Jeremiah 5:21

5:21 Tell them: ‘Hear this,

you foolish people who have no understanding,

who have eyes but do not discern,

who have ears but do not perceive: ¹ 

Jeremiah 6:25

6:25 Do not go out into the countryside.

Do not travel on the roads.

For the enemy is there with sword in hand. ² 

They are spreading terror everywhere.” ³ 

Jeremiah 23:24

23:24 “Do you really think anyone can hide himself

where I cannot see him?” the Lord asks. ⁴ 

“Do you not know that I am everywhere?” ⁵ 

the Lord asks. ⁶ 

Jeremiah 27:14

27:14 Do not listen to the prophets who are telling you that you do not need to serve ⁷  the king of Babylon. For they are prophesying lies to you.

Jeremiah 38:5

38:5 King Zedekiah said to them, “Very well, you can do what you want with him. ⁸  For I cannot do anything to stop you.” ⁹ 

Jeremiah 38:24

38:24 Then Zedekiah told Jeremiah, “Do not let anyone know about the conversation we have had. ¹⁰  If you do, you will die. ¹¹ 

Jeremiah 40:16

40:16 But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, “Do not do that ¹²  because what you are saying about Ishmael is not true.” ¹³ 

---

¹ tn Heb “they have eyes but they do not see, they have ears but they do not hear.”

² tn Heb “For the enemy has a sword.”

³ tn Heb “Terror is all around!”

⁴ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

⁵ tn The words “Don’t you know” are not in the text. They are a way of conveying the idea that the question which reads literally “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” expects a positive answer. They follow the pattern used at the beginning of the previous two questions and continue that thought. The words are supplied in the translation for clarity.

⁶ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

⁷ tn The verb in this context is best taken as a negative obligatory imperfect. See IBHS 508 §31.4g for discussion and examples. See Exod 4:15 as an example of positive obligation.

⁸ tn Heb “Behold, he is in your hands [= power/control].”

⁹ tn Heb “For the king cannot do a thing with/against you.” The personal pronoun “I” is substituted in the English translation due to differences in style; Hebrew style often uses the third person or the title in speaking of oneself but English rarely if ever does. Compare the common paraphrasis of “your servant” for “I” in Hebrew (cf. BDB 714 s.v. עֶבֶד 6 and usage in 1 Sam 20:7, 8) and compare the usage in Pss 63:11 (63:12 HT); 61:6 (61:7 HT) where the king is praying for himself. For the meaning of יָכֹל (yakhol) as “to be able to do anything,” see BDB 407 s.v. יָכֹל 1.g.

¹⁰ tn Heb “about these words.”

¹¹ tn Or “so that you will not die.” Or “or you will die.” See the similar construction in 37:20 and the translator’s note there.

sn This is probably not a threat that the king himself will kill Jeremiah, but a premonition that if the pro-Egyptian party that was seeking to kill Jeremiah found out about the conversation they would go ahead and kill Jeremiah (cf. 38:2-4).

¹² tn Heb “this thing.”

¹³ tn Heb “is false” or “is a lie.”