Jeremiah 5:12-13

5:12 “These people have denied what the Lord says. 1 

They have said, ‘That is not so! 2 

No harm will come to us.

We will not experience war and famine. 3 

5:13 The prophets will prove to be full of wind. 4 

The Lord has not spoken through them. 5 

So, let what they say happen to them.’”

1 tn Heb “have denied the Lord.” The words “What…says” are implicit in what follows.

2 tn Or “he will do nothing”; Heb “Not he [or it]!”

3 tn Heb “we will not see the sword and famine.”

4 tn Heb “will be wind.”

sn There is a wordplay on the Hebrew word translated “wind” (רוּחַ, ruakh) which also means “spirit.” The prophets spoke by inspiration of the Spirit of the Lord (cf., e.g., 2 Chr 20:14); hence the prophet was sometimes called “the man of the spirit” (cf. Hos 9:7). The people were claiming that the prophets were speaking lies and hence were full of wind, not the Spirit.

5 tc Heb “the word is not in them.” The MT has a highly unusual form here, the Piel perfect with the definite article (הַדִּבֵּר, haddibber). It is undoubtedly best to read with the LXX (Greek version) and one Hebrew ms the article on the noun (הַדָּבָר, haddavar).