40 Heb “The Lord once called you.…” This is another example of the rapid shift in person that is common to Hebrew style which is not common in English and could lead to confusion for some readers. Here and in the verses that follow the person has been shifted to first person for consistency in English.
41 The verb form used here is another example of a verb expressing that the action is as good as done (the Hebrew prophetic perfect).
42 Heb “At the sound of a mighty roar he will set fire to it.” For the shift from third person “he” to the first person “I” see the preceding note. The Hebrew use of the pronouns in vv. 16–17 for the olive tree and the people that it represents is likely to cause confusion if retained. In v. 16 the people are “you” and the olive tree is “it.” The people are again “you” in v. 17 but part of the metaphor is carried over, i.e., “he ‘planted’ you.” It creates less confusion in the flow of the passage if the metaphorical identification is carried out throughout by addressing the people/plant as “you.”
43 The verb here has most commonly been derived from a root meaning “to be broken” (cf. 949 II רָעַע) which fits poorly with the metaphor of setting the plant on fire. Another common option is to emend it to a verb meaning “to be burned up” (בָּעַר, ba’ar). However, it is better to follow the lead of the Greek version which translates “be good for nothing” (ἠχρειώθησαν, ēchreiōthēsan) and derive the verb from רָעַע (ra’a’) meaning “be bad/evil” (cf. 949 and compare the nuance of the adjective from this verb in 948 רַע 5).
44 Heb “Yahweh of armies.” For the significance of the term see the notes at and .
45 The words “in the land” are not in the text but are supplied in the translation to clarify the meaning of the metaphor.
46 Heb “For Yahweh of armies who planted you speaks disaster upon you.” Because of the way the term Lord of armies has been rendered this sentence has been restructured to avoid confusion in English style.
47 Heb “pronounced disaster … on account of the evil of the house of Israel and the house of Judah which they have done to make me angry [or thus making me angry] by sacrificing to Baal.” The lines have been broken up in conformity with contemporary English style.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

The Lord once called you ‘a green olive tree, beautiful with good fruit.’ But with the roar of a great tempest he will set fire to it, and its branches will be consumed. The Lord of hosts, who planted you, has decreed disaster against you, because of the evil that the house of Israel and the house of Judah have done, provoking me to anger by making offerings to Baal.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

The Lord called you a thriving olive tree

with fruit beautiful in form.

But with the roar of a mighty storm

he will set it on fire,

and its branches will be broken.

The Lord Almighty, who planted you, has decreed disaster for you, because the people of both Israel and Judah have done evil and aroused my anger by burning incense to Baal.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

The Lord named you

a flourishing olive tree,

beautiful with well-formed fruit.

He has set fire to it,

and its branches are consumed

with the sound of a mighty tumult.

“The Lord of Armies who planted you has decreed disaster against you, because of the disaster the house of Israel and the house of Judah brought on themselves when they angered me by burning incense to Baal.”

NLTNew Living Translation

I, the Lord, once called them a thriving olive tree,

beautiful to see and full of good fruit.

But now I have sent the fury of their enemies

to burn them with fire,

leaving them charred and broken.

“I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, who planted this olive tree, have ordered it destroyed. For the people of Israel and Judah have done evil, arousing my anger by burning incense to Baal.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Yahweh called your name, ‘A leafy olive tree, beautiful with fine fruit.’

With the sound of a great storm he will set fire to it,

and its branches will be good for nothing.

And Yahweh of hosts, the one who planted you,

has spoken evil against you,

because of the evil of the house of Israel and the house of Judah,

that they have done to themselves,

to provoke me to anger by making smoke offerings to Baal.”

KJV 1900King James Version

The Lord called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken. For the Lord of hosts, that planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee, for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke me to anger in offering incense unto Baal.

Public Domain