Yeremia 8:7

8:7 Even the stork knows

when it is time to move on. ¹ 

The turtledove, swallow, and crane ² 

recognize ³  the normal times for their migration.

But my people pay no attention

to ⁴  what I, the Lord, require of them. ⁵ 

Yeremia 9:25

9:25 The Lord says, “Watch out! ⁶  The time is soon coming when I will punish all those who are circumcised only in the flesh. ⁷ 

Yeremia 12:3

12:3 But you, Lord, know all about me.

You watch me and test my devotion to you. ⁸ 

Drag these wicked men away like sheep to be slaughtered!

Appoint a time when they will be killed! ⁹ 

Yeremia 49:2

49:2 Because you did that,

I, the Lord, affirm that ¹⁰  a time is coming

when I will make Rabbah, the capital city of Ammon,

hear the sound of the battle cry.

It will become a mound covered with ruins. ¹¹ 

Its villages will be burned to the ground. ¹² 

Then Israel will take back its land

from those who took their land from them.

I, the Lord, affirm it! ¹³ 

[8:7]  ¹ tn Heb “its appointed time.” The translation is contextually motivated to avoid lack of clarity.

[8:7]  ² 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]  ³ 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]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ tn Heb “the ordinance/requirement of the Lord.”

[9:25]  ⁶ tn Heb “Behold!”

[9:25]  ⁷ tn Heb “punish all who are circumcised in the flesh.” The translation is contextually motivated to better bring out the contrast that follows.

[12:3]  ⁸ tn Heb “You, Lord, know me. You watch me and you test my heart toward you.”

[12:3]  sn Jeremiah appears to be complaining like Job that God cares nothing about the prosperity of the wicked, but watches his every move. The reverse ought to be true. Jeremiah shouldn’t be suffering the onslaughts of his fellow countrymen as he is. The wicked who are prospering should be experiencing punishment.

[12:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “set aside for them a day of killing.”

[49:2]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “oracle of the Lord.”

[49:2]  ¹¹ tn Heb “a desolate tel.” For the explanation of what a “tel” is see the study note on 30:18.

[49:2]  ¹² tn Heb “Its daughters will be burned with fire.” For the use of the word “daughters” to refer to the villages surrounding a larger city see BDB 123 s.v. I בַּת 4 and compare the usage in Judg 1:27.

[49:2]  ¹³ tn Heb “says the Lord.” The first person is used to maintain the first person address throughout.