Discovery BoxJeremiah 1:6-7 
Context1:6 I answered, “Oh, Lord God, 1 I really 2 do not know how to speak well enough for that, 3 for I am too young.” 4 1:7 The Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ But go 5 to whomever I send you and say whatever I tell you.
Jeremiah 4:12
Context4:12 No, 6 a wind too strong for that will come at my bidding.
Yes, even now I, myself, am calling down judgment on them.’ 7
Jeremiah 25:14
Context25:14 For many nations and great kings will make slaves of the king of Babylon and his nation 8 too. I will repay them for all they have done!’” 9
Jeremiah 32:17
Context32:17 ‘Oh, Lord God, 10 you did indeed 11 make heaven and earth by your mighty power and great strength. 12 Nothing is too hard for you!
1 tn Heb “Lord Yahweh.”
sn The translation follows the ancient Jewish tradition of substituting the Hebrew word for “God” for the proper name Yahweh in this compound name. See the study note on v. 2 for the substitution of “Lord” in a similar kind of situation.
2 tn Heb “Behold, I do not know how to speak.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, commonly rendered “behold”) often introduces a speech and calls special attention to a specific word or the statement as a whole (see IBHS 675-78 §40.2.1).
3 tn The words “well enough for that” are implicit and are supplied in the translation for clarity. Jeremiah is not claiming an absolute inability to speak.
4 tn Heb “I am a boy/youth.” The Hebrew word can refer to an infant (Exod 2:6), a young boy (1 Sam 2:11), a teenager (Gen 21:12), or a young man (2 Sam 18:5). The translation is deliberately ambiguous since it is unclear how old Jeremiah was when he was called to begin prophesying.
5 tn Or “For you must go and say.” The Hebrew particle כִּי (ki) is likely adversative here after a negative statement (cf. BDB 474 s.v. כִּי 3.e). The
6 tn The word “No” is not in the text but is carried over from the connection with the preceding line “not for…”
7 tn Heb “will speak judgments against them.”
8 tn Heb “make slaves of them.” The verb form here indicates that the action is as good as done (the Hebrew prophetic perfect). For the use of the verb rendered “makes slaves” see parallel usage in Lev 25:39, 46 (cf. BDB 713 s.v. עָבַד 3).
9 tn Heb “according to their deeds and according to the work of their hands.” The two phrases are synonymous; it would be hard to represent them both in translation without being redundant. The translation attempts to represent them by the qualifier “all” before the first phrase.
10 tn Heb “Lord Yahweh.” For an explanation of the rendering here see the study note on 1:6.
sn The parallel usage of this introduction in Jer 1:6; 4:10; 14:13 shows that though this prayer has a lengthy introductory section of praise vv. 17-22, this prayer is really one of complaint or lament.
11 tn This is an attempt to render the Hebrew particle normally translated “behold.” See the translator’s note on 1:6 for the usage of this particle.
12 tn Heb “by your great power and your outstretched arm.” See 21:5; 27:5 and the marginal note on 27:5 for this idiom.
