translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: JER

label: NET translator note

text: Heb “At that time.”


text: reads “the sun and all the stars.” Heb “the host of heaven.”


text: Heb “the sun, moon, and host of heaven which they…”


text: Heb “followed after.” See the translator’s note at 2:5 for the idiom.


text: Heb “they will not” but the referent is far enough removed that it might be ambiguous.


text: Heb “like dung/manure on the surface of the ground.”


text: Heb “Death will be chosen rather than life by the remnant who are left from this wicked family in all the places where I have banished them.” The sentence is broken up and restructured to avoid possible confusion because of the complexity of the English to some modern readers. There appears to be an extra “those who are left” that was inadvertently copied from the preceding line. It is missing from one Hebrew ms and from the Greek and Syriac versions and is probably not a part of the original text.


text: Heb “Yahweh of armies.” sn For the significance of this title see the notes at 2:19 and 7:3 .


text: The words “the Lord said to me” are not in the text but are implicit from the context. They are supplied in the translation to make clear who is speaking and who is being addressed.


label: NET textual note

text: The text is quite commonly emended, changing שׁוֹבְבָה הָעָם ( shovÿvah ha ’ am ) to שׁוֹבָב הָעָם ( shovav ha ’ am ) and omitting יְרוּשָׁלַםִ ( yÿrushalaim ); this is due to the anomaly of a feminine singular verb with a masculine singular subject and the fact that the word “Jerusalem” is absent from one Hebrew ms and the LXX. However, it is possible that this is a case where the noun “Jerusalem” is a defining apposition to the word “these people,” an apposition which GKC 425 §131. k calls “permutation.” In this case the verb could be attracted to the appositional noun and there would be no reason to emend the text. The MT is undoubtedly the harder reading and is for that reason to be preferred. map For location see Map5-B1 ; Map6-F3 ; Map7-E2 ; Map8-F2 ; Map10-B3 ; JP1-F4 ; JP2-F4 ; JP3-F4 ; JP4-F4 .


text: Or “to their allegiance to false gods,” or “to their false professions of loyalty”; Heb “to deceit.” Either “to their mistaken beliefs” or “to their allegiance to false gods” would fit the preceding context. The former is more comprehensive than the latter and was chosen for that reason.


text: Heb “I have paid attention and I have listened.” This is another case of two concepts being joined by “and” where one expresses the main idea and the other acts as an adverbial or adjectival modifier (a figure called hendiadys).


text: Heb “What have I done?” The addition of the word “wrong” is implicit in the context and is supplied in the translation for clarity. The rhetorical question does not function as a denial of wrongdoing, but rather as contrite shock at one’s own wrongdoing. It is translated as a declaration for the sake of clarity.


text: Heb “each one of them turns aside into their own running course.” sn The wordplay begun in v. 4 is continued here. The word translated “turns aside” in the literal translation and “wayward” in the translation is from the same root as “go the wrong way,” “turn around,” “turn away from me,” “apostasy,” “turn back to me.” What God hoped for were confessions of repentance and change of behavior; what he got was denial of wrongdoing and continued turning away from him.


text: Heb “its appointed time.” The translation is contextually motivated to avoid lack of clarity.


text: 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.”


text: Heb “keep.” Ironically birds, which do not think, obey the laws of nature, but Israel does not obey the laws of God.


text: 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.


text: Heb “the ordinance/requirement of the Lord .”


text: Heb “Surely, behold!”


text: Heb “the scribes.”


text: Heb “The lying pen of the scribes have made [it] into a lie.” The translation is an attempt to make the most common interpretation of this passage understandable for the average reader. This is, however, a difficult passage whose interpretation is greatly debated and whose syntax is capable of other interpretations. The interpretation of the NJPS, “Assuredly, for naught has the pen labored, for naught the scribes,” surely deserves consideration within the context; i.e. it hasn’t done any good for the scribes to produce a reliable copy of the law, which the people have refused to follow. That interpretation has the advantage of explaining the absence of an object for the verb “make” or “labored” but creates a very unbalanced poetic couplet.


text: Heb “be trapped.” However, the word “trapped” generally carries with it the connotation of divine judgment. See BDB 540 s.v. לָכַד Niph.2, and compare usage in Jer 6:11 for support. The verbs in the first two lines are again the form of the Hebrew verb that emphasizes that the action is as good as done (Hebrew prophetic perfects).


text: Heb “daughter of my people.” For the translation given here see 4:11 and the note on the phrase “dear people” there.


text: Heb “They heal the wound of my people lightly.”


text: Heb “They say, ‘Peace! Peace!’ and there is no peace!”


text: Heb “They will fall among the fallen.”


text: Or “I will completely destroy them.” The translation which is adopted is based on the revocalization of the MT which appears to mean literally “gathering I will sweep them away,” a rather improbable grammatical combination. It follows the suggestion found in HALOT 705 s.v. סוּף (Hiph) of reading אֹסֵף אֲסִיפָם (’ ose , a first singular Qal imperfect of אָסַף [’ asaf ] followed by a noun אָסִיף [’ asif ] with possessive suffix) instead of the MT’s אָסֹף אֲסִיפֵם (’ aspf ’ asifem , a Qal infinitive absolute of אָסַף [’ asaf ] followed by the Hiphil imperfect of סוּף [ suf ] plus suffix). For parallel usage of the verb אָסַף ( asaf ) see BDB 62 s.v. אָסַף Qal.4, and for a similar form of the verb see Mic 4:6 . The alternate translation follows the suggestion in BDB 692 s.v. סוּף Hiph: אָסֹף (’ asof ) is to be interpreted as a form of the Hiphil infinitive absolute ( הָסֵף [ hasef ] would be expected) chosen for assonance with the following form. This suggestion would gain more credence if the MT is to be retained in Zeph 1:2 where parallel forms are found. However, that text too has been questioned on lexical and grammatical grounds. The translation adopted fits the following context better than the alternate one and is based on less questionable lexical and grammatical parallels. The Greek translation which reads “they shall gather their fruits” supports the translation chosen.


text: The meaning of this line is very uncertain. A possible alternate translation is: “They have broken the laws that I gave them.” The line reads rather literally “And I gave them they passed over them.” The translation adopted treats the first expression as a noun clause (cf. GKC 488-89 §155. n ) which is the subject of the following verb, i.e., “the things I gave them [contextually, the grapes, etc.] passed over from them.” The alternate translation treats the expression as a dangling object (a Hebrew casus pendens ) resumed by the pronoun “them” and understands “the things that I gave them” to be the law or some related entity which is often the object of this verb (see BDB 717 s.v. עָבַר Qal.1.i). Neither of these translations is without its weakness. The weakness of the translation which has been adopted is the unusual use it assigns to the object suffix of the verb translated “pass over.” The weakness of the alternate translation is the rather abrupt and opaque introduction of a new topic of reference (i.e., the laws) into the context. On the whole the latter weakness would appear to outweigh the former. This line is missing from the Greek version and J. Bright ( Jeremiah [AB]) and J. A. Thompson ( Jeremiah [NICOT]) despair of giving a translation. For other possible suggestions see, W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah (Hermeneia), 1:285-86.


text: The words “The people say” are not in the text but are implicit in the shift of speakers between vv. 4-13 and vv. 14-16 . They are supplied in the translation for clarity.


text: Heb “Gather together and let us enter into the fortified cities.”


text: Heb “Let us die there.” The words “at least” and “fighting” are intended to bring out the contrast of passive surrender to death in the open country and active resistance to the death implicit in the context.


text: The words “of judgment” are not in the text but are intended to show that “poison water” is not literal but figurative of judgment at the hands of God through the agency of the enemy mentioned in v. 16 .


text: Heb “against the Lord .” The switch is for the sake of smoothness in English.


text: Heb “[We hoped] for a time of healing but behold terror.”


text: Heb “his stallions.”


text: The words “They are coming to destroy” are not in the text. They are inserted to break up a long sentence in conformity with contemporary English style.


text: These words which are at the end of the Hebrew verse are brought forward to show at the outset the shift in speaker.


text: Heb “Indeed [or For] behold!” The translation is intended to convey some of the connection that is suggested by the Hebrew particle כִּי ( ki ) at the beginning of the verse.


text: Heb “I am sending against you snakes, poisonous ones which cannot be charmed.” In the light of the context literal snakes are scarcely meant. So the metaphor is turned into a simile to prevent possible confusion. For a similar metaphorical use of animals for enemies see 5:6 .


text: Heb “they will bite you.” There does not appear to be any way to avoid the possible confusion that literal snakes are meant here except to paraphrase. Possibly one could say “And they will attack you and ‘bite’ you,” but the enclosing of the word “bite” in quotations might lead to even further confusion.


text: The words, “Then I said” are not in the text but there is a general consensus that the words of vv. 18-19 a are the words of Jeremiah. These words are supplied in the translation for clarity.


text: The meaning of this word is uncertain. The translation is based on the redivision and repointing of a word that occurs only here in the MT and whose pattern of formation is unparalleled in the Hebrew Bible. The MT reads מַבְלִיגִיתִי ( mavligiti ) which BDB provisionally derives from a verb root meaning “to gleam” or “to shine.” However, BDB notes that the text is dubious (cf. BDB 114 s.v. מַבְלִיגִית ). The text is commonly emended to מִבְּלִי גְּהֹת ( mibbÿli gÿhot ) which is a Qal infinitive from a verb meaning “to heal” preceded by a compound negative “for lack of, to be at a loss for” (cf., e.g., HALOT 514 s.v. מַבְלִיגִית and 174 s.v. גּהה ). This reading is supported by the Greek text which has an adjective meaning “incurable,” which is, however, connected with the preceding verse, i.e., “they will bite you incurably.”


text: Heb “daughter of my people.” For the translation given here see 4:11 and the note on the phrase “dear people” there.


text: Heb “Behold the voice of the crying of the daughter of my people.”


text: Heb “Land of distances, i.e., of wide extent.” For parallel usage cf. Isa 33:17 .


text: Heb “her King” but this might be misunderstood by some to refer to the Davidic ruler even with the capitalization.


text: The words, “The Lord would answer” are not in the text but are implicit from the words that follow. They are supplied in the translation for clarity. Another option would be to add “And I can just hear the Lord reply.”


text: The words “They say” are not in the text; they are supplied in the translation to make clear that the lament of the people begun in v. 19 b is continued here after the interruption of the Lord ’s words in v. 19 c.


text: Heb “Harvest time has passed, the summer is over.” sn This appears to be a proverbial statement for “time marches on.” The people appear to be expressing their frustration that the Lord has not gone about his business of rescuing them as they expected. For a similar misguided feeling based on the offering of shallow repentance see Hos 6:1-3 (and note the Lord ’s reply in 6:4-6 ).


text: Heb “Because of the crushing of the daughter of my people I am crushed.”


text: Heb “I go about in black [i.e., mourning clothes]. Dismay has seized me.”


text: Heb “balm.” The more familiar “ointment” has been used in the translation, supplemented with the adjective “medicinal.” sn This medicinal ointment ( Heb “balm”) consisted of the gum or resin from a tree that grows in Egypt and Palestine and was thought to have medicinal value (see also Jer 46:11 ).


text: Heb “Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there?” In this context the questions are rhetorical and expect a positive answer, which is made explicit in the translation. sn The prophet means by this metaphor that there are still means available for healing the spiritual ills of his people, mainly repentance, obedience to the law, and sole allegiance to God, and still people available who will apply this medicine to them, namely prophets like himself.


text: Or more clearly, “restored to spiritual health”; Heb “Why then has healing not come to my dear people?” sn Jeremiah is lamenting that though there is a remedy available for the recovery of his people they have not availed themselves of it.