Jeremiah 42:21

Footnotes

1. 32 Or “Today.”
2. 33 The words “what he said” are not in the text but are implicit and seem necessary for clarity.
3. 34 Heb “But you have not hearkened to the voice of [idiomatic for “obeyed” see 1034 שָׁמַע Qal.1.m] the Lord your God, namely [cf. 252 וְ 1.b] with respect [cf. 514 לְ 5.f(c)] all which he has sent to us.” The verb is translated “don’t seem to want to obey” because they have not yet expressed their refusal or their actual disobedience. Several commentaries sensing this apparent discrepancy suggest that 42:19–22 are to be transposed after 43:1–3 (see, e.g., note 18a, W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah [Hermeneia], 2:275; J. Bright, Jeremiah [], 252, 256, 258). However, there is absolutely no textual evidence for the transposition and little reason to suspect an early scribal error (in spite of Holladay’s suggestion). It is possible that Jeremiah here anticipates this answer in 43:1–3 through the response on their faces (so Bright, 256; F. B. Huey, Jeremiah, Lamentations [], ). G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, and T. G. Smothers (Jeremiah 26–52 [], ) also call attention to the stated intention in 41:17 and the fact that the strong warning in 42:15–17 seems to imply that a negative response is expected). The use of the perfect here is perhaps to be related to the perfect expressing resolve or determination (see §30.5.1d). It is also conceivable that these two verses are part of a conditional sentence which has no formal introduction. I.e., “And if you will not obey … then you should know for certain that …” For examples of this kind of conditional clause introduced by two vavs (ו) see 2: §167.b, and compare Jer 18:4; Judg 6:13. However, though this interpretation is within the possibilities of Hebrew grammar, I know of no translation or commentary that follows it. So it has not been followed in the translation or given as an alternate translation.