Jeremiah 21-36 A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary by (Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries)

Speaking of Kings (21:1-23:8) 169

central importance in the Creation account of Genesis 1, the phrase suggests

here that nothing less than a new creation is in store for Israel (Boadt). The

phrase appears also in 3: 16 (inverted) and in Ezek 36: 11. In Jeremiah's first let-

ter to the exiles he told them in Yahweh's name to take wives and "multiply"

(rebU) in Babylon (29:6).

4. And I will raise up over them shepherds who will shepherd them. A wordplay
   similar to the one in v 2a. The LXX, Vg, and AV again have "who will feed
   them."
   And they shall not again be afraid, and they shall not be broken. Hebrew
   welo)-yfre)u <ad welo)-yebattU. On the verb btt, meaning "broken" in either a
   physical or psychological sense, or both, see Note for I: 17. The expression "do
   not be afraid, and do not be broken/dismayed" occurs elsewhere in 31: 10 =
   46:27; Deut 1:21 and 31:8. In Ezek 34:5, 8, negligence by shepherds has left
   the flock exposed to wild beasts, which in v 28 are identified as (foreign) na-
   tions. Ezekiel goes on to say that Yahweh in his promised future will make a
   covenant of peace with his people, at which time all wild beasts will be ban-
   ished from the land. Upon the people will then fall showers of blessing (vv 25-
   26). Abarbanel" says this refers to the messianic era, when the Jews will no
   longer fear the nations.
   and they shall not be reckoned with. I.e., for the purpose of being punished.
   Hebrew welo) yippaqedu. The more usual interpretation (AV; RSV; JB; NAB;
   NJV; NIV; NRSV; NJB) is "and there shall not be any unaccounted for," i.e.,
   none shall be missing (cf. 1 Kgs 20:39), butthe repeated use of pqd in these or-
   acles suggests that the N-stem here means that judgment will be over and the
   covenant people will not require another painful visitation from Yahweh, re-
   sulting in a reckoning and punishment (Blayney; NEB; REB; cf. Prov 19:23;
   Isa 24:22). The LXX omits the phrase, a circumstance that can be attributed to
   haplography (homoeoteleuton: w ... w). Aquila and Symm have the reading.

MESSAGE AND AUDIENCE

In the first of these oracles, Yahweh hurls a "Woe!" upon shepherds who de-
stroy and scatter the flock of his pasture. In the second, prefaced now by an em-
bellished messenger formula indicating judgment on these shepherds,
Yahweh turns to address the culprits directly. Pointing the finger with his em-
phatic "you," he says that these would-be shepherds have not only scattered the
flock, but failed to call them to account as good shepherds are supposed to do,
for which reason Yahweh says he will call them to account. Their deeds have
been evil. In Oracle III, Yahweh speaks his emphatic "I" to an unidentified au-
dience, and tells them he will gather remaining sheep from the lands to where
he-not the shepherds-have dispersed them, and will bring them back to

"Isaac Abarbanel (properly Abrabanel), 1437-1508, was a Jewish statesman, philosopher, and
exegete, born in Lisbon, but who later lived in Spain and Italy, where he wrote commentaries on
the Major and Minor Prophets. His Jeremiah commentary was written in Venice and published
in 1504 (EncJud 2: 103-9).