translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: JER

label: NET study note

text: Sacred poles dedicated to…Asherah . A leading deity of the Canaanite pantheon was Asherah, wife/sister of El and goddess of fertility. She was commonly worshiped at shrines in or near groves of evergreen trees, or, failing that, at places marked by wooden poles (Hebrew אֲשֵׁרִים [’ asherim ], plural). They were to be burned or cut down ( Deut 7:5; 12:3; 16:21 ; Judg 6:25, 28, 30 ; 2 Kgs 18:4 ).


text: Verses 5-11 are a collection of wisdom-like sayings (cf. ) which set forth the theme of the two ways and their consequences. It has as its background the blessings and the curses of and the challenge to faith in Deut 29-30 which climaxes in Deut 30:15-20 . The nation is sinful and God is weary of showing them patience. However, there is hope for individuals within the nation if they will trust in him.


text: Observance of the Sabbath day (and the Sabbatical year) appears to have been a litmus test of the nation’s spirituality since it is mentioned in a number of passages besides this one (cf., e.g., Isa 56:2, 6; 58:13 ; Neh 13:15-18 ). Perhaps this is because the Sabbath day was the sign of the Mosaic covenant ( Exod 31:13-17 ) just as the rainbow was the sign of the Noahic covenant ( Gen 9:12, 13, 17 ) and circumcision was the sign of the Abrahamic covenant ( Gen 17:11 ). This was not the only command they failed to obey, nor was their failure to obey this one the sole determining factor in the Lord ’s decision to destroy Judah (cf. 7:23- 24; 11:7-8 in their contexts).


text: The identity and location of the People’s Gate is uncertain since it is mentioned nowhere else in the Hebrew Bible. Some identify it with the Benjamin Gate mentioned in Jer 37:13; 38:7 (cf. NAB), but there is no textual support for this in the Hebrew Bible or in any of the ancient versions.


text: Comparison with Neh 13:15-18 suggests that these loads were merchandise or agricultural produce which were being brought in for sale. The loads that were carried out of the houses in the next verse were probably goods for barter.