Jeremiah 11:5

11:5 Then I will keep the promise I swore on oath to your ancestors to give them a land flowing with milk and honey.” ¹  That is the very land that you still live in today.’” ²  And I responded, “Amen! Let it be so, ³  Lord!”

Jeremiah 11:7

11:7 For I solemnly warned your ancestors to obey me. ⁴  I warned them again and again, ⁵  ever since I delivered them out of Egypt until this very day.

Jeremiah 11:10

11:10 They have gone back to the evil ways ⁶  of their ancestors of old who refused to obey what I told them. They, too, have paid allegiance to ⁷  other gods and worshiped them. Both the nation of Israel and the nation of Judah ⁸  have violated the covenant I made with their ancestors.

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¹ tn The phrase “a land flowing with milk and honey” is very familiar to readers in the Jewish and Christian traditions as a proverbial description of the agricultural and pastoral abundance of the land of Israel. However, it may not mean too much to readers outside those traditions; an equivalent expression would be “a land of fertile fields and fine pastures.” E. W. Bullinger (Figures of Speech, 626) identifies this as a figure of speech called synecdoche where the species is put for the genus, “a region…abounding with pasture and fruits of all kinds.”

² tn Heb “‘a land flowing with milk and honey,’ as at this day.” However, the literal reading is too elliptical and would lead to confusion.

³ tn The words “Let it be so” are not in the text; they are an explanation of the significance of the term “Amen” for those who may not be part of the Christian or Jewish tradition.

sn The word amen is found at the end of each of the curses in Deut 27 where the people express their agreement with the appropriateness of the curse for the offense mentioned.

⁴ tn Heb “warned them…saying, ‘Obey me.’” However, it allows the long sentence to be broken up easier if the indirect quote is used.

⁵ tn For the explanation for this rendering see the note on 7:13.

⁶ tn Or “They have repeated the evil actions of….”

⁷ tn Heb “have walked/followed after.” See the translator’s note at 2:5 for the idiom.

⁸ tn Heb “house of Israel and house of Judah.”