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

530 TRANSLATION, NOTES, AND COMMENTS

rebelled against me.^9 And it shall be to me a joyful name, a praise, and

a glorious decoration before all the nations of the earth who shall hear

all the good that I am doing to them; they shall tremble and they shall

shake on account of all the good and on account of all the peace that

I am doing for it.

RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION

MT 33:4-9 = LXX 40:4-9. The present verses contain a restoration oracle for

Israel and Judah focusing on Jerusalem and its inhabitants (vv 6-9). Preceding

it is an expanded messenger formula giving background for the oracle (vv 4-5).

The unit is delimited at the top end by a petuf:zah in MA and a setumah in ML

and MP before v 4. Delimitation at the bottom end is by a setumah in MA and

ML and a petuf:zah in MP after v 9.

The oracle can be assigned to Jeremiah, who received it while confined to

the court of the guard (see Rhetoric and Composition for 33:1-3). The oracle

begins with the familiar Jeremianic hinenf ("look I") with a participle (see

Note for 1: 15) and is structured in such a way that Jerusalem and its inhabitants

are spoken of at beginning and end. In the center is a promise to Israel and

Judah that their fortunes will be restored and that a remnant of each will be

built up and cleansed of its sin:

City of Jerusalem: Look I am going to bring to it (lah) new flesh v 6

Jerusalem's People:

and healing

and I will heal them (urepa>tfm) and I will reveal

to them (!ahem) the sweet smell of peace and

security

Fortunes of Israel and Judah: And I will surely restore the fortunes of Judah v 7

and the fortunes of Israel

Israel and Judah's People: and I will build them (ubenitim) as at first. And v 8

I will cleanse them (wetihartfm) from all their

iniquity «aw6nam) ... and I will forgive all their

iniquities «aw6n6tehem) by which they sinned

(f:zatif1u) against me and by which they rebelled

(pase<a) against me

City of Jerusalem:

Jerusalem's People:

City of Jerusalem

And it shall be (wehayetil) to me a joyful

name ...

... all the good that I am doing to them ('otam)
... all the peace that I am doing for it (lah)

v9

The term "peace," which is desired particularly for Jerusalem, the "city of
peace," makes an inclusio for the oracle:

... the sweet smell of peace (sal6m) and security

... all the peace (hassal6m) that I am doing for it

v6

v9