Jeremiah 23:16–21

Footnotes

1. 52 Heb “Yahweh of armies.” See the study note on for explanation of this title.
2. 53 The words “to the people of Jerusalem” are not in the Hebrew text but are supplied in the translation to reflect the masculine plural form of the imperative and the second masculine plural form of the pronoun. These words have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
3. 54 Heb “They tell of a vision of their own heart [= mind] not from the mouth of the Lord.”
4. 55 The translation reflects an emphatic construction where the infinitive absolute follows a participle (cf. §113.r).
5. 56 The translation follows the Greek version. The Hebrew text reads, “who reject me, ‘The Lord has spoken, “Things …” ’ ” The Greek version is to be preferred here because of (1) the parallelism of the lines “reject what the Lord has said” // “follow the stubborn inclinations of their own hearts;” (2) the preceding context which speaks of “visions of their own imaginations not of what the Lord has given them;” (3) the following context which denies that they have ever had access to the Lord’s secrets; (4) the general contexts earlier regarding false prophecy where rejection of the Lord’s word is in view (6:14 [see there v. 10]; 8:11 [see there v. 9]); (5) the meter of the poetic lines (the Hebrew meter is 3/5/4/3; the meter presupposed by the translation is 5/3/4/3 with the 3’s being their words). The difference is one of vocalization of the same consonants. The vocalization of the is יְהוָה מְנַאֲצַי דִּבֶּר [ména’atsay dibber yéhvah]; the Hebrew behind the Greek would be vocalized as מְנַאֲצֵי דְּבַר יְהוָה (ména’atsey dévar yéhvah).
6. 57 Heb “You will have peace.” But see the note on . See also 6:14 and 8:11.
7. 58 Or “has been the Lord’s confidant.” The Lord’s inner circle refers to the council of angels (Ps 89:7 [89:8 ]; 1 Kgs 22:19–22; Job 1–2; Job 15:8) where God made known his counsel/plans (Amos 3:7). They and those they prophesied to will find out soon enough what the purposes of his heart are, and they are not “peace” (see v. 20). By their failure to announce the impending doom they were not turning the people away from their wicked course (vv. 21–22).
8. 59 The form here is a jussive with a vav of subordination introducing a purpose after a question (cf. §109.f).
9. 60 Heb “his word.” In the second instance (“what he has said” at the end of the verse) the translation follows the suggestion of the Masoretes (Qere) and many Hebrew rather than the consonantal text (Kethib) of the Leningrad Codex.
10. 61 Heb “Behold!”
11. 62 The syntax of this line has generally been misunderstood, sometimes to the point that some want to delete the word wrath. Both here and in 30:23 where these same words occur the word “anger” stands not as an accusative of attendant circumstance but an apposition, giving the intended referent to the figure. Comparison should be made with Jer 25:15 where “this wrath” is appositional to “the cup of wine” (cf. §131.k).
12. 63 The translation is deliberate, intending to reflect the repetition of the Hebrew root which is “swirl/swirling.”
13. 64 Heb “until he has done and until he has carried out the purposes of his heart.”
14. 65 Heb “in the latter days.” However, as 31 אַחֲרִית b suggests, the meaning of this idiom must be determined from the context. Sometimes it has remote, even eschatological, reference and other times it has more immediate reference as it does here and in Jer 30:23 where it refers to the coming days of Babylonian conquest and exile.
15. 66 The translation is intended to reflect a Hebrew construction where a noun functions as the object of a verb from the same root word (the Hebrew cognate accusative).
16. 67 Heb “Yet they ran.” The image is that of a messenger bearing news from the king. See 2 Sam 18:19–24; Jer 51:31; Isa 40:9; 52:7; Hab 2:2 (the tablet/scroll bore the message the runner was to read to the intended recipients of his message). Their message has been given in v. 17 (see notes there for cross references).