30:10 So I, the Lord, tell you not to be afraid,
you descendants of Jacob, my servants. 1
Do not be terrified, people of Israel.
For I will rescue you and your descendants
from a faraway land where you are captives. 2
The descendants of Jacob will return to their land and enjoy peace.
They will be secure and no one will terrify them. 3
30:11 For I, the Lord, affirm 4 that
I will be with you and will rescue you.
I will completely destroy all the nations where I scattered you.
But I will not completely destroy you.
I will indeed discipline you, but only in due measure.
I will not allow you to go entirely unpunished.” 5
30:18 The Lord says,
“I will restore the ruined houses of the descendants of Jacob.
I will show compassion on their ruined homes. 6
Every city will be rebuilt on its former ruins. 7
Every fortified dwelling will occupy its traditional site. 8
1 tn Heb “So do not be afraid, my servant Jacob, oracle of the
2 tn Heb “For I will rescue you from far away, your descendants from the land of their captivity.”
3 sn Compare the ideals of the Mosaic covenant in Lev 26:6, the Davidic covenant in 2 Sam 7:10-11, and the new covenant in Ezek 34:25-31.
4 tn Heb “Oracle of the
5 tn The translation “entirely unpunished” is intended to reflect the emphatic construction of the infinitive absolute before the finite verb.
6 tn Heb “I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob and will have compassion on his habitations.” For the meaning of the idiom “restore the fortunes of” see the translator’s note on 29:14. The “tents of Jacob” refers to their homes or houses (see BDB 14 s.v. אֹהֶל 2 and compare usage in Judg 19:9; Mal 2:12). The word “ruined” has been supplied in the translation to show more clearly the idea of restoration of their houses on their former sites in conformity to the concepts in the latter half of the verse.
7 sn Heb “on its tel.” A tel is a site where successive layers of occupation are built upon one another after the destruction or decay of the former city. The original site was not abandoned because it had been chosen for strategic purposes, such as proximity to water or ease of defense. Many modern archaeological sites have the designation “Tel” as a component of their name because of this practice.
8 tn Heb “according to its custom [or plan].” Cf. BDB 1049 s.v. מִשְׁפָּט 6.d and compare usage in 1 Sam 27:11.