translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: JER

label: NET study note

text: The allusion here is to going down from the temple to the palace which was on a lower eminence. See 36:12 in its context.


text: Heb “I swear by myself.” Oaths were guaranteed by invoking the name of a god or swearing by “his life.” See Jer 12:16; 44:26 . Since the Lord is incomparably great, he could swear by no higher (see Heb 6:13-16 ) than to swear by himself or his own great name.


text: Heb “I will sanctify destroyers against it.” If this is not an attenuated use of the term “sanctify” the traditions of Israel’s holy wars are being turned against her. See also 6:4 . In Israel’s early wars in the wilderness and in the conquest, the Lord fought for her against the enemies (cf., e.g., Josh 10:11, 14, 42; 24:7 ; Judg 5:20 ; 1 Sam 7:10 ). Now he is going to fight against them ( 21:5, 13 ) and use the enemy as his instruments of destruction. For a similar picture of destruction in the temple see the lament in Ps 74:3-7 .


text: This prophecy was fulfilled according to 2 Kgs 23:34 .


text: Heb “Woe.” This particle is used in laments for the dead (cf., e.g., 1 Kgs 13:30 ; Jer 34:5 ) and as an introductory particle in indictments against a person on whom judgment is pronounced (cf., e.g., Isa 5:8, 11 ; Jer 23:1 ). The indictment is found here in vv. 13-17 and the announcement of judgment in vv. 18-19 .


text: The father referred to here is the godly king Josiah. He followed the requirements for kings set forth in 22:3 in contrast to his son who did not ( 22:13 ).


text: This is the regular way of introducing the announcement of judgment after an indictment of crimes. See, e.g., Isa 5:13, 14 ; Jer 23:2 .


text: A similar judgment against this ungodly king is pronounced by Jeremiah in 36:30 . According to 2 Chr 36:6 he was bound over to be taken captive to Babylon but apparently died before he got there. According to the Jewish historian Josephus, Nebuchadnezzar ordered his body thrown outside the wall in fulfillment of this judgment. The Bible itself, however, does not tell us that. map For location see Map5-B1 ; Map6-F3 ; Map7-E2 ; Map8-F2 ; Map10-B3 ; JP1-F4 ; JP2-F4 ; JP3-F4 ; JP4-F4 .


text: This simile has already been used in Jer 4:31; 6:24 in conjunction with Zion/Jerusalem’s judgment.


text: The question “Why?” is a common rhetorical feature in the book of Jeremiah. See Jer 2:14, 31; 8:5, 19, 22; 12:1; 13:22; 14:19 . In several cases like this one no answer is given, leaving a sense of exasperation and hopelessness with the sinfulness of the nation that calls forth such punishment from God.