Jeremiah 14

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

(The parentheses represent poetic literary units)

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
Drought and A Prayer for Mercy	Sword, Famine and Pestilence	The Great Drought (14:1-15:4)	The Terrible Drought	Lament Over Catastrophic Drought and the Coming Military Defeat of Jerusalem (14:1-15:9)
14:1	14:1	14:1-6 (1-6)	14:1-9 (1-9)	14:1-6 (1-6)
14:2-9 (2-9)	14:2-6 (2-6)
	14:7-9 (7-9)	14:7-9 (7-9)		14:7-9 (7-9)
14:10-12	14:10 (10)	14:10	14:10	14:10 (10)
False Prophets	14:11-16	14:11-12	14:11-12	14:11-12
14:13-18		14:13	14:13	14:13-16
		14:14-16	14:14-16
(17-18)	14:17-18 (17-18)	14:17-18 (17-18)	14:17-18 (17-18)	14:17-18 (17-18)
	The People Plead For Mercy		The People Plead with the LORD
14:19-22 (19-22)	14:19-22 (19-22)	14:19-22 (19-22)	14:19-22 (19-22)	14:19-15:9 (19-22)

READING CYCLE THREE (see introductory section)

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary,which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects (reading cycle #3). Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

A. Chapters 14 and 15 are a literary unit concerning a drought that is coming to the land of Israel/Judah.

B. Verse 1 may be an introduction to the entire literary unit.

C. Again the method of arrangement of the strophe and prose sections seems to be sound plays. Jeremiah, like Isaiah, is an anthology and is not structured chronologically.

D. The UBS Handbook For Translators outlines the unit as follows (pp. 344-345).

1. 14:2-6 - Jeremiah bemoans the drought

2. 14:7-9 - the people of Judah confess their sin and ask for help

3. 14:10-12 - YHWH replies with a threat instead of mercy

4. 14:13 - Jeremiah blames the situation on the false prophets

5. 14:14-16 - YHWH will judge both the fake prophets and those who hear and believe them

6. 14:17-18 - Jeremiah's vision of the coming destruction

7. 14:19-22 - the people pray as they did in vv. 7-9 but with more intensity

8. 15:1-9 - YHWH responds to their prayer. No intercessor can remove the guilt which began with King Manasseh. Slaughter will come.

9. 15:10-21 - Jeremiah honestly speaks to YHWH about his life

a. Jeremiah, vv. 10-12

b. YHWH, vv. 13-14

c. Jeremiah, vv. 15-18

d. YHWH, vv. 19-21

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 14:1
¹That which came as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah in regard to the drought:

14:1 "That which came as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah" This is a rather unusual phrase found in 46:1; 47:1; 49:34. It is an assertion of revelation.

▣ "drought" This is literally "droughts" (cf. NKJV, JPSOA). We learn from Lev. 26:19-20; Deut. 11:17; 28:23-24 (the opposite of 28:12) that drought was one of the covenant curses if the people of God did not fulfill their obligations. Throughout the OT drought is used as a way to force the people of God to depend on Him. The problem here was they thought Ba'al worship was insuring the rains (cf. 5:24).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 14:2-9
²"Judah mourns
And her gates languish;
They sit on the ground in mourning,
And the cry of Jerusalem has ascended.
³Their nobles have sent their servants for water;
They have come to the cisterns and found no water.
They have returned with their vessels empty;
They have been put to shame and humiliated,
And they cover their heads.
⁴Because the ground is cracked,
For there has been no rain on the land;
The farmers have been put to shame,
They have covered their heads.
⁵For even the doe in the field has given birth only to abandon her young,
Because there is no grass.
⁶The wild donkeys stand on the bare heights;
They pant for air like jackals,
Their eyes fail
For there is no vegetation.
⁷Although our iniquities testify against us,
O Lord, act for Your name's sake!
Truly our apostasies have been many,
We have sinned against You.
⁸O Hope of Israel,
Its Savior in time of distress,
Why are You like a stranger in the land
Or like a traveler who has pitched his tent for the night?
⁹Why are You like a man dismayed,
Like a mighty man who cannot save?
Yet You are in our midst, O Lord,
And we are called by Your name;
Do not forsake us!"

14:2 This verse contains a series of mourning verbs.

1. Judah mourns - BDB 5, KB 6, Qal perfect

2. her gates languish - BDB 51, KB 63 Pulal perfect, cf. 15:9)

3. they sit on the ground in mourning (lit. "in black") - BDB 871, KB 1072, Qal perfect, cf. 8:21; Job 5:11; 30:28

4. the cry of Jerusalem has ascended - BDB 748, KB 828, Qal perfect

The drought has caused the Judeans to pray (cf. vv. 7-9). See Special Topic: Grieving Rites at 2:37.

▣ "her gates" This is the place where the life of the city was centralized. It was a place of social and civic justice (i.e., Deut. 16:18; Ruth 4).

▣ "the cry of Jerusalem has ascended" The prayers of these unrepentant idolaters will not be heard (cf. 11:11).

14:3 This verse describes the wealthy seeking water.

1. sent their servants (lit. "little ones," cf. 48:4)

2. came to the cisterns (cf. 2:13)

3. returned with vessels empty

Therefore, the wealthy

1. have been put to shame (BDB 101, KB 116, Qal perfect)

2. have been humiliated (BDB 483, KB 480, Hophal perfect)

3. cover their heads (BDB 341, KB 339, Qal perfect)

▣ As v. 3 describes the wealthy, v. 4 describes the farmer's problem (i.e., no water).

1. the ground is cracked

2. there has been no rain

Therefore, the farmers

1. have been put to shame (BDB 101, KB 116, Qal perfect)

2. have covered their heads (BDB 341, KB 339, Qal perfect)

14:5-6 The results of the drought on the wildlife is described.

1. v. 5, the doe abandons her young

2. v. 6, the donkeys pant for air like jackals (i.e., stress caused by high temperatures)

All creation is affected by human sin (cf. Genesis 3; Rom. 8:18-23), note Jer. 12:4,11! YHWH's covenant was targeted to agricultural blessings of the ANE. Its violation resulted in agricultural failures (cf. Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 27-28).

14:7 Verse 7 should begin a new paragraph (cf. NKJV, NRSV, NJB). Notice the thrust of the verse is a corporate intercession ("our," "we"). Jeremiah basically confesses the following sins of the people.

1. our iniquities

2. our apostasies have been many

3. we have sinned against You

Here Jeremiah collectively confesses the sins of Israel, like Abraham, Moses (see note at 15:1), the high priest (i.e., Leviticus 16), or like the father of a family (i.e., Job). See Special Topic at 7:16.

It is also possible that vv. 7-9 were temple liturgy, said on specific feast or fast days.

▣ "O Lord, act for Your name's sake" Jeremiah does not plead for God's forgiveness based on the people's worthiness, but on God's character (cf. 20:9,14,22,24; Ezek. 36:22,23). He is the God who acts (BDB 793, KB 889, Qal imperative). The hope of Israel is in the character of God. See Special Topic at 12:1.

▣ Notice how Judah is described.

1. apostasies have been many (cf. 5:6; 7:24; 8:5)

2. we have sinned against You (all sin is against YHWH)

14:8 YHWH (specified in the LXX of v. 8) is described by two covenant titles.

1. O Hope of Israel - this refers to YHWH as the God of the Patriarchs (cf. 17:13; 50:7)

2. Savior - this is a common characterization or title in Isaiah (cf. 19:20; 43:3,11; 45:15,21; 49:26; 60:16; 63:8)

▣ "Why are You like a stranger in the land

Or like a traveler who has pitched his tent for the night" This is very similar to 9:2. Verses 8c-9e are the people's response to Jeremiah's message. They suggest a shocking picture of YHWH as someone who is incapable and doesn't care, when in reality, He cared deeply as we have seen in 8:18-9:16. It was not YHWH's weakness but the people's sin that forced Him to act. The problem was not YHWH but idolatry (cf. Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 27-28).

14:9

NASB"dismayed"
NKJV"astonished"
NRSV"bemused"
TEV"taken by surprise"
NJB"confused"
JPSOA"who is stunned"
REB"suddenly overcome"
LXX"asleep"
NET Bible"helpless"

This is the only time this word appears in the OT. The Hebrew term (BDB 187, KB 214, Niphal participle), according to BDB, means "astonish," but KB alludes to a seventh century inscription where it contextually means "helpless." Hapax Legomenon (words used only once) are so hard to translate. The proper procedure is to look at

1. the basic meaning of root

2. the root in cognate languages

3. the context (strophe)

4. the parallelism (lines)

5. possible parallel passages in Scripture

6. usage outside Scripture

The LXX's meaning comes from a one consonant change in the MT.

14:9c-3e This is theologically similar to v. 7b. It magnifies YHWH.

1. You are in our midst - this could refer to

a. the temple (cf. 8:19)

b. the promise of His personal presence with His people (i.e., the Cloud, the Ark)

2. we are called by Your name (cf. 15:16; Isa. 63:19)

Because of these two truths, these lines ask YHWH not to forsake them (BDB 628, KB 679, Hiphil imperfect used in a jussive sense). This is an unusual meaning for this verb. It is found only here and Ps. 119:121, in the sense of "abandon." Its basic meaning is "rest," but it is used in the sense of "remain" in 27:11.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 14:10-12
¹⁰Thus says the Lord to this people, "Even so they have loved to wander; they have not kept their feet in check. Therefore the Lord does not accept them; now He will remember their iniquity and call their sins to account." ¹¹So the Lord said to me, "Do not pray for the welfare of this people. ¹²When they fast, I am not going to listen to their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I am not going to accept them. Rather I am going to make an end of them by the sword, famine and pestilence."

14:10-12 This is God's response to Jeremiah's intercessory prayer. It is shocking in its harsh statements. He characterizes Judah.

1. they have loved to wander

2. they have not stayed on the clearly marked path of His word

Therefore, YHWH will

1. not accept them

2. remember their iniquity (#2 and #3 are prophetic idioms, cf. Hos. 8:13; 9:9)

3. call their sins to account

4. instructed Jeremiah:

a. not pray for them (BDB 813, KB 933, Hithpael imperfect used in a jussive sense, cf. 7:16; 11:14)

b. not listen to their cry (cf. 6:20)

(1) when they fast

(2) when they sacrifice

5. not accept them (cf. v. 10)

6. make an end of them (cf. Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 27-28)

a. sword

b. famine

c. pestilence (cf. 21:7,9; 24:10; 27:8,13; 28:8; 29:17-18; 32:24,36; 34:17; 38:2; 42:17,22; 44:13)

14:12 "burnt offering and grain offering" These are two of the types of offerings discussed in Leviticus 1-7 (burnt - BDB 750; grain - BDB 585). See Special Topic at 11:15.

▣ "sword, famine and pestilence" These three form the triad of the terrible results of invasion (cf. 5:12; 14:15; 27:8; 29:18).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 14:13-18
¹³But, "Ah, Lord God!" I said, "Look, the prophets are telling them, 'You will not see the sword nor will you have famine, but I will give you lasting peace in this place.'" ¹⁴Then the Lord said to me, "The prophets are prophesying falsehood in My name. I have neither sent them nor commanded them nor spoken to them; they are prophesying to you a false vision, divination, futility and the deception of their own minds. ¹⁵Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who are prophesying in My name, although it was not I who sent them-yet they keep saying, 'There will be no sword or famine in this land'-by sword and famine those prophets shall meet their end! ¹⁶The people also to whom they are prophesying will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and there will be no one to bury them-neither them, nor their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters-for I will pour out their own wickedness on them.
¹⁷You will say this word to them,
'Let my eyes flow down with tears night and day,
And let them not cease;
For the virgin daughter of my people has been crushed with a mighty blow,
With a sorely infected wound.
¹⁸'If I go out to the country,
Behold, those slain with the sword!
Or if I enter the city,
Behold, diseases of famine!
For both prophet and priest
Have gone roving about in the land that they do not know.'"

14:13 This is the prophet's attempt to blame the people's religious apostasy on the religious leaders. Although there is some truth to this, the leaders were certainly far from God, the people were still responsible for their own acts (cf. Ezekiel 18). They should have recognized a false teacher (cf. Deut. 13:1-5; 18:22).

▣ "but I will give you lasting peace in this place" This was the promise of YHWH that the false prophets kept alluding to. It was surely a covenant promise. Isaiah uses it in encouraging Hezekiah not to surrender to the Assyrians (cf. Isaiah 36-37). But Jeremiah makes it very plain that this promise had conditions; covenant conditions that Judah had hopelessly violated! Invasion and exile were coming!

See D. Brent Sandy, Plowshares and Pruning Hooks, pp. 44-47, "Conditional or Unconditional."

14:14-18 This is God's response to the prophet's prayer to forgive the people because of the false teachers (cf. 23; 28; Deut. 18:9-22). YHWH admits that the leaders had been idolatrous, but also that the people are responsible. The prophets will bear the burden of their sin as will the people (cf. Ezekiel 18).

Notice how YHWH characterizes the false prophets (cf. Deut. 13:1-5; 18:9-22).

1. prophesying falsehood in My name (cf. 5:31; 23:25)

a. I did not send them

b. I did not command them

c. I did not speak to them

2. their message comes from

a. a false vision (cf. 23:25,28,32)

b. divination (cf. 27:9; 29:8)

c. futility (cf. 23:16)

d. the deception of their own minds (cf. 23:26)

3. all of these false prophets will die (cf. v. 15; 28:17; Deut. 13:1-2; 18:20)

4. those who have heard and believed them will also die in the invasion and siege (cf. v. 16)

14:17-18 In this poetic strophe we again see, not only the grief of the prophet, but the grief of YHWH (cf. 8:18-9:9). It is such an important truth that God does not rejoice in judgment but rejoices in blessing. Fallen humans force Him to discipline them because of their flagrant, continuing rebellion and willful idolatry.

14:17d-e These last two poetic lines describe the covenant people (i.e., the virgin daughter, cf. 8:21; 18:13; 31:4,21; 46:11).

1. has been crushed with a mighty blow (BDB 990, KB 1402, Niphal perfect)

2. has a sorely infected wound (BDB 317, KB 316, Niphal participle)

14:18

NASB"have gone roving about in the land that they do not know"
NKJV"go about. . ."
NRSV"roam the country at their wit's end"
TEV(footnote) "have been dragged away to a land they know nothing about"
NJB"ply their trade throughout the land, and have no knowledge"
JPSOA"roam the land, they know not where"
REB"wander without rest in the land"

The NJB is closest to the MT. The NASB, NKJV, JPSOA follow the LXX. The options are

1. these leaders do not know how to handle the results of the invasion

2. these leaders are exiled (NRSV, TEV footnote; this has no Hebrew or Greek or versional support)

3. the leaders wander about looking for work (i.e., a livelihood) because the temple is destroyed

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 14:19-22
¹⁹Have You completely rejected Judah?
Or have You loathed Zion?
Why have You stricken us so that we are beyond healing?
We waited for peace, but nothing good came;
And for a time of healing, but behold, terror!
²⁰We know our wickedness, O Lord ,
The iniquity of our fathers, for we have sinned against You.
²¹Do not despise us, for Your own name's sake;
Do not disgrace the throne of Your glory;
Remember and do not annul Your covenant with us.
²²Are there any among the idols of the nations who give rain?
Or can the heavens grant showers?
Is it not You, O Lord our God?
Therefore we hope in You,
For You are the one who has done all these things.

14:19-22 These verses contain the prophet's questions and prayers for God's mercy. One wonders if these may also be liturgical pieces quoted regularly at the temple (cf. vv. 7-9).

14:19 There are three questions here which are emphatic in the Hebrew.

1. "Have You completely rejected Judah?" (emphatic by grammatical feature - the use of the infinitive absolute and a verb of the same root (BDB 549, KB 540)

2. "Have You loathed Zion?" (emphatic by word choice [BDB 171, KB 199, Qal perfect] cf. Lev. 26:30,43)

3. "Why have You stricken us so that we are beyond healing?"

This third question is the central issue - Has the conditional covenant with Abraham been totally abrogated by Israel and Judah's continual disobedience? Well, yes and no!

1. yes - and this sets the stage for the "new covenant" of 31:31-34 (cf. Rom. 3:21-31; Galatians 3)

2. no - see Lev. 26:43, YHWH still has a purpose for His OT people (cf. Romans 9-11, see Special Topic at 1:5)

14:20-22 The prophet attempts a corporate prayer again.

1. we know our wickedness (cf. 3:25)

2. we know the iniquity of our fathers (cf. 2:5-6; 7:25-26)

3. we know we have sinned against You

In light of these confessions Jeremiah pleads for YHWH to act because of His own character and purposes (cf. v. 7; Ezek. 36:22-38).

1. do not despise (BDB 610, KB 658, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense) for You own name's sake

2. do not disgrace (BDB 614, KB 663, Piel imperfect used in a jussive sense) the throne of Your glory (i.e., the Ark of the Covenant in the holy of holies, cf. 3:17; 17:12)

3-4. remember (BDB 269, KB 269, Qal imperative) and do not annul (BDB 830, KB 974, Hiphil imperfect used in a jussive sense) Your covenant with us

5. we know You are the only giver of rain (not Ba'al cf. 5:24)

6. therefore, we hope in You

14:20 All three Hebrew words for sin are found in this verse, which shows the waywardness of the people of God.

1. wickedness (BDB 957, cf. 5:26; 12:1; 23:19; 25:31; 30:23)

2. iniquity (BDB 730, cf. 2:22; 3:13; 5:25; 11:10; 13:22; 14:7,10,20; 16:10,17,18; 18:23, etc.)

3. sin (BDB 306, cf. 3:25; 5:25; 14:10; 15:13; 16:10,18; 17:1,3; 18:23, etc.)

Jeremiah 15

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

(The parentheses represent poetic literary units)

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
				(14:1-15:9)
Judgment Must Come	The LORD Will Not Relent		Doom For the People of Judah
15:1-4 (2b)	15:1-2 (2b)	15:1-2 (2b)	15:1-4 (2b)	15:1-4 (2b)
	15:3-4	15:3-4
		The Horrors of War		Jerusalem's End
15:5-9 (5-9)	15:5-8 (5-8)	15:5-9 (5-9)	15:5-9 (5-9)	15:5-9 (5-9)
	15:9 (9)
	Jeremiah's Dejection	The Call of Jeremiah Renewed	Jeremiah Complains to the Lord	Jeremiah's Second Personal Lament
15:10-11 (10-11)	15:10-14 (10-14)	15:10-11 (10-11)	15:10-12	15:10-12
15:12-14 (12-14)		15:12-14 (12-14)
Jeremiah's Prayer and God's Answer			15:13-14	15:13-18 (15-18)
15:15-18 (15-19)	15:15-18 (15-18)	15:15-18 (15-18)	15:15-18
	The Lord Reassures Jeremiah
15:19-21 (19-21)	15:19-21 (19-21)	15:19-21 (19-21)	15:19-21	15:19-21 (19-21)

READING CYCLE THREE (see introductory section)

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

A. This chapter seems to be made up of disjointed poems.

1. vv. 1-4 (or possibly vv. 1-9) go with chapter 14

2. vv. 5-9 are YHWH's lament over Judah's destruction (using the imagery of widows and mothers)

3. vv. 10-11 are another poem involving birth and a mother (the MT of v. 11 is very difficult)

4. vv. 12-14 are a seemingly unrelated poem of destruction, possibly related to 1:18-19 and 15:20

5. vv. 15-18 are the second (or third) of Jeremiah's laments (i.e., confessions)

6. vv. 19-21 have YHWH's response to Jeremiah's prayer. In a sense this is like a second call to prophetic service.

B. The time for repentance has passed, even intercession by great leaders cannot stop the coming invasion from the north (cf. vv. 12-14).

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 15:1-4
¹Then the Lord said to me, "Even though Moses and Samuel were to stand before Me, My heart would not be with this people; send them away from My presence and let them go! ²And it shall be that when they say to you, 'Where should we go?' then you are to tell them, 'Thus says the Lord:
"Those destined for death, to death;
And those destined for the sword, to the sword;
And those destined for famine, to famine;
And those destined for captivity, to captivity."'
³I will appoint over them four kinds of doom," declares the Lord: "the sword to slay, the dogs to drag off, and the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy. ⁴I will make them an object of horror among all the kingdoms of the earth because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem.

15:1 YHWH answers Jeremiah's intercession. The few spiritual leaders in Israel/Judah's history cannot avert the unbelief and rebellion of the current generation (cf. Ezekiel 18). Corporate prayers are effective only if the people share the faith and repentant attitude of the intercessor!

For the intercessory ministry (cf. Ps. 99:6-8) of

1. Moses - see Exod. 32:11-14,30-32; Num. 14:13-25; Deut. 9:18-20,25-29

2. Samuel - see I Sam. 7:9; 12:23

Notice YHWH's directives about Judah.

1. My heart (lit. nephesh, BDB 659, KB 711; see note at Gen. 2:7 at www.freebiblecommentary.org online) would not be with this people

2. send them away from My presence - BDB 1018, KB 1511, Piel imperative

3. let them go - BDB 422, KB 425, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense

Judah had rejected YHWH ("Me," "My," "My," cf. v. 6). They were no longer in a covenant relationship with Him (see SPECIAL TOPIC: APOSTASY (APHISTĒMI) at 2:19)!

15:2 The people respond to YHWH's message through Jeremiah. They are not searching knowledge but flippantly responding! Therefore, YHWH tells them exactly where they will go (cf. 14:12).

1. some to death by the sword (warfare)

2. some to famine (siege)

3. some to captivity (exile)

The normal triad of judgment is the sword, famine, and pestilence (cf. Ezke. 14:21; 33:27), but here "captivity" or exile is used.

15:3 "I shall appoint" The verb (BDB 823, KB 955, Qal perfect) can mean

1. visit upon

a. in punishment - Isa. 10:12; Jer. 9:25; 11:22; 13:21; 21:14

b. in mercy - Gen. 21:1; 50:24,25; Isa. 23:17; Jer. 15:15; 27:22; 29:10; 32:5

2. appoint to, cf. Num. 27:16; Jer. 15:3; 49:15; 50:44; 51:27

▣ "four kinds of doom" There are four Qal infinitive constructs.

1. the sword to slay

2. the dogs to drag off (i.e., the horror of improper burial)

3. the birds of the sky to devour and destroy (cf. Deut. 28:26; Jer. 7:33; 16:4; 19:7; 34:20)

4. the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy (cf. Deut. 28:26; Jer. 7:33; 16:4; 19:7; 34:20)

15:4 "I will make them an object of horror among all the kingdoms of the earth" This Hebrew idiom is explained in 24:9; 29:18 (cf. Deut. 28:25). Israel was meant to reveal YHWH's loving character to the nations, but they did not see the mercy of YHWH because only His judgment was manifested in the life of Israel (cf. Ezek. 36:22-38).

▣ "because of Manasseh" YHWH gives the specific origin of Judah's idolatry-King Manasseh. He was Hezekiah's son who reigned longer than any other Judean king. He was by far the most evil king in Judah's history (cf. II Kgs. 21:1-18; 23:26-27; 24:3-4; II Chr. 33:1-17). He was saved and forgiven at the very end of his life, but the consequences of his idolatry were permanent to the people of Judah.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 15:5-9
⁵"Indeed, who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem,
Or who will mourn for you,
Or who will turn aside to ask about your welfare?
⁶You who have forsaken Me," declares the Lord,
"You keep going backward.
So I will stretch out My hand against you and destroy you;
I am tired of relenting!
⁷I will winnow them with a winnowing fork
At the gates of the land;
I will bereave them of children, I will destroy My people;
They did not repent of their ways.
⁸Their widows will be more numerous before Me
Than the sand of the seas;
I will bring against them, against the mother of a young man,
A destroyer at noonday;
I will suddenly bring down on her
Anguish and dismay.
⁹She who bore seven sons pines away;
Her breathing is labored.
Her sun has set while it was yet day;
She has been shamed and humiliated.
So I will give over their survivors to the sword
Before their enemies," declares the Lord.

15:5-9 Verses 5-9 are YHWH's lament! This poetic strophe (characterized by perfect verbs) describes the coming judgment of Judah's incalcitrant rebellion and idolatry.

Verse 5 is a series of questions.

1. who will have pity on you

2. who will mourn you

3. who will turn aside to ask about your welfare

The theological implication is that without YHWH's help, there is no one else who cares, protects, and provides for them. But they have rejected Him.

1. you have forsaken Me

2. you keep going backward

Because of this YHWH will act as judge. He is tired of relenting (cf. 6:11; 7:6).

1. stretch out His hand against them

2. destroy them (cf. v. 8)

3. winnow them (cf. 51:2)

4. bereave them of children

5. give them numerous widows

6. bring the destroyer at noonday

7. anguish and dismay

8. bring shame (BDB 101, KB 116) and humiliation (BDB 344, KB 340)

9. give the survivors to the sword

Wow! Idolatry has consequences! Lack of repentance (cf. v. 7, line 3) has consequences! If this were true then, why not now?

I do like the NET Bible's understanding of an outline of this poem based on who is speaking to whom (p. 1333).

1. vv. 1-4 - YHWH addresses Jeremiah

2. vv. 5-6 - YHWH addresses Jerusalem

3. vv. 7-9 - YHWH addresses Jeremiah

15:6 "I will stretch out My hand against you and destroy you" This is an idiom from the exodus (cf. Exod. 7:5; Isa. 31:3) of YHWH's power in judgment (cf. Jer. 6:12). In Exod. 7:5 it is against the Egyptians on behalf of His covenant people, but now YHWH acts against His own people (cf. Isa. 5:25; 10:4; 14:27).

NASB, JPSOA"You keep going backward"
NKJV, NJB,
Peshitta"You have gone backwards"
NRSV, TEV,
REB, NET"You have turned your back to me"
LXX"you will go backward"
NIV"you keep on backsliding"

Hebrew verbs do not have a time element; that must be determined from context. Notice how the translations of v. 6 differ.

The best parallel use of "backward" (BDB 229) is 7:24.

▣ "I am tired of relenting" The verb (BDB 521, KB 512, Niphal perfect) is used of exhausted patience. The Niphal perfect can be used in a good sense.

1. 6:11, in relation to YHWH's wrath

2. 20:9, in relation to YHWH's word

3. Isa. 1:14, in relation to YHWH's feasts

It can be used in a bad sense.

1. 9:5, in relation to iniquity

2. Isa. 47:13, in relation to occult practices

The second verbal (BDB 636, KB 688, Niphal infinitive construct) means to be moved with pity. Here it is negated. YHWH will not be moved with pity (cf. 7:16). Judgment is coming! He has waited and waited but Judah would not repent and return to Him (cf. v. 7c; 7:13).

15:7 "At the gates of the land" This would refer to the

1. walled cities near the borders where invading armies would travel (i.e., coastal plain)

2. fortresses on the invasion routes (i.e., caravan routes)

15:8 This verse is difficult to understand.

1. Does it refer to the dead children of the widows who were strong young soldiers but now dead? (i.e., little children)

2. Does it refer to the death of the remaining widows by young invaders because their own children/warriors cannot defend them?

The "widows" described as "the sand of the sea" is an allusion to YHWH's promise to Abraham about his numerous descendants (cf. Gen. 22:17; 32:12). But now his many descendants will be destroyed! The fathers/husbands and their young men/soldiers are already dead, and now their mothers also (i.e., no hope for a next generation).

▣ "A destroyer at noonday" This seems to refer to the personification of an invading army that attacks at the time when the defenders could see best (cf. 6:4). This would then be a symbol of the invulnerability of the invaders.

▣ "Anguish" This word (BDB 735 I, KB 822 II) is found only here and in Hosea 11:9. It denotes "shock" and "agitation" (KB).

▣ "dismay" This word (BDB 96, KB 111) basically means "sudden fear" (cf. Ps. 78:33). It is used in the "cursing and blessing" section of Leviticus (cf. Rev. 26:16). In Isa. 65:23 it is used of what will not happen to a restored, repentant people of God.

15:9 There have been several ways to understand v. 9, line 2.

1. "her breathing is labored," NASB

2. "she has breathed her last," NKJV, NIV, NAB

3. "gasps for breath," NRSV

4. "she has swooned away," NJB

The numerous widows and mothers of vv. 7-8 are again used as imagery of Judah invaded, defeated, and taken into exile.

▣ "seven" This is a symbolic number, going back to Genesis 1-2, for perfection. A woman with seven sons would be considered uniquely blessed by God (cf. I Sam. 2:5).

SPECIAL TOPIC: SYMBOLIC NUMBERS IN SCRIPTURE

▣ "So I will give over their survivors to the sword" This phrase appears to denote a complete destruction of Judah by the sword. This is prophetic hyperbole because we know many thousands were exiled. Poetry is meant to function on an emotional level, not a literal, historical level.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 15:10-11
¹⁰Woe to me, my mother, that you have borne me
As a man of strife and a man of contention to all the land!
I have not lent, nor have men lent money to me,
Yet everyone curses me.
¹¹The Lord said, "Surely I will set you free for purposes of good;
Surely I will cause the enemy to make supplication to you
In a time of disaster and a time of distress."

15:10-18 This is known as the second "Confession of Jeremiah," but it may be better characterized as his "complaint." He prays in vv. 15-18. YHWH responds and reassures him in vv. 19-21.

15:10-11 Verse 10 is obviously a lament from Jeremiah. He expresses how he feels about the way his ministry is being accepted.

1. expresses sorrow for his birth (cf. 20:14-18, i.e., a metaphor of his life)

2. he has become a man of strife (BDB 936) and contention (BDB 193 I) instead of a servant of YHWH (i.e., [1] he has no honor or [2] is always in a lawsuit against Judah)

3. he is rejected by his own (i.e., metaphor of lending money as causing problems)

Verse 11 is difficult to understand in the MT. It could mean

1. YHWH is answering (LXX) Jeremiah (NJB) by reminding him of his call (i.e., Jer. 1:4-10). His birth (#1 above) was the will of YHWH (i.e., Jer. 1:5).

2. Jeremiah continues to talk to YHWH of his faithfulness (NRSV, TEV)

3. YHWH speaks to Judah of the hope for a remnant (NKJV, JPSOA)

The Hebrew of v. 11 is uncertain. The diversity of the versions and the Kethiv and Qere of the Masoretes show this.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 15:12-14
¹²"Can anyone smash iron,
Iron from the north, or bronze?
¹³Your wealth and your treasures
I will give for booty without cost,
Even for all your sins
And within all your borders.
¹⁴Then I will cause your enemies to bring it
Into a land you do not know;
For a fire has been kindled in My anger,
It will burn upon you."

15:12-14 The NASB strophe describes the judgment of Judah by YHWH (notice the "I will. . ."). He is addressing Judah in vv. 12-14 (cf. 17:3-4).

1. invasion from the north by a strong invader (iron)

2. wealth confiscated (i.e., because of their sin)

3. wealth taken out of the country (NASB, i.e., the temple treasures)

There is a problem with the first verb of v. 14.

1. "cause to pass" - BDB 716, KB 778, Hiphil perfect

a. NASB - "then I will cause your enemies to bring it"

b. NKJV - "and I will make you cross over with your enemies"

2. "cause to serve" - BDB 712, KB 773 (LXX, NRSV, TEV, NJB, REB, Net Bible, Peshitta, UBS's Text Project gives this a C rating)

3. "bring your enemies by way of a land you have not known" (JPSOA)

15:13 "without cost" This phrase is difficult to interpret in this context. The LXX omits it, which makes the verse much easier to understand in the strophe. This is followed by TEV. The "without cost" refers to the invaders confiscating Judah's wealth easily, without great loss to the invaders' military.

15:14 The threat of exile was initially stated in the "cursing and blessing" section of Deuteronomy (i.e., 28:36,64).

Lines 3 and 4 are related to Deut. 33:22. Remember the prophets are "covenant mediators." They hold Israel and Judah to the Mosaic legislation! If they obey - abundance; if they disobey - judgment (cf. Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 27-28).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 15:15-18
¹⁵You who know, O Lord,
Remember me, take notice of me,
And take vengeance for me on my persecutors.
Do not, in view of Your patience, take me away;
Know that for Your sake I endure reproach.
¹⁶Your words were found and I ate them,
And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart;
For I have been called by Your name,
O Lord God of hosts.
¹⁷I did not sit in the circle of merrymakers,
Nor did I exult.
Because of Your hand upon me I sat alone,
For You filled me with indignation.
¹⁸Why has my pain been perpetual
And my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?
Will You indeed be to me like a deceptive stream
With water that is unreliable?

15:15-18 This is Jeremiah's prayer for YHWH to take notice of his faithfulness and service. Notice the names for Deity.

1. "Thou who knowest" (BDB393, KB 390, Qal perfect)

2. "O YHWH" (i.e., YHWH)

3. "Thy name"

4. "O Lord of hosts" (see Special Topic below)

These are all covenant names (cf. v. 16, line 2, see Special Topic 1:2). If Judah has not been faithful, Jeremiah has and he has suffered for it.

SPECIAL TOPIC: LORD OF HOSTS

15:15 Notice the prayer requests (i.e., imperatives) in this verse.

1. remember me - BDB 269, KB 269, Qal imperative

2. take notice of me (lit. "visit me," see note at 15:3) - BDB 823, KB 955, Qal imperative

3. take vengeance for me - BDB 667, KB 721, Niphal imperative

4. do not take me away - BDB 542, KB 534, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense

5. know that for Your sake I endure reproach - BDB 383, KB 390, Qal imperative

15:16 Jeremiah is expressing, even in the midst of persecution (i.e., v. 15), the joy (BDB 965) and delight (BDB 970) of being YHWH's prophet. The idiom "I ate them" refers to God's message (cf. Ezek. 3:3).

Some commentators have suggested that the phrase "Your words were found" refers to the discovery of the Law found in the remodeling of the Temple during Josiah's reign (cf. II Kings 22; II Chronicles 34; i.e., 621 b.c.).

15:17-18 Jeremiah describes how being God's prophet affected his life.

1. I did not sit in the circle of merrymakers

2. I did not exult

3. I sat alone

He states that this is a result of YHWH's call.

1. Your hand was upon me

2. You filled me with indignation

3. I have perpetual pain

4. I have an incurable wound

15:18c-d This is one of the most shocking assertions about YHWH in the OT. Jeremiah feels so comfortable with YHWH that he can express himself in hyperbolic imagery (exactly the opposite of 2:13).

1. YHWH is like a deceptive stream (BDB 469). This phrase is intensified by the presence of an infinitive absolute and imperfect verb of "to be" (BDB 224, KB 243).

2. The parallel line is like water that is unreliable (BDB 52, KB 63, Niphal perfect, see Special Topic at 3:12; and Special Topic below).

SPECIAL TOPIC: Believe, Trust, Faith, and Faithfulness in the Old Testament (אמן)

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 15:19-21
¹⁹Therefore, thus says the Lord,
"If you return, then I will restore you-
Before Me you will stand;
And if you extract the precious from the worthless,
You will become My spokesman.
They for their part may turn to you,
But as for you, you must not turn to them.
²⁰Then I will make you to this people
A fortified wall of bronze;
And though they fight against you,
They will not prevail over you;
For I am with you to save you
And deliver you," declares the Lord.
²¹"So I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked,
And I will redeem you from the grasp of the violent."

15:19-21 YHWH answers Jeremiah's complaints and requests. YHWH is apparently offended by Jeremiah's characterization in 18c-d. Jeremiah himself must repent (BDB 996, KB 1427, Qal imperfect; see Special Topic at 2:22).

If Jeremiah "turns back" to YHWH, then YHWH will restore (same verb) him. The covenant always has two parties.

The play on the word "return" (used four times in v. 19) continues in v. 19f-g. Jeremiah, as YHWH's spokesman, would hopefully have the Judeans come to him to hear God's word, but he must be careful not to be influenced by their apparent response.

One wonders how much Jeremiah's sense of rejection and prayer for protection and vengeance is meant to reflect the feelings of the godly remnant of Judah/Jerusalem. Often the prophet feels for YHWH. Is it possible he now feels for the repentant remnant?

15:19 "And if you extract the precious from the worthless" I like what UBS Handbook (p. 379) says about line 4, "the precious is YHWH's message (v. 16) and the worthless is Jeremiah's evaluation" (cf. v. 18, lines 3-4).

15:20 This alludes to 1:18-19. Jeremiah must be strong to face the opposition that will surely come for speaking the true word of God.

▣ "save. . .deliver" These are in a parallel relationship. They both refer to physical deliverance (BDB 446, KB 448, Hiphil infinitive construct; BDB 664, KB 717, Hiphil infinitive construct). The second verb is repeated in v. 21 (Hiphil perfect), parallel to "ransom" (BDB 804, KB 911, Qal perfect, see Special Topic below).

15:21 "deliver. . .redeem" These are also in a parallel relationship. For "redeem" (BDB 804, KB 911, Qal perfect) see Special Topic below.

SPECIAL TOPIC: RANSOM/REDEEM

Jeremiah 16

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

(The parentheses represent poetic literary units)

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
Distresses Foretold	Jeremiah's Lifestyle and Message	The Prophet's Life Is Itself Symbolic	The LORD's will for Jeremiah's Life	Jeremiah's Life
16:1-4	16:1-4	16:1-4	16:1-4	16:1-4
16:5-9	16:5-9	16:5-7	16:5-7	16:5-9
		16:8-9	16:8-9	Judah's Fate
16:10-13	16:10-13	16:10-13	16:10-13	16:10-13
God Will Restore Them	God Will Restore Israel	The Return of the Scattered Israelites	The Return From Exile	Israel's Homecoming
16:14-15	16:14-15	16:14-15	16:14-15	16:14-15
		The Invasion Foretold	The Coming Punishment	No Refuge For Judah
16:16-18	16:16-18	16:16-18	16:16-18	16:16-18
		The Conversion of the Nations	Jeremiah's Prayer of Confidence in the Lord	Conversion of the Heathen
16:19-20 (19-20)	16:19-20 (19-20)	16:19-21 (19-21)	16:19-20	16:19-20 (19-20)
16:21 (21)	16:21 (21)		16:21	16:21

READING CYCLE THREE (see introductory section)

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 16:1-4
¹The word of the Lord also came to me saying, ²"You shall not take a wife for yourself nor have sons or daughters in this place." ³For thus says the Lord concerning the sons and daughters born in this place, and concerning their mothers who bear them, and their fathers who beget them in this land: ⁴"They will die of deadly diseases, they will not be lamented or buried; they will be as dung on the surface of the ground and come to an end by sword and famine, and their carcasses will become food for the birds of the sky and for the beasts of the earth."

16:2 Jeremiah is restricted by YHWH from taking a wife (very unusual for a Jewish man) or having children (cf. Lev. 26:22). The reason given is that families will soon die in YHWH's judgment (cf. 15:2-3) for their idolatry.

1. deadly diseases (cf. Lev. 26:16)

2. sword (cf. Lev. 26:25)

3. famine

Their bodies will be unburied (no one left to bury them, cf. Ps. 79:2-3) and will be food for birds and animals (cf. v. 4; 19:7; 34:20).

YHWH surprisingly restricts Jeremiah from all societal comforts. He must be comforted by his service to YHWH, who would be his hope, comfort, and peace (cf. v. 19)!

16:3 Notice the three uses of the root for having children.

1. born - BDB 409, KB 411, adjective

2. bore - BDB 408, KB 411, Qal participle

3. begot - BDB 408, KB 411, Hiphil participle

The next generation, along with the current generation of Judeans, will be destroyed!

16:4 Notice the imperfect verbs.

1. "die" - BDB 559, KB 562, Qal imperfect

2. "lamented" - BDB 704, KB 763, Niphal imperfect (negated)

3. "buried" - BDB 868, IB 1064, Niphal imperfect (negated)

4. "will be as dung" - BDB 224, KB 243, Qal imperfect

5. "come to an end" - BDB 477, KB 476, Qal imperfect

Being unmourned, unburied, and devoured by animals was a great fear and curse for ANE people (cf. 7:33; 8:2; 9:22; 15:3; 19:7; 34:20; Deut. 28:26).

NASB, NRSV,
NJB, NIV"deadly diseases"
NKJV, JPSOA"gruesome deaths"
LXX"a sickly death"
REB"a horrible death"

This is a construct of BDB 560 (i.e., "deadly," cf Ezek. 28:8) and BDB 316 (i.e., "diseases," cf. 14:18; II Chr. 21:19; Ps. 103:3). These were the result of covenant disobedience (cf. Deut. 29:14-21, 22-28, esp. v. 22).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 16:5-9
⁵For thus says the Lord, "Do not enter a house of mourning, or go to lament or to console them; for I have withdrawn My peace from this people," declares the Lord, "My lovingkindness and compassion. ⁶Both great men and small will die in this land; they will not be buried, they will not be lamented, nor will anyone gash himself or shave his head for them. ⁷Men will not break bread in mourning for them, to comfort anyone for the dead, nor give them a cup of consolation to drink for anyone's father or mother. ⁸Moreover you shall not go into a house of feasting to sit with them to eat and drink." ⁹For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: "Behold, I am going to eliminate from this place, before your eyes and in your time, the voice of rejoicing and the voice of gladness, the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride.

16:5-9 The first strophe (vv. 1-4) denotes the death of families with no lamentation or burial (cf. v. 6). This second strophe picks up on

1. "mourning" - BDB 931

2. "lament" - BDB 704

3. "console" - BDB 626

4. "mourner" - BDB 5

5. "consolation" - BDB 637

The book of Jeremiah is structured/edited/compiled by

1. theological themes

2. word plays

3. genre (i.e., laments, court scenes)

16:5 Notice the commands of v. 5.

1. do not enter a house of mourning - BDB 97, KB 112, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense

2. do not lament - BDB 229, KB 240, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense

3. do not console them - BDB 626, KB 678, Qal jussive

▣ "I have withdrawn" (BDB 62, KB 74, Qal perfect)

1. My peace, BDB 1022, cf. 12:12; 30:5; see Special Topic at 6:14

2. My lovingkindness, BDB 338 I, cf. 13:14, see special Topic at 2:2

3. My compassion, BDB 933, cf. Deut. 13:17; Neh. 9:19,27,31; Ps. 25:6; 40:12; 77:9; 79:8; 103:4; Isa. 63:7,15; Hos. 2:19 (this term is found only here and 42:12 in Jeremiah)

The eternal covenant is negated, broken, cancelled! Shocking! A new covenant must come now (cf. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:22-38).

16:6 As all of the family dies in vv. 1-4, in v. 6 all levels of society die (cf. 6:13; 8:10)!

▣ "nor will anyone gash himself or shave his head for them" These are pagan mourning rites (cf. Lev. 19:28; 21:5; Deut. 14:1; I Kgs. 18:28; Jer. 41:5; 47:5; 48:37; see Special Topic at 2:37). This shows how far the Judeans had progressed in idolatry!

16:7

NASB, NKJV,
NRSV, NJB,
JPSOA, REB"break bread"

The LXX revocalized the Hebrew word "for them" to get the translation "bread." The KJV translates the phrase as "neither shall men tear themselves," which would relate to v. 6 (i.e., "gash").

Because of the mention of a cup later in the verse, probably "bread" or "food" (NIV) makes more sense. However, the Jerome Bible Commentary (p. 316) reminds us of food being offered to the dead (cf. Deut. 26:14; Ezek. 24:17,22; Tobit 4:17), which would make this another idolatrous practice, so perhaps KJV is a valid way of understanding this verse.

16:8 This may relate to 15:17. Apparently these dinners were connected to burial rites (i.e., breaking the fast of the mourning period. The word "mourning" (BDB 931) can denote a banquet in Aramaic. Also, the phrase "the cup of consolation" is found only here and may refer to a meal after the funeral.

Some commentators relate this verse to a marriage feast (cf. v. 9, UBS, Handbook, p. 382).

16:9 Beginning in v. 9 several covenant titles for Deity are used in this chapter (see Special Topic at 1:2).

1. the Lord of hosts, v. 9

2. the God of Israel, v. 9

3. the Lord our God, v. 10

4. as the Lord lives, vv. 14,15 (cf. 4:2)

5. my strength, v. 19

6. my stronghold, v. 19

7. my refuge, v. 19

8. My name is the Lord , v. 21

▣ "I am going to eliminate" The first list is YHWH telling "where," "who," and "when."

1. from this place (i.e., Judah)

2. before your eyes

3. in your time

He will cause all normal social activities to cease.

1. voice of rejoicing

2. voice of gladness

3. voice of the groom

4. voice of the bride

This phrase is repeated in 7:34; 25:10; 33:11. It is surprising that the text jumps from an occasion of grief to an occasion of joy. Possibly this is meant to highlight that all social life and events will cease because all are dead!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 16:10-13
¹⁰"Now when you tell this people all these words, they will say to you, 'For what reason has the Lord declared all this great calamity against us? And what is our iniquity, or what is our sin which we have committed against the Lord our God?' ¹¹Then you are to say to them, 'It is because your forefathers have forsaken Me,' declares the Lord, 'and have followed other gods and served them and bowed down to them; but Me they have forsaken and have not kept My law. ¹²You too have done evil, even more than your forefathers; for behold, you are each one walking according to the stubbornness of his own evil heart, without listening to Me. ¹³So I will hurl you out of this land into the land which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers; and there you will serve other gods day and night, for I will grant you no favor.'"

16:10-13 The question "why us, why now" is addressed (cf. Deut. 29:24-36; Jer. 5:18-19; 9:12-16).

1. the people's (cf. v. 12)

a. iniquity

b. sin

2. their forefathers

a. had forsaken YHWH

b. had not kept His law

c. followed after other gods

d. served other gods

e. bowed down to other gods

Because of their multi-generational idolatry, YHWH will

1. exile ("cast," BDB 376, KB 373, Hiphil perfect, v. 13; 22:26) them from the Promised Land

2. cause them to serve the pagan gods of that land (cf. 5:19)

3. cause them not to have the favor (BDB 337, this form of the root found only here in the OT) of YHWH

Notice the number of personal pronouns used of YHWH. His special, covenant people have rejected Him. It is personal!

16:12 The people's lifestyle actions are characterized.

1. walk according to the stubbornness of his own evil heart (cf. 7:24; 9:14; 11:8; 13:10)

2. without listening (Shema, BDB 1033) to YHWH (cf. 11:8)

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 16:14-15
¹⁴"Therefore behold, days are coming," declares the Lord, "when it will no longer be said, 'As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt,' ¹⁵but, 'As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of the north and from all the countries where He had banished them.' For I will restore them to their own land which I gave to their fathers."

16:14-15 This is the first of four brief strophes that deal with YHWH's promise of restoration! It is so common in the prophetic literature for "judgment" oracles to be matched with "promise" oracles.

These verses reappear in 23:7-8. The book of Jeremiah is an anthology of his poems!

▣ "days are coming" Usually phrases like this refer to Judgment Day (cf. 7:32, see Special Topic at 4:9), but here it refers to restoration (i.e., a new exodus) day. The same "living" God (in contrast to the lifeless idols) who fulfilled His promise to Abraham (cf. Gen. 15:12-21) will do it again, but instead of Egypt, it will be out of Mesopotamia.

The reason for the restoration is not stated. YHWH chooses to act based on His character, will, and actions not His fallen, disabled, covenant people (cf. vv. 17-18). A new covenant is present (cf. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:22-38).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 16:16-18
¹⁶"Behold, I am going to send for many fishermen," declares the Lord, "and they will fish for them; and afterwards I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain and every hill and from the clefts of the rocks. ¹⁷For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their iniquity concealed from My eyes. ¹⁸I will first doubly repay their iniquity and their sin, because they have polluted My land; they have filled My inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable idols and with their abominations."

16:16-18 YHWH (emphatic in v. 16) uses several metaphors to describe the return of all His exiled people.

1.fishermen (opposite of Amos 4:2)

2. hunters (opposite of Isa. 2:21)

It is surely possible that vv. 16-18 refer to judgment, while vv. 14-15 and vv. 19-20,21 refer to restoration. It seems to me that v. 17 is saying YHWH has not overlooked their sin. He has fairly and proportionally punished them, but now He is bringing them back (i.e., a new exodus)!

16:18 Before YHWH restores, He punishes them for their sin, especially idolatry. The phrase "doubly repay" is an idiom used in the sense of "fully" (cf. Isa. 40:2) or complete judgment.

▣ "My inheritance" The NET Bible (p. 1337) has a good note on how this word is used in Jeremiah.

1. the Promised Land (Palestine), 2:7

2. the covenant people themselves, 10:16; 12:8-9

3. the temple in Jerusalem, 12:7

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 16:19-20
¹⁹O Lord, my strength and my stronghold,
And my refuge in the day of distress,
To You the nations will come
From the ends of the earth and say,
"Our fathers have inherited nothing but falsehood,
Futility and things of no profit."
²⁰Can man make gods for himself?
Yet they are not gods!

16:19-20 This is a wonderful universal promise that all humans will come to YHWH (cf. 3:17; 4:2; 12:15,16). These universal, inclusive statements are more common in Isaiah (cf. 2:2-4; 12:4-5; 25:6-9; 42:6-12; 45:22-23; 49:5-6; 51:4-5; 56:6-8), but surely present in Jeremiah. The hope of Gen. 3:15 and 12:3; 22:18 is fulfilled (see Special Topic at 1:5)!

16:19 The last two lines and v. 20 are clearly a turning from idols to YHWH, from falsehood to truth!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 16:21
²¹"Therefore behold, I am going to make them know-
This time I will make them know
My power and My might;
And they shall know that My name is the Lord."

16:20 Notice YHWH will make the nations

1. know His power

2. know His might

3. know His name

Jeremiah 17

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

(The parentheses represent poetic literary units)

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
The Deceitful Heart	Judah's Sin and Punishment	Judah's Contaminated Worship	The Sin and Punishment of Judah	Judah's Sin
17:1-4 (1-4)	17:1-4 (1-4)	17:1-4 (1-4)	17:1-4	17:1-4
		A Group of Wisdom Sayings	Various Sayings	Trust in God
17:5-8 (5-8)	17:5-6 (5-6)	17:5-6 (5-6)	17:5-6 (5-6)	17:5-6
	17:7-8 (7-8)	17:7-8 (7-8)	17:7-8 (7-8)	17:7-8 (7-8)
				The Heart Is Devious
17:9-11 (9-11)	17:9-10 (9-10)	17:9-10 (9-10)	17:9-10 (9-10)	17:9-10 (9-10)
				A Proverb
	17:11 (11)	17:11 (11)	17:11 (11)	17:11 (11)
		Confidence in the Temple and Yahweh		God's Ways Are High
17:12-18 (12-18)	17:12-13a (12-13a)	17:12-13 (12-13)	17:12 (12)	17:12-13 (12-13)
	17:13b (13b)		17:13 (13)
	Jeremiah Prays For Deliverance	A Prayer For Vengeance	Jeremiah Asks the Lord for Help	Jeremiah's Third Personal Lament
	17:14-18 (14-18)	17:14-18 (14-18)	17:14-15	17:14-18 (14-18)
			17:16-18
The Sabbath Must Be Kept	Hallow the Sabbath Day	Observance of the Sabbath	On Observing the Sabbath	Judah and the Sabbath
17:19-23	17:19-23 (19-23)	17:19-27	17:19-23	17:19-23
17:24-27	17:24-27 (24-27)		17:24-27	17:24-27

READING CYCLE THREE (see introductory section)

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 17:1-4
¹The sin of Judah is written down with an iron stylus;
With a diamond point it is engraved upon the tablet of their heart
And on the horns of their altars,
²As they remember their children,
So they remember their altars and their Asherim
By green trees on the high hills.
³O mountain of Mine in the countryside,
I will give over your wealth and all your treasures for booty,
Your high places for sin throughout your borders.
⁴And you will, even of yourself, let go of your inheritance
That I gave you;
And I will make you serve your enemies
In the land which you do not know;
For you have kindled a fire in My anger
Which will burn forever.

17:1-4 These verses are missing in the Septuagint.

17:1-2 This is an idiomatic way of asserting the unrepentant nature of Judah's idolatry.

The three metaphors used are

1. engraved with an iron stylus with a diamond (BDB 1038) point-no way to erase the message (cf. Job 29:24)

2. on the tablet of the heart-the innermost thoughts and personality (cf. Pro. 3:3; 7:3); this was the place that the new covenant would abide (cf. 31:31-34)

3. on the horns of their altars-in Hebrew rituals this is an allusion to the altar of sacrifice (cf. Exod. 27:2) and/or incense altar (cf. Exod. 30:2) in the temple. "Horns" were a symbol of power. They lifted the sacrifice to YHWH. This was where the blood was smeared (cf. Lev. 16:18).

Verse 2 shows that Jeremiah is using "altars" in an idolatrous sense. The fertility gods of Canaan were worshiped on hills, under trees, (cf. 3:6), or on specially built stone platforms (see Special Topic: Fertility Worship in the ANE at 2:20). The intensity of Judah's devotion to Ba'al and Asherah is seen in the phrase "as they remember their children."

17:3 "O mountain of Mine in the countryside" This refers to the temple. But it was not in the countryside, rather in the capital of Jerusalem. Jeremiah must be alluding to the future, complete destruction of the capital and temple (cf. 9:11; 26:18; Micah 3:12). What a shocking statement to these Judeans! Even the temple treasures will be taken (cf. 15:13; 20:5).

The alternate interpretation is that this refers to Ba'al worship on the high hills throughout Judah. Both interpretations are possible. However, Ba'al/Asherah platforms did not have horned altars, nor did their worshipers keep "treasures" at the rural sites.

17:3-4 These verses are similar to 15:13-14.

17:4 Exile is surely coming (cf. 15:14; 27:12-13) because of their idolatry. YHWH is furious, jealous, and committed to judgment.

For "fire" (cf. 15:14) see Special Topic at 4:4.

The last line of v. 4 is hyperbolic. Jeremiah's hearers/readers understood this genre; moderns do not! See D. Brent Sandy, Plowshares and Pruning Hooks: Rethinking the Language of Biblical Prophecy and Apocalyptic.

▣ "forever" See Special Topic at 7:7

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 17:5-8
⁵Thus says the Lord,
"Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind
And makes flesh his strength,
And whose heart turns away from the Lord.
⁶For he will be like a bush in the desert
And will not see when prosperity comes,
But will live in stony wastes in the wilderness,
A land of salt without inhabitant.
⁷Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord
And whose trust is the Lord.
⁸For he will be like a tree planted by the water,
That extends its roots by a stream
And will not fear when the heat comes;
But its leaves will be green,
And it will not be anxious in a year of drought
Nor cease to yield fruit."

17:5-8 This strophe is theologically and idiomatically related to Psalm 1. Here "bless" is BDB 138 (to kneel), but in Psalm 1 it is BDB 80 (to be happy).

17:5 "Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind" The word "curse" (BDB 76, KB 91, Qal passive participle) is used in an exclamatory sense in 11:3; 17:5; 20:14,15; 48:10 [twice]; Deut. 27:15-26. It denotes the opposite of YHWH's blessing.

The term "trust" (BDB 105, KB 120, Qal imperfect) means "a sense of security." These trusted in political alliances and national armies (cf. 46:25) instead of their covenant God (i.e., Ps. 118:8-9; 146:3).

This verb is common in Jeremiah used of Judah trusting in different things (cf. 5:17; 7:14; 12:5; 13:25; 48:7; 49:4), but not in YHWH Himself (cf. Ps. 62:8; 115:9-11; Isa. 26:3-4; 30:15). To trust YHWH brings security and rest.

▣ "heart" See Special Topic at 4:19.

▣ "whose heart turns away from the Lord" Remember these were covenant people who worshiped regularly at the temple in Jerusalem. Yet, they also worshiped at the altars of the Canaanite fertility gods (cf. Deut. 11:16; 17:11, 17; 29:18-20; 30:17). This was not ignorance but purposeful rebellion!

17:6 "bush" This word (BDB 792, KB 887) is found only twice in the OT, both in Jeremiah (cf. 48:6). A similar root is found in Ps. 102:17 and is translated "destitute" (NASB margin, "naked"). The NASB translates it "juniper" in 48:6. KB translates it as "tamarisk." The UBS Fauna and Flora of the Bible sees it as juniper (p. 131, REB) and does not even list it with the article on tamarisk (p. 182).

NASB"prosperity"
NKJV, NRSV,
JPSOA, REB"good"
NJB"relief"

The word (BDB 375 III) means "a good thing," "benefit," or "welfare." In Deut. 28:12 the same root (BDB 373 II) refers to "rain," which makes sense in this context.

▣ "a land of salt" See Deut. 29:23 where this phrase is used of YHWH's judgment.

17:7 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord" This proverb (BDB 138, KB 159, Qal passive participle) is a recurrent theme of the Psalms! It is the theological opposite of "cursed." Both are exclamatory! There are only two kinds of people.

1. those who trust in YHWH (not just the things He gives) - v. 7

2. those who trust in humanity (humanism, nationalism) - v. 5

The results of each are very different (cf. Deuteronomy 27-28; Psalm 1; Matthew 5).

SPECIAL TOPIC: BLESSING

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 17:9-11
⁹"The heart is more deceitful than all else
And is desperately sick;
Who can understand it?
¹⁰I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give to each man according to his ways,
According to the results of his deeds.
¹¹As a partridge that hatches eggs which it has not laid,
So is he who makes a fortune, but unjustly;
In the midst of his days it will forsake him,
And in the end he will be a fool."

17:9-11 This is the recurrent message of Scripture after the Fall of Genesis 3 (cf. Gen. 6:5,11,12,13; Rom. 3:9-18).

The metaphor of "sinfulness" as "sickness" (BDB 60, cf. 30:12; Isa. 1:5-6; 17:11; Micah 1:9) is found in the Hebrew concept of abundance/health vs. poverty/sickness (cf. v. 14; 14:19; Deuteronomy 27-28; Job; Ps. 103:1-5; Isa. 1:5-6; 53:4-6). The book that has helped me in this area, written by a charismatic author is Gordon Fee, The Disease of the Health and Wealth Gospel.

17:9

NASB, NKJV,
TEV, REB"deceitful"
NRSV, NJB,
JPSOA"devious"

This word (BDB 784 I) comes from "heel" or "footprint." It is used of Jacob's birth (cf. Gen. 25:26; 27:36). It is used in 9:4 and translated "craftily" or "supplanter" (another reference to Jacob's treatment of Esau).

17:10 "I, the Lord, search the heart" See note at 11:20.

▣ "Even to give to each man according to his ways" YHWH is an ethical god. He created a moral universe. There are consequences to choices! We reap what we sow (cf. Job 34:11; Ps. 28:4; 62:12; Pro. 24:12; Eccl. 12:14; Jer. 32:19; Matt. 16:27; 25:31-46; Rom. 2:6; 14:12; I Cor. 3:8; II Cor. 5:10; Gal. 6:7-10; II Tim. 4:14; I Pet. 1:17; Rev. 2:23; 20:12; 22:12).

There is a conflict between human (v. 5) and the spiritual (v. 7), which is expressed well in Rom. 8:1-11.

17:11 As the proverb goes, a partridge sits on other birds' eggs (cf. NIV). This may have developed from the large number of eggs that partridges lay (rabbinical proverb). However, when the young hatch and develop they leave the false parent. Those who succeed by unrighteous means will also be abandoned by them.

The bird "partridge" (BDB 896) is discussed in UBS', Fauna and Flora of the Bible, p. 64. Colors, gems, trees, flowers, and animals of the ANE are often difficult to specify with certainty. Usually, however, the allusions, idioms, and metaphors which use them are understandable.

▣ "fools" This is the only occurrence of this noun (BDB 614) in Jeremiah, though the verb occurs in 14:21. This is a common term in Wisdom Literature, but it does occur in

1. Deut. 32:6, 21

2. I Sam. 25:25; II Sam. 3:33; 13:13

3. Isa. 32:5-6

4. Ezek. 13:3

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 17:12-18
¹²A glorious throne on high from the beginning
Is the place of our sanctuary.
¹³O Lord, the hope of Israel,
All who forsake You will be put to shame.
Those who turn away on earth will be written down,
Because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, even the Lord.
¹⁴Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed;
Save me and I will be saved,
For You are my praise.
¹⁵Look, they keep saying to me,
"Where is the word of the Lord?
Let it come now!"
¹⁶But as for me, I have not hurried away from being a shepherd after You,
Nor have I longed for the woeful day;
You Yourself know that the utterance of my lips
Was in Your presence.
¹⁷Do not be a terror to me;
You are my refuge in the day of disaster.
¹⁸Let those who persecute me be put to shame, but as for me, let me not be put to shame;
Let them be dismayed, but let me not be dismayed.
Bring on them a day of disaster,
And crush them with twofold destruction!

17:12-18 Notice of all the English translations listed at the beginning of each chapter only NASB sees vv. 12-18 as a separate strophe. All others start a new strophe at v. 14.

This is another of Jeremiah's laments/confessions. Verses 12-14 may be an introduction to Jeremiah's prayer. It seems to be another way to express v. 10.

17:12 This refers to the temple in Jerusalem. The "Holy of Holies" contained the Ark of the Covenant, where YHWH symbolically dwelt. It symbolized YHWH's covenant with Abraham's seed (cf. 14:21). One day all the earth would come and meet Him here (cf. 3:17).

See Special Topic: The Ark of the Covenant at 3:16.

17:13 "O Lord, the hope of Israel" See note at 14:8.

▣ The Judeans are characterized as:

1. all who forsake (BDB 736, KB 806, Qal participle) You

2. those who turn away (BDB 693, KB 747, Qal passive participle, Qere reading) on earth (the UBS Text Project gives the Qere vocalization a "B" rating)

Notice the consequences of their actions.

1. will be put to shame

2. will be written down (cf. 17:1; i.e., in the book of deeds, see Special Topic below)

These consequences are the result of forsaking (Qal perfect) YHWH, who is described as "the fountain of living water" (cf. 2:13; Ps. 36:9).

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE TWO BOOKS OF GOD

NASB, LXX". . .on earth will be written down"
NKJV"Shall be written in the earth"
NRSV, NJB,
NET"will be registered in the underworld"
TEV, REB "They will disappear like names written in the dust"
TEV(footnote)"go to the world of the dead"
JPSOA"Shall be doomed men"

There seem to be two ways to interpret this phrase.

1. those who reject YHWH will be recorded in the book of deeds

2. those who reject YHWH will be registered in the lists of the dead in Sheol ("earth," ץרא [see Special Topic at 6:18-19], seen as coming from Ugaritic root for "underworld," see AB, p. 118)

17:14 Jeremiah begins his lists as prayer requests to YHWH.

1. heal me - BDB 950, KB 1272, Qal imperative

2. and I will be healed - Niphal imperfect used in a cohortative sense

3. save me - BDB 446, KB 448, Hiphil imperative

4. and I will be saved - BDB Niphal cohortative

"Healing" is a metaphor for forgiveness, see note at v. 9. "Saving" is a metaphor for physical deliverance. Jeremiah felt the need of strength and assurance in both the spiritual and physical realms. Humans are creatures of both (cf. Gen. 2:7).

▣ "For You are my praise" Jeremiah's strength and assurance were in YHWH (cf. Deut. 10:21; Ps. 109:1). There is no other source (cf. v. 17b; 16:19).

17:15 This is the Judean's response to Jeremiah's message. YHWH's delay was misinterpreted (cf. Isa. 5:19; Rom. 2:4; II Pet. 3:3-7). The delay of judgment was so that they might repent and return to YHWH. They accused Jeremiah of being a false prophet (cf. Deut. 13:1-5; 18:20-21), but he was a true prophet (cf. Deut. 18:19)! They will die!

▣ "Let it come now!" This verb (BDB 97, KB 112, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense) catches the arrogance and unbelief of these Jerusalemites/Judeans. They do not fear YHWH's spokesperson or YHWH Himself!

17:16 Jeremiah describes his own thoughts, feelings, and actions.

1. I have not hurried away from being a shepherd after You (see textual note below)

2. I have not longed for the woeful day (i.e., judgment day, invasion, exile)

3. my message was Your message (i.e., in/from Your presence)

MT, NASB,
NKJV, NJB
JPSOA, NIV"I have not hurried away from being a shepherd after You"
Peshitta, NRSV,
TEV, REB,
NET"Yet I never urged you to send disaster"

The problem is not the first verbal "pressed" (BDB 21, KB 23, Qal perfect), but the following participle.

1. MT, רעה, "from a shepherd" - BDB 944, KB 1258, Qal participle

2. suggested, מרעה, "from evil," from root רעע - BDB 949, KB 1269

17:18 Jeremiah (in typical Eastern language) lists his request against those of his own people who opposed him and his message.

1. let those who persecute me be put to shame - BDB 101, KB 116, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense

2. let them be dismayed - BDB 369, KB 365, Qal - BDB imperfect used in a jussive sense

3. bring on them a day of disaster - BDB 97, KB 112, Hiphil imperative

4. crush them with twofold destruction - BDB 990, KB 1402, Qal imperative

Jeremiah was in a spiritual/physical struggle for the minds and hearts of the covenant people. YHWH wanted to use them in His eternal redemptive plan for all humans (cf. 3:17; 4:2; 16:19-21). This type of hyperbolic prophetic poetry seems so violent and aggressive to moderns. But there are falsehoods, spiritual deceptions, satanic alternatives to truth (cf. Eph. 4:14)!

▣ "twofold destruction" This is an idiom which denotes "complete and full" destruction (cf. Isa. 40:2; Jer. 16:18; Rev. 18:6).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 17:19-23
¹⁹Thus the Lord said to me, "Go and stand in the public gate, through which the kings of Judah come in and go out, as well as in all the gates of Jerusalem; ²⁰and say to them, 'Listen to the word of the Lord, kings of Judah, and all Judah and all inhabitants of Jerusalem who come in through these gates: ²¹Thus says the Lord, "Take heed for yourselves, and do not carry any load on the sabbath day or bring anything in through the gates of Jerusalem. ²²You shall not bring a load out of your houses on the sabbath day nor do any work, but keep the sabbath day holy, as I commanded your forefathers. ²³Yet they did not listen or incline their ears, but stiffened their necks in order not to listen or take correction."'"

17:19-27 YHWH responds to Jeremiah's prayer by focusing on covenant obedience, specifically Sabbath observance. Judah would be blessed or cursed based on her obedience (cf. Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 27-29). This one command represented all the Mosaic legislation.

The Judeans knew this but YHWH would remind them through Jeremiah's proclamation at a specific gate of the temple used by the king.

Their response is recorded in vv. 23 and 27. Verses 24-27 function as a parallel strophe.

YHWH wanted to bless (cf. vv. 25-26) Judah so that the world might come to know Him (see Special Topic at 1:5), but they would not (cf. Ezek. 26:22-32).

17:20 "listen" The term (BDB 1033, KB 1570, Qal imperative) means to hear so as to do (i.e., Deut. 4:1; 5:1; 6:3,4)! It is repeated in vv. 23, 24 (intensified), 27. This is similar to James 1:23-27. True faith involved heart, head, and hand!

17:21 "take heed for yourselves" The MT is literally an idiom, "take heed for the sake of your lives." The verb (BDB 1036, KB 1581, Niphal imperative) denotes careful listening (cf. Deut. 4:9,15,23; 6:12; 8:11; Josh. 23:11).

17:23 "stiffened their necks" See note at 7:26. They were unwilling to hear and respond!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 17:24-27
²⁴"But it will come about, if you listen attentively to Me," declares the Lord, "to bring no load in through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but to keep the sabbath day holy by doing no work on it, ²⁵then there will come in through the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their princes, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and this city will be inhabited forever. ²⁶They will come in from the cities of Judah and from the environs of Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the lowland, from the hill country and from the Negev, bringing burnt offerings, sacrifices, grain offerings and incense, and bringing sacrifices of thanksgiving to the house of the Lord. ²⁷But if you do not listen to Me to keep the sabbath day holy by not carrying a load and coming in through the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates and it will devour the palaces of Jerusalem and not be quenched."'"

17:24 "if you listen attentively to Me" The imperfect verb is intensified by the infinitive absolute of the same root (BDB 1033, KB 1570).

17:25 "forever" See Special Topic at 7:7.

Jeremiah 18

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

(The parentheses represent poetic literary units)

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
The Potter and the Clay	The Potter and the Clay	Jeremiah Visits the Potter	Jeremiah at the Potter's House	The Allegory of the Potter
18:1-4	18:1-4	18:1-12	18:1-4	18:1-4
18:5-12	18:5-10		18:5-12	18:5-11
	18:11
	God's Warning Rejected
	18:12			18:12
		About Israel's Repudiation of Yahweh	The People Reject the Lord	Faithless Judah is Condemned to Endless Walking
8:13-17 (13-17)	18:13-14 (13-14)	18:13-17 (13-17)	18:13-17 (13-17)	18:13-17 (13-17)
	18:15-17 (15-17)
	Jeremiah Persecuted	A Plot Against Jeremiah	A Plot Against Jeremiah	Jeremiah's Fourth Personal Lament
18:18	18:18	18:18	18:18	18:18
18:19-23 (19-23)	18:19-23 (19-23)	18:19-23 (19-23)	18:19-23	18:19-23 (19-23)

READING CYCLE THREE (see introductory section)

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 18:1-4
¹The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying, ²"Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I will announce My words to you." ³Then I went down to the potter's house, and there he was, making something on the wheel. ⁴But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.

18:1 See note at 7:1.

18:2 The potter is a metaphor for YHWH (cf. Isa. 29:16; 30:14; 41:25; 64:8; Zech. 11:13; Rom. 9:21; Rev. 2:27). The verbal for "formed" is often used of YHWH's creative activity (cf. Gen. 2:7,8,18; Isa. 43:1,21; 44:21; 45:9,11,18). YHWH's covenant people were part of a larger purpose (see Special Topic at 1:5), but their covenant disobedience caused that plan to be damaged (cf. Ezek. 36:22-38). Therefore, the potter starts over again to make a new piece of the wheel (cf. v. 4). The theological question is "who/what" is the new piece?

18:4 The problem is defective clay not a poorly skilled potter! The clay is fallen (cf. Genesis 3), even with all of YHWH's benefits (cf. Rom. 9:4-5).

The JPSOA translation adds "if," which denotes that not all vessels were "spoiled." But the context suggests YHWH is depicting Judah as a corporate entity.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 18:5-12
⁵Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, ⁶"Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?" declares the Lord. "Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel. ⁷At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it; ⁸if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it. ⁹Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it; ¹⁰ if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it. ¹¹So now then, speak to the men of Judah and against the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying, 'Thus says the Lord, "Behold, I am fashioning calamity against you and devising a plan against you. Oh turn back, each of you from his evil way, and reform your ways and your deeds."' ¹² But they will say, 'It's hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.'

18:7 The actions of YHWH are the very actions given to Jeremiah at his call (cf. 1:10). YHWH exercises interest and control over all nations (cf. Deut.32:8; all the judgment chapters are addressed to them in the prophets).

1. to uproot - BDB 684, KB 737, Qal infinitive construct

2. to pull down - BDB 683, KB 736, Qal infinitive construct

3. to destroy - BDB 1, KB 2, Hiphil infinitive construct

The actions of renewal and rebuilding mentioned in 1:10 are conditionally stated in vv. 8-9. Faith and faithfulness have consequences, as do idolatry and disobedience (cf. v. 10).

18:8,10 "if. . ." There are some unconditional promises based on YHWH's desire to redeem mankind. However, they are addressed to nations and individuals on conditional bases (i.e., 7:3-7; 12:16). This is where the doctrine of "God's Sovereignty" and "Human Freewill" meet!

SPECIAL TOPIC: Predestination (Calvinism) Versus Human Free Will (Arminianism)

SPECIAL TOPIC: Election/Predestination and the Need for a Theological Balance

18:11 YHWH, like the potter, made and destroyed a piece of pottery. The verb (BDB 427, KB 428) translated "fashioning" is the same Qal participle translated "potter" (vv. 2,3,4 [twice],6 [twice],11). It is also used of God's activity in forming Adam (cf. Gen. 2:7,8) and Jeremiah (Jer. 1:5) and a nation from Abraham's seed (cf. Isa. 27:11; 43:1,21; 44:21; 45:9,11; 64:8).

▣ "I am fashioning calamity against you and devising a plan against you" The OT asserts the full sovereignty of YHWH. His control of "all" events (i.e., one causality in the universe) was a theological way of asserting monotheism (see Special Topic at 1:5). This "one causality" can be seen in II Chr. 20:6; Eccl. 7:14; Isa. 14:24-27; 43:13; 45:7; 54:16; Jer. 18:11; Lam. 3:33-38). For a good brief discussion of this see Hard Sayings of the Bible, pp. 305-306. This in no way is meant to assert that YHWH is the source of evil!

▣ There are two imperatives which describe YHWH's message to Judah.

1. "turn back" - BDB 996, KB 1427, Qal imperative, see Special Topic at 2:22

2. "reform" (lit. "make good") - BDB 405, KB 408, Hiphil imperative

Notice that true repentance is not only a turning from evil, but a turning to good!

18:12 This is YHWH's understanding of the unrepentant heart of Judah (cf. 2:25; 17:1). They will not, they cannot change (cf. 13:23). They have passed the time of repentance. They walk in open-eyed rebellion (cf. 7:24; 9:13; 13:10; 16:12)!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 18:13-17
¹³"Therefore thus says the Lord,
'Ask now among the nations,
Who ever heard the like of this?
The virgin of Israel
Has done a most appalling thing.
¹⁴Does the snow of Lebanon forsake the rock of the open country?
Or is the cold flowing water from a foreign land ever snatched away?
¹⁵For My people have forgotten Me,
They burn incense to worthless gods
And they have stumbled from their ways,
From the ancient paths,
To walk in bypaths,
Not on a highway,
¹⁶To make their land a desolation,
An object of perpetual hissing;
Everyone who passes by it will be astonished
And shake his head.
¹⁷Like an east wind I will scatter them
Before the enemy;
I will show them My back and not My face
In the day of their calamity.'"

18:13-17 This strophe describes the horrible and unique situation of a nation changing her god/gods (cf. 2:9-13). YHWH formed/created them but now they have "forgotten" (BDB 1013, KB 1489, Qal perfect, cf. 2:32; 3:21; 13:25) Him, the only true God (see Special Topic at 1:5), the One who brought them into existence, protected them, provided for them, was personally present with them!

How could this happen?

1. They burned incense to worthless gods.

2. They stumbled from God's clearly revealed way (i.e., ancient paths, cf. 6:16; Ps. 16:11; 139:24).

3. They walked in bypaths that were not YHWH's path.

What are the consequences of their choices/actions?

1. The land of promise will be a desolation.

2. It will be a sign of shame and scorn (lit. "shake the head," cf. 48:27).

3. They will be scattered (cf. Lev. 26:33; Jer. 9:16; 13:24; 31:10).

4. YHWH will show them His back and not His face (this is a revocalization of the MT).

18:13 "a most appalling thing" This phrase is used of nation changing gods. The word "appalling" (BDB 1045 III, KB 1619 III) has several forms.

1. שׁערור = horrible things, cf. 5:30; 23:14

2. שׁערורי = something horrible, cf. 18:13; Hosea 6:10

3. שׁער = rotten figs, cf. 29:17

18:14 This verse (a parenthetical statement) is difficult to translate. It obviously describes that which normally or expectedly occurs. Here apparently, the snow stays on Mt. Hermon and its melted waters continually flow down. Nature can be predicted with regularity, but not the seed of Abraham!

18:15 "not on a highway" Verse 15 resumes the theme of v. 13. The theme of a special highway is recurrent in Isaiah.

1. a highway for the exiled Jews to return, Isa. 11:16; 57:14

2. a highway for Gentile worshipers to come, Isa. 19:23

3. a highway of holiness, Isa. 26:7; 35:8; 43:19; 49:11; 51:10

4. a Messianic highway, Isa. 40:3; 42:16

18:16-17 This is exactly opposite of what YHWH wanted to do for His covenant people who He settled in His land. They were to be a light to the nations, but they became an object of scorn and astonishment (cf. Ezek. 36:22-23).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 18:18
¹⁸Then they said, "Come and let us devise plans against Jeremiah. Surely the law is not going to be lost to the priest, nor counsel to the sage, nor the divine word to the prophet! Come on and let us strike at him with our tongue, and let us give no heed to any of his words."

18:18 This verse is an introductory strophe to the poem of vv. 19-23. Jeremiah's enemies plan their attack (cf. 20:10).

1. come - BDB 229, KB 246, Qal imperative

2. let us devise plans - BDB 362, KB 359, Qal cohortative

3. come - same as #1

4. let us strike at him with our tongue - BDB 645, KB 697, Hiphil imperfect used in a cohortative sense

5. let us give no heed to any of his words - BDB 904, KB 1151, Hiphil cohortative

a. stop listening, MT, Peshitta, JPSOA, NRSV

b. listen and try to find faults, LXX, JB

This is the only verse in the OT where all three means or genres of YHWH's revelation are mentioned together.

1. the priest - the Law (question about how to apply the law)

2. the sage - counsel (i.e., Wisdom Literature)

3. the prophet - the divine word

These are mentioned to assert their belief that Jeremiah's messages are not from YHWH. He is a false prophet (cf. Deut. 13:1-5) and should be killed! Because these false leaders have done this to Jeremiah; YHWH will remove all of His revelation from Judah!

The three groups of leaders are mentioned several times in Jeremiah (cf. 2:8,26; 4:9; 5:31; 8:1; 13:13; 26:16; 28:1).

1. kings, princes

2. priests

3. prophets

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 18:19-23
¹⁹Do give heed to me, O Lord,
And listen to what my opponents are saying!
²⁰Should good be repaid with evil?
For they have dug a pit for me.
Remember how I stood before You
To speak good on their behalf,
So as to turn away Your wrath from them.
²¹Therefore, give their children over to famine
And deliver them up to the power of the sword;
And let their wives become childless and widowed.
Let their men also be smitten to death,
Their young men struck down by the sword in battle.
²²May an outcry be heard from their houses,
When You suddenly bring raiders upon them;
For they have dug a pit to capture me
And hidden snares for my feet.
²³Yet You, O Lord, know
All their deadly designs against me;
Do not forgive their iniquity
Or blot out their sin from Your sight.
But may they be overthrown before You;
Deal with them in the time of Your anger!

18:19-23 Jeremiah answers their plans with a prayer to YHWH (another of his laments/confessions). It starts out with the same verb that ends v. 18 ("heed"). Notice his requests (hyperbolic prophetic imperatives, see D. Brent Sandy, Plowshares and Pruning Hooks).

1. Do give heed to me - BDB 904, KB 1151, Hiphil imperative. His enemies will not heed/hear, but YHWH will!

2. Listen to what my opponents are saying - BDB 1033, KB 1570, Qal imperative

a. MT - listen to opponents

b. LXX - listen to me

3. Remember how I stood before You for them - BDB 269, KB 269, Qal imperative

a. to speak good on their behalf (i.e., 14:13-16)

b. to turn away Your wrath from them (cf. 15:1)

4. Therefore, YHWH, respond to them.

a. give over their children to famine - BDB 678, KB 733, Qal imperative

b. deliver them to the power of the sword - BDB 620, KB 669, Hiphil imperative

c. let their wives become childless - BDB 224, KB 243, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense

d. let their wives become widows - same as c

e. let their men also be smitten to death ("by pestilence," BDB 560) - BDB 246, KB 255, Qal passive participle

f. let their young men be struck down by the sword - BDB 645, KB 697, Hophal participle

g. let an outcry be heard from their homes - BDB 1033, KB 1570, Niphal imperfect used in a jussive sense. For the noun "cry out," see 20:16; 48:4,34; 50:46; 51:54; Isa. 15:5

h. do not forgive their iniquity - BDB 497, KB 493, Piel imperfect used in a jussive sense

i. Do not blot out their sin from Your sight - BDB 562 I, KB 567, Hiphil imperfect used in a jussive sense

j. may they be overthrown before You - BDB 224, KB 243, Qere, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense

k. deal with them in the time of Your anger - BDB 793 I, KB 889, Qal imperative

18:20 "Should good be repaid with evil" Apparently this refers to Jeremiah's prayers ("I stood before You") for Judah (cf. 17:16), but they responded by trying to kill him.

▣ "they have dug a pit for me" This is an allusion to a hunting technique (cf. Ps. 57:6; 119:85). It may be literal (i.e., they will try to kill him) or figurative (they will try to ruin his reputation, cf. v. 22, i.e., his prophecies have not occurred, cf. Deut. 13:1-5).

18:23 Is Jeremiah being vindictive? He seems to want justice for Judah's repeated covenant violations. His own circumstances bothered him but Judah's sin bothered him more! There will be justice. There will be a day when humans give an account to God for the gift of life (i.e., Matt. 25:31-46; Rev. 20:11-15). It will be an especially bad day for covenant, informed people (cf. Luke 12:48)!

Jeremiah 19

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

(The parentheses represent poetic literary units)

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
The Broken Jar	The Sign of the Broken Flask	The Broken Jug and the Altercation with Pashhur (19:1-20:6)	The Broken Jar	The Public Persecution of Jeremiah (19:1-20:6)
19:1-9	19:1-3	19:1-9	19:1-9	19:1-9
	19:4-9
19:10-13	19:10-13	19:10-11a	19:10-13	19:10-13
		19:11b-13
19:14-15	19:14-15	19:14-15	19:14-15	19:14-15

READING CYCLE THREE (see introductory section)

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 19:1-9
¹Thus says the Lord, "Go and buy a potter's earthenware jar, and take some of the elders of the people and some of the senior priests. ²Then go out to the valley of Ben-hinnom, which is by the entrance of the potsherd gate, and proclaim there the words that I tell you, ³and say, 'Hear the word of the Lord, O kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, "Behold I am about to bring a calamity upon this place, at which the ears of everyone that hears of it will tingle. ⁴Because they have forsaken Me and have made this an alien place and have burned sacrifices in it to other gods, that neither they nor their forefathers nor the kings of Judah had ever known, and because they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent ⁵and have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, a thing which I never commanded or spoke of, nor did it ever enter My mind; ⁶therefore, behold, days are coming," declares the Lord, "when this place will no longer be called Topheth or the valley of Ben-hinnom, but rather the valley of Slaughter. ⁷I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place, and I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies and by the hand of those who seek their life; and I will give over their carcasses as food for the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth. ⁸I will also make this city a desolation and an object of hissing; everyone who passes by it will be astonished and hiss because of all its disasters. ⁹I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they will eat one another's flesh in the siege and in the distress with which their enemies and those who seek their life will distress them."'

19:1 Chapters 18 and 19 are connected by the use of imagery, "potter" and "pottery jar" (BDB 132 construct 427, i.e., a small drinking flask).

The "pottery jar" would have been a fired clay vessel between 4" and 10" with a narrow neck used for liquids. This type of container was very common in the ANE.

▣ "the elders of the people and some of the senior priests" "Elders" was the title of older, respected, established leadership. It was a carryover from the "tribal days" of Israel's past (cf. Exod. 3:16,18; 4:29; 12:21, etc.). See Special Topic at 26:17.

These two groups would represent the civic and religious leadership of Judah/Jerusalem.

SPECIAL TOPIC: ELDER

NASB"the potsherd gate"
NKJV, NJB"the Potsherd Gate"
JPSOA"Harsith Gate"
LXX"the gate Charsith"
Peshitta, KJV"the east gate"

A gate of Jerusalem by this name is found only here in the OT. Here are the suggestions.

1. Dung (refuse) Gate of Neh. 2:13; 3:13-14; 12:31 (Aramaic Targums). This would be the place for garbage to be dumped.

2. Gate on the south side of Jerusalem, which led to the Hinnom Valley, would be close to the potters' workshops.

3. The Peshitta (Syriac translation) gets "east" from the similarity of the Hebrew name with the Greek heres for sun. This is surely inaccurate. The NKJV changes it to "Potsherd Gate."

19:3 "the Lord. . .the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel" See Special Topic: Names For Deity at 1:2.

Notice that these are covenant titles and are repeated several times in the chapter. The covenant people are being confronted by the God of the covenant. They have totally failed as YHWH's revelation to "the nations" (cf., v. 15)!

NASB"a calamity"
NKJV"a catastrophe"
NRSV, TEV,
NJB"a disaster"

The root (רעה) has several distinct meanings.

1. pasture, project, or shepherd - BDB 944 I, KB 1258 I, 27 times in Jeremiah

2. be associated with (i.e., friend or companion) - BDB 945 II, KB 1262 II, used 21 times in Jeremiah

3. pleasure or desire - 946 III

4. that which is harmful (from רע, BDB 948, used 32 times in Jeremiah) - BDB 949, KB 1262, used 92 times in Jeremiah.

It is translated by NIV in several different ways.

a. disaster

b. wickedness

c. trouble

d. evil

e. punishment

f. harm

g. sin

h. calamity

i. offense

j. ruin

k. crimes

l. evil deeds

m. discomfort

n. destruction

o. cruelty

▣ "the ears of everyone that hears it will tingle" This is a Hebrew idiom of a surprising judgment (cf. I Sam. 3:11; II Kgs. 21:12). This is similar to the "lips quivering" in Hab. 3:16.

19:4-5 The calamity is coming on Judah because

1. they have forsaken YHWH (cf. 1:16; 2:13,17,19; 5:7,19; 16:11; 17:13; Deut. 28:20; 31:16)

2. they worship foreign gods (cf. Deut. 11:28) in the valley of Ben-hinnom

3. they have either

a. sacrificed their children to Molech (vv. 4,5; II Kgs. 17:17; Ps106:37; see Special Topic at 2:23)

b. killed innocent people, cf. 2:34; 7:6; 12:3,17; 26:15; Ps. 106:38, cf. TEV

4. they built high places to Ba'al (cf. 7:9; 11:13,17; see Special Topic at 2:20)

19:5 "a thing which I never commanded or spoke of nor did it ever enter My mind" This reflects YHWH's thoughts about human sacrifice. It is possible some misunderstood Gen. 22:2 or Exod. 13:1 and used it as a "proof-text" for the child sacrifices to

1. Molech

2. Ba'al

Even the death of Job's family (cf. Job 1) could be seen by some as instigated by YHWH to test Job.

The one thing that must be added to this issue is that YHWH will sacrifice His only, unique "Son" (symbolized in Abraham's offering Isaac, cf. Gen. 22:9-19) for the good of the whole (cf. John 3:16; II Cor. 5:21). Jesus' death was a human/divine death/gift for human sin (i.e., child sacrifice)!

19:6-9 YHWH describes the judgments He will send on them for their wickedness.

1. the name of the valley of Ben-hinnom will be changed to the valley of Slaughter

2. the counsel of their wise men will be voided (cf. 8:8-9)

3. many will be killed by invasion

4. there will be no proper burial, cf. 7:33; 16:4

5. Jerusalem will be turned into an object of hissing, cf. 15:4; 18:16

6. cannibalism will develop (i.e., siege warfare), cf. Lev. 26:29; Deut. 28:53,55,57; Lam. 4:10

19:7 "I shall make void" This verb (קקב, BDB 132 II, KB 150, Qal perfect), BDB says it is used "of a mug dipped in water, or emptied of water." Therefore, this is an intentional play on the word for "drinking flask" (בקבק, BDB 132) in v. 1.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 19:10-13
¹⁰"Then you are to break the jar in the sight of the men who accompany you ¹¹and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts, "Just so will I break this people and this city, even as one breaks a potter's vessel, which cannot again be repaired; and they will bury in Topheth because there is no other place for burial. ¹²This is how I will treat this place and its inhabitants," declares the Lord, "so as to make this city like Topheth. ¹³The houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah will be defiled like the place Topheth, because of all the houses on whose rooftops they burned sacrifices to all the heavenly host and poured out drink offerings to other gods."'"

19:10 In chapter 18 the potter remade a lump of clay, but here, after firing, the clay could not be saved, only destroyed! There was no hope of repentance on Judah's part or YHWH's part (cf. 18:8). Invasion, destruction, slaughter, and exile are coming!

Jeremiah's breaking the clay water flask to symbolize the destruction of Jerusalem is theologically parallel to Ezekiel making a brick to symbolize Jerusalem and then hitting it with a cooking pan (cf. Ezekiel 4).

The image of a broken clay pot as a symbol of judgment and destruction is common in the ANE (i.e., Sumer and Egypt).

19:13 "on whose rooftops they burned sacrifices to all the heavenly host" The worship of the lights of the sky was common in the ANE (cf. 8:2; 32:29; II Kgs. 23:5,12; Zeph. 1:5).

1. Egypt

2. Mesopotamia

For one example, note Special Topic below or "moon worship."

SPECIAL TOPIC: MOON WORSHIP

▣ "pour out libations to other gods" This was part of the worship of "the queen of heaven" (cf. 7:18; 44:18).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 19:14-15
¹⁴Then Jeremiah came from Topheth, where the Lord had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the court of the Lord's house and said to all the people: ¹⁵"Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Behold, I am about to bring on this city and all its towns the entire calamity that I have declared against it, because they have stiffened their necks so as not to heed My words.'"

19:14-15 Since these two verses are in the third person, possibly they are Baruch's (Jeremiah's scribe) later editorial comments.

19:14 "Topheth" The word (BDB 1075 II) means "fire-place" (possibly from an Aramaic root), which denotes a valley south of Jerusalem in the Kidron Valley. Josiah turned it into a landfill where garbage was burned (see SPECIAL TOPIC: Where Are the Dead? at 4:4 for Gehenna). It was a place where

1. the god Molech (cf. Lev. 18:21; see Special Topic at 19:4-5) was worshiped by child sacrifice, cf. 7:31; II Kgs. 23:10 (note Isa. 30:33)

2. it is a metaphor for the slaughter of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, cf. 7:32; 19:6

3. it is a burial place of the dead of Jerusalem, cf. 19:11-12

▣ "the court of the Lord's house" The temple of Jeremiah's day was Solomon's temple. It had several outer courts where the people of Israel could gather. Jeremiah is said to proclaim YHWH's message there several times (cf. 7:2; 26:2).

19:15 "stiffened their necks so as not to heed My words" The covenant people refused to hear and respond to the covenant God (cf. 7:26; 17:23; Neh. 9:17). They were His people in name only!

Jeremiah 20

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

(The parentheses represent poetic literary units)

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
		(19:1-20:6)		(19:1-20:6)
Pashhur Persecutes Jeremiah	The Word of God to Pashhur		Jeremiah's Conflict With Pashhur the Priest
20:1-6	20:1-6	20:1-6	20:1-6	20:1-6
Jeremiah's Complaint	Jeremiah's Unpopular Ministry	Selections From the 'Confessions' of Jeremiah	Jeremiah's Complaints to the Lord	Jeremiah's Fifth and Sixth Personal Laments
20:7-13 (7-13)	20:7-10 (7-10)	20:7-13 (7-13)	20:7 (7)	20:7-12 (7-12)
			20:8-13 (8-13)
	20:11-12 (11-12)
	20:13			20:13 (13)
20:14-18 (14-18)	20:14-18 (14-18)	20:14-18 (14-18)	20:14-18 (14-18)	20:14-18 (14-18)

READING CYCLE THREE (see introductory section)

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 20:1-6
¹When Pashhur the priest, the son of Immer, who was chief officer in the house of the Lord, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things, ²Pashhur had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put him in the stocks that were at the upper Benjamin Gate, which was by the house of the Lord. ³On the next day, when Pashhur released Jeremiah from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, "Pashhur is not the name the Lord has called you, but rather Magor-missabib. ⁴For thus says the Lord, 'Behold, I am going to make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends; and while your eyes look on, they will fall by the sword of their enemies. So I will give over all Judah to the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will carry them away as exiles to Babylon and will slay them with the sword. ⁵I will also give over all the wealth of this city, all its produce and all its costly things; even all the treasures of the kings of Judah I will give over to the hand of their enemies, and they will plunder them, take them away and bring them to Babylon. ⁶And you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house will go into captivity; and you will enter Babylon, and there you will die and there you will be buried, you and all your friends to whom you have falsely prophesied.'"

20:1 "Pashhur" There are several people in the OT with this name.

1. In this text a priest whose task was to maintain order in the temple (cf. 29:26), vv. 1,2,3,6.

2. Another priest in Jeremiah's day, but with a different father, 21:1; 38:1; Neh. 11:12.

3. Another person in Jer. 38:1 (two Pashhurs in this verse).

4. Head of a post-exilic family, Ezra 2:38; 10:22; Neh. 7:41; 10:4; 11:12.

KB 980 quotes two authors who speculate that Pashhur is an Egyptian name (cf. JPSOA marginal note), "son of Horus." If so, this is a strange name for a priest of YHWH (possibly part of a pro-Egyptian faction). Most scholars simply say the meaning is unknown.

Jeremiah renames him "terror on every side," cf. vv. 3-6.

▣ "heard Jeremiah prophesying these things" This goes back to chapter 18 or 19, or both.

20:2 Although YHWH promised to protect Jeremiah (cf. 1:18-19), it did not mean he would not emotionally and physically suffer!

▣ "beaten" Probably in the fashion of Deut. 25:2-3. Jeremiah would have been labeled "a wicked man" (i.e., false prophet, cf. Deut. 13:1-5).

▣ "stocks" This word (BDB 246) refers to wooden bars with holes in them for the hands, feet, and neck. These holes were spread widely apart to increase pain and discomfort. The pain was both physical and mental! In II Chr. 16:10 a false prophet was put in them (or it). Jeremiah was being treated as a "false prophet." This is what bothered him so badly!

The JPSOA translates this word as "cell" and sees it as a small room of confinement. The LXX also has "dungeon," but "stocks" in a footnote.

20:4-6 These verses describe the terror (BDB 159 II).

1. his friends will die by the invaders' (i.e., Babylon), sword, while you watch

2. Judah's remaining population will be exiled to Babylon

3. all the wealth of Jerusalem (including the temple) will be carried to Babylon

4. Pashhur and his family will be exiled and die in Babylon

20:4 "hand" See Special Topic at 1:9.

20:6 "you have falsely prophesied" Exactly how this priestly temple official "prophesied" is uncertain. But he would bear the curse of Deut. 13:1-5 for it! The false prophecy was related to the stability of the temple and Jerusalem (possibly quoting Isaiah's message to Hezekiah, i.e., Isaiah 36-39). It was a message of hope and faith, but at this point in time, it was not YHWH's message (cf. 14:14-16)!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 20:7-13
⁷O Lord, You have deceived me and I was deceived;
You have overcome me and prevailed.
I have become a laughingstock all day long;
Everyone mocks me.
⁸For each time I speak, I cry aloud;
I proclaim violence and destruction,
Because for me the word of the Lord has resulted
In reproach and derision all day long.
⁹But if I say, "I will not remember Him
Or speak anymore in His name,"
Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire
Shut up in my bones;
And I am weary of holding it in,
And I cannot endure it.
¹⁰For I have heard the whispering of many,
"Terror on every side!
Denounce him; yes, let us denounce him!"
All my trusted friends,
Watching for my fall, say:
"Perhaps he will be deceived, so that we may prevail against him
And take our revenge on him."
¹¹But the Lord is with me like a dread champion;
Therefore my persecutors will stumble and not prevail.
They will be utterly ashamed, because they have failed,
With an everlasting disgrace that will not be forgotten.
¹²Yet, O Lord of hosts, You who test the righteous,
Who see the mind and the heart;
Let me see Your vengeance on them;
For to You I have set forth my cause.
¹³Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord!
For He has delivered the soul of the needy one
From the hand of evildoers.

20:7-13 This is another complaint/lament. Even those called by God experience doubt and fear! He feels that YHWH has

1. deceived him - BDB 834, KB 984, Piel perfect and Niphal imperfect (this is an intensified form of a strong verb often used of seduction; it refers to his call in chapter 1)

2. overcome him - BDB 304, KB 302, Qal perfect

3. prevailed against him - BDB 407, KB 410, Qal imperfect

The results (cf. vv. 7-8) are that

1. he has become a laughingstock all day long (cf. 48:26,39; Lam. 3:14)

2. everyone mocks him (cf. Lam. 3:14)

3. he is reproached

4. he is derided

Verst 10 describes the fear he feels as he hears people whispering their curses.

1. he has described his own situation by the very words YHWH used to rename Pashhur (i.e., "terror on every side!")

2. they denounce him

3. his friends are watching for him to fall

4. they hope to prevail against him

5. they hope to take revenge against him

Since the current canonical structure of Jeremiah is an anthology of his poetic messages, vv. 7-13 are obviously placed here because of the "catch-word" Magor-missabib of vv. 3 and 10 (cf. 6:25; 46:5; 49:29).

20:9 Jeremiah tries to express both the pain and joy of being YHWH's spokesperson. Remember this is highly figurative poetry.

1. he tries to forget YHWH

2. he tries not to speak His words anymore

But he cannot! They are like a burning fire shut up in his bones. He cannot hold them back. He must speak (cf. Amos 3:8).

Many of us who feel called to preach/teach/share know these thoughts and feelings.

20:11 Verse 11 describes YHWH as "a dreaded champion" (BDB 150 and BDB 792, cf. 1:8,19; 15:20). Notice what happens to those who oppose him.

1. they will stumble

2. they will not prevail

3. they will be utterly ashamed

4. they will not succeed

5. they will have an everlasting disgrace

6. they will not be forgotten in their shame

20:12 Jeremiah describes YHWH.

1. You test the righteous.

2. You see the mind (i.e., kidneys)

3. You let me present my cause to You (cf. 11:20).

20:13 This verse starts with two imperatives.

1. sing to the Lord - BDB 1010, KB 1479, Qal imperative

2. praise the Lord - BDB 237, KB 248, Piel imperative

This adulation is because YHWH has delivered the soul of the needy one from the hand of evil doers.

What a wild swing of emotions is expressed in these verses. From complete discouragement in YHWH in v. 7 to joyous praise in v. 13. This wild swing continues in the next poem (vv. 14-18). Jeremiah was a highly emotional person.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 20:14-18
¹⁴Cursed be the day when I was born;
Let the day not be blessed when my mother bore me!
¹⁵Cursed be the man who brought the news
To my father, saying,
"A baby boy has been born to you!"
And made him very happy.
¹⁶But let that man be like the cities
Which the Lord overthrew without relenting,
And let him hear an outcry in the morning
And a shout of alarm at noon;
¹⁷Because he did not kill me before birth,
So that my mother would have been my grave,
And her womb ever pregnant.
₁₈Why did I ever come forth from the womb
To look on trouble and sorrow,
So that my days have been spent in shame?

20:14-18 These verses continue the lament begun in 15:10. Remember these are hyperbolic poetic images! The questions are "Why is he so sad? Is it his personal life or the terrible judgment coming to Judah and Jerusalem?"

20:16 The first two lines refer to YHWH's destruction of the cities of the plain in Gen. 19:24-28.

Some suggest that "man" be emendated to "day," but there is no textual or versional evidence.

November 2012 Newsletter

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Jeremiah 21

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

(The parentheses represent poetic literary units)

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
Jeremiah's Message for Zedekiah	Jerusalem's Doom Is Sealed	Oracle Against Zedekiah and Jerusalem	Jerusalem's Defeat Is Predicted	Jeremiah Answers the Envoys of Zedekiah
21:1-2	21:1-2	21:1-2	21:1-2	21:1-7
21:3-7	21:3-7	21:3-7	21:3-7
21:8-10	21:8-10	21:8-10	21:8-10	21:8-10
	Message to the House of David	Oracles Concerning the Royal House (21:11-23:8)	Judgment on the Royal House of Judah	Address to the Royal Family of Judah
21:11-12 (12)	21:11-12 (12)	21:11-14 (12-14)	21:11-14	21:11-14 (12-14)
21:13-14 (13-14)	21:13-14 (13-14)

READING CYCLE THREE (see introductory section)

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

A. Brief outline of messages to Judah's royal house, cf. 21:11-23:8

1. Zedekiah (Mattaniah) - 21:1-14

2. Jehoahaz (Shallum) - 22:10-12

3. Jehoiakim (Eliakim) - 22:13-19

4. Jehoiakim (Coniah) - 22:24-30

B. Zedekiah (BDB 843), another of Josiah's sons, was placed on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon (cf. II Kgs. 24:17). He reigned from 597-586 b.c. He was king when Jerusalem fell. He was loyal to Babylon for eight years. Then a pro-Egyptian nationalist party persuaded him to revolt. See Appendix Four: Kings of the Divided Monarchy.

C. This section of Jeremiah is much more clearly linked to its historical settings. The specifics of

1. time

2. place

3. proper names

abound!

D. The house of David had all the wonderful ("eternal") promises of II Samuel 7, but they too were conditional!

E. Remember that Nebuchadnezzar's army captured Jerusalem several times: 605 b.c., 597 b.c., 586 b.c., and 582 b.c. They destroyed the city and temple in 586 b.c.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 21:1-2
¹The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Malchijah, and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, saying, ²"Please inquire of the Lord on our behalf, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is warring against us; perhaps the Lord will deal with us according to all His wonderful acts, so that the enemy will withdraw from us."

21:1 "Pashhur" This is different from the priest/false prophet by the same name in 20:1 (see note there).

▣ "Zephaniah" This priest is also mentioned in 29:25,29; 37:3; 52:24; II Kgs. 25:18-21. He was assistant to the High Priest.

21:2 "inquire" This Qal imperative (BDB 205, KB 233) means to petition God on behalf of another (cf. 37:7; Ezek. 20:1,3). One Aramaic Targum translates it as "pray." Zedekiah requests that YHWH act on Judah's behalf against Babylon as He had done in the past (i.e., Isaiah 36-39). It was part of the covenant promises especially related to the conquest of Canaan in II Kings 18 from Isaiah to Hezekiah.

▣ "Nebuchadnezzar" The spelling here is closer to the Babylonian spelling. It (BDB 613, KB 660) means "Nebo protect the boundary" or "Nebo protect the heir to the crown." See Appendix Three: A Brief Historical Survey of the Powers of Mesopotamia. The normal Hebrew spelling with an "N" may reflect a sarcastic corruption, "Nebo protect my mule." The Jews loved to add vowels or consonants that made a name refer to something shameful.

▣ "wonderful acts" The king was hoping for a repeat of Isa. 37:36-37 or the "Holy War" of the Exodus or Joshua's conquest of Canaan (cf. 32:16-25).

SPECIAL TOPIC: WONDERFUL THINGS (פלא)

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 21:3-7
³Then Jeremiah said to them, "You shall say to Zedekiah as follows: ⁴'Thus says the Lord God of Israel, "Behold, I am about to turn back the weapons of war which are in your hands, with which you are warring against the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the wall; and I will gather them into the center of this city. ⁵I Myself will war against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm, even in anger and wrath and great indignation. ⁶I will also strike down the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast; they will die of a great pestilence. ⁷Then afterwards," declares the Lord , "I will give over Zedekiah king of Judah and his servants and the people, even those who survive in this city from the pestilence, the sword and the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their foes and into the hand of those who seek their lives; and he will strike them down with the edge of the sword. He will not spare them nor have pity nor compassion."'

21:4-7 This is not the answer from YHWH that Zedekiah was praying for. He wanted covenant mercy and promises without covenant faith and faithfulness!

YHWH spells out in graphic terms the "wonderful acts" He will do to faithless Judah/Jerusalem.

1. YHWH will not fight for Judah but will be with the Babylonian army (cf. 32:5; 33:5; 37:8-10; 38:2,17,18).

2. YHWH's actions and emotions are described as (see Special Topic at 1:9)

a. an outstretched hand (cf. Exod. 6:6)

b. a mighty arm (cf. Deut. 4:34; 5:15; 7:19; 11:2; 26:8)

c. angry

d. full of wrath

e. greatly indignant

f. setting His face against Jerusalem, v. 10

g. for harm and not for good, v. 10

h. giving Jerusalem to the king of Babylon to burn, v. 10

3. Like "Holy Way" (cf. Joshua 6), all that breathes, human and animal, will die.

4. The Davidic seed, Zedekiah, and his house and the survivors of the siege will be exiled.

5. Nebuchadnezzar will act as YHWH's representative in judgment.

a. will not spare

b. will not have pity

c. will not have compassion (cf. 13:14; 16:5)

This is what the covenant people could not comprehend. YHWH, their God, fighting against them and His own temple! They had missed the key ingredients of

1. faith

2. faithfulness

The wonderful covenant with Abraham had conditions (cf. Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 27-28) and consequences!

21:4 "Chaldeans" This was the racial identity of southern Babylon; later the term became the title of the entire nation.

Herodotus (450 b.c.), Hist. I, uses this term to refer to an ethnic group (cf. II Kgs. 24:1-4; Dan. 5:30) as well as a priestly class (cf. Dan. 2:2; 3:8; 4:7; 5:7,11) whose usage goes back to Cyrus II. Even before this Assyrian records used the term (BDB 505) in an ethnic sense (cf. R. K. Harrison, Introduction to the Old Testament, p. 1113). Also read the good discussion of the possibility of a confusion of two similar terms (i.e., Kal-du vs. Kasdu) in The Expositors Bible Commentary, vol. 7, pp. 14-15 or Robert Dick Wilson, Studies in the Book of Daniel, series 1.

Because Gen. 11:28 states that Ur of the Chaldeans was the home of Terah and his family, Chaldeans may have been ethnically Semitic (i.e., same racial group as the Hebrews).

21:7 "pestilence, the sword, and the famine" These are the typical description of the results of invasion and siege warfare (cf. 14:12). All of the surrounding villages gathered to the walled cities. Food, water, and sanitation became compromised.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 21:8-10
⁸"You shall also say to this people, 'Thus says the Lord , "Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. ⁹He who dwells in this city will die by the sword and by famine and by pestilence; but he who goes out and falls away to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live, and he will have his own life as booty. ¹⁰For I have set My face against this city for harm and not for good," declares the Lord . "It will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon and he will burn it with fire."'

21:8-10 This describes the conditional nature of the covenant. A good parallel text is Deut. 30:15-18. I have included my notes from that commentary here.

Deut. 30:15 "I have set before you today life and prosperity or death and adversity" Even covenant Israel had to choose! This is referring to the blessing and cursing (cf. Deuteronomy 27-28). Remember the choice is set in a covenant of grace. This is very similar to Wisdom Literature's idiom of the "two ways" (cf. Pro. 4:10-19; Jer. 21:8; Matt. 7:13-14). Our choices show who we are! How we respond to life's inexplicable "in and outs" reveals our spiritual orientation!

30:16-18 These verses are a summary of covenant conditions and consequences:

1.the responsibility (cf. 8:6; 19:9; 26:17; 28:9)

a. "to love the Lord," v. 16 (BDB 12, KB 17, Qal infinitive construct)

b. "walk in His ways," v. 16 (BDB 229, KB 246, Qal infinitive construct)

c. "keep His commandments," v. 16 (BDB 1036, KB 1581, Qal infinitive)

2. the consequences of obedience

a. "you may live," v. 16 (BDB 310, KB 309, Qal perfect)

b. "you may multiply," v. 16 (BDB 915, KB 1156, Qal perfect)

c. "your God may bless you," v. 16 (BDB 138, KB 159, Piel perfect)

3. the conditions and consequences of disobedience

a. if your heart turns away," v. 17 (BDB 815, KB 937, Qal imperfect)

b. "if you will not obey," v. 17; (BDB 1033, KB 1570, Qal imperfect)

c. idolatry

(1) drawn away (BDB 623, KB 673, Niphil perfect)

(2) worship (BDB 1005, KB 295, Hishtaphel perfect)

(3) serve (BDB 712, KB 773, Qal perfect)

d. "you shall surely perish," v. 18 (BDB 1, KB 2, Qal infinitive absolute and Qal imperfect, which expresses intensity)

e. "you shall not prolong your days," v. 18 (BDB 73, KB 88, Hiphil imperfect)

Notice how v. 20 reinforces these covenant responsibilities so that the Patriarchal blessing can be fulfilled! This terminology is characteristic of Deuteronomy.

In this context the term "life" refers to physical deliverance from death at the hands of the Babylonian army. The Deuteronomy passage refers to the blessings of the obeyed covenant of Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 27-29.

21:9 "he who goes out. . .will live" Jeremiah is asserting YHWH's promise that if they surrender (cf. 38:2; 39:18; 45:5) they will be exiled but will live.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 21:11-12
¹¹"Then say to the household of the king of Judah, 'Hear the word of the Lord,
¹²O house of David, thus says the Lord:
"Administer justice every morning;
And deliver the person who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor,
That My wrath may not go forth like fire
And burn with none to extinguish it,
Because of the evil of their deeds.

21:11-14 These are words to the royal Davidic house. Some English translations have one strophe, some two. The reason this information is important is that each strophe, like each paragraph, has one main truth/point. Outlining by strophe/paragraph an interpreter can find the intent of the original author more clearly.

21:12 YHWH seems still to hold open the chance that Judah's leadership may repent, as seen in their actions.

1. administer justice every morning (BDB 192, KB 220, Qal imperative, cf. 7:5; 22:3; probably at the city gate, early each day)

2. deliver the person who has been robbed from the power of the oppressor (BDB 664, KB 717, Hiphil imperative

If they change (cf. I Kgs. 6:12-13) then YHWH will relent of the judgment He plans to send but if not, "wrath. . .fire" (cf. 4:4).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 21:13-14
¹³"Behold, I am against you, O valley dweller,
O rocky plain," declares the Lord,
"You men who say, 'Who will come down against us?
Or who will enter into our habitations?'
¹⁴But I will punish you according to the results of your deeds," declares the Lord,
"And I will kindle a fire in its forest
That it may devour all its environs."'"

21:13-14 These two verses address those Judeans who live in the hills and remote valleys of Judah. They thought they would be safe, but not so!

Jeremiah 22

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

(The parentheses represent poetic literary units)

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
Warnings of Jerusalem's Fall	Message to the House of David (21:11-22:10)	Oracles Concerning the Royal House (21:11-23:8)	Jeremiah's Message to the Royal House of Judah	Address to the Royal Family of Judah (21:11-22:9)
22:1-7	22:1-5	22:1-7	22:1-5	22:1-5
(6b-7)	22:6-9 (6b-7)	(6b-7)	22:6-7	22:6-7 (6b-7)
22:8-9		22:8-10	22:8-9	22:8-9
			Jeremiah's Message Concerning Jehoahaz	Prophecies Against Various Kings: Against Jehoahaz
22:10 (10)	22:10 (10)	(10)	22:10 (10)	22:10 (10)
	Message to the Sons of Josiah
22:11-12	22:11-12	22:11-17	22:11-12	22:11-12
Message About the Kings			Jeremiah's Message Concerning Jehoiakim	Against Jehoiakim
22:13-17 (13-17)	22:13-14 (13-14)	(13-17)	22:13-17 (13-17)	22:13-17 (13-17)
	22:15-17 (15-17)
22:18-23 (18b-23)	22:18-19 (18b-19)	22:18-23 (18b-23)	22:18-19 (18b-19)	22:18-19 (18b-19)
			Jeremiah's Message About the Fate of Jerusalem	Against Jehoiachin
	22:20-23 (20-23)		22:20-23 (20-23)	22:20-23 (20-23)
	Message to Coniah		God's Judgment of Jehoiachin
22:24-30 (28-30)	22:24-28 (28)	22:24-30 (28-30)	22:24-27	22:24-30 (28-30)
			22:28-30
	22:29-30 (29-30)		(29-30)

READING CYCLE THREE (see introductory section)

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

A. Brief outline of messages to Judah's royal house, cf. 21:11-23:8

1. Zedekiah (Mattaniah) - 21:1-14

2. Jehoahaz (Shallum) - 22:10-12

3. Jehoiakim (Eliakim) - 22:13-19

4. Jehoiakim (Coniah) - 22:24-30

C. This section of Jeremiah is much more clearly linked to its historical settings. The specifics of

1. time

2. place

3. proper names

abound!

D. The house of David had all the wonderful ("eternal") promises of II Samuel 7, but they too were conditional!

E. Remember Nebuchadnezzar's army captured Jerusalem several times: 605 b.c., 586 b.c., and 582 b.c. They destroyed the city and temple in 586 b.c.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 22:1-7
¹Thus says the Lord, "Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and there speak this word ²and say, 'Hear the word of the Lord, O king of Judah, who sits on David's throne, you and your servants and your people who enter these gates. ³Thus says the Lord, "Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor. Also do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place. ⁴For if you men will indeed perform this thing, then kings will enter the gates of this house, sitting in David's place on his throne, riding in chariots and on horses, even the king himself and his servants and his people. ⁵But if you will not obey these words, I swear by Myself," declares the Lord, "that this house will become a desolation."'" ⁶For thus says the Lord concerning the house of the king of Judah:
"You are like Gilead to Me,
Like the summit of Lebanon;
Yet most assuredly I will make you like a wilderness,
Like cities which are not inhabited.
⁷"For I will set apart destroyers against you,
Each with his weapons;
And they will cut down your choicest cedars
And throw them on the fire.

22:1-2 The directions to Jeremiah are emphatic.

1. go - BDB 432, KB 434, Qal imperative ("go down" refers to the palace, being on a lower hill than the temple, cf. 26:10)

2. speak - BDB 180, KB 210, Piel perfect

3. hear the word of the Lord, O king of Judah - BDB 1033, KB 1570, Qal imperative

22:1 "the house of the king of Judah" All of this chapter is a word play on "house," meaning

1. descendants (cf. II Samuel 7)

2. king's palace (vv. 13-14 speak of enlarging and beautifying the palace in an attempt to be a great king)

Only God can build a house (cf. Ps. 127:1-3). God's house is depicted as

1. His temple (cf. II Samuel 7)

2. His king (cf. II Samuel 7)

3. His people

All will be captured, destroyed, or exiled!

22:3 There is a series of commands addressed to the Davidic King which addresses covenant faithfulness.

1. do justice - BDB 793, KB 889, Qal imperative (see Special Topic at 4:2)

2. do righteousness - same as #1 (see Special Topic at 4:2)

3. deliver the one who has been robbed - BDB 664, KB 717, Hiphil imperative

4. do not mistreat the stranger, the orphan, or the widow - BDB 413, KB 416, Hiphil imperfect used in a jussive sense

5. do not do violence to (the group mentioned in #4) - BDB 329, KB 329, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense

6. do not shed innocent blood (lit. "pour out") - BDB 1049, KB 1629, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense (this could refer to murder or child sacrifice)

▣ "the stranger, the orphan, or the widow" This is a key phrase from Deuteronomy. It characterized YHWH's action and care (Deut. 10:18; Ps. 146:8-10). It is mentioned several times in Deuteronomy.

1. help them - 14:29; 24:17,19

2. rejoice with them - 16:1

3. special offering for them - 26:12-13

4. cursings if one distorts their justice - 27:19

22:4 "if" The verse states the conditional element which is related to the actual doing of the covenant commands of v. 4. Verse 4 is first found in 17:25.

▣ "then" Here are the promises to the king if he will be faithful to the covenant.

1. kings (i.e., generations of kings) will enter the gates of this house

2. sit on David's throne

3. riding in chariots and on horses with his household

22:5 Again the conditional "if." YHWH swears (BDB 989, KB 1396, Niphal perfect) by Himself that if covenant faithlessness continues, Jerusalem and the temple will become a desolation (BDB 352)! YHWH's oath has a sense of certainty and finality (cf. Gen. 22:16; Amos 6:8; Heb. 6:13).

22:6-7 This is a brief poem describing the desolation.

1. Judah will become a wilderness (BDB 184)

2. Judah's cities will be uninhabited (BDB 442, KB 444, Niphal perfect [Qere])

3. YHWH will consecrate (i.e., "set apart for His service," BDB 872, KB 1073, Piel perfect, cf. 6:4) the armed destroyers (i.e., this is "holy war" terminology. The point being YHWH is not on Judah's side).

a. cut down your best forest (i.e., cities, cf. Isa. 10:33-34)

b. burn them

Just a textual note, the last verb of v. 6, "inhabited" (BDB 442, KB 442), in the MT, is a Niphal participle, singular, but the Masoretic scholars suggested (Qere) a Niphal perfect, plural.

▣ "You are like Gilead to Me" These first two lines of poetry in v. 6b and c are parallel and address the royal house. The imagery is that as Gilead and Lebanon were beautiful and forested, so too, the house (palace) of Judah. But it will be destroyed! The house of the king (physical and seed) and the house of the Lord will both be destroyed! Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 27-28 have come to painful reality!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 22:8-9
⁸"Many nations will pass by this city; and they will say to one another, 'Why has the Lord done thus to this great city?' ⁹Then they will answer, 'Because they forsook the covenant of the Lord their God and bowed down to other gods and served them.'"

22:8-9 Verse 8 expressed the theological question connected to YHWH's judgment of His own covenant people (cf. 16:10; Deut. 28:24-26; I Kgs. 9:8-9; II Chr. 7:20-22).

Moses' prayer of intercession for Israel entreated YHWH about this very issue (cf. Exod. 32:11-13) and YHWH changed His mind (cf. Exod. 32:14). But the covenant people had become so idolatrous (cf. 1:16; 5:19; 8:2; 16:11) and rebellious that only radical surgery could save their corporate life.

Remember, in that day every nation had its own national deity. The more powerful deity won the battles for its people. Some might think that YHWH was weak because

1. the northern kingdom (Israel) was exiled by Assyria

2. the southern kingdom (Judah) was defeated and exiled several times by Babylon (605, 597, 586, 582 b.c.)

The real problem was the sin of the covenant people (cf. v. 9; II Chr. 34:25), not YHWH!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 22:10
¹⁰Do not weep for the dead or mourn for him,
But weep continually for the one who goes away;
For he will never return
Or see his native land.

22:10-12 This brief poem and prose conclusion addresses the issue of the Davidic seed (Shallum or Jehoahaz, son of Josiah) exiled! This seems to violate II Sam. 7:13-17, but the reality of Ezekiel 18 must also be taken into account. YHWH's promises are sure but they are conditional in relation to individual leaders' volition. Sin has consequences!

There is a series of commands in v. 10.

1. do not weep for the dead - BDB 113, KB 129, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense

2. do not mourn for him - BDB 626, KB 678, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense

3. weep continually - BDB a Qal imperative and infinitive absolute from the same root (BDB 113, KB 129)

The king shall never return from captivity! There may be a word play on "return" (BDB 996, KB 1427), which can mean

1. repent

2. return

He was capable of neither!

The AB and UBS Handbook suggest that "the dead" of v. 10a refers to King Josiah, killed by the Egyptian army at Megiddo in 609 b.c. (Cf. II Kgs. 23:28-35; II Chr. 35:20-25). The phrase "who departs" (v. 10b) refers to Jehoahaz (Shallum, cf. I Chr. 3:15), who was Josiah's son who succeeded him but was exiled to Egypt three months later by Pharaoh Necho (cf. II Kgs. 23:31-34; II Chr. 36:2-4).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 22:11-12
¹¹For thus says the Lord in regard to Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who became king in the place of Josiah his father, who went forth from this place, "He will never return there; ¹²but in the place where they led him captive, there he will die and not see this land again.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 22:13-17
¹³"Woe to him who builds his house without righteousness
And his upper rooms without justice,
Who uses his neighbor's services without pay
And does not give him his wages,
¹⁴Who says, 'I will build myself a roomy house
With spacious upper rooms,
And cut out its windows,
Paneling it with cedar and painting it bright red.'
¹⁵Do you become a king because you are competing in cedar?
Did not your father eat and drink
And do justice and righteousness?
Then it was well with him.
¹⁶He pled the cause of the afflicted and needy;
Then it was well.
Is not that what it means to know Me?"
Declares the Lord.
¹⁷"But your eyes and your heart
Are intent only upon your own dishonest gain,
And on shedding innocent blood
And on practicing oppression and extortion."

22:13-23 This long strophe is addressed to King Jehoiakim and is related to the Davidic promises of II Samuel 7.

Notice the "woe" (BDB 222) of v. 13 and "alas" (DB 222, four times) of v. 18.

Jehoiakim is condemned because

1. he builds his house without righteousness (i.e., II Kgs. 23:34-35)

a. palace

b. royal family

2. so opposite of Josiah (cf. vv. 15-16) who "knew" (BDB 395) YHWH. To know YHWH is to live in covenant obedience and compassion. David's reign is described by these terms in II Sam. 8:15.

a. Josiah did justice

b. Josiah did righteousness

c. Josiah pled the cause of

(1) the afflicted

(2) the needy

d. it was well with him (vv. 15d, 16b)

3. Jehoiakim (v. 17)

a. intent on dishonest gain

b. shed innocent blood

c. practiced oppression

d. practiced extortion (note 5:20,29, like King, like people)

4. results

a. no lament for him in his death (v. 18)

b. had a donkey's burial (v. 19)

c. no one to lament (v. 20) because all political alliances (i.e., "lovers") have been crushed

5. YHWH spoke to him (v. 21) or a way of referring to Jerusalem

a. in your prosperity

b. in your youth

c. but he would not (same verb)

(1) listen

(2) obey

22:16

NASB, NJB"Is not that what it means to know Me?"
NKJV"Was not this knowing Me?"
NRSV"Is not this to know me?"
TEV"That is what it means to know the Lord"
JPSOA"That is truly heeding Me"
JPSOA(footnote)"That is the reward for heeding Me"
LXX"Is not this so, because you do not know me?"
REB"Did not this show he knew me?"

The MT has "not this to know me?" Knowing YHWH involves several aspects.

1. personal faith relationship (i.e., prayer and worship)

2. cognitive belief (i.e., Scripture truly reveals God)

3. volition (i.e., acting on the truth you know; lifestyle faith)

All are crucial! All reflect biblical faith (cf. Deut. 10:12-13; Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:8).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 22:18-23
¹⁸Therefore thus says the Lord in regard to Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah,
"They will not lament for him:
'Alas, my brother!' or, 'Alas, sister!'
They will not lament for him:
'Alas for the master!' or, 'Alas for his splendor!'
¹⁹He will be buried with a donkey's burial,
Dragged off and thrown out beyond the gates of Jerusalem.
²⁰Go up to Lebanon and cry out,
And lift up your voice in Bashan;
Cry out also from Abarim,
For all your lovers have been crushed.
²¹I spoke to you in your prosperity;
But you said, 'I will not listen!'
This has been your practice from your youth,
That you have not obeyed My voice.
²²The wind will sweep away all your shepherds,
And your lovers will go into captivity;
Then you will surely be ashamed and humiliated
Because of all your wickedness.
²³You who dwell in Lebanon,
Nested in the cedars,
How you will groan when pangs come upon you,
Pain like a woman in childbirth!"

22:20-23 The NJB thinks that these verses address Jehoiachin, who reigned only three months, before being removed and exiled by Nebuchadnezzar. However, the TEV and UBS Handbook think these verses are addressed to Judah/Jerusalem (feminine singular verbs).

It is difficult to know exactly which verses refer to which Davidic king. The NKJV version simply titles the section "Message to the sons of Josiah."

22:20 There are three mountain ranges mentioned.

1. Lebanon (i.e., Mt. Hermon or its foothills)

2. Bashan (i.e., mountains in TransJordan to the northwest)

3. Abarim (i.e., mountains of Moab, cf. Num. 27:12; Deut. 32:49)

One wonders why these places?

1. the higher elevations were used as places of Ba'al worship

2. these are the places to which some Judeans fled to hide from and escape the invasion

3. this is sarcasm of the grief Judah felt over the loss of her foreign alliances

4. they describe the full extent of David's kingdom and the limits of the Promised Land

▣ "your lovers" This refers to all of Judah's political alliances (cf. 2:25; 3:1) in the armies of foreign nations instead of YHWH (cf. Ps. 20:7; 33:16-17; Isa. 31:1; also note Eccl. 9:11).

22:21 "I will not listen!

This has been your practice from your youth" The covenant people had been a stiffnecked, rebellious people (cf. 7:22-26) from the beginning (i.e., two early examples: Exodus 32 and Numbers 16).

22:22 Notice how "shepherds" (Judah's civic and religious leaders, cf. 1:18; 2:8; 10:21; 23:2) are paralleled with "lovers" (foreign alliances). What a sad situation!

22:23 "You who dwell in Lebanon,
Nested in the cedars" This seems to be a literary figure of speech referring to the royal family in Jerusalem. The king's palace was known as "the House of the Cedars of Lebanon" (cf. I Kgs. 7:2; 10:17).

NASB, NKJV,
NJB, LXX,
Peshitta,
Vulgate"How you will groan"
NKJV"How gracious will you be"
MT, TEV"How pitied you will be"

The MT has נחנת from חנן, BDB 335, KB 334, Niphal perfect. The LXX reflects ננחת (there are several roots starting with an "n" meaning "groan" (cf. NIDOTTE, vol. 3). Either fits the context and parallelism.

▣ "Pain like a woman in childbirth" This imagery (BDB 408) was used earlier in 4:31; 6:24; 13:21 (also note 30:6; 49:24; 50:43). The pain, though expected, is sudden and intense! The imagery is often used in judgment contexts.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 22:24-30
²⁴"As I live," declares the Lord, "even though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were a signet ring on My right hand, yet I would pull you off; ²⁵and I will give you over into the hand of those who are seeking your life, yes, into the hand of those whom you dread, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of the Chaldeans. ²⁶I will hurl you and your mother who bore you into another country where you were not born, and there you will die. ²⁷But as for the land to which they desire to return, they will not return to it.
²⁸Is this man Coniah a despised, shattered jar?
Or is he an undesirable vessel?
Why have he and his descendants been hurled out
And cast into a land that they had not known?
²⁹O land, land, land,
Hear the word of the Lord!
³⁰Thus says the Lord,
'Write this man down childless,
A man who will not prosper in his days;
For no man of his descendants will prosper
Sitting on the throne of David
Or ruling again in Judah.'"

22:24-30 This is specifically addressed to Coniah (i.e., Jeconiah, cf. 24:1), also known by his throne name, Jehoiachin (cf. v. 24). He was exiled in 597 b.c. to Babylon (cf. II Kgs. 24:8-17; 25:27-30). Verses 28-30 are poetry, while vv. 24-27 are prose.

22:24 "As I live" This is a recurrent oath formula where YHWH swears by Himself (cf. v. 5; 44:26; 49:13; 51:14; Gen. 22:16; Deut. 32:40; Isa. 45:23; Amos 6:8). It is a word play on His covenant name, YHWH, from the Hebrew verb "to be." Covenant people were "to swear by His name" (cf. 4:2; 12:16; Deut. 6:13; 10:20).

22:24 "signet ring on My right hand" This is Hebrew imagery for the Davidic royal family, especially the current reigning descendant of David (cf. Hag. 2:23).

22:25 Notice how specific and repetitive is the reference to Jehoiachin's captors.

1. into the hand of those who are seeking your life

2. into the hand of those whom you dread

3. into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon

4. into the hand of the Chaldeans

For the idiom using "hand" see Special Topic at 1:9.

22:27 "they desire" The UBS Handbook for Translators (p. 489) points out that this English phrase is a translation of a Hebrew idiom "they will lift up their souls" (cf. 44:14).

22:28-30 The poem is addressed to Coniah/Jehoiachin (cf. I Chr. 3:16). He has become a vessel of dishonor (cf. 25:34; Hos. 8:8). The potter (YHWH) makes different vessels. Some are spoiled.

1. remade (unfired)

2. destroyed (fired)

The promises of II Samuel 7 are vacated/annulled. No more descendants on the thorne (i.e., he had children but none ruled, cf. v. 30)! This was absolutely shocking to Judeans. YHWH's promise nullified! They forgot that the promises to individuals are always conditional! This opens the theological door for a "new" covenant (cf. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:22-38)!

It is very clear who is being described but it is not clear who is speaking.

1. the people of Judah/Jerusalem

2. the prophet Jeremiah (cf. v. 29)

22:29 "O land, land, land" The threefold repetition was a Hebraic idiom of intensity (cf. 7:4; Isa. 6:3; Ezek. 21:27), although some grammarians think it was a liturgical chant. It is even possible that "the land" (see Special Topic at 6:18-19) was functioning as a legal witness in this court genre. The land of Palestine is experiencing the judgment of God because of the sin of God's people. The curses of Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 27-28 have come in full force! After one reads this text, they are so grateful for Rom. 8:18-25! The new covenant is wonderful!

The word translated "land" has several connotations. See Special Topic at 6:18-19.

22:30 "Write this man down childless" This command from YHWH seems to be unfulfilled because Jehoiachin had several children (cf. I Chr. 3:16-17). However, they never sat on David's throne. A good discussion of the seeming contradiction is found in Hard Sayings of the Bible, p. 310. Another good source for interpreting prophetic literature is D. Brent Sandy, Plowshares and Pruning Hooks, especially pp. 151-154.

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