528 TRANSLATION, NOTES, AND COMMENTSMr before v 1, which is also the chapter division. At the bottom, delimitation is
by a petu~ah in MA and a setumah in ML and MP after v 3.NOTES
33:1. And the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah a second time. On this general
third-person superscriptional form, see again vv 19, 23, and also Note for
28: 12. Abarbanel thought "a second time" referred to a revelation concerning
the messianic redemption, whereas the revelation in the preceding passage
(chap. 32) referred to the redemption from Babylon.
while he was still confined in the court of the guard. On the present confine-
ment, see 37:21. The adverbial <odenil is discussed in Note for 40:5. The pas-
sive participle <a?ilr is to be translated the same as kalu' in 32:2: "confined"
(Rashi; cf. 39:15). In 36:5 the term simply means "under restraint," i.e., under
surveillance. Only the first two oracles in the chapter, vv 2-3 and 6-9, are re-
ceived during this confinement. The two oracles following, vv 10-11 and 12-
13, come after the fall of Jerusalem.- Thus said Yahweh who made it, Yahweh who formed it to establish it, Yahweh
is his name! A divine self-asseveration similar to the confessions made by wor-
shipers in 10:16 [= 51:19] and by Jeremiah in 32:17. Note also the expanded
messenger formula in 31: 3 5, which is similar to the present one. Weiser thinks
both may be hymnic fragments.
Yahweh who made it, Yahweh who formed it. Reference is to "the earth,"
which in the RSV and most modern Versions is added after the first verb, with
the LXX (floinn gP-n). Compare Isa 45:18. Aquila reads with the MT: poian
auto, "who made it" (cf. AV; NJV). Calvin prefers just the pronoun, saying it is
more forceful. Weiser and Holladay agree. But Calvin thinks "it" refers to Jeru-
salem, which cannot be right (cf. 32:31). The verbs here are <sh ("make") and
y$r ("form"), which appear in the Yahwist's account of Creation (Gen 2:4b, 7-
8, 19; 3:1). Several Heb MSS, the LXX, S, and Vg omit the second "Yahweh,"
but this can be attributed to haplography (homoeoarcton: y ... y or ho-
moeoteleuton: h ... h). The repetition is good poetry and gives emphasis to
the divine name.
Yahweh is his name. On this old climactic shout, which usually appears in
Jeremiah and Second Isaiah in the form "Yahweh of hosts is his name," see
32:18 and Note for 10:16. Yahweh uses the acclamation here to pledge fidelity
to his promise (Cheyne). - Call to me and I will answer you, and let me tell you great things and hid-
den things you have not known. In this dark hour, Yahweh wants communica-
tion to be open with his prophet because he has great things to tell him about
future days. Prayers from Jeremiah are thus being solicited, which Yahweh
promises to answer. Calvin says that while Yahweh's words are to Jeremiah,
they are for all people to hear so they too will pray. See 29: 12.
great things and hidden things. Hebrew gedolot ilbe?iirot. Zunz ( 1873: 670)
and Weinfeld ( l 972b: 3 58 #20) both note that this is a variation on the stereo-