² tn Heb “wrote down for him the officials of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men.”

¹ sn Seventy-seven times. Lamech seems to reason this way: If Cain, a murderer, is to be avenged seven times (see v. seventy-seven&tab=notes" ver="">15), then how much more one who has been unjustly wronged! Lamech misses the point of God’s merciful treatment of Cain. God was not establishing a principle of justice when he warned he would avenge Cain’s murder. In fact he was trying to limit the shedding of blood, something Lamech wants to multiply instead. The use of “seventy-seven,” a multiple of seven, is hyperbolic, emphasizing the extreme severity of the vengeance envisioned by Lamech.

⁵ tn Heb “the Lord Yahweh, [the God of] hosts.” For the title Lord God see the study note on seventy-seven&tab=notes" ver="">1:6. For the title “who rules over all” see the following study note. The title “the Lord who rules over all” is a way of rendering the title “Yahweh of armies.” It is an abbreviation of a longer title “Yahweh the God of armies” which occurs five times in Jeremiah (see, e.g., seventy-seven&tab=notes" ver="">44:7). The abbreviated title occurs seventy-seven times in the book of Jeremiah. On thirty-two occasions it is further qualified by the title “the God of Israel,” showing his special relation to Israel. On six occasions it is preceded by the title “Lord” (see, e.g., seventy-seven&tab=notes" ver="">46:10) and twice it is preceded by the title “the King” (see, e.g., seventy-seven&tab=notes" ver="">51:17). Both titles emphasize his sovereignty. Twice it is said that he is the maker of all things (seventy-seven&tab=notes" ver="">10:16; 51:19), and once it is said that he made the earth and the people and animals on it and gives them into the control of whomever he wishes (seventy-seven&tab=notes" ver="">27:4-5). On two occasions it is emphasized that he also made the heavenly elements and controls the natural elements of wind, rain, thunder, and hail (seventy-seven&tab=notes" ver="">31:35; 51:14-16). All this is consistent with usage elsewhere where the “armies” over which he has charge are identified as (1) the angels which surround his throne (Isa 6:3, 5; 1 Kgs 22:19) and which he sends to protect his servants (2 Kgs 6:17), (2) the natural forces of thunder, rain, and hail (Isa 29:6; Josh 10:11; Judg 5:4, 5) through which he sends the enemy into panic and “gums” up their chariot wheels, (3) the armies of Israel (1 Sam 17:45) which he leads into battle (Num 10:34-35; Josh 5:14, 15) and for whom he fights as a mighty warrior (Exod 15:3; Isa 42:13; Ps 24:8), and even (4) the armies of the nations which he musters against his disobedient people (Isa 13:14). This title is most commonly found in the messenger formula “Thus says…” introducing both oracles of judgment (on Israel [e.g., seventy-seven&tab=notes" ver="">9:7, 15] and on the nations [e.g. seventy-seven&tab=notes" ver="">46:19; 50:18]; and see in general seventy-seven&tab=notes" ver="">25:29-32). It emphasizes his sovereignty as the king and creator, the lord of creation and of history, and the just judge who sees and knows all (seventy-seven&tab=notes" ver="">11:20; 20:12) and judges each person and nation according to their actions (Jer 32:18-19). In the first instance (in the most dominant usage) this will involve the punishment of his own people through the agency of the Babylonians (cf., e.g., seventy-seven&tab=notes" ver="">25:8-9). But it will also include the punishment of all nations, including Babylon itself (cf. Jer 25:17-26, 32-38), and will ultimately result in the restoration of his people and a new relation with them (seventy-seven&tab=notes" ver="">30:8; 31:35-37).