13:19 The gates of the towns in southern Judah will be shut tight. 1
No one will be able to go in or out of them. 2
All Judah will be carried off into exile.
They will be completely carried off into exile.’” 3
46:9 Go ahead and 4 charge into battle, you horsemen!
Drive furiously, you charioteers!
Let the soldiers march out into battle,
those from Ethiopia and Libya who carry shields,
and those from Lydia 5 who are armed with the bow. 6
1 tn Heb “The towns of the Negev will be shut.”
2 tn Heb “There is no one to open them.” The translation is based on the parallel in Josh 6:1 where the very expression in the translation is used. Opening the city would have permitted entrance (of relief forces) as well as exit (of fugitives).
3 sn The statements are poetic exaggerations (hyperbole), as most commentaries note. Even in the exile of 587
4 tn The words “Go ahead and” are not in the text but are intended to suggest the ironical nature of the commands here. The
5 sn The peoples that are referred to here are all known to have been mercenaries in the army of Egypt (see Nah 3:9; Ezek 30:5). The place names in Hebrew are actually Cush, Put, and Lud. “Cush” has already been identified in Jer 13:23 as the region along the Nile south of Egypt most commonly referred to as Ethiopia. The identification of “Put” and “Lud” are both debated though it is generally felt that Put was a part of Libya and Lud is to be identified with Lydia in Asia Minor. For further discussion see M. J. Mellink, “Lud, Ludim” IDB 3:178, and T. O. Lambdin, “Put,” IDB 3:971.
6 tn Heb “who grasp and bend the bow.”
7 sn This would be 581