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

460 TRANSLATION, NOTES, AND COMMENTS

The first and last prophecies are linked together by the word 'adam ("man,

human"):

... the seed of human ('adam) and the seed of beast ...

III Every human (kol-ha'adam) who eats the sour grapes ...

These catchwords connect to the following oracle:

v 29 fathers v 32 fathers

v 30 in his iniquity v 34 their iniquity

NOTES

v 27

v 30

31:27. Look, days are coming. On this stereotypical phrase in Jeremiah, see

Note for 7:32. The LXX adds dia touto (=Heb laken, "therefore"); cf. 35:18

(LXX 42:18).

when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of hu-

man and the seed of beast. The verb zr< ("sow") takes a double accusative (GKC

§ 117 ee). The land presently is a ruin and its population decimated, but Yah-

weh repeats a promise made elsewhere that in future days he will repopulate a

united Israel and Judah (see Note for 30: 19). The metaphor used to describe

the restoration ("I will sow ... seed," zara<tf ... zera<) is unusual and open to

misunderstanding, e.g., in Carroll's infelicitous talk of "semen." The imagery

may derive from Hos 2:25[Eng 2:23], where Yahweh speaks similarly about a

restoration of land and people. There the verb zr< ("sow") is chosen to make a

play on yizre<e'l ("Jezreel"). Yahweh's judgment in Jeremiah is promised for

both humans and beasts (7:20; 21:6), and it came upon both (32:43; 33:10, 12;

36:29). Now both will enjoy an increase in the new creation. On the pairing of

"human and beast" in Jeremiah, see Note for 21:6.

the house of Israel and the house of Judah. The LXX reduces to "Israel and

Judah," but the MT reading is supported by Aq, Symm, T, and Vg. This proph-

ecy is given to a united Israel and Judah, which is true also of the "new cove-

nant" prophecy coming next (v 31). On Israel and Judah as a united entity in

future days, see also 3:18; 50:4-5; Ezek 37:15-23; and Hos 1:11.

28. And it will be, as I have watched over ... so I will watch over. A compari-
    son of the ka'aser ... ken type, occurring again in 32:42 (see also Note for
    13:11). When Yahweh "watches over" (sqd) his word, it means he will fulfill a
    promise ( 1:12).
    to uproot and to break down and to overthrow and to destroy, also to bring evil.
    The LXX has only two verbs: kathairein kai kakoun, which appear to translate
    MT's laharos ... uleharea< ("to overthrow ... and to bring evil"). Cornill and
    Holladay select the wrong equivalents-Cornill the first and last verbs; Holla-
    day the first two verbs. Elsewhere in Jeremiah the LXX translates Heb hrs with
    kathaireo (24:6; 31:40[LXX 38:40]; 42:10[LXX 49:10]; and 45:4[LXX 51:34]).
    Janzen ( 1973: 3 5) and McKane, who select the right equivalents, take the other