410 TRANSLATION, NOTES, AND COMMENTS(^24) the burning anger of Yahweh does not turn back
Until it does and until it fulfills
the purposes of his heart
In the days afterward
you will understand it.
RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION
MT 30:23-24 = LXX 37:23-24. This poem is duplicated in 23: 19-20, and here
the LXX has it in both places. Often the LXX omits the second occurrence of
a duplication in the book. The poem is delimited at the top end by a petuQah
in 4QJerc and MP and a setumah in ML before v 23. There are no section mark-
ings after v 24, but the chapter division delimits the poem here. The next sec-
tion comes after 31: 1, suggesting a joining of the covenant oracle in 31: 1 to the
present verses. But the two do not belong together (pace Giesebrecht; Volz;
Hyatt; McKane ); the covenant oracle in 31: 1 goes, rather, with the salvation
oracle in 31:2-6 (see Rhetoric and Composition for 31:1-6).
This poem is the center judgment of the poetic core (see Rhetoric and Com-
position for 30:4-7). In a collection otherwise dominated by future hope, it
should be noted, nevertheless, that judgment words spoken by the prophet
come at the beginning (30:5-7), middle (30:23-24), and end (31:22).
Catchwords connecting to the prior oracle:
v 23 Look
goes forth
v 24 does not turn back
hinneh
ya$ifa
Zr/ yasub
v 18 Look I
restore
v 19 and shall go forth
v 21 shall go forth
Catchwords connecting to the following poem in 31:2-6:
v 23 goes forth
whirls
ya$e>a
yal:zul
v 4 and go forth
dance
NOTES
30:23-24. See exegesis for 23:19-20.
hinenf
sab
weya$a>
ye$e>
weya$a>t
me/:zOZ
- sweeping. Hebrew mitgorer. The Hithpolel participle in 23:19 is mitQ8lel
("whirling"), which is more integrated into the poetry (see Note there).
Upon the head of the wicked. The LXX lacks "head," as also in 23: 19, but it is
partially extant in 4QJerc. The omission could be due to haplography (see Note
for 23:19). - the burning anger of Yahweh does not tum back. The term Qiiron ("burn-
ing") is lacking in 23:19. For other variations of this Jeremianic phrase, see
Note on 4:8.
In the days afterward. On this expression, see Note for 23:20.