398 TRANSLATION, NOTES, AND COMMENTS
enemy") in the prior colon. But the LXX has paideian sterean ("cruel correc-
tion"). Commentators divide on the translation. Kimi.ii follows MT, which has
the support of T. But Rashi takes milsar as an absolute and )akzarf as an adjec-
tive, giving the LXX's translation of "cruel punishment." Others more recently
(Giesebrecht; Duhm; Cornill; Volz; Rudolph; Weiser; Bright; Thompson)
achieve the same result by repainting milsar to the absolute milsar. See also JB
and NJV Either rendering is possible. In favor of the MT reading it may be
said that translating the "cruel (one)" gives a parallel to "enemy" eayeb) in the
prior colon, where the verb "I have struck" does double duty for both colons.
Some prefer this reading (Holladay; Jones; Keown et al.; McKane), which was
adopted by the AV ("chastisement of a cruel one"), and retained by the RSV
and NRSV ("punishment of a merciless foe").
Because your iniquity was much, your sins were numerous. "Iniquity" (<awon)
and "sin(s)" (~atta)t) are a stereotyped pair in Jeremiah (see Note for 16:18).
Some commentators (Volz; Rudolph; Weiser; Bright; Holladay) delete the
present line as a mistaken repetition of v 15, which is unjustified. Nor is there
justification for deleting both lines as moralizing supplements, as Gerlach
( 1986: 38) does. The repetition is part of the poem and doubtless intentional
(cf. 14:3-4). Yahweh's judgment is not capricious; it is done for a reason,
which is human sin (5:6; 8:14; 13:22; 14:10; 15:13; 16:10-13, 18; 17:1-4; 44:23;
50:7). This is stated at the very beginning of the Bible (Genesis 3-4) and is a
theme running through the entire Primary History from Genesis to Second
Kings (D. N. Freedman 2000). One also finds here another biblical idea-viz.,
that sickness results from sin (cf. 14: 19-20; Isa 1:4-6; Matt 9: 1-6).
- Why do you cry over your brokenness, your desperate pain? The omission
of this verse in the LXX can be due to haplography (homoeoteleuton: k ... k).
Some Gk MSS insert 15b after 16a, where it does not belong. The entire verse
is present in Aq and Theod. Hebrew mah in this case has to be translated
"Why?" The masculine verb tiz<aq ("do you cry") occurs here in place of the
second feminine singular (see also watilkal for watilkalf in 3:5; cf. GKC §47k;
69r). Duhm emends to tiz<c·iqf.
your desperate pain? Hebrew )anus maFobek. Jeremiah complained about
his own personal pain ( 15: 18: kif eb), and so did Baruch ( 4 3: 5: maF ob). Pain
will later come upon Babylon ( 51:8).
Because your iniquity was much, your sins were numerous, ... I did these
things to you. Yahweh answers his own rhetorical question, giving the reason
for the brokenness, the pain, and the punishment. Zion will not say why she
is crying. In classical rhetoric, giving an answer to one's own rhetorical ques-
tion is called hypophora (see Note for 49:7). The figure occurs again in 31:20.
Yahweh has inflicted the punishment but remains guiltless. The fault is
Zion's own.
I did these things to you. The G^0 L, Aq, and Theod have a third plural: "they
did these things to you." According to this reading, Zion's iniquity and sin
brought the punishment (cf. 4: 18), or else her military foes did. According to
the reading of MT, Yahweh brought the punishment to Zion.
