translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: JER

label: NET study note

text: The names of Jeremiah and of Nebuchadnezzar are spelled differently in the Hebrew of chapter 27-29 . That and other literary features show that these three chapters are all closely related. The events of these three chapters all take place within the space of one year (cf. 28:1; 29:17 ).


text: The yoke is a common biblical symbol of political servitude (see, e.g., Deut 28:48 ; 1 Kgs 12:4, 9, 10 ). From the context of it is clear that it applied to taxation and the provision of conscript labor. In international political contexts it involved the payment of heavy tribute which was often conscripted from the citizens (see, e.g., 2 Kgs 15:19-20; 23:34-35 ) and the furnishing of military contingents for the sovereign’s armies (see, e.g., 2 Kgs 24:2 ). Jeremiah’s message here combines both a symbolic action (the wearing of a yoke) and words of explanation as in Jer 19:1-13 . (See Isa 20:1-6 for an example outside of Jeremiah.) The casting off of the yoke has been used earlier in Jer 2:20, 5:5 to refer to Israel’s failure to remain spiritually “subject” or faithful to God.


text: The nations of Edom , Moab , and Ammon were east of Judah. They were sometimes allies and sometimes enemies. The nations of Tyre and Sidon were on the sea coast north and west of Judah. They are best known for their maritime trade during the reign of Solomon. They were more commonly allies of Israel and Judah than enemies. map For the location of Sidon see Map1-A1 ; JP3-F3 ; JP4-F3 .


text: See Dan 4:17 for a similar statement.


text: See the study note on 25:9 for the significance of the application of this term to Nebuchadnezzar.


text: This is a figure that emphasizes that they will serve for a long time but not for an unlimited duration. The kingdom of Babylon lasted a relatively short time by ancient standards. It lasted from 605 b.c. when Nebuchadnezzar defeated Necho at Carchemish until the fall of Babylon in 538 b.c . There were only four rulers. Nebuchadnezzar was succeeded by his son, Evil Merodach (cf. 52:31 ), and two other rulers who were not descended from him.


text: Various means of divination are alluded to in the OT. For example, Ezek 21:26-27 alludes to throwing down arrows to see which way they fall and consulting the shape of the liver of slaughtered animals. Gen 44:5 alludes to reading the future through pouring liquid in a cup. The means alluded to in this verse were all classified as pagan and prohibited as illegitimate in Deut 18:10-14 . The Lord had promised that he would speak to them through prophets like Moses ( Deut 18:15, 18 ). But even prophets could lie. Hence, the Lord told them that the test of a true prophet was whether what he said came true or not ( Deut 18:20-22 ). An example of false prophesying and the vindication of the true as opposed to the false will be given in the chapter that follows this.


text: An example of this is seen in .


text: The verbs in this verse are all plural. They are addressed to Zedekiah and his royal advisers (compare 22:2 ).


text: The verbs are again plural referring to the king and his royal advisers.


text: This refers to the valuable articles of the temple treasury which were carried off by Nebuchadnezzar four years earlier when he carried off Jeconiah, his family, some of his nobles, and some of the cream of Judean society ( 2 Kgs 24:10-16 , especially v. 13 and see also vv. 19-20 in the verses following).


text: Some of the flavor of the repetitive nature of Hebrew narrative is apparent in vv. 19-21 . In the Hebrew original vv. 19-20 are all one long sentence with complex coordination and subordinations. I.e., all the objects in v. 19 are all objects of the one verb “has spoken about” and the description in v. 20 is one long relative or descriptive clause. The introductory “For the Lord …has already spoken” is repeated in v. 21 from v. 19 and reference is made to the same articles once again, only in the terms that were used in v. 18 b. By this means, attention is focused for these people (here the priests and the people) on articles which were of personal concern for them and the climax or the punch line is delayed to the end. The point being made is that the false prophets are mistaken; not only will the articles taken to Babylon not be returned “very soon” but the Lord had said that the ones that remained would be taken there as well. They ought rather pray that the Lord will change his mind and not carry them off as well.