translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: JER

label: NET translator note

text: For location see Map5-B1 ; Map6-F3 ; Map7-E2 ; Map8-F2 ; Map10-B3 ; JP1-F4 ; JP2-F4 ; JP3-F4 ; JP4-F4 .


text: Heb “I remember to/for you.”


text: Heb “the loyal love of your youth.” sn The Hebrew word translated “how devoted you were” ( חֶסֶד , khesed ) refers metaphorically to the devotion of a new bride to her husband. In typical Hebraic fashion, contemporary Israel is identified with early Israel after she first entered into covenant with (= married) the Lord . The reference to her earlier devotion is not absolute but relative. Compared to her unfaithfulness in worshiping other gods after she got into the land, the murmuring and complaining in the wilderness are ignored.


text: Heb “house.”


text: Heb “fathers.”


text: Or “I did not wrong your ancestors in any way. Yet they went far astray from me.” Both translations are an attempt to render the rhetorical question which demands a negative answer.


text: Heb “They went/followed after.” This idiom is found most often in Deuteronomy or covenant contexts. It refers to loyalty to God and to his covenant or his commandments (e.g., 1 Kgs 14:8 ; 2 Chr 34:31 ) with the metaphor of a path or way underlying it (e.g., Deut 11:28; 28:14 ). To “follow other gods” was to abandon this way and this loyalty (i.e., to “abandon” or “forget” God, Judg 2:12 ; Hos 2:13 ) and to follow the customs or religious traditions of the pagan nations (e.g., 2 Kgs 17:15 ). The classic text on “following” God or another god is 1 Kgs 18:18, 21 where Elijah taunts the people with “halting between two opinions” whether the Lord was the true God or Baal was. The idiom is often found followed by “to serve and to worship” or “they served and worshiped” such and such a god or entity (see, e.g., Jer 8:2; 11:10; 13:10; 16:11; 25:6; 35:15 ).


text: The words “to me” are not in the Hebrew text but are implicit from the context: Heb “they followed after the worthless thing/things and became worthless.” There is an obvious wordplay on the verb “became worthless” and the noun “worthless thing,” which is probably to be understood collectively and to refer to idols as it does in Jer 8:19; 10:8; 14:22 ; Jonah 2:8 .


text: This word is erroneously rendered “shadow of death” in most older English versions; that translation is based on a faulty etymology. Contextual studies and comparative Semitic linguistics have demonstrated that the word is merely another word for darkness. It is confined to poetic texts and often carries connotations of danger and distress. It is associated in poetic texts with the darkness of a prison ( Ps 107:10, 14 ), a mine ( Job 28:3 ), and a ravine ( Ps 23:4 ). Here it is associated with the darkness of the wasteland and ravines of the Sinai desert.


text: Heb “eat.”


text: Heb “my inheritance.” Or “the land [i.e., inheritance] I gave you,” reading the pronoun as indicating source rather than possession. The parallelism and the common use in Jeremiah of the term to refer to the land or people as the Lord ’s (e.g., 12:7, 8, 9; 16:18; 50:11 ) make the possessive use more likely here. sn The land belonged to the Lord ; it was given to the Israelites in trust (or usufruct) as their heritage. See Lev 25:23 .


text: Heb “The priests…the ones who grasp my law…the shepherds…the prophets…they…”


text: Heb “those who handle my law.” sn The reference is likely to the priests and Levites who were responsible for teaching the law (so Jer 18:18 ; cf. Deut 33:10 ). According to Jer 8:8 it could possibly refer to the scribes who copied the law.


text: Or “were not committed to me.” The Hebrew verb rendered “know” refers to more than mere intellectual knowledge. It carries also the ideas of emotional and volitional commitment as well intimacy. See for example its use in contexts like Hos 4:1; 6:6 .


text: Heb “by Baal.”


text: Heb “and they followed after those things [the word is plural] which do not profit.” The poetic structure of the verse, four lines in which a distinct subject appears at the beginning followed by a fifth line beginning with a prepositional phrase and no distinct subject, argues that this line is climactic and refers to all four classes enumerated in the preceding lines. See W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah (Hermeneia), 1:88-89. There may be a play or pun in the Hebrew text on the name for the god Baal ( בַּעַל , ba ’ al ) and the verb “cannot help you” ( Heb “do not profit”) which is spelled יַעַל ( ya ’ al ).


text: Or “bring charges against you.” sn The language used here is that of the law court. In international political contexts it was the language of a great king charging his subject with breach of covenant. See for examples in earlier prophets, Isa 1:2-20 ; Mic 6:1-8 .


text: The words “your children and” are supplied in the translation to bring out the idea of corporate solidarity implicit in the passage. sn The passage reflects the Hebrew concept of corporate solidarity: The actions of parents had consequences for their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Compare the usage in the ten commandments, Deut 5:10 , and note the execution of the children of Dathan and Abiram, Deut 11:6 , and of Achan, Josh 7:24-25 .


text: Heb “For go west.”


text: Heb “pass over to the coasts of Kittim.” The words “west across the sea” in this line and “east of” in the next are implicit in the text and are supplied in the translation to give geographical orientation. sn The Hebrew term translated Cyprus (“Kittim”) originally referred to the island of Cyprus but later was used for the lands in the west, including Macedonia (1 Macc 1:1; 8:5) and Rome ( Dan 11:30 ). It is used here as part of a figure called merism to denote the lands in the west as opposed to Kedar which was in the east. The figure includes polar opposites to indicate totality, i.e., everywhere from west to east.


text: Heb “have exchanged their glory [i.e., the God in whom they glory].” This is a case of a figure of speech where the attribute of a person or thing is put for the person or thing. Compare the common phrase in Isaiah, the Holy One of Israel, obviously referring to the Lord , the God of Israel.


text: Heb “what cannot profit.” The verb is singular and the allusion is likely to Baal. See the translator’s note on 2:8 for the likely pun or wordplay.


text: It is difficult to decide whether to translate “fresh, running water” which the Hebrew term for “living water” often refers to (e.g., Gen 26:19 ; Lev 14:5 ), or “life-giving water” which the idiom “fountain of life” as source of life and vitality often refers to (e.g., Ps 36:9 ; Prov 13:14; 14:27 ). The contrast with cisterns, which collected and held rain water, suggests “fresh, running water,” but the reality underlying the metaphor contrasts the Lord , the source of life, health, and vitality, with useless idols that cannot do anything.


text: Heb “Is Israel a slave? Or is he a house born slave?” The questions are rhetorical, expecting a negative answer. sn The Lord is here contrasting Israel’s lofty status as the Lord ’s bride and special possession, which he had earlier reminded her of (see 2:2-3 ), with her current status of servitude to Egypt and Assyria.


text: Heb “Lions shout over him, they give out [raise] their voices.” sn The reference to lions is here a metaphor for the Assyrians (and later the Babylonians, see Jer 50:17 ). The statement about lions roaring over their prey implies that the prey has been vanquished.


text: Heb “without inhabitant.”


text: Heb “the sons of…”


label: NET textual note

text: The translation follows the reading of the Syriac version. The Hebrew text reads “have grazed [= “shaved” ?] your skulls [as a sign of disgracing them].” Note that the reference shifts from third person, “him,” to second person, “you,” which is common in Hebrew style. The words “people of Israel” have been supplied in the translation to help identify the referent and ease the switch. The reading presupposes יְרֹעוּךְ ( yÿro ’ ukh ) a Qal imperfect from the verb רָעַע ( ra ’ a ’; see BDB 949 s.v. II רָעַע Qal.1 and compare usage in Jer 15:2 ; Ps 2:9 ). The MT reads יִרְעוּךְ ( yir ’ ukh ), a Qal imperfect from the root רָעָה ( ra ’ ah ; see BDB 945 s.v. I רָעָה Qal.2.b for usage). The use of the verb in the MT is unparalleled in the sense suggested, but the resultant figure, if “graze” can mean “shave,” is paralleled in Jer 47:5; 48:37 ; Isa 7:20 . The reading of the variant is accepted on the basis that it is the rarer root; the scribe would have been more familiar with the root “graze” even though it is unparalleled in the figurative nuance implied here. The noun “head/skull” is functioning as an accusative of further specification (see GKC 372 §117. ll and compare usage in Gen 3:8 ), i.e., “they crack you on the skull” or “they shave you on the skull.” The verb is a prefixed form and in this context is either a preterite without vav ( ו ) consecutive or an iterative imperfect denoting repeated action. Some modern English versions render the verb in the future tense, “they will break [or shave] your skull.”


text: Heb “Are you not bringing this on yourself.” The question is rhetorical and expects a positive answer.


text: Heb “at the time of leading you in the way.”


text: Heb “What to you to the way.”


text: The introductory particle וְעַתָּה ( vÿ ’ attah , “and now”) carries a logical, not temporal, connotation here (cf. BDB 274 s.v. עַתָּה 2.b).


text: Heb “to drink water from the Shihor [a branch of the Nile].” The reference is to seeking help through political alliance with Egypt as opposed to trusting in God for help. This is an extension of the figure in 2:13 .


text: Heb “to drink water from the River [a common designation in biblical Hebrew for the Euphrates River].” This refers to seeking help through political alliance. See the preceding note.


text: Or “teach you a lesson”; Heb “rebuke/chide you.”


text: Heb “how evil and bitter.” The reference is to the consequences of their acts. This is a figure of speech (hendiadys) where two nouns or adjectives joined by “and” introduce a main concept modified by the other noun or adjective.


text: Heb “to leave the Lord your God.” The change in person is intended to ease the problem of the rapid transition, which is common in Hebrew style but not in English, from third to first person between this line and the next.


text: Heb “and no fear of me was on you.”


text: Heb “the Lord Yahweh, [the God of] hosts.” For the title Lord God see the study note on 1:6 . For the title “who rules over all” see the following study note. The title “the Lord who rules over all” is a way of rendering the title “Yahweh of armies.” It is an abbreviation of a longer title “Yahweh the God of armies” which occurs five times in Jeremiah (see, e.g., 44:7 ). The abbreviated title occurs seventy-seven times in the book of Jeremiah. On thirty-two occasions it is further qualified by the title “the God of Israel,” showing his special relation to Israel. On six occasions it is preceded by the title “Lord” (see, e.g., 46:10 ) and twice it is preceded by the title “the King” (see, e.g., 51:17 ). Both titles emphasize his sovereignty. Twice it is said that he is the maker of all things ( 10:16; 51:19 ), and once it is said that he made the earth and the people and animals on it and gives them into the control of whomever he wishes ( 27:4-5 ). On two occasions it is emphasized that he also made the heavenly elements and controls the natural elements of wind, rain, thunder, and hail ( 31:35; 51:14-16 ). All this is consistent with usage elsewhere where the “armies” over which he has charge are identified as (1) the angels which surround his throne ( Isa 6:3, 5 ; 1 Kgs 22:19 ) and which he sends to protect his servants ( 2 Kgs 6:17 ), (2) the natural forces of thunder, rain, and hail ( Isa 29:6 ; Josh 10:11 ; Judg 5:4, 5 ) through which he sends the enemy into panic and “gums” up their chariot wheels, (3) the armies of Israel ( 1 Sam 17:45 ) which he leads into battle ( Num 10:34-35 ; Josh 5:14, 15 ) and for whom he fights as a mighty warrior ( Exod 15:3 ; Isa 42:13 ; Ps 24:8 ), and even (4) the armies of the nations which he musters against his disobedient people ( Isa 13:14 ). This title is most commonly found in the messenger formula “Thus says…” introducing both oracles of judgment (on Israel [e.g., 9:7, 15 ] and on the nations [e.g. 46:19; 50:18 ]; and see in general 25:29-32 ). It emphasizes his sovereignty as the king and creator, the lord of creation and of history, and the just judge who sees and knows all ( 11:20; 20:12 ) and judges each person and nation according to their actions ( Jer 32:18-19 ). In the first instance (in the most dominant usage) this will involve the punishment of his own people through the agency of the Babylonians (cf., e.g., 25:8-9 ). But it will also include the punishment of all nations, including Babylon itself (cf. Jer 25:17-26, 32-38 ), and will ultimately result in the restoration of his people and a new relation with them ( 30:8; 31:35-37 ).


text: Or “For.” The Hebrew particle ( כִּי , ki ) here introduces the evidence that they had no respect for him.


text: Heb “you broke your yoke…tore off your yoke ropes.” The metaphor is that of a recalcitrant ox or heifer which has broken free from its master.


text: The MT of this verse has two examples of the old second feminine singular perfect, שָׁבַרְתִּי ( shavarti ) and נִתַּקְתִּי ( nittaqti ), which the Masoretes mistook for first singulars leading to the proposal to read אֶעֱבוֹר (’ e ’ evor , “I will not transgress”) for אֶעֱבֹד (’ e ’ evod , “I will not serve”). The latter understanding of the forms is accepted in KJV but rejected by almost all modern English versions as being less appropriate to the context than the reading accepted in the translation given here.


text: Heb “you sprawled as a prostitute on….” The translation reflects the meaning of the metaphor.


text: Heb “I planted you as a choice vine, all of it true seed. How then have you turned into a putrid thing to me, a strange [or wild] vine.” The question expresses surprise and consternation. The translation is based on a redivision of the Hebrew words סוּרֵי הַגֶּפֶן ( sure haggefen ) into סוֹרִיָּה גֶּפֶן ( soriyyah gefen ) and the recognition of a hapax legomenon סוֹרִיָּה ( soriyyah ) meaning “putrid, stinking thing.” See HALOT 707 s.v. סוֹרִי .


text: Heb “Even if you wash with natron/lye, and use much soap, your sin is a stain before me.”


text: Heb “Lord Yahweh.” For an explanation of this title see the study notes on 1:6 .


text: Heb “I have not gone/followed after.” See the translator’s note on 2:5 for the meaning and usage of this idiom.


text: Heb “Look at your way in the valley.” The valley is an obvious reference to the Valley of Hinnom where Baal and Molech were worshiped and child sacrifice was practiced.


text: The words “to get the scent of a male” are implicit and are supplied in the translation for clarification.


text: Heb “Refrain your feet from being bare and your throat from being dry/thirsty.”


text: Heb “It is useless! No!” For this idiom, see Jer 18:12 ; NEB “No; I am desperate.”


text: Heb “house of Israel.”


text: The words “for what they have done” are implicit in the comparison and are supplied in the translation for clarification.


text: Heb “wood…stone…”


text: Heb “they have turned [their] backs to me, not [their] faces.”


text: This is an attempt to render the Hebrew particle כִּי ( ki , “for, indeed”) contextually.


text: Heb “Your sword devoured your prophets like a destroying lion.” However, the reference to the sword in this and many similar idioms is merely idiomatic for death by violent means.


text: Heb “a land of the darkness of Yah [= thick or deep darkness].” The idea of danger is an added connotation of the word in this context.


text: Heb “my people.”


text: Or more freely, “free to do as we please.” There is some debate about the meaning of this verb ( רוּד , rud ) because its usage is rare and its meaning is debated in the few passages where it does occur. The key to its meaning may rest in the emended text (reading וְרַדְתִּי [ vÿradti ] for וְיָרַדְתִּי [ vÿyaradti ]) in Judg 11:37 where it refers to the roaming of Jephthah’s daughter on the mountains of Israel.


text: Heb “How good you have made your ways to seek love.”


text: Heb “so that even the wicked women you teach your ways.”


text: The words “for example” are implicit and are supplied in the translation for clarification. This is only one example of why their death was not legitimate. sn Killing a thief caught in the act of breaking and entering into a person’s home was pardonable under the law of Moses, cf. Exod 22:2 .


text: KJV and ASV read this line with 2:34 . The ASV makes little sense and the KJV again erroneously reads the archaic second person feminine singular perfect as first person common singular. All the modern English versions and commentaries take this line with 2:35 .


text: This is an attempt to render the Hebrew particle often translated “behold” ( הִנֵּה , hinneh ) in a meaningful way in this context. See further the translator’s note on the word “really” in 1:6 .


text: Heb “changing your way.” The translation follows the identification of the Hebrew verb here as a defective writing of a form ( תֵּזְלִי [ tezÿli ] instead of תֵּאזְלִי [ te ’ zÿli ]) from a verb meaning “go/go about” ( אָזַל [’ azal ]; cf. BDB 23 s.v. אָזַל ). Most modern English versions, commentaries, and lexicons read it from a root meaning “to treat cheaply [or lightly]” ( תָּזֵלִּי [ tazelli ] from the root זָלַל ( zalal ); cf. HALOT 261 s.v. זָלַל ); hence, “Why do you consider it such a small matter to…”


text: Heb “You will be ashamed/disappointed by Egypt, just as you were ashamed/ disappointed by Assyria.”


text: Heb “with your hands on your head.” For the picture here see 2 Sam 13:19 .


text: Heb “The Lord has rejected those you trust in; you will not prosper by/from them.”