Speaking of Kings (21:1-23:8) 151
and then of a refractory partner after her settlement in the land (see Notes for
2:2 and 2:7). But KimJ:ii says reference here is to the wilderness generation,
which would then reflect the traditions preserved in Exodus and Numbers;
also in Deut 9:6-29; Jer 7:25-26; and Ezek 20:13-26. Compare also the con-
fession in 3:24-25.
- All your shepherds the wind shall shepherd. Hebrew kol-ro'ayik tir'eh-
rnab. A wordplay on ro'ayik tir'eh, "shall shepherd your shepherds." There is
also irony, since shepherding implies "gathering," whereas the wind "scatters."
The shift is now to the future. This wind will be the east wind off the desert,
the sirocco, which will scatter Judah's shepherds in every direction ( 4: 11-12;
18:17). "Shepherds" is a general term for "rulers" in the ANE (see Note for
2:8); here it refers first and foremost to "kings" (Rashi) but also to princes and
other Judahite leaders. Jehoahaz has already been blown away to Egypt, and
yet to come are the exiles of Jehoiachin and Zedekiah to Babylon. With both
kings went also a goodly number of other prominent citizens. Aquila and
Symm have "your companions" ( tous etairous sou) for "your shepherds,"
which may be influenced by "your lovers" in the next colon, and misread
ro'ayik ("your shepherds") as re'ayik ("your companions"). NEB and REB
thus translate "your friends," but this does away with the wordplay (Duhm;
Rudolph; Jones).
and your lovers into captivity shall go. Who are these "lovers"? Are they Judah's
(former) allies, as in v 20, or Jerusalem's "shepherds" referred to in the prior co-
lon? One will note that Pashhur's "dear friends" ('ohabeyka) in 20:4 and 6, who
might also be called "loved ones,'' were other priests, prophets, and highly placed
friends in Jerusalem (see Note for 20:4). In the present verse, then, the people's
"lovers" are probably not former allies (who are already "broken") but the Jeru-
salem leadership destined for a coming exile (Rudolph; Thiel 1973: 242).
Indeed then you will be ashamed and disgraced. Hebrew kf 'az tebosf
weniklamt. Dahood (l 976a: 5 5) translates the initial kf as a vocative: "O then
you will be ashamed and abashed,'' which is quoted with approval by Althann
(1997: 103). The AV and NAB render the particle as an asseverative: "surely,"
which is how I have translated it here. Most modern Versions (RSV; NEB;
NJV; NIV; NRSV; REB; NJB; NSB) do not translate it at all. The particle
"then" ('az) shows that the denouement is still to come. On the verbal combi-
nation "ashamed and disgraced,'' see 14: 3 and 31:19. People were said earlier
to be incapable of shame and disgrace (3:3; 6:15 [= 8:12)), but Jeremiah
warned that shame would nevertheless come (2:36; 8:9), and it did (9: 18[Eng
9:19]; 51:51). Shame came to Northern Israel (31:19; 48:13) and awaited
other nations destined for defeat (46:24; 48:1, 20, 39; 49:23; 50:2). On shame
in Jeremiah, the OT, and the ancient world in general, see Note for 2:26.
from all your wickedness. Hebrew mikkol ra'atek. A wordplay with kol-ro'ayik
("all your shepherds") in the previous line. The LXX's "by all your friends"
(apo panton ton philounton se) appears again to misread the Hebrew, as Aq
and Symm did in the case of ro'ayik, "your shepherds" (see above). Shame and
disgrace are the bitter fruit of evil behavior (3:25).
