416 TRANSLATION, NOTES, AND COMMENTS
with an "eternal love" Cahabat <olam). The verb msk means "draw, drag
along," often being translated "continue" (Ps 36:ll[Eng 36:10)). Yahweh's
faithfulness continues by virtue of its ongoing drawing power. The same is true
with Yahweh's "love" (Hos 11:4). In Second Isaiah Yahweh says: "In a flood of
anger I hid my face for a moment from you, but with eternal faithfulness
(ube~esed cozam) I will have compassion on you" (Isa 54:8).
4-5. build ... plant. On these thematic verbs in Jeremiah, see 31:28 and
Note for 24:6.
- Again I will build you and you shall be built. A characteristic double-root
repetition in Jeremiah, where the verb is strengthened by the addition of its
passive. See again 31: 18. The usage has been noted also in Ugaritic poetry (see
Note for 11:18), and Gevirtz ( 1973) has turned up other examples from the
Amarna Letters. The threefold "again" (<od) in vv 4-5 gives emphasis to Israel's
future restoration (anaphora). The scattered nation is like a demolished build-
ing, whose stones and bricks are strewn all over the ground. But here Yahweh's
building activity means increased population (30: 19), prosperity, and a return
to community life in the homeland. Kim}:ii takes this as referring to the Jewish
people, which it does, but one should nevertheless note that others confessing
Yahweh's name will similarly be built up in the future (12:16; cf. 1:10).
virgin Israel. Hebrew betUlat yi§ra)el. One of the many personifications of
the nation in the book of Jeremiah but without the irony expressed in 14: 17
("virgin people"); 18: 13; and 31:21. In the three latter passages, Judah is per-
sonified, whereas here it was originally Northern Israel, as in Amos 5:2.
Schmitt ( 1991) thinks the term refers only to the respective capital cities. In his
view, "virgin Israel" personifies Samaria in Amos 5 :2; Jer 31: 14 and 21; and
Jerusalem in Jer 18:13. But such an interpretation appears too restrictive, and
the personfications are more likely of entire nations. Also, in Jer 31:21 "virgin
Israel" refers to the remnant of old Israel, i.e., Judah, not Northern Israel.
Again you'll deck yourself with your hand-drums. Israel's maidens will again
dress up in festive attire to play their drums at the dance. Cornill and Peake are
happy to find here a Jeremiah not always gloomy and not opposed to merri-
ment as such. A hint of this comes in 8: 18, where the prophet laments a former
joy that has left him. The verb <dh means "to deck oneself with ornaments"
(4:30; cf. 2:32), and the top, which is a hand-drum made from animal skin
stretched over a circular frame of wood or metal (C. Sachs 1940: 108-9; ABD
4: 936; cf. Mishnah Kinnim 3:6), is here part of the maidens' festival attire.
Held usually in the left hand, the drum was struck with the palm or fingers of
the right. No sticks were used. The instrument provided rhythm for song and
dance and was played mostly, though not exclusively, by women (Gorali 1972:
71). The LXX translates with tympanon, a later Greek term denoting a hand-
or kettle-drum. The Vg term is tympanum. Comparisons have been made to
the duff in use among Arabs (Streane; Finesinger 1926: 66; KB^3 ), which is a
hand-drum of similar type, with small pieces of brass affixed to the rim. How-
ever, the hand-drum in use among the Israelites, Canaanites, Egyptians, Assyr-
ians, and other ancient Near Eastern peoples had no jingling metal (C. Sachs
