13:19 The gates of the towns in southern Judah will be shut tight. 3
No one will be able to go in or out of them. 4
All Judah will be carried off into exile.
They will be completely carried off into exile.’” 5
17:19 The Lord told me, “Go and stand in the People’s Gate 7 through which the kings of Judah enter and leave the city. Then go and stand in all the other gates of the city of Jerusalem. 8 17:20 As you stand in those places 9 announce, ‘Listen, all you people who pass through these gates. Listen, all you kings of Judah, all you people of Judah and all you citizens of Jerusalem. Listen to what the Lord says. 10
49:31 The Lord says, 13 “Army of Babylon, 14 go and attack
a nation that lives in peace and security.
They have no gates or walls to protect them. 15
They live all alone.
1 tn Heb “Proclaim there…” The adverb is unnecessary in English style.
2 sn That is, all those who have passed through the gates of the outer court and are standing in the courtyard of the temple.
3 tn Heb “The towns of the Negev will be shut.”
4 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).
5 sn The statements are poetic exaggerations (hyperbole), as most commentaries note. Even in the exile of 587
6 sn Observance of the Sabbath day (and the Sabbatical year) appears to have been a litmus test of the nation’s spirituality since it is mentioned in a number of passages besides this one (cf., e.g., Isa 56:2, 6; 58:13; Neh 13:15-18). Perhaps this is because the Sabbath day was the sign of the Mosaic covenant (Exod 31:13-17) just as the rainbow was the sign of the Noahic covenant (Gen 9:12, 13, 17) and circumcision was the sign of the Abrahamic covenant (Gen 17:11). This was not the only command they failed to obey, nor was their failure to obey this one the sole determining factor in the
7 sn The identity and location of the People’s Gate is uncertain since it is mentioned nowhere else in the Hebrew Bible. Some identify it with the Benjamin Gate mentioned in Jer 37:13; 38:7 (cf. NAB), but there is no textual support for this in the Hebrew Bible or in any of the ancient versions.
8 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
9 tn The words “As you stand there” are not in the text but are implicit in the connection. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.
10 tn Heb “Listen to the word of the
11 tn Heb “who sits on David’s throne.”
12 tn Heb “Hear the word of the
13 tn Heb “Oracle of the
14 tn The words “Army of Babylon” are not in the text but are implicit from the context. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.
15 tn Heb “no gates and no bar,” i.e., “that lives securely without gates or bars.” The phrase is used by the figure of species for genus (synecdoche) to refer to the fact that they have no defenses, i.e., no walls, gates, or bars on the gates. The figure has been interpreted in the translation for the benefit of the average reader.