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

Book of the Covenant (30:1-31:40) 439

be smothered or drowned in a bucket, in the presence of the mother. Given

a new-born child's natural resistance to drowning, a baby's agony might last

for twenty or thirty minutes.

(Fackenheim 1990: 347-48)

k) Rachel, Don't You Weep No More! (31:16-17)

31 16 Thus said Yahweh:

Restrain your voice from weeping

and your eyes from tears

For there is a reward for your labor

-oracle of Yahweh-

and they shall return from the land of the enemy

(^17) And there is hope for your future
-oracle of Yahweh-
and sons shall return to their territory.
RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION
MT 31:16-17 = LXX 38:16-17. These verses contain a cluster of very brief
hope and comfort oracles that answer the weeping of Rachel in v 15. The
cluster is delimited at the top end by a "thus said Yahweh" formula beginning
v 16, before which is a setumah in ML and a petu'f:zah in MP. Delimitation at
the bottom end is by a setumah in ML (only) after v 17. 4QJerc upon recon-
struction appears not to have a section here. The LXX lacks the "oracle of
Yahweh" formulas in vv 16b and 17, leading some commentators (Duhm;
Cornill; Volz; Rudolph; Weiser; Holladay; McKane) to delete them. But they
are probably original, since brief oracles with formulas occur also in 3: 12;
23:23-24, 28b-32.
Oracles II and III have these balancing repetitions:
II ... there is ..... for your.... .... yes ... li ... ek

and they shall return ........... wesabu

III ... there is ...... for your ....... yes ... le ... ek

and they shall return ........... wesabU

Catchwords connecting to the companion poem preceding:

v 16 your voice

weeping

v 17 sons

v 15 voice

weeping (2x)

her sons (2x)

v 16b

v 17