Yeremia 23:1--25:38
Konteks23:1 The Lord says, 1 “The leaders of my people are sure to be judged. 2 They were supposed to watch over my people like shepherds watch over their sheep. But they are causing my people to be destroyed and scattered. 3 23:2 So the Lord God of Israel has this to say about the leaders who are ruling over his people: “You have caused my people 4 to be dispersed and driven into exile. You have not taken care of them. So I will punish you for the evil that you have done. 5 I, the Lord, affirm it! 6 23:3 Then I myself will regather those of my people 7 who are still alive from all the countries where I have driven them. I will bring them back to their homeland. 8 They will greatly increase in number. 23:4 I will install rulers 9 over them who will care for them. Then they will no longer need to fear or be terrified. None of them will turn up missing. 10 I, the Lord, promise it! 11
23:5 “I, the Lord, promise 12 that a new time will certainly come 13
when I will raise up for them a righteous branch, 14 a descendant of David.
He will rule over them with wisdom and understanding 15
and will do what is just and right in the land. 16
23:6 Under his rule 17 Judah will enjoy safety 18
and Israel will live in security. 19
This is the name he will go by:
‘The Lord has provided us with justice.’ 20
23:7 “So I, the Lord, say: 21 ‘A new time will certainly come. 22 People now affirm their oaths with “I swear as surely as the Lord lives who delivered the people of Israel out of Egypt.” 23:8 But at that time they will affirm them with “I swear as surely as the Lord lives who delivered the descendants of the former nation of Israel 23 from the land of the north and from all the other lands where he had banished 24 them.” 25 At that time they will live in their own land.’”
23:9 Here is what the Lord says concerning the false prophets: 27
My heart and my mind are deeply disturbed.
I tremble all over. 28
I am like a drunk person,
like a person who has had too much wine, 29
because of the way the Lord
and his holy word are being mistreated. 30
23:10 For the land is full of people unfaithful to him. 31
They live wicked lives and they misuse their power. 32
So the land is dried up 33 because it is under his curse. 34
The pastures in the wilderness are withered.
23:11 Moreover, 35 the Lord says, 36
“Both the prophets and priests are godless.
I have even found them doing evil in my temple!
23:12 So the paths they follow will be dark and slippery.
They will stumble and fall headlong.
For I will bring disaster on them.
A day of reckoning is coming for them.” 37
The Lord affirms it! 38
23:13 The Lord says, 39 “I saw the prophets of Samaria 40
doing something that was disgusting. 41
They prophesied in the name of the god Baal
and led my people Israel astray. 42
23:14 But I see the prophets of Jerusalem 43
doing something just as shocking.
They are unfaithful to me
and continually prophesy lies. 44
So they give encouragement to people who are doing evil,
with the result that they do not stop their evildoing. 45
I consider all of them as bad as the people of Sodom,
and the citizens of Jerusalem as bad as the people of Gomorrah. 46
23:15 So then I, the Lord who rules over all, 47
have something to say concerning the prophets of Jerusalem: 48
‘I will make these prophets eat the bitter food of suffering
and drink the poison water of judgment. 49
For the prophets of Jerusalem are the reason 50
that ungodliness 51 has spread throughout the land.’”
23:16 The Lord who rules over all 52 says to the people of Jerusalem: 53
“Do not listen to what
those prophets are saying to you.
They are filling you with false hopes.
They are reporting visions of their own imaginations,
not something the Lord has given them to say. 54
23:17 They continually say 55 to those who reject what the Lord has said, 56
‘Things will go well for you!’ 57
They say to all those who follow the stubborn inclinations of their own hearts,
‘Nothing bad will happen to you!’
23:18 Yet which of them has ever stood in the Lord’s inner circle 58
so they 59 could see and hear what he has to say? 60
Which of them have ever paid attention or listened to what he has said?
23:19 But just watch! 61 The wrath of the Lord
will come like a storm! 62
Like a raging storm it will rage down 63
on the heads of those who are wicked.
23:20 The anger of the Lord will not turn back
until he has fully carried out his intended purposes. 64
In days to come 65
you people will come to understand this clearly. 66
23:21 I did not send those prophets.
Yet they were in a hurry to give their message. 67
I did not tell them anything.
Yet they prophesied anyway.
23:22 But if they had stood in my inner circle, 68
they would have proclaimed my message to my people.
They would have caused my people to turn from their wicked ways
and stop doing the evil things they are doing.
23:23 Do you people think 69 that I am some local deity
and not the transcendent God?” 70 the Lord asks. 71
23:24 “Do you really think anyone can hide himself
where I cannot see him?” the Lord asks. 72
“Do you not know that I am everywhere?” 73
the Lord asks. 74
23:25 The Lord says, 75 “I have heard what those prophets who are prophesying lies in my name are saying. They are saying, ‘I have had a dream! I have had a dream!’ 76 23:26 Those prophets are just prophesying lies. They are prophesying the delusions of their own minds. 77 23:27 How long will they go on plotting 78 to make my people forget who I am 79 through the dreams they tell one another? That is just as bad as what their ancestors 80 did when they forgot who I am by worshiping the god Baal. 81 23:28 Let the prophet who has had a dream go ahead and tell his dream. Let the person who has received my message report that message faithfully. What is like straw cannot compare to what is like grain! 82 I, the Lord, affirm it! 83 23:29 My message is like a fire that purges dross! 84 It is like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces! 85 I, the Lord, so affirm it! 86 23:30 So I, the Lord, affirm 87 that I am opposed to those prophets who steal messages from one another that they claim are from me. 88 23:31 I, the Lord, affirm 89 that I am opposed to those prophets who are using their own tongues to declare, ‘The Lord declares….’ 90 23:32 I, the Lord, affirm 91 that I am opposed to those prophets who dream up lies and report them. They are misleading my people with their reckless lies. 92 I did not send them. I did not commission them. They are not helping these people at all. 93 I, the Lord, affirm it!” 94
23:33 The Lord said to me, “Jeremiah, 95 when one of these people, or a prophet, or a priest asks you, ‘What burdensome message 96 do you have from the Lord?’ Tell them, ‘You are the burden, 97 and I will cast you away. 98 I, the Lord, affirm it! 99 23:34 I will punish any prophet, priest, or other person who says “The Lord’s message is burdensome.” 100 I will punish both that person and his whole family.’” 101
23:35 So I, Jeremiah, tell you, 102 “Each of you people should say to his friend or his relative, ‘How did the Lord answer? Or what did the Lord say?’ 103 23:36 You must no longer say that the Lord’s message is burdensome. 104 For what is ‘burdensome’ 105 really pertains to what a person himself says. 106 You are misrepresenting 107 the words of our God, the living God, the Lord who rules over all. 108 23:37 Each of you should merely ask the prophet, ‘What answer did the Lord give you? Or what did the Lord say?’ 109 23:38 But just suppose you continue to say, ‘The message of the Lord is burdensome.’ Here is what the Lord says will happen: ‘I sent word to you that you must not say, “The Lord’s message is burdensome.” But you used the words “The Lord’s message is burdensome” anyway. 23:39 So 110 I will carry you far off 111 and throw you away. I will send both you and the city I gave to you and to your ancestors out of my sight. 112 23:40 I will bring on you lasting shame and lasting disgrace which will never be forgotten!’”
24:1 The Lord showed me two baskets of figs sitting before his temple. This happened after King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon deported Jehoiakim’s son, King Jeconiah of Judah. He deported him and the leaders of Judah, along with the craftsmen and metal workers, and took them to Babylon. 113 24:2 One basket had very good-looking figs in it. They looked like those that had ripened early. 114 The other basket had very bad-looking figs in it, so bad they could not be eaten. 24:3 The Lord said to me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” I answered, “I see figs. The good ones look very good. But the bad ones look very bad, so bad that they cannot be eaten.”
24:4 The Lord said to me, 115 24:5 “I, the Lord, the God of Israel, say: ‘The exiles whom I sent away from here to the land of Babylon 116 are like those good figs. I consider them to be good. 24:6 I will look after their welfare 117 and will restore them to this land. There I will build them up and will not tear them down. I will plant them firmly in the land 118 and will not uproot them. 119 24:7 I will give them the desire to acknowledge that I 120 am the Lord. I will be their God and they will be my people. For they will wholeheartedly 121 return to me.’
24:8 “I, the Lord, also solemnly assert: ‘King Zedekiah of Judah, his officials, and the people who remain in Jerusalem 122 or who have gone to live in Egypt are like those bad figs. I consider them to be just like those bad figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten. 123 24:9 I will bring such disaster on them that all the kingdoms of the earth will be horrified. I will make them an object of reproach, a proverbial example of disaster. I will make them an object of ridicule, an example to be used in curses. 124 That is how they will be remembered wherever I banish them. 125 24:10 I will bring war, starvation, and disease 126 on them until they are completely destroyed from the land I gave them and their ancestors.’” 127
25:1 In the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah, the Lord spoke to Jeremiah 128 concerning all the people of Judah. (That was the same as the first year that Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon.) 129 25:2 So the prophet Jeremiah spoke to all the people of Judah and to all the people who were living in Jerusalem. 130 25:3 “For the last twenty-three years, from the thirteenth year that Josiah son of Amon was ruling in Judah 131 until now, the Lord has been speaking to me. I told you over and over again 132 what he said. 133 But you would not listen. 25:4 Over and over again 134 the Lord has sent 135 his servants the prophets to you. But you have not listened or paid attention. 136 25:5 He said through them, 137 ‘Each of you must turn from your wicked ways and stop doing the evil things you are doing. 138 If you do, I will allow you to continue to live here in the land that I gave to you and your ancestors as a lasting possession. 139 25:6 Do not pay allegiance to 140 other gods and worship and serve them. Do not make me angry by the things that you do. 141 Then I will not cause you any harm.’ 25:7 So, now the Lord says, 142 ‘You have not listened to me. But 143 you have made me angry by the things that you have done. 144 Thus you have brought harm on yourselves.’
25:8 “Therefore, the Lord who rules over all 145 says, ‘You have not listened to what I said. 146 25:9 So I, the Lord, affirm that 147 I will send for all the peoples of the north 148 and my servant, 149 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and all the nations that surround it. I will utterly destroy 150 this land, its inhabitants, and all the nations that surround it 151 and make them everlasting ruins. 152 I will make them objects of horror and hissing scorn. 153 25:10 I will put an end to the sounds of joy and gladness, to the glad celebration of brides and grooms in these lands. 154 I will put an end to the sound of people grinding meal. I will put an end to lamps shining in their houses. 155 25:11 This whole area 156 will become a desolate wasteland. These nations will be subject to the king of Babylon for seventy years.’ 157
25:12 “‘But when the seventy years are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation 158 for their sins. I will make the land of Babylon 159 an everlasting ruin. 160 I, the Lord, affirm it! 161 25:13 I will bring on that land everything that I said I would. I will bring on it everything that is written in this book. I will bring on it everything that Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations. 162 25:14 For many nations and great kings will make slaves of the king of Babylon and his nation 163 too. I will repay them for all they have done!’” 164
25:15 So 165 the Lord, the God of Israel, spoke to me in a vision. 166 “Take this cup from my hand. It is filled with the wine of my wrath. 167 Take it and make the nations to whom I send you drink it. 25:16 When they have drunk it, they will stagger to and fro 168 and act insane. For I will send wars sweeping through them.” 169
25:17 So I took the cup from the Lord’s hand. I made all the nations to whom he sent me drink the wine of his wrath. 170 25:18 I made Jerusalem 171 and the cities of Judah, its kings and its officials drink it. 172 I did it so Judah would become a ruin. I did it so Judah, its kings, and its officials would become an object 173 of horror and of hissing scorn, an example used in curses. 174 Such is already becoming the case! 175 25:19 I made all of these other people drink it: Pharaoh, king of Egypt; 176 his attendants, his officials, his people, 25:20 the foreigners living in Egypt; 177 all the kings of the land of Uz; 178 all the kings of the land of the Philistines, 179 the people of Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, the people who had been left alive from Ashdod; 180 25:21 all the people of Edom, 181 Moab, 182 Ammon; 183 25:22 all the kings of Tyre, 184 all the kings of Sidon; 185 all the kings of the coastlands along the sea; 186 25:23 the people of Dedan, Tema, Buz, 187 all the desert people who cut their hair short at the temples; 188 25:24 all the kings of Arabia who 189 live in the desert; 25:25 all the kings of Zimri; 190 all the kings of Elam; 191 all the kings of Media; 192 25:26 all the kings of the north, whether near or far from one another; and all the other kingdoms which are on the face of the earth. After all of them have drunk the wine of the Lord’s wrath, 193 the king of Babylon 194 must drink it.
25:27 Then the Lord said to me, 195 “Tell them that the Lord God of Israel who rules over all 196 says, 197 ‘Drink this cup 198 until you get drunk and vomit. Drink until you fall down and can’t get up. 199 For I will send wars sweeping through you.’ 200 25:28 If they refuse to take the cup from your hand and drink it, tell them that the Lord who rules over all says 201 ‘You most certainly must drink it! 202 25:29 For take note, I am already beginning to bring disaster on the city that I call my own. 203 So how can you possibly avoid being punished? 204 You will not go unpunished! For I am proclaiming war against all who live on the earth. I, the Lord who rules over all, 205 affirm it!’ 206
25:30 “Then, Jeremiah, 207 make the following prophecy 208 against them:
‘Like a lion about to attack, 209 the Lord will roar from the heights of heaven;
from his holy dwelling on high he will roar loudly.
He will roar mightily against his land. 210
He will shout in triumph like those stomping juice from the grapes 211
against all those who live on the earth.
25:31 The sounds of battle 212 will resound to the ends of the earth.
For the Lord will bring charges against the nations. 213
He will pass judgment on all humankind
and will hand the wicked over to be killed in war.’ 214
The Lord so affirms it! 215
25:32 The Lord who rules over all 216 says,
‘Disaster will soon come on one nation after another. 217
A mighty storm of military destruction 218 is rising up
from the distant parts of the earth.’
25:33 Those who have been killed by the Lord at that time
will be scattered from one end of the earth to the other.
They will not be mourned over, gathered up, or buried. 219
Their dead bodies will lie scattered over the ground like manure.
25:34 Wail and cry out in anguish, you rulers!
Roll in the dust, you who shepherd flocks of people! 220
The time for you to be slaughtered has come.
You will lie scattered and fallen like broken pieces of fine pottery. 221
25:35 The leaders will not be able to run away and hide. 222
The shepherds of the flocks will not be able to escape.
25:36 Listen to the cries of anguish of the leaders.
Listen to the wails of the shepherds of the flocks.
They are wailing because the Lord
is about to destroy their lands. 223
25:37 Their peaceful dwelling places will be laid waste 224
by the fierce anger of the Lord. 225
25:38 The Lord is like a lion who has left his lair. 226
So their lands will certainly 227 be laid waste
by the warfare of the oppressive nation 228
and by the fierce anger of the Lord.”
[23:1] 1 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[23:1] 2 sn Heb This particle once again introduces a judgment speech. The indictment is found in v. 1 and the announcement of judgment in v. 2. This leads into an oracle of deliverance in vv. 3-4. See also the note on the word “judged” in 22:13.
[23:1] 3 tn Heb “Woe to the shepherds who are killing and scattering the sheep of my pasture.” See the study note on 22:13 for the significance of “Sure to be judged” (Heb “Woe”) See the study note for the significance of the metaphor introduced here.
[23:1] sn Verses 1-4 of ch. 23 are an extended metaphor in which the rulers are compared to shepherds and the people are compared to sheep. This metaphor has already been met with in 10:21 and is found elsewhere in the context of the
[23:2] 4 tn Heb “about the shepherds who are shepherding my people. ‘You have caused my sheep….’” For the metaphor see the study note on the previous verse.
[23:2] 5 tn Heb “Therefore, thus says the
[23:2] 6 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[23:4] 10 tn There are various nuances of the word פָּקַד (paqad) represented in vv. 2, 4. See Ps 8:4 (8:5 HT) and Zech 10:3 for “care for/take care of” (cf. BDB 823 s.v. פָּקַד Qal.A.1.a). See Exod 20:5; Amos 3:2; Jer 9:24; 11:22 for “punish” (cf. BDB 823 s.v. פָּקַד Qal.A.3). See 1 Kgs 20:39 and 2 Kgs 10:19 for “be missing” (cf. BDB 823 s.v. פָּקַד Niph.1).
[23:4] sn There is an extended play on the Hebrew word פָּקַד which is a word with rather broad English equivalents. Here the word refers to the fault of the shepherds/rulers who have not “taken care” of the sheep/people (v. 2), the “punishment” for the evil they have done in not taking care of them (v. 2), and the fact that after the
[23:4] 11 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[23:5] 12 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[23:5] 13 tn Heb “Behold the days are coming.”
[23:5] 14 tn Heb “a righteous sprig to David” or “a righteous shoot” (NAB).
[23:5] sn This passage and the parallel in Jer 33:15 are part of a growing number of prayers and prophecies regarding an ideal ruler to come forth from the Davidic line who will bring the justice, security, and well-being that the continuing line of Davidic rulers did not. Though there were periodic kings like Josiah who did fulfill the ideals set forth in Jer 22:3 (see Jer 22:15), by and large they were more like Jehoiakim who did not (see Jer 22:13). Hence the
[23:5] 15 tn Heb “he will reign as king and act wisely.” This is another example of the use of two verbs joined by “and” where one becomes the adverbial modifier of the other (hendiadys). For the nuance of the verb “act wisely” rather than “prosper” see Amos 5:13; Ps 2:10 (cf. BDB 968 s.v. שָׂכַל Hiph.5).
[23:5] 16 sn This has been the constant emphasis in this section. See 22:3 for the demand, 22:15 for its fulfillment, and 22:13 for its abuse. The ideal king would follow in the footsteps of his illustrious ancestor David (2 Sam 8:15) who set this forth as an ideal for his dynasty (2 Sam 23:3) and prayed for it to be true of his son Solomon (Ps 72:1-2).
[23:6] 17 tn Heb “In his days [= during the time he rules].”
[23:6] 18 tn Parallelism and context (cf. v. 4) suggest this nuance for the word often translated “be saved.” For this nuance elsewhere see Ps 119:117; Prov 28:18 for the verb (יָשַׁע [yasha’] in the Niphal); and Ps 12:6; Job 5:4, 11 for the related noun (יֶשַׁע, yesha’).
[23:6] 19 sn It should be noted that this brief oracle of deliverance implies the reunification of Israel and Judah under the future Davidic ruler. Jeremiah has already spoken about this reunification earlier in 3:18 and will have more to say about it in 30:3; 31:27, 31. This same ideal was espoused in the prophecies of Hosea (1:10-11 [2:1-2 HT]), Isaiah (11:1-4, 10-12), and Ezekiel (37:15-28) all of which have messianic and eschatological significance.
[23:6] 20 tn Heb “his name will be called ‘The
[23:6] sn The Hebrew word translated “justice” here is very broad in its usage, and it is hard to catch all the relevant nuances for this word in this context. It is used for “vindication” in legal contexts (see, e.g., Job 6:29), for “deliverance” or “salvation” in exilic contexts (see, e.g., Isa 58:8), and in the sense of ruling, judging with “justice” (see, e.g., Lev 19:15; Isa 32:1). Here it probably sums up the justice that the
[23:7] 21 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[23:7] 22 tn Heb “Behold the days are coming.”
[23:8] 23 tn Heb “descendants of the house of Israel.”
[23:8] 24 tc It is probably preferable to read the third masculine singular plus suffix (הִדִּיחָם, hiddikham) here with the Greek version and the parallel passage in 16:15 rather than the first singular plus suffix in the MT (הִדַּחְתִּים, hiddakhtim). If this is not a case of mere graphic confusion, the MT could have arisen under the influence of the first person in v. 3. Though sudden shifts in person have been common in the book of Jeremiah, that is unlikely in a context reporting an oath.
[23:8] 25 tn This passage is the same as 16:14-15 with a few minor variations in Hebrew wording. The notes on that passage should be consulted for the rendering here. This passage has the Niphal of the verb “to say” rather than the impersonal use of the Qal. It adds the idea of “bringing out” to the idea of “bringing up out” and (Heb “who brought up and who brought out,” probably a case of hendiadys) before “the people [here “seed” rather than “children”] of Israel [here “house of Israel”] from the land of the north.” These are minor variations and do not affect the sense in any way. So the passage is rendered in much the same way.
[23:8] sn This passage looks forward to a new and greater Exodus, one that so outstrips the earlier one that the earlier will not serve as the model of deliverance any longer. This same ideal was the subject of Isaiah’s earlier prophecies in Isa 11:11-12, 15-16; 43:16-21; 49:8-13; 51: 1-11.
[23:9] 26 sn Jeremiah has already had a good deal to say about the false prophets and their fate. See 2:8, 26; 5:13, 31; 14:13-15. Here he parallels the condemnation of the wicked prophets and their fate (23:9-40) with that of the wicked kings (21:11-22:30).
[23:9] 27 tn The word “false” is not in the text, but it is clear from the context that these are whom the sayings are directed against. The words “Here is what the
[23:9] 28 tn Heb “My heart is crushed within me. My bones tremble.” It has already been noted several times that the “heart” in ancient Hebrew psychology was the intellectual and volitional center of the person, the kidneys were the emotional center, and the bones the locus of strength and also the subject of joy, distress, and sorrow. Here Jeremiah is speaking of his distress of heart and mind in modern psychology, a distress that leads him to trembling of body which he compares to that of a drunken person staggering around under the influence of wine.
[23:9] 29 tn Heb “wine has passed over him.”
[23:9] 30 tn Heb “wine because of the
[23:9] sn The way the
[23:10] 31 tn Heb “adulterers.” But spiritual adultery is clearly meant as also in 3:8-9; 9:2, and probably also 5:7.
[23:10] 32 tn For the word translated “They live…lives” see usage in Jer 8:6. For the idea of “misusing” their power (Heb “their power is not right” i.e., used in the wrong way) see 2 Kgs 7:9; 17:9. In the original text this line (really two lines in the Hebrew poetry) are at the end of the verse. However, this places the antecedent too far away and could lead to confusion. The lines have been rearranged to avoid such confusion.
[23:10] 33 tn For the use of this verb see 12:4 and the note there.
[23:10] 34 tc The translation follows the majority of Hebrew
[23:10] sn The curse is, of course, the covenant curse. See Deut 29:20-21 (29:19-20 HT) and for the specific curse see Deut 28:23-24. The curse is appropriate since their “adultery” lay in attributing their fertility to the god Baal (see Hos 2:9-13 (2:11-15 HT) and violating the covenant (see Hos 4:1-3).
[23:11] 35 tn The particle כִּי (ki) which begins this verse is parallel to the one at the beginning of the preceding verse. However, the connection is too distant to render it “for.” “Moreover” is intended to draw the parallel. The words “the
[23:11] 36 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[23:12] 37 tn For the last two lines see 11:23 and the notes there.
[23:12] 38 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[23:13] 39 tn The words “The
[23:13] 40 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[23:13] 41 tn According to BDB 1074 s.v. תִּפְלָּה this word means “unseemly, unsavory.” The related adjective is used in Job 6:6 of the tastelessness of something that is unseasoned.
[23:13] sn Prophesying in the name of the god Baal was a clear violation of Mosaic law and punishable by death (see Deut 13:1-5). For an example of the apostasy encouraged by prophets of Baal in the northern kingdom of Israel see 1 Kgs 18:16-40.
[23:14] 43 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[23:14] 44 tn Or “they commit adultery and deal falsely.” The word “shocking” only occurs here and in 5:30 where it is found in the context of prophesying lies. This almost assures that the reference to “walking in lies” (Heb “in the lie”) is referring to false prophesy. Moreover the references to the prophets in 5:13 and in 14:13-15 are all in the context of false prophesy as are the following references in this chapter in 23:24, 26, 32 and in 28:15. This appears to be the theme of this section. This also makes it likely that the reference to adultery is not literal adultery, though two of the false prophets in Babylon were guilty of this (29:23). The reference to “encouraging those who do evil” that follows also makes more sense if they were preaching messages of comfort rather than messages of doom. The verbs here are infinitive absolutes in place of the finite verb, probably used to place greater emphasis on the action (cf. Hos 4:2 in a comparable judgment speech.)
[23:14] 45 tn Heb “So they strengthen the hands of those doing evil so that they do not turn back from their evil.” For the use of the figure “strengthen the hands” meaning “encourage” see Judg 9:24; Ezek 13:22 (and cf. BDB 304 s.v. חָזַק Piel.2). The vav consecutive on the front of the form gives the logical consequence equivalent to “so” in the translation.
[23:14] 46 tn Heb “All of them are to me like Sodom and its [Jerusalem’s] inhabitants like Gomorrah.”
[23:14] sn The rhetoric of this passage is very forceful. Like Amos who focuses attention on the sins of the surrounding nations to bring out more forcefully the heinousness of Israel’s sin, God focuses attention on the sins of the prophets of Samaria to bring out the even worse sin of the prophets of Jerusalem. (The oracle is directed at them, not at the prophets of Samaria. See the announcement of judgment that follows.) The
[23:15] 47 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.”
[23:15] sn See the study note on 2:19 for explanation of this title.
[23:15] 48 tn Heb “Therefore, thus says the
[23:15] 49 tn Heb “I will feed this people wormwood and make them drink poison water.” For these same words of judgment on another group see 9:15 (9:14 HT). “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.
[23:15] 50 tn The compound preposition מֵאֵת (me’et) expresses source or origin (see BDB 86 s.v. אֵת 4.c). Context shows that the origin is in their false prophesying which encourages people in their evil behavior.
[23:15] 51 sn A word that derives from this same Hebrew word is used in v. 11 at the beginning of the
[23:16] 52 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.”
[23:16] sn See the study note on 2:19 for explanation of this title.
[23:16] 53 tn The words “to the people of Jerusalem” are not in the Hebrew text but are supplied in the translation to reflect the masculine plural form of the imperative and the second masculine plural form of the pronoun. These words have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[23:16] 54 tn Heb “They tell of a vision of their own heart [= mind] not from the mouth of the
[23:17] 55 tn The translation reflects an emphatic construction where the infinitive absolute follows a participle (cf. GKC 343 §113.r).
[23:17] 56 tc The translation follows the Greek version. The Hebrew text reads, “who reject me, ‘The
[23:17] 57 tn Heb “You will have peace.” But see the note on 14:13. See also 6:14 and 8:11.
[23:18] 58 tn Or “has been the
[23:18] sn The
[23:18] 59 tn The form here is a jussive with a vav of subordination introducing a purpose after a question (cf. GKC 322 §109.f).
[23:18] 60 tc Heb “his word.” In the second instance (“what he has said” at the end of the verse) the translation follows the suggestion of the Masoretes (Qere) and many Hebrew
[23:19] 62 tn The syntax of this line has generally been misunderstood, sometimes to the point that some want to delete the word wrath. Both here and in 30:23 where these same words occur the word “anger” stands not as an accusative of attendant circumstance but an apposition, giving the intended referent to the figure. Comparison should be made with Jer 25:15 where “this wrath” is appositional to “the cup of wine” (cf. GKC 425 §131.k).
[23:19] 63 tn The translation is deliberate, intending to reflect the repetition of the Hebrew root which is “swirl/swirling.”
[23:20] 64 tn Heb “until he has done and until he has carried out the purposes of his heart.”
[23:20] 65 tn Heb “in the latter days.” However, as BDB 31 s.v. אַחֲרִית b suggests, the meaning of this idiom must be determined from the context. Sometimes it has remote, even eschatological, reference and other times it has more immediate reference as it does here and in Jer 30:23 where it refers to the coming days of Babylonian conquest and exile.
[23:20] 66 tn The translation is intended to reflect a Hebrew construction where a noun functions as the object of a verb from the same root word (the Hebrew cognate accusative).
[23:21] 67 tn Heb “Yet they ran.”
[23:21] sn The image is that of a messenger bearing news from the king. See 2 Sam 18:19-24; Jer 51:31; Isa 40:9; 52:7; Hab 2:2 (the tablet/scroll bore the message the runner was to read to the intended recipients of his message). Their message has been given in v. 17 (see notes there for cross references).
[23:22] 68 tn Or “had been my confidant.” See the note on v. 18.
[23:23] 69 tn The words “Do you people think” at the beginning of this verse and “Do you really think” at the beginning of the next verse are not in the text but are a way of trying to convey the nature of the rhetorical questions which expect a negative answer. They are also a way of trying to show that the verses are still connected with the preceding discussion addressed to the people (cf. 23:16, 20).
[23:23] 70 tn Heb “Am I a god nearby and not a god far off?” The question is sometimes translated as though there is an alternative being given in v. 23, one that covers both the ideas of immanence and transcendence (i.e., “Am I only a god nearby and not also a god far off?”). However, the hey interrogative (הַ) at the beginning of this verse and the particle (אִם, ’im) at the beginning of the next show that the linkage is between the question in v. 23 and that in v. 24a. According to BDB 210 s.v. הֲ 1.d both questions in this case expect a negative answer.
[23:23] sn The thought that is expressed here must be viewed against the background of ancient Near Eastern thought where gods were connected with different realms, e.g., Baal, the god of wind, rain, and fertility, Mot, the god of drought, infertility, and death, Yam, the god of the sea and of chaos. Moreover, Baal was worshiped in local manifestations as the Baal of Peor, Baal of Gad, etc. Hence, Baal is sometimes spoken of in the singular and sometimes in the plural. The
[23:23] 71 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[23:24] 72 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[23:24] 73 tn The words “Don’t you know” are not in the text. They are a way of conveying the idea that the question which reads literally “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” expects a positive answer. They follow the pattern used at the beginning of the previous two questions and continue that thought. The words are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[23:24] 74 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[23:25] 75 tn The words, “The
[23:25] 76 sn To have had a dream was not an illegitimate means of receiving divine revelation. God had revealed himself in the past to his servants through dreams (e.g., Jacob [Gen 31:10-11] and Joseph [Gen 37:6, 7, 9]) and God promised to reveal himself through dreams (Num 12:6; Joel 2:28 [3:1 HT]). What was illegitimate was to use the dream to lead people away from the
[23:26] 77 sn See the parallel passage in Jer 14:13-15.
[23:27] 78 tn The relation of the words to one another in v. 26 and the beginning of v. 27 has created difficulties for translators and commentators. The proper solution is reflected in the NJPS. Verses 26-27 read somewhat literally, “How long is there in the hearts of the prophets who are prophesying the lie and [in the hearts of] the prophets of the delusions of their [own] heart the plotting to cause my people to forget my name…” Most commentaries complain that the text is corrupt, that there is no subject for “is there.” However, the long construct qualification “in the hearts of” has led to the lack of observation that the proper subject is “the plotting to make my people forget.” There are no exact parallels but Jer 14:22; Neh 5:5 follow the same structure. The “How long” precedes the other means of asking a question for the purpose of emphasis (cf. BDB 210 s.v. הֲ 1.b and compare for example the usage in 2 Sam 7:7). There has also been a failure to see that “the prophets of the delusion of…” is a parallel construct noun after “heart of.” Stripping the syntax down to its barest minimum and translating literally, the sentence would read “How long will the plotting…continue in the hearts of the prophets who…and [in hearts of] the prophets of…” The sentence has been restructured in the translation to conform to contemporary English style but attempt has been made to maintain the same subordinations.
[23:27] sn 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 someone’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). Hence, here to forget the name is equivalent to forgetting who he was in his essential character (cf. Exod 3:13-15; 6:3; 34:5-7). By preaching lies they had obliterated part of his essential character and caused people to forget who he really was.
[23:27] 80 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 39).
[23:27] 81 tn Heb “through Baal.” This is an elliptical expression for the worship of Baal. See 11:17; 12:16; 19:5 for other references to their relation to Baal. There is a deliberate paralleling in the syntax here between “through their dreams” and “through Baal.”
[23:28] 82 tn Heb “What to the straw with [in comparison with] the grain?” This idiom represents an emphatic repudiation or denial of relationship. See, for example, the usage in 2 Sam 16:10 and note BDB 553 s.v. מָה 1.d(c).
[23:28] 83 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[23:29] 84 tn Heb “Is not my message like a fire?” The rhetorical question expects a positive answer that is made explicit in the translation. The words “that purges dross” are not in the text but are implicit to the metaphor. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[23:29] 85 tn Heb “Is it not like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?” See preceding note.
[23:29] 86 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[23:30] 87 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[23:30] 88 tn Heb “who are stealing my words from one another.” However, context shows that it is their own word which they claim is from the
[23:31] 89 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[23:31] 90 tn The word “The
[23:31] sn Jer 23:30-33 are filled with biting sarcasm. The verses all begin with “Behold I am against the prophets who…” and go on to describe their reprehensible behavior. They “steal” one another’s messages which the
[23:32] 91 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[23:32] 92 tn Heb “with their lies and their recklessness.” This is an example of hendiadys where two nouns (in this case a concrete and an abstract one) are joined by “and” but one is intended to be the adjectival modifier of the other.
[23:32] 93 sn In the light of what has been said this is a rhetorical understatement; they are not only “not helping,” they are leading them to their doom (cf. vv. 19-22). This figure of speech is known as litotes.
[23:32] 94 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[23:33] 95 tn The words “The
[23:33] 96 tn The meaning of vv. 33-40 is debated. The translation given here follows the general direction of NRSV and REB rather than that of NIV and the related direction taken by NCV and God’s Word. The meaning of vv. 33-40 are debated because of (1) the ambiguity involved in the word מָשָּׂא (masa’), which can mean either “burden” (as something carried or weighing heavily on a person; see, e.g., Exod 23:5; Num 4:27; 2 Sam 15:33; Ps 38:4) or “oracle” (of doom; see, e. g., Isa 13:1; Nah 1:1); (the translation is debated due to etymological concerns), (2) the ambiguity of the line in v. 36 which has been rendered “For what is ‘burdensome’ really pertains rather to what a person himself says” (Heb “the burden is to the man his word”), and (3) the text in v. 33 of “you are the burden.” Many commentaries see a wordplay on the two words “burden” and “oracle” which are homonyms. However, from the contrasts that are drawn in the passage, it is doubtful whether the nuance of “oracle” ever is in view. The word is always used in the prophets of an oracle of doom or judgment; it is not merely revelation of God which one of the common people would have been uttering (contra NIV). Jeremiah never uses the word in that sense nor does anyone else in the book of Jeremiah.
[23:33] sn What is in view here is the idea that the people consider Jeremiah’s views of loyalty to God and obedience to the covenant “burdensome.” I.e., what burdensome demands is the
[23:33] 97 tc The translation follows the Latin and Greek versions. The Hebrew text reads “What burden [i.e., burdensome message]?” The syntax of “what message?” is not in itself objectionable; the interrogative can function as an adjective (cf. BDB 552 s.v. מָה 1.a[a]). What is objectionable to virtually all the commentaries and lexicons is the unparalleled use of the accusative particle in front of the interrogative and the noun (see, e.g., BDB 672 s.v. III מָשָּׂא and GKC 365-66 §117.m, n. 3). The emendation only involves the redivision and revocalization of the same consonants: אֶת־מַה־מַשָּׂא (’et-mah-masa’) becomes אַתֶּם הַמָּשָּׂא (’atem hammasa’). This also makes a much more natural connection for the vav consecutive perfect that follows (cf. GKC 334 §112.x and compare Isa 6:7; Judg 13:3).
[23:33] 98 tn The meaning “cast you away” is questioned by some because the word is regularly used of “forsaking” or “abandoning” (see, e.g., Jer 7:29; 12:7; 15:6). However, it is clearly use of “casting down” or “throwing away” in Ezek 29:5; 32:4 and that meaning is virtually assured in v. 39 where the verb is combined with the phrase “from my presence” which is elsewhere used in rejection contexts with verbs like “send away,” “throw out,” or “remove” (see BDB 819 s.v. פָּנֶה II.8.a). This is another example of the bracketing effect of a key word and should be rendered the same in the two passages. Moreover, it fits in nicely with the play on “burden” here.
[23:33] 99 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[23:34] 100 tn Heb “burden of the
[23:34] 101 tn Heb “And the prophet or the priest or the people [common person] who says, ‘The burden of the
[23:35] 102 tn The words “So, I, Jeremiah tell you” are not in the text. They are supplied in the translation for clarity to show that it is he who is addressing the people, not the
[23:35] 103 tn This line is sometimes rendered as a description of what the people are doing (cf. NIV). However, repetition with some slight modification referring to the prophet in v. 37 followed by the same kind of prohibition that follows here shows that what is being contrasted is two views toward the
[23:36] 104 tn Heb “burden of the
[23:36] 105 tn Heb “the burden.”
[23:36] 106 tn Heb “The burden is [or will be] to a man his word.” There is a good deal of ambiguity regarding how this line is to be rendered. For the major options and the issues involved W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah (Hermeneia), 1:651-52 should be consulted. Most of them are excluded by the observation that מַשָּׂא probably does not mean “oracle” anywhere in this passage (see note on v. 33 regarding the use of this word). Hence it does not mean “every man’s word becomes his oracle” as in NIV or “for that ‘burden’ [= oracle] is what he entrusts to the man of his word” (W. McKane, Jeremiah [ICC], 1:600-601). The latter is also ruled out by the fact that the antecedent of “his” on “his word” is clearly the word “man” in front of it. This would be the only case where the phrase “man of his word” occurs. There is also no textual reason for repointing the noun with the article as the noun with the interrogative to read “For how can his word become a burden to anyone?” There are, of course, other options but this is sufficient to show that the translation has been chosen after looking at other alternatives.
[23:36] 107 tn Heb “turning.” See BDB 245 s.v. הָפַךְ Qal.1.c and Lev 13:55; Jer 13:33 “changing, altering.”
[23:36] 108 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.”
[23:36] sn See the study note on 2:19 for the explanation of the significance of this title.
[23:37] 109 tn See the note on v. 35.
[23:37] sn As noted in v. 35 the prophet is Jeremiah. The message is directed against the prophet, priest, or common people who have characterized his message as a “burden from the
[23:39] 110 tn The translation of v. 38 and the first part of v. 39 represents the restructuring of a long and complex Hebrew sentence: Heb “But if you say, ‘The burden of the
[23:39] 111 tc The translation follows a few Hebrew
[23:39] 112 tn Heb “throw you and the city that I gave you and your fathers out of my presence.” The English sentences have been broken down to conform to contemporary English style.
[24:1] 113 sn See 2 Kgs 24:10-17 (especially vv. 14-16). Nebuchadnezzar left behind the poorest people of the land under the puppet king Zedekiah. Jeconiah has already been referred to earlier in 13:18; 22:25-26. The deportation referred to here occurred in 597
[24:2] 114 sn See Isa 28:4; Hos 9:10.
[24:4] 115 tn Heb “The word of the
[24:5] 116 tn Heb “the land of the Chaldeans.” See the study note on 21:4.
[24:6] 117 tn Heb “I will set my eyes upon them for good.” For the nuance of “good” see Jer 21:10; Amos 9:4 (in these cases the opposite of harm; see BDB 375 s.v. טוֹבָה 1).
[24:6] 118 tn The words “There” and “firmly in the land” are not in the text but are implicit from the connection and the metaphor. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[24:6] 119 sn For these terms see Jer 1:10.
[24:7] 120 tn Heb “I will give them a heart to know me that I am the
[24:7] 121 tn Heb “with all their heart.”
[24:8] 122 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[24:8] 123 tn Heb “Like the bad figs which cannot be eaten from badness [= because they are so bad] surely [emphatic כִּי, ki] so I regard Zedekiah, king of Judah, and his officials and the remnant of Jerusalem which remains in this land and those who are living in Egypt.” The sentence has been restructured in the translation to conform more to contemporary English style. For the use of נָתַן (natan) meaning “regard” or “treat like” see BDB 681 s.v. נָתַן 3.c and compare the usage in Ezek 28:6;Gen 42:30.
[24:9] 124 tn Or “an object of reproach in peoples’ proverbs…an object of ridicule in people’s curses.” The alternate translation treats the two pairs which are introduced without vavs (ו) but are joined by vavs as examples of hendiadys. This is very possible here but the chain does not contain this pairing in 25:18; 29:18.
[24:9] sn For an example of how the “example used in curses” worked, see Jer 29:22. Sodom and Gomorrah evidently function much that same way (see 23:14; 49:18; 50:40; Deut 29:23; Zeph 2:9).
[24:9] 125 tn Heb “I will make them for a terror for disaster to all the kingdoms of the earth, for a reproach and for a proverb, for a taunt and a curse in all the places which I banish them there.” The complex Hebrew sentence has been broken down into equivalent shorter sentences to conform more with contemporary English style.
[24:10] 126 sn See Jer 14:12 and the study note there.
[25:1] 128 tn Heb “The word was to Jeremiah.” It is implicit from the context that it was the
[25:1] 129 sn The year referred to would be 605
[25:2] 130 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[25:3] 131 sn The year referred to would be 627
[25:3] 132 tn For the idiom involved here see the notes at 7:13 and 11:7.
[25:3] 133 tn The words “what he said” are not in the text but are implicit. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[25:4] 134 tn For the idiom involved here see the notes at 7:13 and 11:7.
[25:4] 135 tn The vav consecutive with the perfect in a past narrative is a little unusual. Here it is probably indicating repeated action in past time in keeping with the idiom that precedes and follows it. See GKC 332 §112.f for other possible examples.
[25:4] 136 tn Heb “inclined your ear to hear.” This is idiomatic for “paying attention.” It is often parallel with “listen” as here or with “pay attention” (see, e.g., Prov 4:20; 51:1).
[25:5] 137 tn Heb “saying.” The infinitive goes back to “he sent”; i.e., “he sent, saying.”
[25:5] 138 tn Heb “Turn [masc. pl.] each person from his wicked way and from the evil of your [masc. pl.] doings.” See the same demand in 23:22.
[25:5] 139 tn Heb “gave to you and your fathers with reference to from ancient times even unto forever.” See the same idiom in 7:7.
[25:6] 140 tn Heb “follow after.” See the translator’s note on 2:5 for this idiom.
[25:6] 141 tn Heb “make me angry with the work of your hands.” The term “work of your own hands” is often interpreted as a reference to idolatry as is clearly the case in Isa 2:8; 37:19. However, the parallelism in 25:14 and the context in 32:30 show that it is more general and refers to what they have done. That is likely the meaning here as well.
[25:7] 142 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[25:7] 143 tn This is a rather clear case where the Hebrew particle לְמַעַן (lÿma’an) introduces a consequence and not a purpose, contrary to the dictum of BDB 775 s.v. מַעַן note 1. They have not listened to him in order to make him angry but with the result that they have made him angry by going their own way. Jeremiah appears to use this particle for result rather than purpose on several other occasions (see, e.g., 7:18, 19; 27:10, 15; 32:29).
[25:7] 144 tn Heb “make me angry with the work of your hands.” The term “work of your own hands” is often interpreted as a reference to idolatry as is clearly the case in Isa 2:8; 37:19. However, the parallelism in 25:14 and the context in 32:30 show that it is more general and refers to what they have done. That is likely the meaning here as well.
[25:8] 145 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.”
[25:8] sn See the study note on 2:19 for an explanation of this title.
[25:8] 146 tn Heb “You have not listened to my words.”
[25:9] 147 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[25:9] 148 sn The many allusions to trouble coming from the north are now clarified: it is the armies of Babylon which included within it contingents from many nations. See 1:14, 15; 4:6; 6:1, 22; 10:22; 13:20 for earlier allusions.
[25:9] 149 sn Nebuchadnezzar is called the
[25:9] 150 tn The word used here was used in the early years of Israel’s conquest for the action of killing all the men, women, and children in the cities of Canaan, destroying all their livestock, and burning their cities down. This policy was intended to prevent Israel from being corrupted by paganism (Deut 7:2; 20:17-18; Josh 6:18, 21). It was to be extended to any city that led Israel away from worshiping God (Deut 13:15) and any Israelite who brought an idol into his house (Deut 7:26). Here the policy is being directed against Judah as well as against her neighbors because of her persistent failure to heed God’s warnings through the prophets. For further usage of this term in application to foreign nations in the book of Jeremiah see 50:21, 26; 51:3.
[25:9] 151 tn Heb “will utterly destroy them.” The referent (this land, its inhabitants, and the nations surrounding it) has been specified in the translation for clarity, since the previous “them” referred to Nebuchadnezzar and his armies.
[25:9] sn This is essentially the introduction to the “judgment on the nations” in vv. 15-29 which begins with Jerusalem and Judah (v. 18) and ultimately ends with Babylon itself (“Sheshach” in v. 26; see note there for explanation of the term).
[25:9] 152 sn The Hebrew word translated “everlasting” is the word often translated “eternal.” However, it sometimes has a more limited time reference. For example it refers to the lifetime of a person who became a “lasting slave” to another person (see Exod 21:6; Deut 15:17). It is also used to refer to the long life wished for a king (1 Kgs 1:31; Neh 2:3). The time frame here is to be qualified at least with reference to Judah and Jerusalem as seventy years (see 29:10-14 and compare v. 12).
[25:9] 153 tn Heb “I will make them an object of horror and a hissing and everlasting ruins.” The sentence has been broken up to separate the last object from the first two which are of slightly different connotation, i.e., they denote the reaction to the latter.
[25:9] sn Compare Jer 18:16 and 19:8 and the study note at 18:16.
[25:10] 154 sn Compare Jer 7:24 and 16:9 for this same dire prediction limited to Judah and Jerusalem.
[25:10] 155 sn The sound of people grinding meal and the presence of lamps shining in their houses were signs of everyday life. The
[25:11] 156 tn Heb “All this land.”
[25:11] 157 sn It should be noted that the text says that the nations will be subject to the king of Babylon for seventy years, not that they will lie desolate for seventy years. Though several proposals have been made for dating this period, many ignore this fact. This most likely refers to the period beginning with Nebuchadnezzar’s defeat of Pharaoh Necho at Carchemish in 605
[25:12] 158 tn Heb “that nation.”
[25:12] 159 tn Heb “the land of the Chaldeans.” See the study note on 21:4 for the use of the term “Chaldeans.”
[25:12] 160 tn Heb “I will visit upon the king of Babylon and upon that nation, oracle of the
[25:12] sn Compare Isa 13:19-22 and Jer 50:39-40.
[25:12] 161 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[25:13] 162 tn Or “I will bring upon it everything that is to be written in this book. I will bring upon it everything that Jeremiah is going to prophesy concerning all the nations.” The reference to “this book” and “what Jeremiah has prophesied against the nations” raises issues about the editorial process underlying the current form of the book of Jeremiah. As the book now stands there is no earlier reference to any judgments against Babylon or any book (really “scroll”; books were a development of the first or second century
[25:14] 163 tn Heb “make slaves of them.” The verb form here indicates that the action is as good as done (the Hebrew prophetic perfect). For the use of the verb rendered “makes slaves” see parallel usage in Lev 25:39, 46 (cf. BDB 713 s.v. עָבַד 3).
[25:14] 164 tn Heb “according to their deeds and according to the work of their hands.” The two phrases are synonymous; it would be hard to represent them both in translation without being redundant. The translation attempts to represent them by the qualifier “all” before the first phrase.
[25:15] 165 tn This is an attempt to render the Hebrew particle כִּי (ki) which is probably being used in the sense that BDB 473-74 s.v. כִּי 3.c notes, i.e., the causal connection is somewhat loose, related here to the prophecies against the nations. “So” seems to be the most appropriate way to represent this.
[25:15] 166 tn Heb “Thus said the
[25:15] 167 sn “Drinking from the cup of wrath” is a common figure to represent being punished by God. Isaiah had used it earlier to refer to the punishment which Judah was to suffer and from which God would deliver her (Isa 51:17, 22) and Jeremiah’s contemporary Habakkuk uses it of Babylon “pouring out its wrath” on the nations and in turn being forced to drink the bitter cup herself (Hab 2:15-16). In Jer 51:7 the
[25:16] 168 tn There is some debate about the meaning of the verb here. Both BDB 172 s.v. גָּעַשׁ Hithpo and KBL 191 s.v. גָּעַשׁ Hitpol interpret this of the back and forth movement of staggering. HALOT 192 s.v. גָּעַשׁ Hitpo interprets it as vomiting. The word is used elsewhere of the up and down movement of the mountains (2 Sam 22:8) and the up and down movement of the rolling waves of the Nile (Jer 46:7, 8). The fact that a different verb is used in v. 27 for vomiting would appear to argue against it referring to vomiting (contra W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah [Hermeneia], 1:674; it is “they” that do this not their stomachs).
[25:16] 169 tn Heb “because of the sword that I will send among them.” Here, as often elsewhere in Jeremiah, the sword is figurative for warfare which brings death. See, e.g., 15:2. The causal particle here is found in verbal locutions where it is the cause of emotional states or action. Hence there are really two “agents” which produce the effects of “staggering” and “acting insane,” the cup filled with God’s wrath and the sword. The sword is the “more literal” and the actual agent by which the first agent’s action is carried out.
[25:17] 170 tn The words “the wine of his wrath” are not in the text but are implicit in the metaphor (see vv. 15-16). They are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[25:18] 171 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[25:18] 172 tn The words “I made” and “drink it” are not in the text. The text from v. 18 to v. 26 contains a list of the nations that Jeremiah “made drink it.” The words are supplied in the translation here and at the beginning of v. 19 for the sake of clarity. See also the note on v. 26.
[25:18] 173 tn Heb “in order to make them a ruin, an object of…” The sentence is broken up and the antecedents are made specific for the sake of clarity and English style.
[25:18] 174 tn See the study note on 24:9 for explanation.
[25:18] 175 tn Heb “as it is today.” This phrase would obviously be more appropriate after all these things had happened as is the case in 44:6, 23 where the verbs referring to these conditions are past. Some see this phrase as a marginal gloss added after the tragedies of 597
[25:19] 176 sn See further Jer 46:2-28 for the judgment against Egypt.
[25:20] 177 tn The meaning of this term and its connection with the preceding is somewhat uncertain. This word is used of the mixture of foreign people who accompanied Israel out of Egypt (Exod 12:38) and of the foreigners that the Israelites were to separate out of their midst in the time of Nehemiah (Neh 13:3). Most commentators interpret it here of the foreign people who were living in Egypt. (See BDB 786 s.v. I עֶרֶב and KBL 733 s.v. II עֶרֶב.)
[25:20] 178 sn The land of Uz was Job’s homeland (Job 1:1). The exact location is unknown but its position here between Egypt and the Philistine cities suggests it is south of Judah, probably in the Arabian peninsula. Lam 4:21 suggests that it was near Edom.
[25:20] 179 sn See further Jer 47:1-7 for the judgment against the Philistines. The Philistine cities were west of Judah.
[25:20] 180 sn The Greek historian Herodotus reports that Ashdod had been destroyed under the Pharaoh who preceded Necho, Psammetichus.
[25:21] 181 sn See further Jer 49:7-22 for the judgment against Edom. Edom, Moab, and Ammon were east of Judah.
[25:21] 182 sn See further Jer 48:1-47 for the judgment against Moab.
[25:21] 183 sn See further Jer 49:1-6 for the judgment against Ammon.
[25:22] 184 map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[25:22] 185 sn Tyre and Sidon are mentioned within the judgment on the Philistines in Jer 47:4. They were Phoenician cities to the north and west of Judah on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in what is now Lebanon.
[25:22] map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[25:22] 186 sn The connection with Tyre and Sidon suggests that these were Phoenician colonies. See also Isa 23:2.
[25:23] 187 sn Dedan and Tema are mentioned together in Isa 21:13-14 and located in the desert. They were located in the northern part of the Arabian peninsula south and east of Ezion Geber. Buz is not mentioned anywhere else and its location is unknown. Judgment against Dedan and Tema is mentioned in conjunction with the judgment on Edom in Jer 47:7-8.
[25:23] 188 tn For the discussion regarding the meaning of the terms here see the notes on 9:26.
[25:23] sn See Jer 9:26 where these are mentioned in connection with Moab, Edom, and Ammon.
[25:24] 189 tc Or “and all the kings of people of mixed origin who.” The Greek version gives evidence of having read the term only once; it refers to the “people of mixed origin” without reference to the kings of Arabia. While the term translated “people of mixed origin” seems appropriate in the context of a group of foreigners within a larger entity (e.g. Israel in Exod 12:38; Neh 13:3; Egypt in Jer 50:37), it seems odd to speak of them as a separate entity under their own kings. The presence of the phrase in the Hebrew text and the other versions dependent upon it can be explained as a case of dittography.
[25:24] sn See further Jer 49:28-33 for judgment against some of these Arabian peoples.
[25:25] 190 sn The kingdom of Zimri is mentioned nowhere else, so its location is unknown.
[25:25] 191 sn See further Jer 49:34-39 for judgment against Elam.
[25:25] 192 sn Elam and Media were east of Babylon; Elam in the south and Media in the north. They were in what is now western Iran.
[25:26] 193 tn The words “have drunk the wine of the
[25:26] 194 tn Heb “the king of Sheshach.” “Sheshach” is a code name for Babylon formed on the principle of substituting the last letter of the alphabet for the first, the next to the last for the second, and so on. On this principle Hebrew שׁ (shin) is substituted for Hebrew ב (bet) and Hebrew כ (kaf) is substituted for Hebrew ל (lamed). On the same principle “Leb Kamai” in Jer 51:1 is a code name for Chasdim or Chaldeans which is Jeremiah’s term for the Babylonians. No explanation is given for why the code names are used. The name “Sheshach” for Babylon also occurs in Jer 51:41 where the term Babylon is found in parallelism with it.
[25:27] 195 tn The words “Then the
[25:27] 196 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies, the God of Israel.”
[25:27] sn See the study notes on 2:19 and 7:3 for explanation of this extended title.
[25:27] 197 tn Heb “Tell them, ‘Thus says the
[25:27] 198 tn The words “this cup” are not in the text but are implicit to the metaphor and the context. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[25:27] 199 tn Heb “Drink, and get drunk, and vomit and fall down and don’t get up.” The imperatives following drink are not parallel actions but consequent actions. For the use of the imperative plus the conjunctive “and” to indicate consequent action, even intention see GKC 324-25 §110.f and compare usage in 1 Kgs 22:12; Prov 3:3b-4a.
[25:27] 200 tn Heb “because of the sword that I will send among you.” See the notes on 2:16 for explanation.
[25:28] 201 tn Heb “Tell them, ‘Thus says the
[25:28] 202 tn The translation attempts to reflect the emphatic construction of the infinitive absolute preceding the finite verb which is here an obligatory imperfect. (See Joüon 2:371-72 §113.m and 2:423 §123.h, and compare usage in Gen 15:13.)
[25:29] 203 tn Heb “which is called by my name.” See translator’s note on 7:10 for support.
[25:29] 204 tn This is an example of a question without the formal introductory particle following a conjunctive vav introducing an opposition. (See Joüon 2:609 §161.a.) It is also an example of the use of the infinitive before the finite verb in a rhetorical question involving doubt or denial. (See Joüon 2:422-23 §123.f, and compare usage in Gen 37:8.)
[25:29] 205 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.”
[25:29] sn See the study notes on 2:19 and 7:3 for explanation of this extended title.
[25:29] 206 tn Heb “Oracle of Yahweh of armies.”
[25:30] 207 tn The word “Jeremiah” is not in the text. It is supplied in the translation to make clear who is being addressed.
[25:30] 208 tn Heb “Prophesy against them all these words.”
[25:30] 209 tn The words “like a lion about to attack” are not in the text but are implicit in the metaphor. The explicit comparison of the
[25:30] sn For the metaphor of the
[25:30] 210 sn The word used here (Heb “his habitation”) refers to the land of Canaan which the
[25:30] 211 sn The metaphor shifts from God as a lion to God as a mighty warrior (Jer 20:11; Isa 42:13; Zeph 3:17) shouting in triumph over his foes. Within the metaphor is a simile where the warrior is compared to a person stomping on grapes to remove the juice from them in the making of wine. The figure will be invoked later in a battle scene where the sounds of joy in the grape harvest are replaced by the sounds of joy of the enemy soldiers (Jer 48:33). The picture is drawn in more gory detail in Isa 63:1-6.
[25:31] 212 tn For the use of this word see Amos 2:2; Hos 10:14; Ps 74:23. See also the usage in Isa 66:6 which is very similar to the metaphorical usage here.
[25:31] 213 tn Heb “the
[25:31] 214 tn Heb “give the wicked over to the sword.”
[25:31] sn There is undoubtedly a deliberate allusion here to the reference to the “wars” (Heb “sword”) that the
[25:31] 215 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[25:32] 216 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.”
[25:32] sn See the study notes on 2:19 and 7:3 for explanation of this extended title.
[25:32] 217 tn Heb “will go forth from nation to nation.”
[25:32] 218 tn The words “of military destruction” have been supplied in the translation to make the metaphor clear. The metaphor has shifted from that of God as a lion, to God as a warrior, to God as a judge, to God as the author of the storm winds of destruction.
[25:32] sn For the use of this word in a literal sense see Jonah 1:4. For its use to refer to the wrath of the
[25:33] 219 sn The intent here is to emphasize the large quantity of those who are killed – there will be too many to insure proper mourning rites and proper burial.
[25:34] 220 tn Heb “Wail and cry out, you shepherds. Roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock.” The terms have been reversed to explain the figure.
[25:34] sn The term “shepherd” has been used several times in the book of Jeremiah to refer to the leaders of the people who were responsible for taking care of their people who are compared to a flock. (See Jer 23:1-4 and the notes there.) Here the figure has some irony involved in it. It is the shepherds who are to be slaughtered like sheep. They may have considered themselves “choice vessels” (the literal translation of “fine pottery”), but they would be slaughtered and lie scattered on the ground (v. 33) like broken pottery.
[25:34] 221 tn The meaning of this line is debated. The Greek version does not have the words “lie scattered” and it reads the words “like broken pieces of fine pottery” (Heb “like choice vessels”; כִּכְלִי חֶמְדָּה, kikhli khemdah) as “like choice rams” (כְּאֵילֵי חֶמְדָּה, kÿ’ele khemdah); i.e., “the days have been completed for you to be slaughtered and you will fall like choice rams.” The reading of the Greek version fits the context better, but is probably secondary for that very reason. The word translated “lie scattered” (תְּפוֹצָה, tÿfotsah) occurs nowhere else and the switch to the simile of “choice vessels” is rather abrupt. However, this section has been characterized by switching metaphors. The key to the interpretation and translation here is the consequential nature of the verbal actions involved. “Fall” does not merely refer to the action but the effect, i.e., “lie fallen” (cf. BDB 657 s.v. נָפַל 7 and compare Judg 3:25; 1 Sam 31:8). Though the noun translated “lie scattered” does not occur elsewhere, the verb does. It is quite commonly used of dispersing people and that has led many to see that as the reference here. The word, however, can be used of scattering other things like seed (Isa 28:25), arrows (2 Sam 22:15; metaphorical for lightning), etc. Here it follows “slaughtered” and refers to their dead bodies. The simile (Heb “ fallen like choice vessels”) is elliptical, referring to “broken pieces” of choice vessels. In this sense the simile fits in perfectly with v. 33.
[25:35] 222 tn Heb “Flight [or “place of escape”] will perish from the shepherds.”
[25:35] sn Judging from Gen 14:10 and Judg 8:12 (among many others), it was not uncommon for the leaders to try to save their own necks at the expense of their soldiers.
[25:36] 223 tn Heb “their pastures,” i.e., the place where they “shepherd” their “flocks.” The verb tenses in this section are not as clear as in the preceding. The participle in this verse is followed by a vav consecutive perfect like the imperatives in v. 34. The verbs in v. 38 are perfects but they can be and probably should be understood as prophetic like the perfect in v. 31 (נְתָנָם, nÿtanam) which is surrounded by imperfects, participles, and vav consecutive perfects.
[25:36] sn Jer 25:36-38 shifts to the future as though the action were already accomplished or going on. It is the sound that Jeremiah hears in his “prophetic ears” of something that has begun (v. 29) but will find its culmination in the future (vv. 13, 16, 27, 30-35).
[25:37] 224 tn For this meaning of the verb used here see HALOT 217 s.v. דָּמַם Nif. Elsewhere it refers to people dying (see, e.g., Jer 49:26; 50:30) hence some see a reference to “lifeless.”
[25:37] 225 tn Heb “because of the burning anger of the
[25:38] 226 tn Heb “Like a lion he has left his lair.”
[25:38] sn The text returns to the metaphor alluded to in v. 30. The bracketing of speeches with repeated words or motifs is a common rhetorical device in ancient literature.
[25:38] 227 tn This is a way of rendering the Hebrew particle כִּי (ki) which is probably here for emphasis rather than indicating cause (see BDB 473 s.v. כִּי 1.e and compare usage in Jer 22:22).
[25:38] 228 tc Heb “by the sword of the oppressors.” The reading here follows a number of Hebrew
[25:38] sn The connection between “war” (Heb “the sword”) and the wrath or anger of the
untuk merubah popup menjadi mode sticky, 
untuk merubah mode sticky menjadi mode popup kembali. [