Jeremiah 27:8–15

Footnotes

1. 19 Heb “put their necks in the yoke of.” See the study note on v. for the figure.
2. 20 Heb “oracle of the Lord.”
3. 21 Heb “The nation and/or the kingdom which will not serve him, Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and which will not put its neck in the yoke of the king of Babylon, by sword, starvation, and disease I will punish [or more literally, “visit upon”] that nation, oracle of the Lord.” The long complex Hebrew sentence has been broken up in conformity with contemporary English style and the figures interpreted for the sake of clarity. The particle אֵת, the sign of the accusative, before “which will not put …” is a little unusual here. For its use to introduce a new topic (here a second relative clause) see 85 אֵת 3.α.
4. 22 Heb “with/by the sword.”
5. 23 The verb translated “destroy” (תָּמַם, tamam) is usually intransitive in the stem of the verb used here. It is found in a transitive sense elsewhere only in Ps 64:7. 1070 תָּמַם 7 emends both texts. In this case they recommend תִּתִּי (titi): “until I give them into his hand.” That reading is suggested by the texts of the and Targumic translations (see fn c). The Greek translation supports reading the verb “destroy” but treats it as though it were intransitive “until they are destroyed by his hand” (reading תֻּמָּם [tummam]). The here is accepted as the more difficult reading and support is seen in the transitive use of the verb in Ps 64:7. Heb “I will punish that nation until I have destroyed them [i.e., its people] by his hand.” “Hand” here refers to agency. Hence, “I will use him.”
6. 24 Various means of divination are alluded to in the OT. For example, Ezek 21:26–27 alludes to throwing down arrows to see which way they fall and consulting the shape of the liver of slaughtered animals. Gen 44:5 alludes to reading the future through pouring liquid in a cup. The means alluded to in this verse were all classified as pagan and prohibited as illegitimate in Deut 18:10–14. The Lord had promised that he would speak to them through prophets like Moses (Deut 18:15, 18). But even prophets could lie. Hence, the Lord told them that the test of a true prophet was whether what he said came true or not (Deut 18:20–22). An example of false prophesying and the vindication of the true as opposed to the false will be given in the chapter that follows this.
7. 25 An example of this is seen in 1 Sam 28.
8. 26 The verb in this context is best taken as a negative obligatory imperfect. See §31.4g for discussion and examples. See Exod 4:15 as an example of positive obligation.
9. 27 The words “Don’t listen to them” have been repeated from v. 9a to pick up the causal connection between v. 9a and v. 10 that is formally introduced by a causal particle in v. 10 in the original text.
10. 28 Heb “they are prophesying a lie.”
11. 29 Heb “lies will result in your being taken far …” (לְמַעַן [léma’an] + infinitive). This is a rather clear case of the particle לְמַעַן introducing result (contra 775 מַעַן note 1. There is no irony in this statement; it is a bold prediction).
12. 30 The words “out of your country” are not in the text but are implicit in the meaning of the verb. The words “in exile” are also not in the text but are implicit in the context. These words have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
13. 31 Heb “put their necks in the yoke of.” See the study note on v. for the figure.
14. 32 The words “Things will go better for” are not in the text. They are supplied contextually as a means of breaking up the awkward syntax of the original which reads “The nation which brings its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and subjects itself to him, I will leave it …”
15. 33 Heb “oracle of the Lord.”
16. 34 Heb “I spoke to Zedekiah … according to all these words, saying.”
17. 35 The verbs in this verse are all plural. They are addressed to Zedekiah and his royal advisers (compare 22:2).
18. 36 Heb “put their necks in the yoke of.” See the study note on v. for the figure.
19. 37 Heb “with/by the sword.”
20. 38 Heb “Why should you and your people die …?” The rhetorical question expects the answer made explicit in the translation, “There is no reason!”
21. 39 Heb “… disease according to what the Lord spoke concerning the nation that …”
22. 40 The verb in this context is best taken as a negative obligatory imperfect. See §31.4g for discussion and examples. See Exod 4:15 as an example of positive obligation.
23. 41 Heb “oracle of the Lord.”
24. 42 The verbs are again plural referring to the king and his royal advisers.
25. 43 Heb “… drive you out and you will perish, you and the prophets who are prophesying lies.” For the fulfillment of this prophecy see Jer 39:5–7; 52:7–11; 2 Kgs 25:4–7.