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

582 TRANSLATION, NOTES, AND COMMENTS

Yahweh that he had spoken to him upon a writing-scroll.^5 And Jeremiah

commanded Baruch, saying: 'I am under restraint; I am not able to enter

the house of Yahweh.^6 So you, you shall enter, and you shall read aloud

from the roll that you have written from my dictation the words of Yahweh

in the hearing of the people in the house of Yahweh on a fast day, yes, also

in the hearing of all Judah who come from their cities, you shall read them

aloud.^7 Perhaps their petition will be laid before Yahweh, and they will

turn each person from his evil way, for great is the anger and wrath that

Yahweh has spoken toward this people.'^8 And Baruch son of Neriah did ac-

cording to all that Jeremiah, the prophet, commanded him, to read aloud

the scroll of the words of Yahweh in the house of Yahweh.

RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION

MT 36:1-8 = LXX 43:1-8. The present chapter contains a core narrative of

vv 1-8, to which have been added two supplementary narratives: vv 9-26 and

vv 27-32. This division is rightly seen by E. Nielsen (1954: 65), who points

out that while the three narrative segments are independent, they are also

interdependent. An inclusio with inversion, which contrasts Yahweh's desire

to forgive if the people will listen (v 3), with a decision finally to punish be-

cause they have not listened (v 31 ), ties the three segments together (Abrego

1983a: 7; 1983b: 31):

v 3 Perhaps they will listen ...

all the evil that I am planning ...

and I will forgive their iniquity ...

v 31 and I will reckon ... their iniquity

and I will bring ... all the evil that

and they did not listen

'Ulay yisme<a

'et kol-hara<a 'aser 'anokf /:ioseb

wesala/:itf la<awonam

upaqadtf ... 'et-<awonam

wehebe'tf ... 'et kol-hara<a 'aiier

welo' same<a

The three segments report three separate events, the first two being dated in the
fourth and fifth years of Jehoiakim respectively, and the third documented
more generally: "after the king burned the roll." The first and last segments re-
port divine revelations to Jeremiah; the middle segment reports a reading of the
Jeremiah scroll in the Temple by Baruch, the scribe. All three segments begin
with the narrative wayehf, "and it happened I and it came" (Abrego l 983a: 3).

I And it happened (wayehf) ... this word came to Jeremiah from Yahweh... v l

II And it happened (wayehf)... v 9

III And the word of Yahweh came (wayehf) to Jeremiah... v 27

Two other occurrences of wayehf in the chapter, in vv 16 and 23, do not signal
major breaks.
Chapter 36 is a concluding chapter (Engnell 1962; Kessler 1966: 389;
Muilenburg 1970a: 223-24; Lundbom 1975: 107-9 [= 1997: 140-43]; Holladay),