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

More on Restoration and Covenants (33:1-26) 539

Greek haplography, Filson saying that the omission most likely is a loss occur-

ring in columns of a codex, where the scribe's eye jumped from hoti ego eimi

Kurios ("that I am the Lord") in v 23a to hoti ego (eimi)" Kurios ("that I am the

Lord") ending v 38 (homoeoteleuton).

The present oracle both expands and modifies the messianic oracle of

23:5-6. At the top end it is delimited by a messenger formula in v 14, which

is preceded by a setumah in MA and ML and a petul;ah in MP before the

verse. Delimitation at the bottom end is by a setumah in MA, ML, and MP

after v 16. Also, 4QJerc upon reconstruction has a setumah after v 16 (Tov

1997: 181, 200).

The oracle in 23:5-6 is poetry, divided into two equal stanzas. Here the first

colon has been expanded into a prosaic introduction (v 14), leaving two un-

equal stanzas of poetry. But these stanzas are balanced by the following repeti-

tion not present in 23:5-6:

I In those days ...

II In those days ...

bayyamfm hahem

bayyamfm hahem

v 15

v 16

Fishbane (1985: 471-74) thinks the oracle in its form here has been trans-

formed by the exile, which is possible. But the destruction of Jerusalem alone

is enough to account for the transformation, which means it could be dated

anytime after 586 B.C.

NOTES

33:14. Look, days are coming-oracle of Yahweh-when I will confirm the good
word that I spoke to the house of Israel and concerning the house of Judah. The
formulaic "look, days are coming" introduction is Jeremianic (see Note for
7: 32), assuming also structural importance in the first Book of Restoration (see
"Rhetoric and Composition" for 30:1-3 and 31:23-26). It begins the poetic or-
acle in 23:5, but here is expanded into a prosaic statement about Yahweh con-
firming a good word spoken to Israel and Judah about their future (cf. 29: 10).
The particles )el and 'al are used interchangeably, which is not carelessness or
a mark of lateness, as Holladay claims (II 228-29), but something found
throughout the Jeremiah prose (see Note for 11:2). Blayney calls it stylistic
"elegance."
15-16. See exegesis for 2 3: 5-6.

15. In those days and at that time. This combined formula, which is absent
    in 23:5, occurs elsewhere in 50:4 and 20. For "in those days" and "at that time,''
    see Notes for 3: 16 and 17.
    I will make sprout for David a Shoot of righteousness. Hebrew )a$mfa/:i
    ledawid $emal; $edaqa. In 23:5 the wording is "when I will raise up (wahaqlm-
    otf) for David a righteous Shoot ($emal; $addfq),'' where the verb "I will raise

'GA adds eimi; G^8 and GQ omit.