nuances fit either this verse or the occurrence in v. 7. BDB 35 s.v. II אַיִן 6.b.γ notes that some have explained this as a strengthened form of אַיִן (’ayin) which occurs in a similar phrase five other times (cf., e.g., 1 Kgs 8:23). Though many including BDB question the validity of this solution it is probably better than the suggestion that BDB gives of repointing to מֵאַיִן (me’ayin, “whence”), which scarcely fits the context of v. 7, or the solution of HALOT 41 s.v. I אַיִן, which suggests that the מ (mem) is a double writing (dittograph) of the final consonant from the preceding word. That would assume that the scribe made the same error twice or was influenced the second time by the first erroneous writing.
[10:6] 103 tn Heb “Great is your name in power.”
[10:7] 103 tn Heb “Who should not revere you…?” The question is rhetorical and expects a negative answer.
[10:7] 104 tn Heb “For it is fitting to you.”
[10:7] 105 tn Heb “their royalty/dominion.” This is a case of substitution of the abstract for the concrete “royalty, royal power” for “kings” who exercise it.
[10:8] 105 tn Or “Those wise people and kings are…” It is unclear whether the subject is the “they” of the nations in the preceding verse, or the wise people and kings referred to. The text merely has “they.”
[10:8] 106 tn Heb “The instruction of vanities [worthless idols] is wood.” The meaning of this line is a little uncertain. Various proposals have been made to make sense, most of which involve radical emendation of the text. For some examples see J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah (NICOT), 323-24, fn 6. However, this is probably a case of the bold predication that discussed in GKC 452 §141.d, some examples of which may be seen in Ps 109:4 “I am prayer,” and Ps 120:7 “I am peace.”
[10:9] 107 tc Two Qumran scrolls of Jeremiah (4QJera and 4QJerb) reflect a Hebrew text that is very different than the traditional MT from which modern Bibles have been translated. The Hebrew text in these two manuscripts is similar to that from which LXX was translated. This is true both in small details and in major aspects where the LXX differs from MT. Most notably, 4QJera, 4QJerb and LXX present a version of Jeremiah about 13% shorter than the longer version found in MT. One example of this shorter text is Jer 10:3-11 in which MT and 4QJera both have all nine verses, while LXX and 4QJerb both lack vv. 6-8 and 10, which extol the greatness of God. In addition, the latter part of v. 9 is arranged differently in LXX and 4QJerb. The translation here follows MT which is supported by 4QJera.
[10:9] 108 tn This is a place of unknown location. It is mentioned again in Dan 10:5. Many emend the word to “Ophir” following the Syriac version and the Aramaic Targum. Ophir was famous for its gold (cf. 1 Kgs 9:28; Job 28:16).
[10:9] 109 tn The words “to cover those idols” are not in the text but are implicit from the context. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[10:9] 110 tn The words “They are” are not in the text. The text reads merely, “the work of the carpenter and of the hands of the goldsmith.” The words are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[10:9] 111 tn Heb “Blue and purple their clothing.”
[10:9] 112 sn There is an ironic pun in this last line. The Hebrew word translated “skillful workers” is the same word that is translated “wise people” in v. 7. The artisans do their work skillfully but they are not “wise.”
[10:11] 109 tn Aram “The gods who did not make…earth will disappear…” The sentence is broken up in the translation to avoid a long, complex English sentence in conformity with contemporary English style.
[10:11] 110 tn This verse is in Aramaic. It is the only Aramaic sentence in Jeremiah. Scholars debate the appropriateness of this verse to this context. Many see it as a gloss added by a postexilic scribe which was later incorporated into the text. Both R. E. Clendenen (“Discourse Strategies in Jeremiah 10,” JBL 106 [1987]: 401-8) and W. L. Holladay (Jeremiah [Hermeneia], 1:324-25, 334-35) have given detailed arguments that the passage is not only original but the climax and center of the contrast between the
[10:12] 111 tn The words “The
[10:13] 113 tn Heb “At the voice of his giving.” The idiom “to give the voice” is often used for thunder (cf. BDB 679 s.v. נָתַן Qal.1.x).
[10:13] 114 tn Heb “from the ends of the earth.”
[10:13] 115 tn Heb “he brings out the winds from his storehouses.”
[10:14] 115 tn Heb “Every man.” But in the context this is not a reference to all people without exception but to all idolaters. The referent is made explicit for the sake of clarity.
[10:14] 116 tn Or “nothing but a phony god”; Heb “a lie/falsehood.”
[10:14] 117 tn Heb “There is no breath in them.” The referent is made explicit so that no one will mistakenly take it to refer to the idolaters or goldsmiths.
[10:15] 117 tn Or “objects of mockery.”
[10:16] 119 tn The words “The
[10:16] 120 tn Heb “The Portion of Jacob.” “Descendants” is implied, and is supplied in the translation for clarity.
[10:16] 121 tn Heb “And Israel is the tribe of his possession.”
[10:16] 122 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies is his name.”
[10:17] 121 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[10:17] 122 tn Heb “you who are living in/under siege.” The pronouns in this verse are feminine singular in Hebrew. Jerusalem is being personified as a single woman. This personification carries on down through v. 19 where she speaks in the first person. It is difficult, however, to reflect this in a translation that conveys any meaning without being somewhat paraphrastic like this.
[10:18] 123 tn The meaning of this last line is somewhat uncertain: Heb “I will cause them distress in order that [or with the result that] they will find.” The absence of an object for the verb “find” has led to conjecture that the text is wrong. Some commentators follow the lead of the Greek and Latin versions which read the verb as a passive: “they will be found,” i.e., be caught and captured. Others follow a suggestion by G. R. Driver (“Linguistic and Textual Problems: Jeremiah,” JQR 28 [1937-38]: 107) that the verb be read not as “they will find” (יִמְצָאוּ [yimtsa’u] from מָצָא [matsa’]) but “they will be squeezed/ drained” (יִמְצוּ [yimtsu] from מָצָה [matsah]). The translation adopted assumes that this is an example of the ellipsis of the object supplied from the context (cf. E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 8-12). For a similar nuance for the verb “find” = “feel/experience” see BDB 592 s.v. מָצָא Qal.1.f and compare the usage in Ps 116:3.
[10:19] 125 tn The words, “And I cried out” are not in the text. It is not altogether clear who the speaker is in vv. 19-25. The words of vv. 19-20 would best be assigned to a personified Jerusalem who laments the destruction of her city (under the figure of a tent) and the exile of her children (under the figure of children). However, the words of v. 21 which assign responsibility to the rulers do not fit well in the mouth of the people but do fit Jeremiah. The words of v. 22 are very appropriate to Jeremiah being similar to the report in 4:19-20. Likewise the words of v. 23 which appear to express man’s incapacity to control his own destiny and his resignation to the fate which awaits him in the light of v. 24 seem more appropriate to Jeremiah than to the people. There has been no indication elsewhere that the people have shown any indication of being resigned to their fate or willing to accept their punishment. Though the issue is far from resolved a majority of commentators see Jeremiah as the speaker so identifying himself with their fate that he speaks as though he were this personified figure. It is not altogether out of the question, however, that the speaker throughout is personified Jerusalem though I know of no commentator who takes that view. For those who are interested, the most thorough discussion of the issue is probably to be found in W. McKane, Jeremiah (ICC), 1:230-35, especially 233-35. Rendering the pronouns throughout as “we” and “our” alleviates some of the difficulty but some speaker needs to be identified in the introduction to allay any possible confusion. Hence I have opted for what is the majority view.
[10:19] 126 tn Heb “Woe to me on account of my wound.” The words “woe to” in many contexts carry the connotation of hopelessness and of inevitable doom (cf. 1 Sam 4:7, 8; Isa 6:5), hence a “deadly blow.” See also the usage in 4:13, 31; 6:4 and the notes on 4:13. For the rendering of the pronoun as “we” and “our” here and in the verses to follow see the preceding note.
[10:19] 127 tn Some interpret this as a resignation to the punishment inflicted and translate “But I said, ‘This is my punishment and I will just need to bear it.’” This is unlikely given the meaning and usage of the word rendered “sickness” (חֳלִי, khali), the absence of the pronoun “my,” and the likelihood that the particle אַךְ means “only” not “indeed” (cf. BDB s.v. אַךְ 2.b and compare its usage in v. 24).
[10:20] 127 tn Heb “My tent has been destroyed and my tent cords have been ripped apart.” For a very similar identification of Jeremiah’s plight with the plight of the personified community see 4:20 and the notes there.
[10:20] 128 tn Heb “my children have gone from me and are no more.”
[10:21] 129 tn Heb “the shepherds.”
[10:21] 130 tn Heb “They have not sought the
[10:21] 131 tn Heb “all their flock (or “pasturage”).”
[10:22] 131 tn Heb “The sound of a report, behold, it is coming.”
[10:22] 132 tn Heb “ coming, even a great quaking.”
[10:22] 133 sn Compare Jer 6:22.
[10:23] 133 tn Heb “Not to the man his way.” For the nuance of “fate, destiny, or the way things turn out” for the Hebrew word “way” see Hag 1:5, Isa 40:27 and probably Ps 49:13 (cf. KBL 218 s.v. דֶּרֶךְ 5). For the idea of “control” or “hold in one’s power” for the preposition “to” see Ps 3:8 (cf. BDB 513 s.v. לְ 5.b[a]).
[10:23] 134 tn Heb “Not to a man the walking and the establishing his step.”
[10:24] 135 tn Heb “with justice.”
[10:24] 136 tn The words, “to almost nothing” are not in the text. They are implicit from the general context and are supplied by almost all English versions.
[10:25] 137 tn Heb “know you.” For this use of the word “know” (יָדַע, yada’) see the note on 9:3.
[10:25] 138 tn Heb “tribes/clans.”
[10:25] 139 tn Heb “who do not call on your name.” The idiom “to call on your name” (directed to God) refers to prayer (mainly) and praise. See 1 Kgs 18:24-26 and Ps 116:13, 17. Here “calling on your name” is parallel to “acknowledging you.” In many locations in the OT “name” is equivalent to the person. In the OT, the “name” reflected the person’s character (cf. Gen 27:36; 1 Sam 25:25) or his reputation (Gen 11:4; 2 Sam 8:13). To speak in a person’s name was to act as his representative or carry his authority (1 Sam 25:9; 1 Kgs 21:8). To call someone’s name over something was to claim it for one’s own (2 Sam 12:28).
[10:25] 140 tn Heb “have devoured Jacob.”
[10:25] 141 tn Or “have almost completely destroyed them”; Heb “they have devoured them and consumed them.” The figure of hyperbole is used here; elsewhere Jeremiah and God refer to the fact that they will not be completely consumed. See for example 4:27; 5:10, 18.
