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

96 TRANSLATION, NOTES, AND COMMENTS

The oracle on the "two ways" in vv 8-9 bears a close resemblance to the ser-

mon on the "two ways" in Deut 30: 15-20. But there is no reason to believe that

these verses have therefore passed through the hands of a "Deuteronomic re-

dactor" (Berridge 1970: 204-5; pace Giesebrecht and others). They are Jere-

miah's reinterpretation of preaching that is well known, developing a theme

appearing elsewhere in the OT and throughout the literature of the ANE. So

far as composition within the book of Jeremiah is concerned, this "surrender

oracle" of vv 8-9 correlates with the narrative, preaching summary, and report

of consequences in 38: 1-6 (Volz), just as the "Temple Oracles" in 7: 1-15 cor-

relate with the narrative, preaching summary, and report of consequences in

26:1-19, and as the "Temple and Valley Oracles" in 7:30-8:3 correlate with the

narrative, preaching summary, and report of consequences in 19: 1-20:6 (see

further Rhetoric and Composition for 19: 1-13).

The following key word repetitions bind the four oracles together:

Look I ... hinenf v4

the Chaldeans who are besieging you hakkasdfm ha$$Zlrfm ?ilekem

II ... I will give >etten v7

from the pestilence, from the sword, min-haddeber min-habereb

and from the famine umin-hara<ab

III Look I will set hinenf noten v8

by sword, and by famine, and by pestilence babereb ubara<ab ubaddaber v9

the Chaldeans who are besieging you hakkaSdfm ha$$Zlrfm <azekem

IV ... it shall be given tinnaten v 10

These oracles teem with accumulatio, as Calvin and others point out, al-
though the phenomenon is evaluated negatively by Rudolph, who dubs it
"verbosity of expression." H. Weippert ( 1973: 80) calls it Kunstprosa ("artistic
prose"), which she evaluates more positively. The buildup of words and
phrases is to drive the point home. Calvin says King Zedekiah needs to be
awakened. In v 5:

And I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and with strong

arm, yes, in anger and in wrath and in great fury.

In v 7 the accumulatio makes an abb' a' structure of four terms three
terms : three terms : four terms:

a Zedekiah ... and his servants, and the people, and those remaining in this city

b from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine

b' into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar ... and into the hand of their enemies ...

and into the hand of those who seek their lives

a' And he will strike them down ... he will not spare them, and he will not pity,

and he will not have mercy