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

534 TRANSLATION, NOTES, AND COMMENTS

oracle in vv 1-3, the goodness and peace will be what Yahweh promised to re-

veal to Jeremiah if he but called upon him, which the prophet presumably did.

3. Two Promises of Return (33:10-13)

a) The Return of Joyful Sounds (33:10-11)

33 10 Thus said Yahweh:

Again it shall be heard in this place-of which you are saying, 'It is a waste,

without human and without beast,' in the cities of Judah and in the streets

of Jerusalem that are deserted without human and without inhabitant and

without beast-^11 the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the

groom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those saying,

Give thanks to Yahweh of hosts

for Yahweh is good

for his steadfast love is eternal

and" those bringing a thank offering to the house of Yahweh, for I will

surely restore the fortunes of the land as at first-said Yahweh.

b) The Return of Pasture Land (33:12-13)

33 12 Thus said Yahweh of hosts:

Again there shall be in this place of waste, without human or beast, and in

all its cities, pasture for shepherds resting the flock.^13 In the cities of the

hill country, in the cities of the Shephelah, and in the cities of the Negeb,

and in the land of Benjamin, and in the regions around Jerusalem, and in

the cities of Judah, again the flock shall pass under the hands of the one

who counts it-said Yahweh.

RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION

MT 33:10-13 = LXX 40:10-13. The present verses contain two similarly-struc-
tured restoration oracles: 1) one promising the return of joyful human sounds
to the streets of Jerusalem and other Judahite cities now deathly silent (vv 10-
1 l); and 2) one promising the return of pastureland in now-despoiled Judah,
in which shepherds will again keep flocks (vv 12-13). Oracle I is delimited at
the top by a setumah in MA and ML and a petubah in MP before v 10; at the
bottom, delimitation is by a setumah in MA and ML and a petubah in MP after
v 11. Oracle II is delimited at the top by a setumah in MA and ML and a
petubah in MP before v 12, and at the bottom by a setumah in MA and ML and
a petubah in MP after v 13.
The oracles have similar beginnings, both employing (along with other Jer-
emianic phraseology) the key word "again," which occurs prominently in the
poetry and prose of the Book of Restoration (31:4-5, 23-40):

"Reading a conjunctive waw on MT mebi,fm, "and those bringing," with LXX, S, and Vg (see
Notes).