Jeremiah 32

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

(The parentheses represent poetic literary units)

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
Jeremiah Imprisoned	Jeremiah Buys a Field	Jeremiah Purchases Land in Anathoth	Jeremiah Buys a Field	Jeremiah Buys a Field in Token of Future Prosperity
32:1-5	32:1-5	32:1-5	32:1-5	32:1-5
32:6-8	32:6-12	32:6-8	32:6-15	32:6-15
32:9-15		32:9-15
	32:13-15
Jeremiah Prays and God Explains	Jeremiah Prays For Understanding		Jeremiah's Prayer
32:16-25	32:16-25	32:16-25	32:16-23	32:16-25
	God's Assurance of the People's Return		32:24-25
32:26-35	32:26-35	32:26-35	32:26-35	32:26-27
			A Promise of Hope	32:28-35
32:36-44	32:36-41	32:36-41	32:36-41	32:36-44
	32:42-44	32:42-44	32:42-44

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 30-33 form a literary unit commonly referred to as "the Book of Consolation."

1. chapters 30 and 31 describe God's new covenant with His people

2. chapters 32 and 33 describe the symbolic act which assures His people of future restoration

B. From other parts of Jeremiah we learn the exact historical setting of chapter 32.

1. From 39:1 we know the exact date that the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar began, in the ninth year of Zedekiah in the tenth month. This means that we can date chapter 32 around the year of 588 or 587 b.c.

2. From Jer. 37:5 we learn that there was a brief respite in the siege of Jerusalem because of the appearance of the Egyptian army in Palestine. However, the Egyptians and Babylonians never fought and the siege of Jerusalem was renewed quickly.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 32:1-5
¹The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. ²Now at that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the guard, which was in the house of the king of Judah, ³because Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, "Why do you prophesy, saying, 'Thus says the Lord, "Behold, I am about to give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will take it; ⁴and Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but he will surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will speak with him face to face and see him eye to eye; ⁵and he will take Zedekiah to Babylon, and he will be there until I visit him," declares the Lord. "If you fight against the Chaldeans, you will not succeed"'?"

32:1 "the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar" This would make the date 587 b.c. Nebuchadnezzar's father, Nabopolassar (626 - 605 b.c.), was the founder of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. When the last strong king of Assyria (Ashurbanipal) died in 626 b.c., Nabopolassar rebelled. He started a new empire which was very successful. In 605 b.c., after the death of Nabopolasser, Nebucahdnezzar II (605-562 b.c.) returned to Babylon. This was after his successful battle at Carchemish, where he defeated the remnant of the Assyrian army and Pharaoh Necho's Egyptian army at the headwaters of the Euphrates. After being crowned king he returned to this area to subdue Palestine.

32:2 This new place of imprisonment (cf. 38:13,28; 39:14) was an improvement of the prophet's situation. He had originally been placed in a cistern and was in danger of death (cf. chapter 38).

32:3 This summarizes Jeremiah's prophetic message inside Jerusalem as the Babylonian army lay siege to the city (cf. 21:3-7; 27:12-15).

32:4 "but he will surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon" The verb (BDB 678, KB 733, Niphal imperfect) is intensified by the addition of the infinitive absolute of the same root.

The term "hand" is a Hebrew idiom for "power." See Special Topic at 1:9.

The term "Chaldean" has several possible meanings.

1. an ethnic group

2. a language

3. a group of Babylonian wise men

See full note at Daniel 1:4 online at www.freebiblecommentary.org.

▣ "and he will speak with him face to face and see him eye to eye" This Hebrew idiom speaks of a personal encounter (cf. 39:5). We learn from II Kgs. 25:4-7 that Zedekiah's family was put to death before his eyes and then his eyes were blinded and he was taken into exile.

32:5 "until I visit him" This verb (BDB 823, KB 955, Qal infinitive construct) is used several times in Jeremiah as both positive and negative constructions. YHWH's "visit" means His presence.

1. positive (i.e., care for)

- 15:15

- 23:2 (negated but the action is positive)

- 27:22

- 29:10

- Ruth 1:6

- Psalm 65:10; 106:4

2. negative (i.e., punish)

- 5:9,29; 6:6,15; 9:9,28; 11:22; 14:10; 21:14; 23:34; 25:12; 27:8; 29:32; 30:20; 32:5; 36:31; 44:13,29; 46:25; 49:8; 50:18,31; 51:44,47,52

Zedekiah was blinded after he was forced to watch his sons killed, along with the princes of Judah. He was exiled to Babylon, where he died in prison (cf. 52:10-11).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 32:6-8
⁶And Jeremiah said, "The word of the Lord came to me, saying, ⁷'Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle is coming to you, saying, "Buy for yourself my field which is at Anathoth, for you have the right of redemption to buy it."' ⁸Then Hanamel my uncle's son came to me in the court of the guard according to the word of the Lord and said to me, 'Buy my field, please, that is at Anathoth, which is in the land of Benjamin; for you have the right of possession and the redemption is yours; buy it for yourself.' Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord.

32:7 God tells Jeremiah what is going to happen even before the events occur so that he will have confidence in the strange purchase God demands (cf. v. 8).

▣ "the right of redemption" This is discussed in Lev. 25:25-31 and alluded to in Ruth 4:1-12. It is often called the right of the Go'el. It is interesting that Jeremiah's family would request that he purchase a field for the following reasons.

1. Jeremiah had no descendants

2. his family had betrayed and rejected him earlier

It is important for Jeremiah to accomplish this symbolic act of hope. The closer the fall of Jerusalem came to reality the more Jeremiah's prophecy turned to the hope of restoration (see chapters 30-33, the Book of Consolation).

32:8 "Hanamel my uncle's son" Jeremiah's cousin from Anathoth came to see him in the court of the guard (i.e., the place of his imprisonment). The very fact that this man could travel and enter Jerusalem shows that the siege had been lifted (i.e., because of the appearance of the Egyptian army). Some have asserted that he wanted to sell the land because

1. he was afraid of the obvious Babylonian defeat (cf. v. 25)

2. he was in great debt

3. he was testing Jeremiah's message about the future hope

4. the truth is that we do not know the psychological motivations of many of the activities of the Bible

▣ "Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord" I think we sometimes assume that the OT prophets did not have to live by faith since they were spoken to audibly by God. This is a good example that the prophet had to live by faith also and was not 100% sure that this was the word of God until it was fulfilled. This shows that any dogmatism as to exactly how God communicated with the prophets is probably unfounded.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 32:9-15
⁹"I bought the field which was at Anathoth from Hanamel my uncle's son, and I weighed out the silver for him, seventeen shekels of silver. ¹⁰I signed and sealed the deed, and called in witnesses, and weighed out the silver on the scales. ¹¹Then I took the deeds of purchase, both the sealed copy containing the terms and conditions and the open copy; ¹²and I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the sight of Hanamel my uncle's son and in the sight of the witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, before all the Jews who were sitting in the court of the guard. ¹³And I commanded Baruch in their presence, saying, ¹⁴'Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, "Take these deeds, this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware jar, that they may last a long time." ¹⁵For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, "Houses and fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land."'

32:9 "weighed out the silver for him, seventeen shekels of silver" See Special Topic at 13:12.

32:10-11 "I signed and sealed. . .and called in witnesses, and weighed out. . .the sealed copy. . .the open copy" This reflects the ancient legal procedures of buying a piece of property. This has been confirmed archaeologically from the Elephantine Papyri from the fifth century b.c., which was found in Egypt on an island in the Nile River.

32:12 "Baruch" This is the first mention of Jeremiah's private and personal secretary. He was probably the editor and recorder of most of Jeremiah's sermons and messages.

32:14 "put them in an earthenware jar" This method of preservation of documents has been confirmed archaeologically, not only by the elephantine papyri but also the Dead Sea Scrolls.

32:15 "Houses and fields and vineyards" It is interesting that "vineyards" are mentioned specifically. It took a number of years for a vineyard to grow and become productive. Judah will be destroyed but a restoration is coming after 70 years.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 32:16-25
¹⁶"After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, then I prayed to the Lord, saying, ¹⁷'Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You, ¹⁸who shows lovingkindness to thousands, but repays the iniquity of fathers into the bosom of their children after them, O great and mighty God. The Lord of hosts is His name; ¹⁹great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, giving to everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds; ²⁰who has set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and even to this day both in Israel and among mankind; and You have made a name for Yourself, as at this day. ²¹You brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and with wonders, and with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with great terror; ²²and gave them this land, which You swore to their forefathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey. ²³They came in and took possession of it, but they did not obey Your voice or walk in Your law; they have done nothing of all that You commanded them to do; therefore You have made all this calamity come upon them. ²⁴Behold, the siege ramps have reached the city to take it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans who fight against it, because of the sword, the famine and the pestilence; and what You have spoken has come to pass; and behold, You see it. ²⁵You have said to me, O Lord God, "Buy for yourself the field with money and call in witnesses"-although the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.'"

32:16-25 Jeremiah bought the field as a symbol of trust in God and His promises, but apparently he still had some degree of doubt. These verses are a strophe recording Jeremiah's prayer to God who tries to assure him:

1. by using the prophet's very same words from v. 17

2. by reminding him of God's gracious acts to the seed of Abraham (cf. Neh. 9:9-38).

32:17 This verse expresses the recurrent emphasis on YHWH as the creator Deity (i.e., monotheism, see Special Topic at 1:5). The idols cannot

1. act (v. 19)

2. predict (v. 19)

3. hear

but YHWH can and does do all these things!

▣ "Your outstretched arm" This is an anthropomorphic phrase. See Special Topic at 1:9.

▣ "Nothing is too difficult for You" This is asserting that YHWH can accomplish Judah's fall and rebuilding (cf. 31:28).

For the word "difficult" (BDB 810) see Special Topic: Wonderful Things at 21:5.

32:18 This is a wonderful list of the characteristics of God. Similar lists can be found in Exod. 34:6-7; Neh. 9:17; Ps. 86:15; 103:8; 145:8). What a great God. He will not give up on His purpose of fellowship with His fallen human creatures! See Special Topic at 12:1.

▣ "shows lovingkindness to thousands, but repays the iniquity of fathers into the bosom of their children after them" This is an allusion to Deut. 5:9 and 7:9. Jeremiah is a prophet of the Mosaic covenant and his phraseology and theology reflect the book of Deuteronomy. This is a very important quote because it shows the relationship between the wrath of God and the love of God. The wrath of God, based on Deut. 5:9, goes to the third and fourth generations, while the love of God, Deut. 7:9, goes to the thousandth generation.

There is both a corporate aspect to sin and an individual aspect (cf. Ezekiel 18). Both sin and faith run through families!

▣ Notice the different phrases in this context for Israel's Deity (see Special Topic at 1:2).

1. Lord (i.e., YHWH), vv. 1,6,17,26,27,28,42,44

2. Lord of hosts, vv. 14,15,18

3. God of Israel (i.e., Elohim), vv.14,15,25,38

4. Lord (i.e., Adon), vv. 17,25

5. O great and mighty God, v. 18

6. the God of all flesh, v. 27 (cf. Num. 16:22; 27:16)

7. the Lord God of Israel (i.e., YHWH and Elohim), v. 36

One descriptive phrase that is unusual, "with all My heart and with all My soul." What a shocking physical (anthropomorphic) phrase to describe the trustworthy commitment of the eternal, ever-present, non-corporal Deity.

32:19 "giving to everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds" This truth is also mentioned in Jer. 17:10 (see full note there). We reap what we sow (cf. Gal. 6:7).

▣ In the OT this is the obvious outcome of a performance-based covenant. In the NT it becomes the evidence of a new relationship with God through Christ. Believers are new creatures in Christ, led by the Spirit into daily Christlikeness. Godly living is not the basis of that new relationship, but the natural outcome of a new heart, new mind, new spirit. The good works are the confirmation, the evidence of our free salvation! I believe Eph. 1:4 and 2:8-10 have helped me see this truth.

32:20-22 This is a reference to the major historical act of God's deliverance from Egypt and bringing the people into the Promised Land as He had promised their forefathers (cf. Gen. 15:12-21).

32:20 YHWH is active in the lives of the descendants of Abraham. However, He also has a wide interest and plan (i.e., "among mankind," see Special Topic at 1:5) for all people. He wants His name known among all the nations (cf. Ezek. 36:22-38) that they may come to Him (cf. Gen. 12:3; Exod. 19:5; Ps. 22:27; 66:1-4; 86:9-10; Isa. 2:2-4; 25:6-9; 42:6-10; 45:22-23; 49:5-6; 51:4-5; 56:7-8; 60:1-3; 66:23; Micah 4:1-4; Mal. 1:11).

▣ This same imagery used of the Exodus is found in Deut. 4:34; 7:19; 26:8.

32:22 "a land flowing with milk and honey" This is not only a descriptive phrase (cf. 11:5), but the title for Palestine found in Assyrian documents.

32:23 "but they did not obey Your voice or walk in Your law" This was the problem. There was a conditional covenant between God and Israel and Israel had failed to keep the conditions (i.e., 31:32). Therefore, the Judean exile reflects God's abrogating (or at least modifying) of this covenant, but He will inaugurate a "new covenant" (31:31-34; Ezek. 36:22-38).

32:24 "the siege mounds" In the ANE walled cities were captured by surrounding them, thereby cutting off the food supply. At the sign of danger the people fled to the walled cities. Therefore, the water, sanitation, and food systems were stressed. The enemy built dirt mounds against the wall(s). These mounds supported wooden, mobile A-frames which held a ramming mechanism (cf. 6:6; 33:4; Isa. 37:33). These rams would hit the stone/brick wall again and again in one place until they crumbled.

▣ "the sword, the famine and the pestilence" See full note at 14:12.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 32:26-35
²⁶Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, ²⁷"Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?" ²⁸Therefore thus says the Lord, "Behold, I am about to give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will take it. ²⁹The Chaldeans who are fighting against this city will enter and set this city on fire and burn it, with the houses where people have offered incense to Baal on their roofs and poured out drink offerings to other gods to provoke Me to anger. ³⁰Indeed the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah have been doing only evil in My sight from their youth; for the sons of Israel have been only provoking Me to anger by the work of their hands," declares the Lord. ³¹"Indeed this city has been to Me a provocation of My anger and My wrath from the day that they built it, even to this day, so that it should be removed from before My face, ³²because of all the evil of the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah which they have done to provoke Me to anger-they, their kings, their leaders, their priests, their prophets, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. ³³They have turned their back to Me and not their face; though I taught them, teaching again and again, they would not listen and receive instruction. ³⁴But they put their detestable things in the house which is called by My name, to defile it. ³⁵They built the high places of Baal that are in the valley of Ben-hinnom to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to Molech, which I had not commanded them nor had it entered My mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.

32:26-44 This is God's reply to Jeremiah's prayer. It covers several aspects of judgment and several wonderful promises of future hope.

32:27 "the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me" This is God's affirmation that Jeremiah's theology was accurate (i.e., monotheism) and his doubts were unfounded.

32:28 Jerusalem will fall to the Babylonians!

32:29 The city of Jerusalem will be burned because of its idolatrous practices (cf. v. 30), as the Canaanite cities were burned in the conquest (cf. Deut. 3:6).

▣ "Baal" The worship of Ba'al (the male fertility god of the Canaanites) was somehow connected with the astral deities (i.e., Babylonian, cf. 8:2; 19:13). See Special Topic: Fertility Worship of the ANE at 2:20. Possibly the Babylonian deities (which were called on by name and rituals) became known to Palestine through political alliance treaties.

32:31 This is a strange verse! It seems to imply that Jerusalem (and by implication, the temple) was not pleasing to YHWH, even from their beginnings. This is surely hyperbolic, but does clearly show YHWH's reaction to His people worshiping other gods (who are not gods).

32:32 The entire population, from king to peasants, were unfaithful, disobedient, and idolatrous. Even those who should have known better (priests, prophets) did not obey!

32:33-35 These verses describe how serious their rebellion was.

1. They turned their backs to God (no respect, cf. 18:17; no worship, cf. 2:27).

2. They should have faced Him (i.e., intimate, personal relationship illustrated in worship and life).

3. YHWH spoke (through His prophets) again and again (cf. similar idiomatic statements in 7:13,25; 11:7; 25:3,4; 26:5,19; and also note Hos. 11:2).

4. They would not listen or heed the words of YHWH.

5. They put idols in YHWH's temple (cf. 7:30; II Kgs. 23:4; II Chr. 33; Ezekiel 8).

6. They built high places to Ba'al (cf. 19:5).

7. They worshiped, by child sacrifice, the fertility god, Molech (cf. 7:31; Lev. 18:21; 20:2-5).

32:34 "the house which is called by My name" This refers to the temple (cf. 7:10,11,14,30). This reflects the language of Deuteronomy, "the place I will cause My name to dwell" (cf. Deut. 12:5,11,14,18,21,26; 14:23,24; 15:20; 16:2,6,11,15; 17:8,10; 18:6; 26:2; 31:11).

For more information see Deut. 12:5 and 26:2 online at www.freebiblecommentary.org.

32:35 "which I had not commanded them nor had it entered My mind that they should do this abomination" Child sacrifice was part of the worship of Molech (cf. Lev. 18:21; 20:2-5; Deut. 12:31; 18:10; II Kgs. 21:1-7). There may have been some confusion about the child sacrifice being the will of God because of the account of Abraham offering Isaac at God's command in Genesis 22 (or even the death of Job's children in Job 1). A reflection of this misunderstanding is seen in Micah 6:7.

YHWH clearly and emphatically rejects this false understanding of worship.

For "Ben-hinnom" see note at 31:40 (i.e., "the valley of dead bodies and of the ashes").

For "abomination" see Special Topic at 2:7.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 32:36-44
³⁶"Now therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel concerning this city of which you say, 'It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine and by pestilence.' ³⁷Behold, I will gather them out of all the lands to which I have driven them in My anger, in My wrath and in great indignation; and I will bring them back to this place and make them dwell in safety. ³⁸They shall be My people, and I will be their God; ³⁹and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good and for the good of their children after them. ⁴⁰I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me. ⁴¹I will rejoice over them to do them good and will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul. ⁴²For thus says the Lord, 'Just as I brought all this great disaster on this people, so I am going to bring on them all the good that I am promising them. ⁴³Fields will be bought in this land of which you say, "It is a desolation, without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans." ⁴⁴Men will buy fields for money, sign and seal deeds, and call in witnesses in the land of Benjamin, in the environs of Jerusalem, in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland and in the cities of the Negev; for I will restore their fortunes,' declares the Lord."

32:36-44 As so often occurs in the prophets, a judgment oracle is followed by a promise oracle. The judgment was horrible and deserved, but the restoration is glorious and sure (i.e., Ps. 103:8-14).

32:37 YHWH's mercy (v. 37c) does not dull His reaction to sin, disobedience, and rebellion.

1. in My anger

2. in My wrath

3. in great indignation

Sin can be forgiven (i.e., Manasseh on his deathbed, cf. II Chr. 33:12-13,15-16), but the consequences continue through time.

32:38 "They shall be My people, and I will be their God" This is covenant language (cf. 30:22; 33:1). This has always been YHWH's desire. This will be the culmination of the "new covenant."

32:39 "and I will give them one heart and one way" There is a tension between humans making a new heart, Ezek. 18:31, and God giving a new heart, Ezek. 36:26; Jer. 31:33. This paradoxical relationship is normative throughout the Bible (i.e., covenant). God always takes the initiative but humans must respond in faith, repentance, obedience, and perseverance. However, the Fall of Genesis 3 made it impossible for humans, even the faith seed of Abraham, to fulfill God's covenant desires. Therefore, the need of a new heart, new mind, new spirit!

▣ Notice what the visible outcome of a "new heart" is.

1. respect ("fear") of YHWH always

2. the abundance/prosperity/peace of those who know Him (cf. v. 41a, as a witness to the nations)

3. stable, happy societies, generation after generation

This was always the desire of God for humanity. We were created for fellowship with Him (cf. Jer. 31:34; Gen. 1:26-27; 3:8).

If there is no visible change, there is no new heart (cf. Matt. 7:15-27 and the NT books of James and I John)! God wants a people to reflect His character to a lost and needy world. Conversion demands transformation (cf. Matthew 13). Eternal life has observable characteristics! See Special Topic at 18:8.

32:40 "and I will make an everlasting covenant with them" The new term found here is the term "everlasting" (cf. Isa. 55:3; 61:8; Ezek. 16:60; 37:26). The Hebrew here is rather ambiguous (see Special Topic at 7:7). We know from further history that the returning exiles do not faithfully fulfill the covenant either. There has always been a conditional element built into the covenant. God has always been willing to make the covenant permanent but mankind continues to rebel.

32:41 We see again an anthropomorphic phrase used for the intensity of God's love for Israel (cf. Hos. 11:8,9; Jer. 8:18-9:16).

The last part of this verse has three phrases which describe YHWH's commitment to His gracious acts toward a restored/repentant Judah.

1. "faithfully" - BDB 54, see Special Topic at 3:12

2. "with all My heart" - used only here in the OT, see SPECIAL TOPIC: THE HEART at 4:15

3. "with all My soul" - this is another surprising use of a term which is used of humans (Gen. 2:4) and animals (Gen. 1:24; 2:19) - nephesh (BDB 659, KB 711)

YHWH is accommodating Himself to physical human language to make His point to Jeremiah.

32:42 God is the source of all things (i.e., one causality in the universe). If there is only one God (see Special Topic: Monotheism at 1:5), then basically He either allows or uses both good and evil. This is the affirmation of the OT. The OT recognized no secondary causes!

32:44 The promises of restoration are multi-fulfillment oracles. These promises were meant to be a reality to the post-exilic Judean community and, in one sense, they were. However, the "eternal covenant" was broken again as the interbiblical and Roman periods clearly demonstrate. For me these promises to national Israel must be re-evaluated in light of the life and teaching of Jesus. If the NT is revelation, then it must be noted that the national promises have been universalized, which was always YHWH's intent (see Special Topics at 1:5 and 30:3). Please look at these Special Topics; they show my biases and meta-narrative orientation.

Jeremiah 33

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

(The parentheses represent poetic literary units)

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
Restoration Promised	Excellence of the Restored Nation	God Will Rebuild the Walls of Jerusalem	Another Promise of Hope	Another Promise of Recovery
33:1-9	33:1-3	33:1-9	33:1-9	33:1-9
	33:4-9
33:10-11 (11c)	33:10-11 (11c)	33:10-11 (11c)	33:10-11 (11c)	33:10-11
33:12-13	33:12-13	33:12-13	33:12-13	33:12-13
The Davidic Kingdom				The Institutions of the Future
33:14-18	33:14	33:14-16	33:14-18	33:14-18
	33:15-18 (15-16)			(15-16)
	The Permanence of God's Covenant	33:17-18
33:19-22	33:19-22	33:19-22	33:19-22	33:19-22
33:23-26	33:23-24	33:23-26	33:23-26	33:23-26
	33:25-26

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: 33:1-9
¹Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the second time, while he was still confined in the court of the guard, saying, ²"Thus says the Lord who made the earth, the Lord who formed it to establish it, the Lord is His name, ³'Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.' ⁴For thus says the Lord God of Israel concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah which are broken down to make a defense against the siege ramps and against the sword, ⁵'While they are coming to fight with the Chaldeans and to fill them with the corpses of men whom I have slain in My anger and in My wrath, and I have hidden My face from this city because of all their wickedness: ⁶Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them; and I will reveal to them an abundance of peace and truth. ⁷I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel and will rebuild them as they were at first. ⁸I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned against Me and by which they have transgressed against Me. ⁹It will be to Me a name of joy, praise and glory before all the nations of the earth which will hear of all the good that I do for them, and they will fear and tremble because of all the good and all the peace that I make for it.'"

33:1 This shows that chapters 32 and 33 are linked (as are chapters 30-33, the Book of Consolation).

33:2 This is one of several references in Jeremiah to YHWH as creator.

1. The first verb "made" (BDB 793, KB 889, Qal active participle) is used in a parallel way to "create" (BDB 135, KB 153, cf. Gen. 1:1), which is clearly seen in 1:7,16,25; 3:1. YHWH made the earth (LXX), which is denoted in the MT by the pronoun "it." However, it could refer to His eternal redemptive plan (JPSOA).

2. The second verb "formed" (BDB 427, KB 428, Qal active participle) is also used often of YHWH as creator

a. Adam - Gen. 2:7,8

b. Israel as a covenant nation - Isa. 27:11; 43:1,21; 44:21; 45:9,11; 64:7

c. Jeremiah - Jer. 1:5

3. The third verb "to establish it" (BDB 465, KB 464, Hiphil infinitive construct) may relate to the fixed order of nature in Jer. 31:35-37 or to YHWH establishing the world by His wisdom in Jer. 10:12.

4. All three verbs are present in Isa. 45:18.

▣ "the Lord is His name" See Special Topics below.

SPECIAL TOPIC: "THE NAME" of YHWH

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE NAME OF THE LORD

33:3 Notice the personal element of biblical, covenant faith. Notice the verb forms.

1. "call to Me" - BDB 894, KB 1128, Qal imperative, singular, cf. 29:12

a. Jeremiah

b. His people, collectively

2. "I will answer you" - BDB 772, KB 851, Qal imperfect used in a cohortative sense

3. "I will tell you" - BDB 616, KB 665, Hiphil cohortative

▣ "Call to Me, and I will answer you" Here again is the sign of the renewed covenant. Earlier Jeremiah had been told not to pray for the people could not repent. Now they are assured that as they sought God, He would respond to them.

▣ "great and mighty things, which you do not know" The term "mighty" is literally "inaccessible" (BDB 130). This word was often used for breaking into a fortified city (cf. 15:20; 52:7; II Chr. 32:1). It refers to that which is beyond human ability ("which you do not know"), therefore, God's revelation (cf. Isa. 48:6) about future acts for His people.

33:4 The buildings inside the walls of Jerusalem (both of the king and the citizens) are torn down to

1. fortify, support

2. fill in the damage done by the Babylonian siege machines (i.e., A-frames with ropes and logs)

3. drop rocks on the siege machines placed against the walls

In v. 5 YHWH will show His wrath on Jerusalem by allowing dead bodies to fill the holes made by the siege machines! The JPSOA and the AB both assert the ambiguity and uncertainty of the end of v. 4 and the beginning of v. 5.

JPSOA's translation, "for [defense] against the siegemounds and against the sword, and were filled by those who went to fight the Chaldeans" (p. 995).

AB simply leaves it blank with two blank parentheses (p. 292).

▣ "Against the sword" This is an uncertain Hebrew term (BDB 352, KB 349). The JPSOA indicates that vv. 4c-5a are ambiguous. The Septuagint translates this as "fortifications" (cf. Isa. 22:10).

33:5 "to fill them with corpses" The places where the buildings were torn down became burial places for the soldiers slain and/or the citizens who died from famine and pestilence.

▣ "and I have hidden My face from this city because of all their wickedness" Judah's idolatry and unwillingness to listen to Jeremiah or repent of their wickedness has caused the personal God to turn His face away (i.e., not to be attentive to the prayers of His people). This imagery begins in Deut. 31:17 and is repeated often in the prophets.

1. Isa. 1:15; 8:17; 45:15; 54:8; 59:2

2. Jer. 21:10; 44:11

3. Amos 9:4

4. Micah 3:4

As sin drove Adam, Eve, and Cain from the Garden of Eden, it now drives the descendants of Abraham out of the Promised Land!

33:6-9 The great and mighty things of v. 3 are explained in vv. 6-9. Chapters 30-33 are the most positive messages in all of Jeremiah.

Notice what YHWH will do.

1. bring health (BDB 74) and healing (BDB 951), cf. 8:22; 30:17 (opposite of 8:15; 14:19)

2. bring peace (BDB 1027, possibly "prosperity")

3. bring truth (BDB 54, possibly "security")

4. restore the fortunes of both Judah and Israel (some LXX MSS change "Israel" to "Jerusalem," however, Jeremiah does mention the reunification often, cf. 3:18; 30:3; 31:27; 33:11,14,17; and possibly v. 24)

5. rebuild them both (i.e., completely restore them)

6. cleanse them from all their iniquity (#6 and #7 are part of the promise of the new covenant in 31:31-34)

7. pardon all their iniquities (the first seven above are all perfects)

8. the restored covenant people will resume their place as a light to the nations (v. 9; 3:17,19; 4:2; 16:19)

33:8 This is a tremendous affirmation of God cleansing His people. It seems to reflect the new covenant (cf. Jer. 31:31-33). All three Hebrew words for sin are found in this verse (as they are in Psalm 51).

1. iniquity - BDB 730, KB 800

2. sin - BDB 306, KB 305 (twice), Qal perfects

3. transgress - BDB 833, KB 981, Qal perfect, also translated "rebel"

They all refer to some deviation from the standard of judgment which is God Himself, as revealed in the covenant. However, God affirms that He will cleanse (BDB 372, KB 369, Piel perfect) and pardon (BDB 699, KB 757, Qal perfect). "Pardon" is a term which is always used for God's forgiveness.

33:9 It must be stated with emphasis that God chose Israel to choose the whole world (see Special Topic at 1:5). However, the light that was being given to the world was not the wonderful, merciful character of God (cf. Lev. 26:2-13; Deut. 28:1-6; 30:1-20), that He wanted to reveal (cf. Ezek. 36:22-38). Because of Israel's and Judah's disobedience the only aspect of YHWH' character the nations saw was judgment. God wanted to use Israel as a kingdom of priests (cf. Exod. 19:5-6, note the phrase's use in I Pet. 2:5,9; Rev. 1:6) to reach the whole world (cf. 3:17,19; 4:2; 16:19). In my opinion the church has become that evangelistic light (cf. Matt. 28:18-20; Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8), but the same warning (cf. Rom. 11:18-22; James 2:14-26) that was given to Abraham's physical seed is obviously appropriate for Abraham's spiritual seed (cf. Rom. 2:28-29). See Special Topic at 2:19.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 33:10-11
¹⁰"Thus says the Lord, 'Yet again there will be heard in this place, of which you say, "It is a waste, without man and without beast," that is, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man and without inhabitant and without beast, ¹¹the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who say,
"Give thanks to the Lord of hosts,
For the Lord is good,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting";
and of those who bring a thank offering into the house of the Lord. For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were at first,' says the Lord.

33:10-11 What a contrast v. 10 is to v. 11! Verse 10 expresses the tragedy of the destruction and exile of Jerusalem/Judah. The human population and their flocks and herds are all gone! One note I would add is that even though there are no domesticated animals left, there is also no mention of wild animals inhabiting the site. These wild animals often denoted the presence of the demonic (cf. 9:11; 10:22; Isa. 13:22; 34:11-15; Zeph. 2:14).

Verse 11 is a litany of the joys of normal social activities (i.e., weddings, feast days). This joy is possible because YHWH has brought His people back to their land and He dwells with them (i.e., the temple). This theme of joy is recurrent in the prophets (i.e., 31:12; Isa. 12:1-6; 25:9; 35:10; 51:3,11; 65:18; 66:10; Zeph. 2:6-7). A new day is coming because a new covenant is coming. That new covenant is Jesus Christ and salvation by grace through faith (cf. Eph. 2:8-10), which issues in Christlikeness (cf. v. 15).

The voice of joy (a command of thanks, BDB 392, KB 389, Hiphil imperative) is also found in Ps. 106:1; 107:1; 118:1; 136:1. So it must have been a well known poem/proverb/ritual affirmation!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 33:12-13
¹²"Thus says the Lord of hosts, 'There will again be in this place which is waste, without man or beast, and in all its cities, a habitation of shepherds who rest their flocks. ¹³In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland, in the cities of the Negev, in the land of Benjamin, in the environs of Jerusalem and in the cities of Judah, the flocks will again pass under the hands of the one who numbers them,' says the Lord.

33:12-13 The strophe further explains vv. 10-11.

33:13 "will again pass under the hands of the one who numbers them" This refers to the daily actions a shepherds (cf. Lev. 27:32; this imagery is the background of John 10:1-18).

1. making sure that all of the sheep were in the pen at night

2. a way of counting the sheep for tithing purposes

3. the Aramaic Targums specifically attribute this action to the Messiah

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 33:14-18
¹⁴'Behold, days are coming,' declares the Lord, 'when I will fulfill the good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and the house of Judah. ¹⁵In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch of David to spring forth; and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth. ¹⁶In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will dwell in safety; and this is the name by which she will be called: the Lord is our righteousness.' ¹⁷For thus says the Lord, 'David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel; ¹⁸and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man before Me to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to prepare sacrifices continually.'"

33:14-16 This passage is absent in the LXX. Some scholars postulate that the reason it is omitted in chapter 33 is because it seems to be a development and repetition of the same truth found in Jer. 23:5-6 (this is a characteristic of the LXX; see notes at 23:5-6). However, this is a tremendous Messianic passage which promises a future fulfillment, not only of the exiled seed of Abraham to the Promised Land, but also of the restoration of the Davidic seed and the restored temple.

R. K. Harrison is one of my favorite authors. In his commentary (Tyndale OT series) on Jeremiah he gives a list of all the descriptive titles and phrases Jeremiah uses of the coming Davidic seed/Messiah (p. 144).

1. the Fountain of living waters, 2:13; 17:13

2. the good Shepherd, 23:4; 31:10 (3:15 plural)

3. the righteous Branch, 3:15; 23:5

4. the Redeemer, 50:34

5. the Lord our righteousness, 23:6; 33:16

6. David the king, 30:9

7. agent of the new covenant, 31:31-34

33:15 "In those days and at that time" This refers to a future period. It and similar phrases are used often in chapters 30-33.

1. 30:3,24

2. 31:27,29,31,33,38

3. 32:14

4. 33:14,15,16

The exact time element is not stated but since it is the "new covenant period," Christian scholars believe it refers to the New Testament and Jesus, while Jewish scholars believe it refers to the post-exilic period (i.e., Zerubbabel and Joshua). If it is post-exilic then even though it is not stated in the "if. . .then" format, it is a conditional covenant (i.e., future Seleucid and Roman defeats). Here, one's meta-narrative structures the text to fit a particular worldview. My biases are spelled out in the Special Topic: Bob's Evangelical Biases at 1:5.

▣ "I will cause a righteous Branch of David to spring forth" This is the same Messianic metaphor used in 23:5-6 and 30:9. It was a favorite metaphor of

1. Isaiah, cf. 4:2; 7:5; 45:24-25; also note 11:1-5

2. Zechariah, cf. 3:8; 6:12,13

33:16 "the Lord is our righteousness" This title of the Messiah (cf. 23:6) is transferred to the repentant and obedient people of God (cf. 31:31-34). The goal of God is a people who reflect His character to a lost and needy world!

For Hebrew people a change of name marked a significant event in the life of a person (cf. Gen. 32:28). A significant, permanent change has occurred to the nation personified in this title (also note the title in 21:23 for Jerusalem).

33:17 "For thus says the Lord, 'David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel'" This goes back to the prophecy of II Sam. 7:11-16; 23:5 (cf. Ps. 89:30-37). However, we learn from history that Jerusalem did fall, the temple was destroyed and the Davidic seed was carried into captivity in Babylon. This section certainly reflects the Messiah (i.e., Jesus, the line of David, Matthew 1; Luke 2), but some see it as referring to Zerubbabel as the Davidic branch (i.e., Prince, possibly Sheshbazzar and Zerubbabel are the same person or relatives, cf. Ezra 1:8; 5:14) who returned after the exile (cf. Zech. 4:6-10; 6:12).

33:18 "the Levitical priests shall never lack a man before Me" There has been much discussion about this promise of a renewed Levitical priesthood. Some say it means that there will be sacrifices in the end-time period. However, my understanding of Jesus as fulfilling both the roles of king and priest (cf. Heb. 1:2-3) probably makes this a spiritual promise instead of one to be literally fulfilled. There are several places in the OT where the Messiah has both a priestly and royal aspect (cf. Ps. 110:1-3 [royal], then 4 [priestly]; also Zerubbabel [royal] and Joshua [priestly], cf Zechariah 4, esp. v. 14; 6:9-15).

Remember that Melchizedek, in Gen. 14:17-24, was the priest/king of Salem. The NT book of Hebrews, particularly chapters 5-7, asserts that the Messiah's twin roles (priest/king) is foreshadowed in him. This same priest/king combination is revealed in Psalm 110 and Zechariah 3 and 4. The Dead Sea Scroll community expected two Messiahs, one from the tribe of Judah (Gen. 49:8-12) and one from the tribe of Levi.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 33:19-22
¹⁹The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, ²⁰"Thus says the Lord, 'If you can break My covenant for the day and My covenant for the night, so that day and night will not be at their appointed time, ²¹then My covenant may also be broken with David My servant so that he will not have a son to reign on his throne, and with the Levitical priests, My ministers. ²²As the host of heaven cannot be counted and the sand of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the descendants of David My servant and the Levites who minister to Me.'"

33:19-22 This strophe claims that the new covenant is going to be permanent because the order and cycles of nature are permanent (cf. 31:35-37). Western science was developed on this premise of the regularity of God's creation (cf. v. 25; Gen. 8:22; Ps. 74:16-17; 89:36-37).

33:22 "counted. . .measured" These are both Niphal imperfects. They are the same metaphors (i.e., stars and sand) used in the promises to the Patriarchs about the number of descendants to

1. Abraham - Gen. 13:16; 15:5; 22:17

2. Isaac - Gen. 26:4

3. Jacob - Gen. 28:14; 32:12

4. all of them - Exod. 32:13

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 33:23-26
²³And the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, ²⁴"Have you not observed what this people have spoken, saying, 'The two families which the Lord chose, He has rejected them'? Thus they despise My people, no longer are they as a nation in their sight. ²⁵Thus says the Lord, 'If My covenant for day and night stand not, and the fixed patterns of heaven and earth I have not established, ²⁶then I would reject the descendants of Jacob and David My servant, not taking from his descendants rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy on them.'"

33:23-26 This strophe expresses the same truth as vv. 19-22.

Grant Osborne, The Hermeneutical Spiral (p. 216), calls this strophe a "disputation speech" (cf. Isa. 28:14-19; Ezek. 18:1-20) where the prophet uses the opponents' own words to show their sin and rebellion. Each of their statements is answered by the prophet and a future setting/outcome is revealed.

33:24 "this people. . .My people" The first use of "people" refers to unrepentant Jews who are about to be destroyed and the second uses refers to the repentant remnant (see Special Topic at 5:10-13) which will one day return.

▣ "the two families" This may refer to

1. Abraham - Gen. 13:16; 15:5; 22:17

2. Isaac - Gen. 26:4

3. the tribes of Judah (royal) and Levi (priestly), cf. vv. 7,14

4. Jacob and David - cf. v. 26

5. David and Levi - cf. v. 21

33:26 "I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy on them" The term "mercy" is a family term (BDB 933, cf. Ps. 103:13; Isa. 49:15). What a great affirmation that God will not leave His people totally defenseless. But, notice the conditional element that they must repent and that the time of judgment was necessary to pull them away from the idolatry and ritualism to which they had fallen.

▣ "restore" The MT has "restore" (BDB 996, KB 1427, Qal imperfect) but the Masoretic scholars suggested instead "bring back" (BDB 996, KB 1427, Hiphil imperfect, cf. NKJV, NJB); both concepts are found together in 29:14.

The concept of "restore" is mentioned in 29:14; 30:3,18; 31:23; 32:44; 33:7,11. It refers to the covenant blessings given to the Patriarchs. The concept of "bring back" is included in this larger agenda.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTERS 30-33

This is a study guide commentary, whichmeans 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.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought provoking, not definitive.

1. How are Jeremiah 30-33 related?

2. Why is Jeremiah's symbolic act of buying a field so significant?

3. How has archaeology confirmed the historicity of Jeremiah 32?

4. Why is the close of Jer. 32:8 so spiritually significant?

5. How are the gods Ba'al and Molech related?

6. How do we explain Jer. 32:39 in light of Ezek. 18:31?

7. List and define the three Hebrew words for sin found in Jer. 33:8

8. Why is Jer. 33:14-18 so significant and how does it impact our understanding of the end-time?

Jeremiah 34

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

(The parentheses represent poetic literary units)

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
A Prophecy Against Zedekiah	Zedekiah Warned by God	Warning to Zedekiah	A Message to Zedekiah	The Fate of Zedekiah
34:1-5	34:1-5	34:1-5	34:1-5	34:1-5
34:6-7	34:6-7	34:6-7	34:6-7	34:6-7
	Treacherous Treatment of Slaves	Manumission of Slaves and Perfidy of the Jerusalemites	Deceitful Treatment of Slaves	The Episode of the Liberated Slaves
34:8-11	34:8-11	34:8-22	34:8-11	34:8-16
34:12-16	34:12-16		34:12-22
34:17-22	34:17-22			34:17-22

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: 34:1-5
¹The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army, with all the kingdoms of the earth that were under his dominion and all the peoples, were fighting against Jerusalem and against all its cities, saying, ²"Thus says the Lord God of Israel, 'Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and say to him: "Thus says the Lord, 'Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire. ³You will not escape from his hand, for you will surely be captured and delivered into his hand; and you will see the king of Babylon eye to eye, and he will speak with you face to face, and you will go to Babylon.'"' ⁴Yet hear the word of the Lord, O Zedekiah king of Judah! Thus says the Lord concerning you, 'You will not die by the sword. ⁵You will die in peace; and as spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so they will burn spices for you; and they will lament for you, "Alas, lord!"' For I have spoken the word," declares the Lord.

34:1

NASB, NKJV,
TEV, NJB"Nebuchadnezzar"
NRSV, JPSOA,
REB"Nebuchadrezzar"

#1 with an "n" in 27:6,8,20; 28:3,11,14; 29:1,3 (most common spelling outside Jeremiah)

#2 with an "r" in 21:2,7; 22:25; 24:1; 25:1,9; 25:21; 32:1,28; 34:1; 35:11; 37:1; 39:1,5,11; 43:10; 44:30 and several more (but only in Jeremiah and 4 times in Ezekiel)

The MT follows option #2. In Jeremiah the word is spelled both ways.

It is difficult to transcribe ancient names from one language to another, but it is surprising that two different spellings occur in one author. This may be a textual hint of a later editor/compiler.

▣ "all his army with all the kingdoms of the earth" The military force was made up of (1) Babylonians; (2) mercenaries; and (3) vassal people (cf. II Kgs. 24:1-2). This descriptive phrase links up with Jer. 1:15.

34:2 "Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah" This chapter refers to two different messages related to Zedekiah, the last king of Judah.

1. his personal fate and the fate of Jerusalem

2. the fate of his leaders who broke their covenant with YHWH and their servants

▣ "hand" A Hebrew idiom of "power" (cf. vv. 3,21; 21:7). See Special Topic at 1:9.

▣ "he will burn it with fire" This was a

1. means of total destruction (i.e., uninhabited, cf. Isa. 34:11-15; Zeph. 2:13-15)

2. symbol of the judgment of God (see Special Topic at 4:4)

34:3 "you will not escape" The "you" is emphatic! There are three accounts of Zedekiah's capture in the OT (cf. 39:4-7; 52:7-11; II Kgs. 25:4-7). It was God's will that Babylon succeed (cf. Ezek. 17:11-21). Only capitulation could have saved the city from destruction.

▣ "you will surely be captured" This is an infinitive absolute and an imperfect verb from the same root (BDB 1074, KB 1779), used for emphasis.

▣ "face to face" Zedekiah was brought before Nebuchadnezzar. They had a personal (lit. "mouth to mouth," BDB 804), "eye to eye" (BDB 744) encounter (cf. 32:4).

34:4-5 Zedekiah will experience

1. the death of his sons

2. the death of all the princes (the royal family or leaders in general)

3. being blinded

4. exiled in chains

5. put in prison in Babylon until his death

However, at this death in Babylon (cf. 52:11) he was honored as a royal Judean king.

34:4 This chapter is characterized by verbs being doubled.

1. captured, v. 3

2. die, v. 4

3. speak, vv. 5-6

4. turn, v. 11

5. proclaim, v. 17

6. give, vv. 17-18

7. pass over, vv. 18-19

"Says" is often found side by side (cf. vv. 1-2,2,12-13), but these other verbs being doubled form a characteristic of Jeremiah's writing style.

34:5 "burn spices for you" Literally this is the verb "to burn" (BDB 976). Exactly what, why, or how is not specified. It may be a reference to (1) large amounts of spices burnt in honor of the dead king as a symbol of prayers on his behalf (cf. II Chr. 16:14; 21:19). The people did it not so much for him personally but for the memory of their homeland's once-proud heritage. This was just opposite of Jehoiakim's funeral (cf. 22:18-19). (2) This is a conditional promise (though the "if. . .then" is not stated) message which did not come to pass because Zedekiah would not heed YHWH's words from Jeremiah.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 34:6-7
⁶Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem ⁷when the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and against all the remaining cities of Judah, that is, Lachish and Azekah, for they alone remained as fortified cities among the cities of Judah.

34:7 "Lachish" Archaeologists have found letters (i.e., the Lachish Letters on 21 ostraca) from this siege period. The city was larger than Jerusalem during this time. It is about 23 miles southwest of Jerusalem.

▣ "Azekah" This city was about eleven miles southwest of Jerusalem. This verse implies that all other cities of Judah had already been destroyed.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 34:8-11
⁸The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people who were in Jerusalem to proclaim release to them: ⁹that each man should set free his male servant and each man his female servant, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman; so that no one should keep them, a Jew his brother, in bondage. ¹⁰And all the officials and all the people obeyed who had entered into the covenant that each man should set free his male servant and each man his female servant, so that no one should keep them any longer in bondage; they obeyed, and set them free. ¹¹But afterward they turned around and took back the male servants and the female servants whom they had set free, and brought them into subjection for male servants and for female servants.

34:8-11 This paragraph describes one example of the evil and disrespect for YHWH that existed among the leadership of Jerusalem. They made a public commitment to YHWH and His law (i.e., setting slaves/ servants free, cf. v. 14; Exod. 21:1-11; Lev. 25:39-55; Deut. 15:12-18), but when the circumstances seemed to change they reversed their actions.

34:8 "covenant" This word (BDB 136, cf. vv. 13,15,18; 31:32) is not a Hebrew word. Its etymology is uncertain, possibly

1. "to cut," cf. vv. 18-19

2. "to bind" from Akkadian; see Special Topic at 3:7

3. "to establish a covenant with an oath" from Akkadian

4. "to eat a meal together," which sealed the covenant (BDB 136 I, הרב, I Kgs. 8:25)

34:9 "Hebrew" This word (BDB 720 I, cf. Gen. 14:13; 39:14,27) is not used much (i.e., 34 times in all the OT). It reflects the nomadic background of the Jews (BDB 397 I, an adjective formed from the noun Judah, cf. 32:12; 38:19; 40:11,12; 41:3,19; 44:1; 52:28,30) and is often associated with servitude more than racial lineage.

34:10-11 Jeremiah's poetry often used words that sound alike. Notice

1. hear, v. 10 - שׁמע (twice)

2. send away, vv. 10,11 - שׁלח (twice)

3. turn, v. 11 - שׁוב (twice)

If you go back to v. 9, there are eight words from vv. 9-11 that begin with שׁ.

34:11 "afterward they turned around and took back the servants" Jeremiah 37:7-10,11 and 34:21-22 tell us that the Egyptian army was the cause of the siege being broken off briefly.

The Mosiac law allowed a Hebrew to sell himself or herself for a set period of time, six years. They were to be released at the end of one year of rest following the six of labor (cf. Exod. 23:10-11; 21:2-11; Lev. 25:39-46; Deut. 15:1,12-18). The rich people of the city vowed this act to impress God but when the siege was lifted they reneged!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 34:12-16
¹²Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, ¹³"Thus says the Lord God of Israel, 'I made a covenant with your forefathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, saying, ¹⁴"At the end of seven years each of you shall set free his Hebrew brother who has been sold to you and has served you six years, you shall send him out free from you; but your forefathers did not obey Me or incline their ear to Me. ¹⁵Although recently you had turned and done what is right in My sight, each man proclaiming release to his neighbor, and you had made a covenant before Me in the house which is called by My name. ¹⁶Yet you turned and profaned My name, and each man took back his male servant and each man his female servant whom you had set free according to their desire, and you brought them into subjection to be your male servants and female servants."'

34:14 "end of seven years" The LXX has "six years." The meaning is "at the beginning of the seventh year." This reflects the ancient law (cf. Exod. 21:2-11; Lev. 25:39-46; Deut. 15:1,12-18).

▣ "did not obey Me or incline their ear to Me" This same reluctance to hear and obey is seen in 7:24-26; 17:23; 19:15. It was not an issue of ignorance of God's will but willful, recurrent disobedience.

1. "obey" - BDB 1033, KB 1570, Qal perfect, lit. "hear" (Shema, cf. Deut. 6:4)

2. "incline" - BDB 639, KB 692, Hiphil perfect, cf. Josh. 24:23; Ps. 119:36

34:15 "in the house which is called by My name" This Deuteronomic language refers to the temple, which will eventually be in Jerusalem (cf. 7:10-11,14,30; 32:34).

The concept of the temple as "house" is the word play of II Sam. 7:2,13,16.

34:16 "profaned My name" This root (BDB 320 III, KB 319, Piel imperfect) means "to pollute," "to defile," or "to profane" (cf. Lev. 18:21; 19:12; 20:3; 21:6; 22:2,32; Ezek. 20:39; 36:20-23; Amos 2:7; Mal. 1:12; 2:10).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 34:17-22
¹⁷"Therefore thus says the Lord, 'You have not obeyed Me in proclaiming release each man to his brother and each man to his neighbor. Behold, I am proclaiming a release to you,' declares the Lord, 'to the sword, to the pestilence and to the famine; and I will make you a terror to all the kingdoms of the earth. ¹⁸I will give the men who have transgressed My covenant, who have not fulfilled the words of the covenant which they made before Me, when they cut the calf in two and passed between its parts- ¹⁹the officials of Judah and the officials of Jerusalem, the court officers and the priests and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf- ²⁰I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life. And their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth. ²¹Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials I will give into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life, and into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon which has gone away from you. ²²Behold, I am going to command,' declares the Lord, 'and I will bring them back to this city; and they will fight against it and take it and burn it with fire; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without inhabitant.'"

34:17 The leaders of Jerusalem swore in God's name to "free" their Hebrew slaves but they did not. Now YHWH will "free" (lit. "liberty," BDB 204 I) the sword (BDB 352), pestilence (BDB 184), and famine (BDB 944) on them (see note at 14:12).

▣ "and I will make you a terror to all the kingdoms of the earth" This same phrase is used in 29:18 and Deut. 28:25. God's covenant people were meant to be a light to the nations but they had become a proverb of disaster! This was an exact reversal of God's purposes (cf. Ezek. 36:22-38)!

34:19 "who passed between the parts of the calf" This was an ancient method of ratifying a covenant (cf. Gen. 15:9-10,17). See Special Topic at 3:7.

34:20 An improper burial was a horror to ancient Jewish people (cf. 19:7; I Sam. 17:44,46; I Kgs. 14:11; 16:4). It functioned as a threat and curse.

34:22 "I will bring them back to this city" As Nebuchadnezzar was besieging Jerusalem in 588 b.c., the Egyptian army appeared in Judah. The Babylonians withdrew their siege of Jerusalem for a brief period to meet the new threat (cf. Jeremiah 37), but there was no battle and the siege of Jerusalem was quickly reestablished.

Notice it is YHWH (lit. "I am going to command" - BDB 845, KB 1010, Piel active participle) who directs the Babylonian military (cf. II Kgs. 24:3). Remember the concept of monotheism (see Special Topic at 1:5) is often communicated by the absence of secondary causes! YHWH is in control of individual, national, and international (as well as physical) events!

Jeremiah 35

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

(The parentheses represent poetic literary units)

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
The Rechabites' Obedience	The Obedient Rechabites	The Symbol of the Rechabites	Jeremiah and the Rechabites	The Example of the Rechabites
35:1-11	35:1-11	35:1-11	35:1-5	35:1-5
Judah Rebuked			35:6-11	35:6-11
35:12-17	35:12-17	35:12-17	35:12-17	35:12-17
35:18-19	35:18-19	35:18-19	35:18-19	35:18-19

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 is built around the faithfulness of the Rechabites to not drink wine.

1. verb - "give to drink" - BDB 1052, KB 1639, Hiphil perfect, v. 2

2. verb - "drink" - BDB 1059, KB 1667, vv. 5,6 (twice), 8,14 (twice)

In contrast to the people of Judah who were not obedient to what they had heard. This chapter is not about total abstinence (see Special Topic at 23:9). This chapter is about faithfulness to a message. Be careful not to read your modern issues (total abstinence from the American temperance movement) into these ancient texts, where wine drinking was the societal norm.

B. The verb "hear" (BDB 1033, KB 1570) is used many times in this chapter (vv. 8,10,13,14 [twice],15,16,17,17). The Rechabites "hear" but Judah does not!

C. There is a sound play on words with שׁ (cf. 25:3-5; 29:19-20; 34:9-11).

1. v. 14 - drink, שׁתה (twice)

- hear, שׁמע (twice)

2. v. 15 - send, שׁלח

- rise early, שׁכם

- send, שׁלח

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 35:1-11
¹The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying, ²"Go to the house of the Rechabites and speak to them, and bring them into the house of the Lord, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink." ³Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons and the whole house of the Rechabites, ⁴and I brought them into the house of the Lord, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, the man of God, which was near the chamber of the officials, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the doorkeeper. ⁵Then I set before the men of the house of the Rechabites pitchers full of wine and cups; and I said to them, "Drink wine!" ⁶But they said, "We will not drink wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, saying, 'You shall not drink wine, you or your sons, forever. ⁷You shall not build a house, and you shall not sow seed and you shall not plant a vineyard or own one; but in tents you shall dwell all your days, that you may live many days in the land where you sojourn.' ⁸We have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he commanded us, not to drink wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons or our daughters, ⁹nor to build ourselves houses to dwell in; and we do not have vineyard or field or seed. ¹⁰We have only dwelt in tents, and have obeyed and have done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us. ¹¹But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against the land, we said, 'Come and let us go to Jerusalem before the army of the Chaldeans and before the army of the Arameans.' So we have dwelt in Jerusalem."

35:1 "Jehoiakim" When one compares 34:2 it is easy to see how the book of Jeremiah is out of chronological order (chapters 35-36 precede 32-34). Someone compiled and edited his work, probably Baruch (cf. 32:12,13,16; 36:4,5,8,10,13,14,15,16; 43:3,6; 45:1,2).

35:2 "the house of" This idiom means "the family of."

▣ "Rechabites" We do not know much about them (cf. I Chr. 2:55; Jdgs. 1:16). They seem to be a nomadic Arab tribe related to Midionites or Kenites, the in-laws of Moses' first wife. Moses' father-in-law goes by four names-Jethro, Jether, Revel, Hobab (cf. Exod. 2:18; 3:1; 4:18; Num. 10:29; Jdgs. 4:11 and two titles-the Kenite, Jdgs. 1:16 and "priest of Midian," Exod. 3:1; 18:1).

It is obvious that YHWH is commanding the testing of the family traditions of this family group. The test is intensified by

1. bring them to the temple

2. take into a private chamber

3. tempt them with an abundance of wine to drink (imperative in v. 5)

35:4 "the man of God" This phrase is used of Moses (cf. Deut. 33:1; Josh. 14:6) and prophets (cf. I Kgs. 12:22; 17:18,24; 20:28) but here it is used of one of their godly ancestors (i.e., Hanan).

▣ "the door keeper" This phrase (BDB 1036 construct 706 II) denoted a very important position in the temple (cf. 52:24; II Kgs. 12:9; 25:18).

35:5 "pitchers" This Egyptian loan word (BDB 149, cf. Gen. 44:2,12) refers to very large bowls.

35:6 "Jonadab" This man is mentioned in II Kgs. 10:15-27).

35:6-7 There is a series (Qal imperfects) of things the original father of the family commanded his descendants not to do (i.e., stay nomadic).

1. do not drink wine, v. 6c

2. do not build a house, v. 7

3. do not sow seed

4. do not plant a vineyard

5. do not own a vineyard

6. live in tents

35:7 "that you may live many days in the land" This phrase is similar to the phrase in Deuteronomy about honoring parents (cf. Deut. 5:16,33; 4:40; 11:9).

35:11 Like so many of the people of the land, this family fled into the walled city of Jerusalem for protection.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 35:12-17
¹²Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, ¹³"Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Go and say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, "Will you not receive instruction by listening to My words?" declares the Lord. ¹⁴"The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, which he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are observed. So they do not drink wine to this day, for they have obeyed their father's command. But I have spoken to you again and again; yet you have not listened to Me. ¹⁵Also I have sent to you all My servants the prophets, sending them again and again, saying: 'Turn now every man from his evil way and amend your deeds, and do not go after other gods to worship them. Then you will dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your forefathers; but you have not inclined your ear or listened to Me. ¹⁶Indeed, the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have observed the command of their father which he commanded them, but this people has not listened to Me.'"' ¹⁷Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Behold, I am bringing on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the disaster that I have pronounced against them; because I spoke to them but they did not listen, and I have called them but they did not answer.'"

35:13 This is the key verse as to the theological point of the chapter (cf. vv. 16-17). This family obeyed their father but Judah did not obey their Father (i.e., God).

35:14 God sent His spokesperson again and again, but Judah would not hear and obey! See note below.

35:15 "I have sent to you all My servants the prophets, sending them again and again" This is a recurrent theme of Jeremiah (cf. 7:13,25; 11:7; 25:3-4; 26:5; 29:19; 32:33; 35:14-15; 44:4).

The Recabites heard and responded to one message by an ancient ancestor, but Judah rejected again and again the message of their God!

▣ A sample of the message is recorded in v. 15.

1.(an implied "if") turn - BDB 996, KB 1427, Qal imperative, cf. 18:11

2. amend - BDB 405, KB 408, Hiphil imperative, cf. 7:3; 18:11

3. do not go (walk) after other gods - BDB 229, KB 240, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense, cf. 7:6

4. then you shall dwell in the land - BDB 442, KB 444, Qal imperative

The conditional element of the message has been violated as the last line of v. 15 shows (cf. 7:24)!

35:17 Notice the threefold emphasis on the One who is speaking the message.

1. the Lord (YHWH)

2. the God of hosts (usually YHWH of hosts, cf. v. 18)

3. the God of Israel (usually Elohim of Israel, cf. v. 18)

He "spoke" and "called," but Judah would not "listen" or "respond" (cf. 7:13,26,27; 26:5).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 35:18-19
¹⁸Then Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, "Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Because you have obeyed the command of Jonadab your father, kept all his commands and done according to all that he commanded you; ¹⁹therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, "Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not lack a man to stand before Me always."'"

35:19 YHWH's promise is not that this family group will be a priest in the temple, but that they will continue to be a family through time (including this crisis).

Jeremiah 36

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

(The parentheses represent poetic literary units)

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
Jeremiah's Scroll Read in the Temple	The Scroll Read in the Temple	Jehoiakim Burns a Scroll of Jeremiah	Baruch Reads the Scroll in the Temple	The Scroll Written in 605-604 b.c.
36:1-3	36:1-3	36:1-3	36:1-3	36:1-4
36:4-8	36:4-8	36:4-8	36:4-8
				36:5-8
36:9-10	36:9-10	36:9-10	36:9-10	36:9-10
	The Scroll Read in the Palace		The Scroll is Read to the Officials
36:11-19	36:11-19	36:11-19	36:11-17	36:11-20
			36:18-19
The Scroll Is Burned	The King Destroys Jeremiah's Scroll		The King Burns the Scroll
26:20-26	36:20-26	36:20-26	36:20-26
				36:21-26
The Scroll Is Replaced	Jeremiah Rewrites the Scroll	Jeremiah Dictates Another	Jeremiah Writes Another Scroll
36:27-31	36:27-31	36:27-31	36:27-31	36:27-31
36:32	36:32	36:32	36:32	36:32

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: 36:1-3
¹In the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, ²"Take a scroll and write on it all the words which I have spoken to you concerning Israel and concerning Judah, and concerning all the nations, from the day I first spoke to you, from the days of Josiah, even to this day. ³Perhaps the house of Judah will hear all the calamity which I plan to bring on them, in order that every man will turn from his evil way; then I will forgive their iniquity and their sin."

36:1 "In the fourth year of Jehoiakim" This is the same introductory phrase used in chapters 25, 45, and 46. The year is 605 b.c. This was the year of the Battle of Carchemish in which the Babylonians defeated the Egyptian and the remnants of the Assyrian armies. Daniel had been in exile for one year (cf. Dan. 1:1). This Judean king was a son of the godly King Josiah. He grew up under godly teachers but his heart turned away from God. Ezekiel 18 uses him and his father or Hezekiah and Manasseh as types.

36:2 Jeremiah's message was not his own! YHWH wanted His message delivered to that generation in writing so it could be a witness to us also (cf. Rom. 4:23-24; 15:4; I Cor. 10:6,11; I Pet. 1:10-12). He spoke to a particular culture, at a particular time, but the basic message has relevance for all believers for all times! The best book I have read that discusses this issue is Gordon Fee, Gospel and Spirit. I commend it to you.

▣ "concerning Israel and concerning Judah, and concerning all the nations" YHWH is not a God of the Israelites only (see Special Topic at 1:5) but a God of all the world (cf. Gen. 3:15; 12:3; Exod. 19:5; Ps. 22:27; 66:1-4; 86:8-10; Isa. 2:2-4; 12:4-5; 25:6-9; 42:6-12; 45:22-23; 49:5-6; 51:4-5; 56:6-8; 60:1-3; 66:23; Jonah; Micah 4:1-4; Mal. 1:11; John 3:16; 4:42; I Tim. 2:4; Titus 2:11; II Pet. 3:9; I John 2:1; 4:14)!

36:3 "all the calamity which I plan to bring on them" This is a difficult phrase to understand. Does this mean that every physical tragedy is from the hand of God? I think not! But sometimes it is or at least He allows the consequences of a fallen world to manifest in the lives of nations and individuals. If this occurred every time we sinned, we would all live in constant crises. Here is a problem.

1. God does use problems (physical, emotional, relational, spiritual) to cause us to recognize His presence and purpose for our lives. There are consequences for disobedience (cf. Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 27-28, 30).

2. Everything that happens to us in our lives is not the hand of God but the consequences of living in a fallen world.

3. I never know if what happens to me is a result of #1 or #2, so I choose to use the circumstances (good or bad) to seek God and His will and pleasure for my life. He is with us and for us (my worldview). I filter everything through this truth.

4. In the OT all causality is attributed to God to affirm monotheism (see Special Topic at 1:5). The OT does not recognize or designate "secondary causes"!

▣ "every man will turn from his evil ways" This is a continuing emphasis of individual responsibility (i.e., a conditional covenant, cf. 31:31-34; Ezek. 18:2-4). Notice how YHWH desires that all Judah repent, one person at a time.

▣ "I will forgive their iniquity and their sins" This is the continuing promise of the graciousness of God, that if humans (i.e., Judah) will turn to Him in repentance and faith (cf. 7:5-7; 26:3; Ps. 103:6-14; Isa. 1:16-19; Mark 1:15), He will turn to them (cf. Zech. 1:3; Mal. 3:7). Note the implied "if. . .then" conditional covenant.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 36:4-8
⁴Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah, and Baruch wrote on a scroll at the dictation of Jeremiah all the words of the Lord which He had spoken to him. ⁵Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, "I am restricted; I cannot go into the house of the Lord. ⁶So you go and read from the scroll which you have written at my dictation the words of the Lord to the people in the Lord's house on a fast day. And also you shall read them to all the people of Judah who come from their cities. ⁷Perhaps their supplication will come before the Lord, and everyone will turn from his evil way, for great is the anger and the wrath that the Lord has pronounced against this people." ⁸Baruch the son of Neriah did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, reading from the book the words of the Lord in the Lord's house.

36:4 "Baruch" This man functions as Jeremiah's scribe. He was of an important family in Jerusalem (i.e., his brother, Seraiah, was a high official, cf. 51:59). It is uncertain how much he contributed to the book (i.e., helped grammatically, lexically, structurally), but v. 17 implies he simply wrote down what Jeremiah said to him.

▣ "on a scroll" This scroll would have been written on (1) long pieces of leather with the writing in small columns or (2) papyrus pages glued together. The leather scroll of Isaiah, found in the Dead Sea Scrolls, is 29 feet long.

This phrase (BDB 166 construct 706) is found only here and in Ps. 40:7; Ezek. 2:9.

36:5 "I am restricted" The root term is "debarred" (BDB 783, KB 870). It means (1) he had been put under house arrest (cf. 32:2; 33:1) and barred from the Temple area or (2) he had become ceremonially unclean and, therefore, could not enter the Temple area.

36:7 Notice the interplay between the corporate ("everyone") and individual ("his"). I often wonder if God holds me responsible, not only my own sins but also the sins of my culture/society. Often in the OT God's leaders prayed for their sins and their people's sins! Somehow these are related. The same theological question could be asked about Adam/Eve's sin. Am I responsible for Adam's sin or my own? Yes!

▣ "for great is the anger and the wrath" This is anthropomorphic language. See Special Topic at 1:9.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 36:9-10
⁹Now in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month, all the people in Jerusalem and all the people who came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem proclaimed a fast before the Lord. ¹⁰Then Baruch read from the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of the Lord in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the scribe, in the upper court, at the entry of the New Gate of the Lord's house, to all the people.

36:9 "in the ninth month" This is the first mention in the OT of the Babylonian calendar (NET Bible #11, p. 1398). In this same month, Ashkelon, a major Judean city forty-five miles from Jerusalem, fell to Babylon. This may be the reason for this fast (i.e., not "the Day of Atonement," Leviticus 16 or the fall of Jerusalem in 605 to Babylon).

36:10 "Shaphan, the scribe" This was an official in Josiah's court. He was comparable to modern America's Secretary of State (cf. II Kgs. 22:3).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 36:11-19
¹¹Now when Micaiah the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, had heard all the words of the Lord from the book, ¹²he went down to the king's house, into the scribe's chamber. And behold, all the officials were sitting there-Elishama the scribe, and Delaiah the son of Shemaiah, and Elnathan the son of Achbor, and Gemariah the son of Shaphan, and Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the other officials. ¹³Micaiah declared to them all the words that he had heard when Baruch read from the book to the people. ¹⁴Then all the officials sent Jehudi the son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, to Baruch, saying, "Take in your hand the scroll from which you have read to the people and come." So Baruch the son of Neriah took the scroll in his hand and went to them. ¹⁵They said to him, "Sit down, please, and read it to us." So Baruch read it to them. ¹⁶When they had heard all the words, they turned in fear one to another and said to Baruch, "We will surely report all these words to the king." ¹⁷And they asked Baruch, saying, "Tell us, please, how did you write all these words? Was it at his dictation?" ¹⁸Then Baruch said to them, "He dictated all these words to me, and I wrote them with ink on the book." ¹⁹Then the officials said to Baruch, "Go, hide yourself, you and Jeremiah, and do not let anyone know where you are."

36:12 "all the officials were sitting there" This was an official meeting of the leaders of both the Temple and the royal court (cf. 26:20-23).

36:14 "Jehudi" His name means "man of Judah" (BDB 397 II). His lineage is listed to the third generation because

1. he was a man of some renown

2. he was of the royal line (cf. Zeph. 1:1)

3. he had an ancestor name Cush (i.e., "black" or from Cush, cf. Gen. 10:6-8)

36:15 "Sit down, please, and read it to us" Apparently these leaders were very cordial to both Baruch and to Jeremiah. This shows that at some level the leadership recognized the truthfulness of Jeremiah's prophecy.

The LXX and Aramaic Targums change the vowels to read "read it again." They had heard it before but wanted to hear the message of doom again (cf. vv. 10-11). They were hoping and praying for royal repentance (cf. vv. 24-25).

36:16 Notice the reaction of these leaders to Jeremiah's message - "they turned in fear (BDB 808, KB 922, Qal perfect) one to another."

▣ "We will surely report all these words to the king" The infinitive absolute and imperfect verb of the same root (BDB 616, KB 665) are used to denote the urgency and intensity of their feelings about Jeremiah's prophecy.

36:17-18 Apparently these leaders wanted to know how Baruch received this message. Baruch assures them that these are exactly the words Jeremiah spoke to him with the implication that these are the very words YHWH spoke to Jeremiah. See Special Topic at 23:21-22.

36:19 "Go, hide yourself, you and Jeremiah, and do not let anyone know where you are" "Go" (BDB 229, KB 246,Qal imperative) and "hide" (BDB 711, KB 771, Niphal imperative) are their strong suggestions because they feared the King's reaction (i.e., v. 26; 26:23) and wanted to protect Jeremiah and Baruch.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 36:20-26
²⁰So they went to the king in the court, but they had deposited the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe, and they reported all the words to the king. ²¹Then the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it out of the chamber of Elishama the scribe. And Jehudi read it to the king as well as to all the officials who stood beside the king. ²²Now the king was sitting in the winter house in the ninth month, with a fire burning in the brazier before him. ²³When Jehudi had read three or four columns, the king cut it with a scribe's knife and threw it into the fire that was in the brazier, until all the scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the brazier. ²⁴Yet the king and all his servants who heard all these words were not afraid, nor did they rend their garments. ²⁵Even though Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah pleaded with the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them. ²⁶And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king's son, Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet, but the Lord hid them.

36:22 "winter house" This was not a separate structure but a two story dwelling. In the summer the ancients lived on the second story which had many open windows, and in the winter on the first floor which had few windows.

36:23 "read three or four columns" Remember this was a scroll written in columns on rolled material. As the scroll was unrolled several columns would appear. The king would cut off the columns that had just been read and burn them. Thus, bit by bit the whole scroll was destroyed!

The word translated "columns" is literally "doors" (BDB 195). It is used in this sense only here. The columns of the scroll would be the same dimensions (i.e., rectangular) as a door.

▣ "a scribe's knife" This was a small penknife used to sharpen quills for writing. This word is found only here (BDB 789 construct 707).

36:24 What a contrast between the leaders' hearing of the prophecy (cf. v. 16) and the king's (cf. Ps. 36:1).

For the phrase "rend their garments" see Special Topic at 2:37.

36:26 "the king's son" This was probably not a true son of the king but a title for a member of the royal family or even possibly an official at court (cf. Jer. 38:6; I Kgs. 22:26; II Chr. 28:7).

▣ "but the Lord hid them" This is similar to YHWH's protection of Elijah from King Ahab in I Kgs. 17:3-7. As Hebrews 11 shows, some prophets are killed and some are spared! Either way, YHWH is in control. Circumstances do not affect the love and presence of YHWH.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 36:27-31
²⁷Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah after the king had burned the scroll and the words which Baruch had written at the dictation of Jeremiah, saying, ²⁸"Take again another scroll and write on it all the former words that were on the first scroll which Jehoiakim the king of Judah burned. ²⁹And concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah you shall say, 'Thus says the Lord, "You have burned this scroll, saying, 'Why have you written on it that the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land, and will make man and beast to cease from it?'" ³⁰Therefore thus says the Lord concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah, "He shall have no one to sit on the throne of David, and his dead body shall be cast out to the heat of the day and the frost of the night. ³¹I will also punish him and his descendants and his servants for their iniquity, and I will bring on them and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the men of Judah all the calamity that I have declared to them-but they did not listen."'"

36:29 "the king of Babylon will certainly come" This is the infinitive absolute and the imperfect verb of the same root (BDB 97, KB 112) used for certainty/emphasis.

▣ "destroy this land" The verb (BDB 1007, KB 1469) form is Hiphil perfect. The destruction is complete and assured (i.e., a prophetic perfect)!

36:30 "He shall have no one to sit on the throne of David" Was this a false prophecy? Jehoiakim was succeeded by his son, Jehoiachin, for three months before he was taken into exile by Nebuchanezzar II.

It has been a lifelong process for me to understand OT prophetic literature. A book that has really helped me is D. Brent Sandy, Plowshares and Pruning Hooks. For this subject chapters 6 and 7 are especially helpful. Modern westerners expect literal, complete fulfillment of every detail, but ancient easterners did not. They recognized the hyperbolic and idiomatic nature of this genre.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 36:32
³²Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch the son of Neriah, the scribe, and he wrote on it at the dictation of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire; and many similar words were added to them.

36:32 "and many similar words were added to them" It is almost a good thing that the king burned Jeremiah's prophecy because his second copy included many more words. It is not certain what part of our current book of Jeremiah was included in this scroll, although many scholars believe the LXX, which puts the judgment of the nations (i.e., chapters 46-51) after chapter 25, is the original form.

Obviously Jeremiah used some notes to help recall YHWH's messages. Moderns are not certain how or when the OT books were collected and edited. It is a faith presupposition that they are uniquely inspired and preserved at every stage of their development (see Special Topics at 23:21-22)!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary, whichmeans 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.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought provoking, not definitive.

1. Did King Zedekiah heed Jeremiah's warnings?

2. Why are vv. 8-11 so characteristic of the need for judgment?

3. Why was the removal of the Babylonian army so badly misinterpreted by the defenders of Jerusalem (cf. Isa. 33:20)?

4. Does chapter 35 speak to the modern use of alcohol?

5. Why do the Rechabites in chapter 35 want to continue in their nomadic existence?

6. List God's terms for "forgiveness" in 35:15.

Jeremiah 37

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

(The parentheses represent poetic literary units)

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
Jeremiah Warns Against Trust in Pharaoh	Zedekiah's Vain Hope	Jeremiah, Zedekiah and the Siege (37:1-38:28)	Zedekiah's Request To Jeremiah	A Verdict On Zedekiah
37:1-5	37:1-5	37:1-2	37:1-2	37:1-2
				Zedekiah Consults Jeremiah During the Siege of 588 b.c.
		37:3-5	37:3-5	37:3-5
37:6-10	37:6-10	37:6-10	37:6-10	37:6-10
Jeremiah Imprisoned	Jeremiah Imprisoned		Jeremiah Is Arrested and Imprisoned	The Arrest of Jeremiah
37:11-16	37:11-15	37:11-16	37:11-13	37:11-16
			37:14-16
	37:16-21			Improvement In His Treatment
37:17-21		37:17-38:6	37:17a	37:17-21
			37:17b-20
			37:21

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: 37:1-5
¹Now Zedekiah the son of Josiah whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had made king in the land of Judah, reigned as king in place of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim. ²But neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land listened to the words of the Lord which He spoke through Jeremiah the prophet. ³Yet King Zedekiah sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "Please pray to the Lord our God on our behalf." ⁴Now Jeremiah was still coming in and going out among the people, for they had not yet put him in the prison. ⁵Meanwhile, Pharaoh's army had set out from Egypt; and when the Chaldeans who had been besieging Jerusalem heard the report about them, they lifted the siege from Jerusalem.

37:1 "king of Babylon had made king" Zedekiah was Jehoiachin's uncle (Mattaniah, cf. II Kgs. 24:17) who was made a vassal king by Nebuchadnezzar. See II Kgs.24:17 for the historical account.

▣ "Coniah" This is the contracted name for Jeconiah, whose throne name was Jehoiachin (cf. 22:24,28; 24:1; 52:31; II Kgs. 24:12; I Chr. 3:16; II Chr. 36:9,10). It has been eighteen years since the events recorded in chapter 36 (i.e., 605 b.c. - 586 b.c.).

37:2 "the people of the land" This phrase (BDB 766 I construct 75) is used in two distinct senses: (1) pre-exilic, "landed gentry" and (2) post-exilic, "common poor people." Here it seems to refer to all the people of Jerusalem, therefore, a third usage.

37:3 "Jehucal" Jehucal is one of the leaders who asserts that Jeremiah should be put to death for treason (cf. 38:1-4).

▣ "Zephaniah" In 52:24 he is called the "second priest." He seems to have been favorable to Jeremiah (cf. 21:1; 29:25-29).

▣ "please pray to the Lord" This must have been a request for a special prayer for the protection of Jerusalem, but Jeremiah had already proclaimed its defeat (cf. 21:1-14). The request does show that Zedekiah believed Jeremiah was a true prophet.

37:5 "Pharaoh" In the Bible this Pharaoh is called "Hophra" in 44:30. He is also known as Apries (i.e., Herodotus 2.161; 4.159). He ruled from 589-570 b.c.

▣ "the Chaldeans" In this passage this title is synonymous to "Babylonians," but at one time they referred to wise men from Media (cf. Dan. 1:4 online at www.freebiblecommentary.org).

▣ "they lifted ths siege" However, a battle between Egyptian and Babylonian armies did not occur (or at least is not recorded) and the siege of Jerusalem was quickly restored. It lasted from 588 b.c. until 586 b.c., when the city fell (cf. Jeremiah 52; II Kings 25; II Chr. 36:17-21).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 37:6-10
⁶Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, ⁷"Thus says the Lord God of Israel, 'Thus you are to say to the king of Judah, who sent you to Me to inquire of Me: "Behold, Pharaoh's army which has come out for your assistance is going to return to its own land of Egypt. ⁸The Chaldeans will also return and fight against this city, and they will capture it and burn it with fire."' ⁹Thus says the Lord, 'Do not deceive yourselves, saying, "The Chaldeans will surely go away from us," for they will not go. ¹⁰For even if you had defeated the entire army of Chaldeans who were fighting against you, and there were only wounded men left among them, each man in his tent, they would rise up and burn this city with fire.'"

37:8 All the verbs are perfects denoting completed future action. Grammarians call them "prophetic futures."

37:9 "Do not deceive yourselves" This refers to false hope. The verb (BDB 674, KB 728, Hiphil imperfect, is used in a jussive sense. They had convinced themselves of a falsehood! The falsehood is "The Chaldeans will surely go away from us." This is expressed emphatically by the infinitive absolute and imperfect verb from the same root (BDB 229, KB 246).

37:10 This is a hyperbolic situation, given to assure the Judeans that Jerusalem would be destroyed, along with YHWH's temple. Egypt cannot help (cf. Isa. 30:6-17). Judah's army cannot help!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 37:11-16
¹¹Now it happened when the army of the Chaldeans had lifted the siege from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh's army, ¹²that Jeremiah went out from Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin in order to take possession of some property there among the people. ¹³While he was at the Gate of Benjamin, a captain of the guard whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah the son of Hananiah was there; and he arrested Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "You are going over to the Chaldeans!" ¹⁴But Jeremiah said, "A lie! I am not going over to the Chaldeans"; yet he would not listen to him. So Irijah arrested Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. ¹⁵Then the officials were angry at Jeremiah and beat him, and they put him in jail in the house of Jonathan the scribe, which they had made into the prison. ¹⁶For Jeremiah had come into the dungeon, that is, the vaulted cell; and Jeremiah stayed there many days.

37:12 "to take possession of some property there among the people" The Hebrew is ambiguous but possibly somehow related to 32:1ff, although this chapter predates that account.

37:13 "Gate of Benjamin" This was the gate of Jerusalem to the north.

▣ "You are going over to the Chaldeans" This accusation was not unreasonable when one compares 21:8-10.

37:15 "the officials" This is a different group of officials than is mentioned in 36:1.

▣ "beat. . .put in jail" Jeremiah had no easy life. His messages from YHWH were viewed as treason by most Judeans, even his own family in Anathoth.

▣ "Jonathan the scribe" This position was like modern America's Secretary of State.

37:16

NASB"the dungeon, that is, the vaulted cell"
NKJV"the dungeon and the cells"
NRSV"the cistern house, in the cells"
TEV"an underground cell"
NJB"an underground vault"
JPSOA"the pit and the cells"
REB"a vaulted pit beneath the house"

This (BDB 333, KB 333, occurs only here in the OT) is possibly a cistern, converted into a place of solitary confinement.

▣ "stayed there many days" Jeremiah thought he would die there (cf. v. 20).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 37:17-21
¹⁷Now King Zedekiah sent and took him out; and in his palace the king secretly asked him and said, "Is there a word from the Lord?" And Jeremiah said, "There is!" Then he said, "You will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon!" ¹⁸Moreover Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, "In what way have I sinned against you, or against your servants, or against this people, that you have put me in prison? ¹⁹Where then are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, 'The king of Babylon will not come against you or against this land'? ²⁰But now, please listen, O my lord the king; please let my petition come before you and do not make me return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, that I may not die there." ²¹Then King Zedekiah gave commandment, and they committed Jeremiah to the court of the guardhouse and gave him a loaf of bread daily from the bakers' street, until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the court of the guardhouse.

37:17 "Is there a word from the Lord" The message had not changed! Zedekiah, for all his weakness, still sought YHWH, but he would not act on YHWH's message! Good intentions do not replace obedient actions!

37:19 This is a good question. Why have not all those false prophets been put in prison or killed (cf. Deuteronomy 18)? His message was obviously true, why is he being persecuted?

37:20 This verse has several commands that denote a polite request from Jeremiah to Zedekiah.

1. please listen - BDB 1033, KB 1570, Qal imperative

2. please let my petition come before you - BDB 656, KB 709, Qal jussive

3. do not make me return - BDB 996, KB 1427, Hiphil imperfect used in a jussive sense

37:21 Zedekiah sent Jeremiah to "the court of the guardhouse," which was a much better situation than the dungeon. The king also commanded that he be given bread as long as supplies lasted.

▣ "bakers street" This shows that merchants of one trade lived in close proximity to one another, usually on one street or in one section of a city.

Jeremiah 38

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

(The parentheses represent poetic literary units)

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
Jeremiah Thrown Into the Cistern	Jeremiah In the Dungeon	Jeremiah, Zedekiah and the Siege (37:1-38:6)	Jeremiah in the Dry Well	Jeremiah Is Thrown Into the Storage Well
38:1-13	38:1-13	38:1-6	38:1-4	38:1-3
				38:4-6
			38:5-6	Ebed-melech Intervenes
		38:7-13	38:7-13	38:7-13
	Zedekiah's Fears and Jeremiah's Advice		Zedekiah Asks Jeremiah's Advice	The Last Conversation Between Jeremiah and Zedekiah
38:14-16	38:14-16	38:14-16	38:14	38:14-23
			38:15
Interview With Zedekiah			38:16
38:17-23 (22b)	38:17-23 (22b)	38:17-23 (22b)	38:17-18
			38:19
			38:20-22 (22b)	(22b)
			38:23
38:24-28	38:24-28	38:24-28	38:24-28	38:24-26
				38:27-28

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. The Anchor Bible Commentary by John Bright says that 37:11-21 is the first recorded interview of Jeremiah face to face with Zedekiah and 38:1-28 is a second account.

B. R. K. Harrison, in the Tyndale OT series lists the similarities of 37:111-21 and 38:1-28.

1. Jeremiah charged with treason

2. Jeremiah imprisoned

3. Jeremiah has a secret meeting with Zedekiah

However, there are also differences which leave open the possibility of separate events (p. 154).

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 38:1-13
¹Now Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchijah heard the words that Jeremiah was speaking to all the people, saying, ²"Thus says the Lord, 'He who stays in this city will die by the sword and by famine and by pestilence, but he who goes out to the Chaldeans will live and have his own life as booty and stay alive.' ³Thus says the Lord, 'This city will certainly be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon and he will capture it.'" ⁴Then the officials said to the king, "Now let this man be put to death, inasmuch as he is discouraging the men of war who are left in this city and all the people, by speaking such words to them; for this man is not seeking the well-being of this people but rather their harm." ⁵So King Zedekiah said, "Behold, he is in your hands; for the king can do nothing against you." ⁶Then they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern of Malchijah the king's son, which was in the court of the guardhouse; and they let Jeremiah down with ropes. Now in the cistern there was no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud. ⁷But Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, a eunuch, while he was in the king's palace, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern. Now the king was sitting in the Gate of Benjamin; ⁸and Ebed-melech went out from the king's palace and spoke to the king, saying, ⁹"My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet whom they have cast into the cistern; and he will die right where he is because of the famine, for there is no more bread in the city." ¹⁰Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, "Take thirty men from here under your authority and bring up Jeremiah the prophet from the cistern before he dies." ¹¹So Ebed-melech took the men under his authority and went into the king's palace to a place beneath the storeroom and took from there worn-out clothes and worn-out rags and let them down by ropes into the cistern to Jeremiah. ¹²Then Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, "Now put these worn-out clothes and rags under your armpits under the ropes"; and Jeremiah did so. ¹³So they pulled Jeremiah up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern, and Jeremiah stayed in the court of the guardhouse.

38:2 "die" This chapter uses this verb (BDB 559, KB 562) often.

1. those who stay in Jerusalem will die, v. 2

2. those who desire to kill Jeremiah, v. 4

3. Jeremiah's death as a result of being put into the empty cistern, vv. 9,26

4. desire to save Jeremiah, v. 10

5. Jeremiah's message to Zedekiah, v. 15

6. Zedekiah's response to Jeremiah, v. 16

7. Zedekiah's threat to Jeremiah, v. 24

8. the official's threat to Jeremiah, v. 25

▣ "the sword and by famine and by pestilence" These are the three killers of the siege experience. See full note at 14:12.

▣ "live" As "die" is used often in this chapter, so too, "live" (BDB 310, KB 309).

#1-3. In v. 2 there is a threefold usage.

a. "will live" - The Kethiv (written in the MT) has it as a Qal imperfect but the Qere (suggested in the margin by MT formatters) has a Qal perfect, which matches the next two verbs

#4-6. In v. 17 (twice) and again in v. 20, are Jeremiah's words to Zedekiah.

Obedience to YHWH's message through Jeremiah brings life, but disobedience brings death. In a sense it reflects the "two ways" of Deut. 30:15-20 (cf. Jer. 21:8). Life is a gift of which we are stewards. There are consequences, both temporal and eternal, connected to human choices and actions!

Verses 2-3 are the same prophecy Jeremiah gave in 28:8-10! This never changed!

38:3 "This city will certainly be given" The prophecy by Jeremiah of the complete destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon has not changed!

The verb (BDB 678, KB 733, Niphal imperfect) is matched by the infinitive absolute of the same root which denotes certainty! There was no hope for Jerusalem and the Temple to be spared.

38:4 "the men of war who are left" Apparently there had been casualties and desertions.

▣ "this man is not seeking the well-being of this people" These court officials still totally misunderstood Jeremiah and his message. They purposefully ignored the promise of "life" in v. 2.

38:5 This verse shows the weakness of Zedekiah (so too, Saul, cf. I Sam. 15:24 and even of David, cf. II Sam. 3:39).

Notice the play on "hand."

1. "discouraging" of v. 4 is literally "weakening the hands"

2. "all the people" of v. 4 is literally "the hands of all"

3. "he is in your hands" of v. 5 is an idiom of power over someone (see Special Topic at 1:9)

38:6 "the king's son" This was an official title, not necessarily a blood relationship, but probably someone of the royal family (cf. 36:26).

▣ "Jeremiah sank into the mud" Josephus adds the tradition that it was up to his neck (Antiq. 10.7.5). He was meant to die there (cf. v. 4). The "mud" would have been the sediment which had collected in the bottom of a cistern. Cisterns caught the runoff of rain water.

38:7 "Ebed-melech" This term (BDB 715) is literally "servant of the king." It is not a name but a title also found in other Semitic cultures.

▣ "Ethiopian" This (BDB 469 I) is often translated "Cushite" (cf. 13:23), which denotes a person from the nation just south of Egypt. This was a foreign servant/official in the Judean palace.

▣ "a eunuch" This term can be translated "official" (BDB 710). Physical castration was often involved (cf. Isa. 56:3-5), but not always (i.e., Potiphar in Gen. 39:1ff).

▣ "the king was sitting in the Gate of Benjamin" The gate was the place of social and legal activities. Apparently Zedekiah, the King, was holding public court.

38:8 "spoke to the king" Either he was a trusted official who had the ear of the king or he took advantage of public court to speak.

38:9 The reason for Jeremiah's feared death is stated as famine. Conditions are much worse now than in 37:21.

38:10 "thirty men" One Hebrew MS and the LXX have "three" (cf. RSV, NEB, NIV). The UBS Text Project gives "thirty" an A rating (very high probability).

38:11

NASB"beneath the storeroom"
NKJV"under the treasury"
NRSV"to a wardrobe of the storehouse"
TEV"the palace storeroom"
NJB"the treasury wardrobe"
JPSOA"a place below the treasury"
LXX"the underground chamber"

The exact site is uncertain. It refers to a cistern somewhere in the palace.

38:12 "put these worn-out clothes and rags under your armpits" Apparently a room close by had some worn out clothes that could be used to cushion Jeremiah as he was pulled from the cistern. This shows the man's concern for Jeremiah. This is an eyewitness detail!

38:13 He was rescued from the cistern but would stay in custody!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 38:14-16
¹⁴Then King Zedekiah sent and had Jeremiah the prophet brought to him at the third entrance that is in the house of the Lord; and the king said to Jeremiah, "I am going to ask you something; do not hide anything from me." ¹⁵Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "If I tell you, will you not certainly put me to death? Besides, if I give you advice, you will not listen to me." ¹⁶But King Zedekiah swore to Jeremiah in secret saying, "As the Lord lives, who made this life for us, surely I will not put you to death nor will I give you over to the hand of these men who are seeking your life."

38:15 Zedekiah still holds Jeremiah in a sacred position (i.e., Herod and John the Baptist) but

1. meets with him secretly (cf. vv. 16,24-27)

2. will not act on his words

He wants to know the word of YHWH (cf. v. 14) but he will not do it (James 1:22).

38:16 The king promises

1. not to kill Jeremiah (cf. v. 15)

2. not to turn him over to his officials who want to kill him (cf. v. 4)

Zedekiah swore by the covenant Deity's name ("As the Lord lives") and His creative action ("who gave us life/breath"). Zedekiah was a religious man but a weak, indecisive one!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 38:17-23
¹⁷Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "Thus says the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, 'If you will indeed go out to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live, this city will not be burned with fire, and you and your household will survive. ¹⁸But if you will not go out to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be given over to the hand of the Chaldeans; and they will burn it with fire, and you yourself will not escape from their hand.'" ¹⁹Then King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "I dread the Jews who have gone over to the Chaldeans, for they may give me over into their hand and they will abuse me." ²⁰But Jeremiah said, "They will not give you over. Please obey the Lord in what I am saying to you, that it may go well with you and you may live. ²¹But if you keep refusing to go out, this is the word which the Lord has shown me: ²²'Then behold, all of the women who have been left in the palace of the king of Judah are going to be brought out to the officers of the king of Babylon; and those women will say,
"Your close friends
Have misled and overpowered you;
While your feet were sunk in the mire,
They turned back."
²³They will also bring out all your wives and your sons to the Chaldeans, and you yourself will not escape from their hand, but will be seized by the hand of the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned with fire.'"

38:17 Notice the three titles of the One in whose name (cf. 35:17) Jeremiah speaks.

1. YHWH (Lord)

2. God of hosts

3. God of Israel

The verb "go out to" means "surrender" (BDB 422, KB 425) in this context. It is intensified by the presence of the infinitive absolute of the same root!

Notice, if the king will respond appropriately, even at this late date, to YHWH's words, there is hope for the city/temple! But if not-v. 18!

38:19 As Zedekiah was afraid of the officials in vv. 4-5, now he is afraid of the Judean deserters! He should have been afraid of YHWH! If only he would have trusted in YHWH's promise (cf. v. 20). Divine promises are linked to human choices!

38:20 This reaffirmation of YHWH's promise has

1. a command to obedience - BDB 1033, KB 1570, Qal imperative

2. two conditional jussives

a. it may go well with you - BDB 405, KB 408, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense

b. you may live - BDB 310, KB 309, Qal jussive

38:21-23 YHWH's promises, ignored or refused, result in consequences.

1. women of the palace will be given over to the officials of the Babylonian army

2. they will accuse the king of vacillation and weakness to his counselors ("your feet were sunk in the mire" is an idiom of indecision)

3. Zedekiah's wives and children will be exiled. The verb may imply

a. sexual abuse

b. humiliation

3. exile

4. Zedekiah will be tortured as he feared

5. the city and temple will be destroyed

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 38:24-28
²⁴Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "Let no man know about these words and you will not die. ²⁵But if the officials hear that I have talked with you and come to you and say to you, 'Tell us now what you said to the king and what the king said to you; do not hide it from us and we will not put you to death,' ²⁶then you are to say to them, 'I was presenting my petition before the king, not to make me return to the house of Jonathan to die there.'" ²⁷Then all the officials came to Jeremiah and questioned him. So he reported to them in accordance with all these words which the king had commanded; and they ceased speaking with him, since the conversation had not been overheard. ²⁸So Jeremiah stayed in the court of the guardhouse until the day that Jerusalem was captured.

38:26 "you are to say to them" Jeremiah agrees to the cover story. He did ask the king this very question in 37:20.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTERS 36-38

This is a study guide commentary, whichmeans 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.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought provoking, not definitive.

1. How much time separates chapter 36 from 37?

2. What does 37:3 and 17 imply about the king?

3. Why was Jeremiah arrested in chapter 37?

4. Did the officials have any grounds for his arrest?

5. What does 37:20 say about Jeremiah?

6. Why do some scholars see chapters 37 and 38 as two accounts of one occurrence?

7. In which verse of chapter 38 does the weakness of Jeremiah show clearly?

8. Why did the officials want to kill Jeremiah?

9. Who is Ebed-melech?

10. Did Jeremiah lie in 38:26?

Jeremiah 39

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

(The parentheses represent poetic literary units)

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
Jerusalem Captured	The Fall of Jerusalem	Jeremiah and the Fall of Jerusalem (39:1-40:6)	The Fall of Jerusalem	The Fall of Jerusalem and What Happened to Jeremiah
39:1-10	39:1-3	39:1-10	39:1-2	39:1-2
			39:3	39:3
	39:4-10		39:4-10	39:4-10
Jeremiah Spared	Jeremiah Goes Free		Jeremiah's Release
39:11-14	39:11-14	39:11-14	39:11-14	39:11-12
				39:13
				39:14
			Hope For Ebed-melech	A Prophecy Assuring the Safety of Ebed-melech
39:15-18	39:15-18	39:15-18	39:15-18	39:15-18

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: 39:1-10
¹Now when Jerusalem was captured in the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it; ²in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the city wall was breached. ³Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came in and sat down at the Middle Gate: Nergal-sar-ezer, Samgar-nebu, Sar-sekim the Rab-saris, Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag, and all the rest of the officials of the king of Babylon. ⁴When Zedekiah the king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, they fled and went out of the city at night by way of the king's garden through the gate between the two walls; and he went out toward the Arabah. ⁵But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and they seized him and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he passed sentence on him. ⁶Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes at Riblah; the king of Babylon also slew all the nobles of Judah. ⁷He then blinded Zedekiah's eyes and bound him in fetters of bronze to bring him to Babylon. ⁸The Chaldeans also burned with fire the king's palace and the houses of the people, and they broke down the walls of Jerusalem. ⁹As for the rest of the people who were left in the city, the deserters who had gone over to him and the rest of the people who remained, Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard carried them into exile in Babylon. ¹⁰But some of the poorest people who had nothing, Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard left behind in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields at that time.

39:1 "Jerusalem was captured" Jerusalem fell in 586 b.c. (there is a parallel account in chap. 52, cf. II Kgs. 25:1-12).

▣ "in the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month. . .laid siege to it" The siege began in 589 b.c. It lasted nineteen months (cf. Jer. 52:4-6; II Kgs. 25:1).

39:3 The names and titles of the Babylon officials mentioned in v. 3 (cf. v. 13) are very confusing.

1. the Septuagint, King James, and American Standard versions list six men

2. Josephus (Antiq.10.7.2) and the Peshitta list five men

3. the Revised Standard Version and Jewish Publication Society of America Bible list four men

4. the New International Version, the New English Bible, and the Revised English Bible list three

5. the New Jerusalem Bible lists two men

▣ "Nergal-sar-ezer" This (BDB 669) is possibly the same as Neri-glissar, who was the successor to Nebuchadnezzar's son, Evil-merodach.

39:4 "they fled and went out of the city at night" Josephus tells us that it was midnight (Antiq. 10.7.2, cf. Jer. 52:7; II Kgs. 25:4).

▣ "by way of the king's garden" From Neh. 2:14; 3:15; 12:37 it appears that this is the fountain of the Pool of Siloam.

▣ "Arabah" This refers to the great rift valley that runs from above the Sea of Galilee down into the Sinai. Here it would refer to the forested valley east of Jerusalem (cf. v. 5).

39:5 "the Chaldeans pursued" This is predicted in 32:4-5; 38:18,23. Josephus tells us that Jewish deserters informed the Babylonian officials of their flight.

▣ "he passed sentence on him" Josephus tells us that it was for (1) ingratitude and/or (2) treason. His sentence is spelled out in graphic detail in vv. 6-7; 52:10-11; and II Kgs. 25:7.

39:6 "Riblah" this was where Nebuchadnezzar's main expeditionary military camp was located. It is about fifty miles north of Damascus.

39:8 "the houses of the people" The Masoretic Text is singular (UBS Text Project gives it a B rating) and, therefore, could mean (1) meeting hall, (2) the Temple, or (3) following the Talmud, the main synagogue.

However, Kimchi, a Jewish exegete of the Middle Ages, translates this phrase, "the peoples' houses" (cf. II Kgs. 25:9). This translation has influenced all English translations.

▣ "broke down the walls of Jerusalem" When limestone is exposed to high heat it loses its strength and cannot be reused for construction. The walls themselves were pulled down (BDB 683, KB 736, Qal perfect) the slopes so that it would be very difficult to raise them.

Jerusalem was totally destroyed and left uninhabited and uninhabitable!

39:9 "Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard" It is uncertain whether this title (BDB 913 II construct 371, literally "the chief slaughterer") refers to an executioner or the chief cook.

It is uncertain how many groups of people are exiled. There are two other groups.

1. those left in the city

2. those who deserted

There is either a repeated reference to #1 or a third group which the NJB and REB identify as "artisans," which involves an emendation of the MT, but fits with the parallel of 52:15.

39:10 One way for the Babylonians to leave a loyal people who paid taxes was to give the land to those who had nothing (i.e., the poor of the countryside). None of them were owners nor producers!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 39:11-14
¹¹Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard, saying, ¹²"Take him and look after him, and do nothing harmful to him, but rather deal with him just as he tells you." ¹³So Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard sent word, along with Nebushazban the Rab-saris, and Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag, and all the leading officers of the king of Babylon; ¹⁴they even sent and took Jeremiah out of the court of the guardhouse and entrusted him to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him home. So he stayed among the people.

39:11-14 Jeremiah 40:1-6 seems to be a different account of the same event (similar to chapts. 37 and 38). Some have asserted that these are in sequential order and others see two different accounts of the same event. At this point we just do not know. Moderns tend to read ancient literature through the filter of their own culture and era.

39:12 Nebuchadnezzar must have heard about Jeremiah's prophetic message from

1. Daniel

2. Jewish deserters

3. spies in the city

He gives several orders.

1. take him - BDB 542, KB 534, Qal imperative (meaning "locate him")

2. look after - BDB 962, KB 1321, Qal imperative

3. do nothing harmful to him - BDB 793, KB 889, Qal jussive

4. deal with him just as he tells you - BDB 793, KB 889, Qal imperative

39:14 "Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam" Later Gedaliah became the Babylonian governor of Judah (cf. 40:7). He was not of the lineage of David. His father had been friendly to Jeremiah (cf. Jer. 26:24; II Kgs. 22:12-14).

▣ "take him home" At this point Gedaliah chose the city of Mizpah (cf. 40:8) to be his headquarters. Mizpah means "watchtower" and there were many towns by this name in Palestine.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 39:15-18
¹⁵Now the word of the Lord had come to Jeremiah while he was confined in the court of the guardhouse, saying, ¹⁶"Go and speak to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, "Behold, I am about to bring My words on this city for disaster and not for prosperity; and they will take place before you on that day. ¹⁷But I will deliver you on that day," declares the Lord, "and you will not be given into the hand of the men whom you dread. ¹⁸For I will certainly rescue you, and you will not fall by the sword; but you will have your own life as booty, because you have trusted in Me," declares the Lord.'"

39:15-18 YHWH's gracious attitude and actions toward Ebed-melech are because of his kind treatment and intercession on behalf of His prophet, Jeremiah (cf. 37:7-13).

39:17 "I will deliver you" This verb (BDB 664, KB 717, Hiphil perfect) is a promise that YHWH will deal kindly and with special protection to this foreigner (non-Jew). In v. 18 he is said to have trust (BDB 105, KB 120, Qal perfect) in YHWH (cf. 17:7,8).

39:18 "I will certainly rescue you" This is a literary parallel to v. 17. The verb (BDB 572, KB 589) is intensified by the infinitive absolute and the imperfect verb of the same root.

Jeremiah 40

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

(The parentheses represent poetic literary units)

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
Jeremiah Remains In Judah	Jeremiah With Gedaliah the Governor	Jeremiah and the Fall of Jerusalem (39:1-40:6)	Jeremiah Stays with Gedaliah	Further Details About the Treatment of Jeremiah
40:1-6	40:1-12	40:1-6	40:1	40:1
			40:2-4	40:2-6
			40:5-6
		The Third Revolt (40:7-41:18)	Gedaliah, Governor of Judah	Gedaliah the Governor; His Assassination (40:7-41:18)
40:7-12		40:7-12	40:7-12	40:7-10
			Gedaliah Is Murdered (40:13-41:18)	40:11-12
40:13-16	40:13-16	40:13-16	40:13-15	40:13-16
			40:16

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: 40:1-6
¹The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan captain of the bodyguard had released him from Ramah, when he had taken him bound in chains among all the exiles of Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon. ²Now the captain of the bodyguard had taken Jeremiah and said to him, "The Lord your God promised this calamity against this place; ³and the Lord has brought it on and done just as He promised. Because you people sinned against the Lord and did not listen to His voice, therefore this thing has happened to you. ⁴But now, behold, I am freeing you today from the chains which are on your hands. If you would prefer to come with me to Babylon, come along, and I will look after you; but if you would prefer not to come with me to Babylon, never mind. Look, the whole land is before you; go wherever it seems good and right for you to go." ⁵As Jeremiah was still not going back, he said, "Go on back then to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed over the cities of Judah, and stay with him among the people; or else go anywhere it seems right for you to go." So the captain of the bodyguard gave him a ration and a gift and let him go. ⁶Then Jeremiah went to Mizpah to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam and stayed with him among the people who were left in the land.

40:1 "The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord" Notice no word/message is recorded. One wonders if the theological quote from vv. 2-3 were a part of that message. The theology recorded is so specific and unexpected from the lips of a Babylonian military commander.

▣ "Nebuzaradan captain of the bodyguard" From II Kgs. 25:3,8 it seems that this man came one month after the capture of Jerusalem to oversee the complete destruction of the city.

▣ "Ramah" This city was on the route of the Judean exiles to Babylon (cf. 31:15).

▣ "he had taken him bound in chains" The Jewish Midrash says Jeremiah saw the young men in chains and joined them. But it seems he was mistakenly arrested and taken as far north as Ramah before Nebuchadnezzar's orders (cf. 39:11-14) were finally carried out.

40:2-4 These verses are often rejected by scholars because of their high theological content. It is quite possible that Jeremiah's prophecies were relayed to the Babylonians after the city's downfall.

40:4 This verse has several idioms and imperatives.

1. "if you would prefer" is literally "it is good in your eyes"

2. "came. . .came" - This is a Qal infinitive construct and a Qal imperative (BDB 97, KB 112)

3. "I will look after you" is literally "set my eyes on"

4. "if you would prefer" is literally "it is evil in your eyes"

5. "never mind" is literally "cease" - BDB 292, KB 292, Qal imperative

6. "look" - BDB 906, KB 1157, Qal imperative

7. "go. . .to go" - This is an infinitive construct and Qal imperative (BDB 229, KB 246). This same phrase is repeated in v. 5.

40:5 "as Jeremiah was still not going back" The Hebrew here is very confusing. Literally "and still he will not remain then return to Gedaliah." Both verbs are BDB 996, KB 1427.

▣ "Gedaliah the son of Ahikam" This man's father was a supporter and helper of Jeremiah (cf. 26:24). Gedaliah was entrusted with Jeremiah's care in 39:14. This was a godly family (cf. II Kgs. 22:14).

40:6 "Mizpah" This means "watchtower" (BDB 859). There are several cities by this name. One of them was the location of Saul being chosen as king (cf. I Sam. 10:17ff). It became a central meeting place for the tribes (cf. Jgds. 20:1-3). This is where Gedaliah had his headquarters.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 40:7-12
⁷Now all the commanders of the forces that were in the field, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam over the land and that he had put him in charge of the men, women and children, those of the poorest of the land who had not been exiled to Babylon. ⁸So they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah, along with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of the Maacathite, both they and their men. ⁹Then Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, swore to them and to their men, saying, "Do not be afraid of serving the Chaldeans; stay in the land and serve the king of Babylon, that it may go well with you. ¹⁰Now as for me, behold, I am going to stay at Mizpah to stand for you before the Chaldeans who come to us; but as for you, gather in wine and summer fruit and oil and put them in your storage vessels, and live in your cities that you have taken over." ¹¹Likewise, also all the Jews who were in Moab and among the sons of Ammon and in Edom and who were in all the other countries, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant for Judah, and that he had appointed over them Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan. ¹²Then all the Jews returned from all the places to which they had been driven away and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and gathered in wine and summer fruit in great abundance.

40:7 "the commanders of the forces that were in the field" This refers to Jewish military units not captured by Nebuchadnezzar's army because they were not in Jerusalem when it fell.

▣ "those of the poorest of the land who had not been exiled to Babylon" This links with 39:10.

40:9 "Gedaliah. . .swore to them" The new governor's first responsibility was convincing the Jewish forces to lay down their arms (cf. II Kgs. 25:23-24).

Notice what Gedaliah swore (BDB 989, KB 1396, Niphal imperfect).

1. do not be afraid - BDB 431, KB 432, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense

2. stay in the land - BDB 442, KB 444, Qal imperative

3. serve the king of Babylon - BDB 712, KB 773, Qal imperative

4. that it may go well with you - BDB 405, KB 408, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense

▣ "serving the Chaldeans" The Septuagint has "do not be afraid of the Chaldean officials" (cf. II Kgs. 25:24).

40:10 "to stand before the Chaldeans" This verbal (BDB 763, KB 840, Qal infinitive construct) is often used of priests standing before God on behalf of sinful humans. Therefore, we can understand the word to mean "mediator" in this context.

▣ "gather in wine and summer fruit and oil" The war had left the fields unattended. If this fruit was not gathered it would spoil and they would have no food for winter.

There are three commands in Gedaliah's statement.

1. gather - BDB 62, KB 74, Qal imperative

2. put - BDB 962, KB 1321, Qal imperative

3. live - BDB 442, KB 444, Qal imperative

40:11-12 Many Jewish exiles in the neighboring countries returned to take advantage of the free land and prepare for winter by harvesting the ripe crops.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 40:13-16
¹³Now Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces that were in the field came to Gedaliah at Mizpah ¹⁴and said to him, "Are you well aware that Baalis the king of the sons of Ammon has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to take your life?" But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam did not believe them. ¹⁵Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke secretly to Gedaliah in Mizpah, saying, "Let me go and kill Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and not a man will know! Why should he take your life, so that all the Jews who are gathered to you would be scattered and the remnant of Judah would perish?" ¹⁶But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said to Johanan the son of Kareah, "Do not do this thing, for you are telling a lie about Ishmael."

40:14 "Are you well aware" Johanan thought that it was common knowledge that Ishmael was going to attempt to assassinate Gedaliah. This is an infinitive absolute and imperfect verb of the same root (BDB 393, KB 390), used for emphasis.

▣ "Baalis the king of the sons of Ammon" Baalis' name is related to the Canaanite fertility god Ba'al. The Jewish Study Bible (p. 1008) asserts that he may be the "ba'alyash" from a 6^th century Ammonite seal impression (also note NASB Study Bible, p. 1122 footnote).

▣ "Ishmael" Ishmael was of the Davidic line (cf. 41:1; II Kgs. 25:25). The exact reason for his assassination of Gedaliah is uncertain.

1. attempt to restore the ancient covenant promises

2. jealousy because he had been overlooked

3. acting on behalf of Baalis, King of Ammon

4. he was just a cruel man (cf. 41:4-10)

40:15-16 Gedaliah did not believe the rumor about Ishmael. He did nothing to protect himself.

Jeremiah 41

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

(The parentheses represent poetic literary units)

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
Gedaliah Is Murdered	Insurrection Against Gedaliah	The Third Revolt (40:7-41:18)	Gedaliah Is Murdered (40:13-41:18)	Gedaliah the Governor; His Assassination (40:7-41:18)
41:1-3	41:1-3	41:1-3	41:1-3	41:1-3
41:4-8	41:4-10	41:4-8	41:4-7	41:4-10
			41:8-10
41:9-10		41:9-10
Johanan Rescues the People
41:11-18	41:11-18	41:11-18	41:11-15	41:11-18
			41:16-18

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: 41:1-3
¹In the seventh month Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal family and one of the chief officers of the king, along with ten men, came to Mizpah to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam. While they were eating bread together there in Mizpah, ²Ishmael the son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him arose and struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword and put to death the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land. ³Ishmael also struck down all the Jews who were with him, that is with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans who were found there, the men of war.

41:1 "Now it came about" Chapter 41 continues the literary unit which began in chapter 40, specifically about the plot to assassinate Gedaliah (40:13-16).

▣ "while they were eating bread together there at Mizpah" The viciousness of this act can only be seen in the eastern culture's attitude toward the importance of eating together (i.e., Ps. 41:9).

41:2 "arose and struck down Gedeliah" The exact date is uncertain but it preceded the deportation of 582 b.c. (cf. Jer. 52:30). The time can be from three months after the fall of Jerusalem (586 b.c.) to (2) four years after the fall of Jerusalem (the deportation of 582 b.c., cf. 52:30).

▣ "struck down Gedaliah" Josephus says that Gedaliah was drunk (Antiq. 10.9.4).

41:3 "and the Chaldeans who were found there, the men of war" As we learn from v. 18, the remaining Jews were afraid of Babylon's reprisals (cf. Antiq. 10.9.5).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 41:4-8
⁴Now it happened on the next day after the killing of Gedaliah, when no one knew about it, ⁵that eighty men came from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria with their beards shaved off and their clothes torn and their bodies gashed, having grain offerings and incense in their hands to bring to the house of the Lord. ⁶Then Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went; and as he met them, he said to them, "Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam!" ⁷Yet it turned out that as soon as they came inside the city, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah and the men that were with him slaughtered them and cast them into the cistern. ⁸But ten men who were found among them said to Ishmael, "Do not put us to death; for we have stores of wheat, barley, oil and honey hidden in the field." So he refrained and did not put them to death along with their companions.

41:5 "Shechem. . .Shiloh. . .Samaria" These were three northern cities. Samaria was the ancient capital of the Northern Ten Tribes, established by Omri. This area was devastated by Assyria in 722 b.c.

▣ "with their beards shaved off and their clothes torn and their bodies gashed" They were Jews going to Jerusalem to bemoan the destruction of the temple (see SPECIAL TOPIC: GRIEVING RITES at 2:37). The gashing of their bodies is related to pagan mourning rites (cf. 16:6; 47:5; Lev. 19:28; 21:5; Deut. 14:1; I Kgs. 18:28). The elements of the amalgamated worship of YHWH and the gods of Canaan continue.

41:6-10 Something of Ishmael's personality can be seen.

1. fake crying, v. 6

2. killing 70 innocent mourners, apparently just to cover up his slaughter of Gedaliah

3. sparing ten people for their hidden supplies or for ransom

4. polluting the water supply of Mizpah with the dead corpses

5. kidnapping the remainder of the population of Mizpah, for what reason is unsure, possibly to sell into slavery or as a gift to Baalis

41:8 "oil and honey hidden in the field" This was a usual procedure both for keeping the food cool and for hiding it in times of war.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 41:9-10
⁹Now as for the cistern where Ishmael had cast all the corpses of the men whom he had struck down because of Gedaliah, it was the one that King Asa had made on account of Baasha, king of Israel; Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with the slain. ¹⁰Then Ishmael took captive all the remnant of the people who were in Mizpah, the king's daughters and all the people who were left in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard had put under the charge of Gedaliah the son of Ahikam; thus Ishmael the son of Nethaniah took them captive and proceeded to cross over to the sons of Ammon.

41:9 "because of Gedaliah" The Masoretic Text has "by the hand of Gedaliah." This is obviously an impossible translation, therefore, some scholars have used a Ugaritic root to translate "because of Gedaliah." The LXX omits this phrase.

▣ "the one that King Asa had made on account of Baasha, king of Israel" See the account in I Kgs. 15:17-22; II Chr. 16:1-6.

41:10 "all the remnant of the people who were in Mizpah" This group must have included Jeremiah.

▣ "the king's daughters" This could refer to the literal royal family left in Gedaliah's charge or some of the line of David returning from the surrounding countries.

▣ "to cross over to the sons of Ammon" This implies that he traveled to the east and planned to cross the Jordan River into the transJordan region controlled by Baalis (cf. 40:14).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 41:11-18
¹¹But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces that were with him heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done. ¹²So they took all the men and went to fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah and they found him by the great pool that is in Gibeon. ¹³Now as soon as all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah and the commanders of the forces that were with him, they were glad. ¹⁴So all the people whom Ishmael had taken captive from Mizpah turned around and came back, and went to Johanan the son of Kareah. ¹⁵But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men and went to the sons of Ammon. ¹⁶Then Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces that were with him took from Mizpah all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, after he had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, that is, the men who were soldiers, the women, the children, and the eunuchs, whom he had brought back from Gibeon. ¹⁷And they went and stayed in Geruth Chimham, which is beside Bethlehem, in order to proceed into Egypt ¹⁸because of the Chaldeans; for they were afraid of them, since Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land.

41:12 "the great pool that is at Gibeon" Archaeology has found a large rock cistern seventy to eighty feet deep at Gibeon (cf. II Sam. 2:12-16).

41:13 "they were glad" This must refer to those taken forcibly from Mizpah (cf. vv. 10,16).

41:17 "Geruth Chimham" The first word (BDB 158) means "lodging place" or "inn." It denoted a caravan camping place (possibly had a well or natural protection from the wind).

The second word (BDB 484) can be

1. a location near Bethlehem

2. a person (cf. II Sam. 19:37,38,40, an attendant of David)

Josephus calls the place "Mandara" (Antiq. 10.9.5).

▣ "in order to proceed into Egypt" This shows that Johanan had already made up his mind to go to Egypt, and also sets the stage for chapter 42. They went to Egypt out of fear of Nebuchadnezzar's reprisals!

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Jeremiah 40

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