252 TRANSLATION, NOTES, AND COMMENTSSymm has v l 4a. That many nations and great kings shall one day make Baby-
lon serve is predicted also in 27: 7.
shall make them serve. Reading an imperfect ya<abdu; where a yod on the
prior word can be assumed to have been lost through haplography (Blayney;
Ehrlich 1912: 308). The verse is prophecy (Rudolph), but MT <abedu cannot
be a prophetic perfect (Cornill). The verb <bd + be in the Qal means "make
serve" (22:13; 25:14; 27:7; 30:8; 34:9), a meaning the H-stem also has (cf.
Exod 1:13, 14). The combination can mean "do work with (an animal)," as in
Deut 15: 19. Jeremiah is saying that many nations and great kings shall enslave
the people of Babylon (Rashi), perhaps even that they will work the Babylo-
nian people the way a farmer works his ox.
even them! Hebrew gam-hemma. The pronoun gives emphasis to ham,
"them" (GKC §135g). Servitude will be the lot of the Babylonians-even
them! Note the emphatic "even he!" (gam-hu>) in the parallel verse of 27:7b.
And I will repay them. On Yahweh's repayment (slm Piel) of Babylon, see
also 50:29; 51:6, 24, 56. Judah's full repayment at the hand of Yahweh is dis-
cussed in the Note for 16:18.
according to their deeds and according to the work of their hands. A cliche,
as we see from v 6, but here referring to Babylon's (evil) deeds and its wor-
ship of idols. Elsewhere it is said that Babylon will be punished by Yahweh
because it is proud (50:31-32) and because it trusts in its own gods (50:38b;
51:47, 52).MESSAGE AND AUDIENCE
The present narrative states that a word came to Jeremiah from Yahweh in Je-
hoiakim's fourth year, which, the audience is told, was also the first year of
Nebuchadrezzar, the king of Babylon. Jeremiah is said on this occasion to have
begun his address to a Jerusalem and Judahite audience with a personal word
about his many years as prophet to this people. In this remarkable insight into
a prophet's inner thoughts, in which he unburdens himself of a deep personal
hurt, we are told that for 23 years Yahweh's word has come to him (beginning
with the time he first received Yahweh's call to be a prophet), and for a lesser
number of years he has spoken to these people, but they would not hear him.
Jeremiah reminds these people that over the years Yahweh has sent-repeat-
edly sent-his servants, the prophets, but the people would not hear them ei-
ther. No attempt even to bend the ear. Yahweh's message was simple: return
from your evil ways and doings, and live in the land I gave to you and to your
ancestors.
A divine oracle follows in which Yahweh, who is now the speaking voice,
asks only that the people obey the first two commandments. If they do, Yah-
weh will do them no hurt. Then Yahweh says what Jeremiah has just said-
namely, that the people have not listened to him, provoking him instead with
handmade idols, to their own hurt. A second oracle follows, which is one of
judgment. Because the people have not heeded Yahweh's covenant or his