Jeremiah and the Yoke Bars (27:1-22) 323son oflehoiakim, king ofludah. This LXX omission can be also be attributed
to haplography (homoeoteleuton: h ... h). Theodotion, T, and Vg have the
words.
20b-22a. The LXX omits all of the following: "also all the nobles of Judah
and Jerusalem: Indeed, thus said Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, concerning the
vessels remaining in the house of Yahweh, and the house of the king ofludah, and
Jerusalem: To Babylon," which is clearly a loss due to haplography (four-word:
mlk-yhwdh myrwslm bblh ... mlk-yhwdh wyrwslm bblh). Theodotion, T, and Vg
all have the words.
Jeconiah. Hebrew yekonya (Q). Another short spelling of Jehoiachin's name,
occurring also in 28:4; 29:2; Esth 2:6; and 1 Chr 3: 16, 17. For the many differ-
ent spellings of this king's name in the OT, see Note for 22:24.
the nobles. Hebrew ~orfm are the freeborn or nobles of a city ( 1 Kgs 21:8,
11). These nobles fared better than those caught by the Babylonians in 586
B.C. (39:6).- Indeed, thus said Yahweh of hosts. Taking the kf, with Calvin, as an assev-
erative: "Indeed." Calvin says that emphasis is required because the messenger
formula of v 19 is repeated - To Babylon they shall be brought. And they were, in 586 B.C. (52:17-23).
and there they shall be until the day I attend to them. The LXX omits. Retain
with Theod, T, and Vg. Restoration is as integral to this oracle as to the earlier
oracles given the foreign envoys (see Rhetoric and Composition). On the verb
pqd in Jeremiah, otherwise translated "reckon (with)" in prophecies of judg-
ment, see Note on 5:9.
and I bring them out and bring them back to this place. The LXX omits,
which can be due to haplography (homoeoarcton: w ... w, or homoeoteleu-
ton: h ... h). Theodotion, T, and Vg have the words.
MESSAGE AND AUDIENCE
In this narrative, Jeremiah begins by reporting how Yahweh told him to make
for himself straps and yoke bars. One yoke consisting of a crossbar and two
straps was then to be put upon his neck. Yokes of presumably the same type
were to be sent to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon via en-
voys coming now to Jerusalem for a conference with King Zedekiah. We are
not told what the conference was about, but the oracles following will answer
that question. Jeremiah is told to command the envoys that they report Yah-
weh's oracles to their masters.
Oracle I, enriched by symbolic action, has Yahweh announcing with great
emphasis that he made the earth along with the humans and beasts that in-
habit it. He did it with his awesome strength, and can give over control of it to
anyone he chooses. Just now he has decided to give all the lands represented
at the present conference to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, who, not inci-
dentally has become his servant, and even the wild beasts are given to him
and will serve him. All nations, in fact, will serve Nebuchadnezzar and two