Discovery BoxJeremiah 20:10 
Context20:10 I 1 hear many whispering words of intrigue against me.
Those who would cause me terror are everywhere! 2
They are saying, “Come on, let’s publicly denounce him!” 3
All my so-called friends 4 are just watching for
something that would lead to my downfall. 5
They say, “Perhaps he can be enticed into slipping up,
so we can prevail over 6 him and get our revenge on him.
Jeremiah 42:18
Context42:18 For 7 the Lord God of Israel who rules over all 8 says, ‘If you go to Egypt, I will pour out my wrath on you just as I poured out my anger and wrath on the citizens of Jerusalem. 9 You will become an object of horror and ridicule, an example of those who have been cursed and that people use in pronouncing a curse. 10 You will never see this place again.’ 11
Jeremiah 44:12
Context44:12 I will see to it that all the Judean remnant that was determined to go 12 and live in the land of Egypt will be destroyed. Here in the land of Egypt they will fall in battle 13 or perish from starvation. People of every class 14 will die in war or from starvation. They will become an object of horror and ridicule, an example of those who have been cursed and that people use in pronouncing a curse. 15
Jeremiah 49:2
Context49:2 Because you did that,
I, the Lord, affirm that 16 a time is coming
when I will make Rabbah, the capital city of Ammon,
hear the sound of the battle cry.
It will become a mound covered with ruins. 17
Its villages will be burned to the ground. 18
Then Israel will take back its land
from those who took their land from them.
I, the Lord, affirm it! 19
1 tn It would be difficult to render accurately the Hebrew particle כִּי (ki) that introduces this verse without lengthening the English line unduly. It probably means something like “This is true even though I…,” i.e., the particle is concessive (cf. BDB s.v. כִּי 2.c). No other nuance seems appropriate. The particle is left out of the translation, but its presence is acknowledged here.
2 tn The phrase translated “Those who would cause me terror are everywhere” has already occurred in 6:25 in the context of the terror caused by the enemy from the north and in 20:3 in reference to the curse pronounced on Pashhur who would experience it first hand. Some have seen the phrase here not as Jeremiah’s ejaculation of terror but of his assailant’s taunts of his message or even their taunting nickname for him. But comparison of this passage with the first two lines of Ps 31:13 (31:14 HT) which are word for word the same as these two will show that it refers to the terror inspired by the plots of his enemies to do away with him. It is also clear from the context of that passage and the following context here that the “whispering of many” (the literal translation of “many whispering words of intrigue against me) refers to intrigues to take vengeance on him and do away with him.
3 tn Heb “Denounce and let us denounce him.” The verb which is translated “denounce” (נָגַד, nagad) does not take an accusative object of person as it does here very often. When it does it usually means to inform someone. The only relevant passage appears to be Job 17:5 where it means something like “denounce.” What is probably involved here are the attempts to portray Jeremiah as a traitor (Jer 26:10) and a false prophet (see his conflict with Hananiah in Jer 28).
4 tn Heb “the men of my peace [who are concerned about my welfare].” For this phrase compare Ps 41:9 (41:10 HT); Jer 38:22. It is generally agreed that irony is being invoked here, hence “so-called” is supplied in the translation to bring out the irony.
5 tn Heb “watching my stumbling [for me to stumble].” Metaphorically they were watching for some slip-up that would lead to his downfall. Compare the use in Pss 35:15 and 38:17 (38:18 HT).
6 tn All the text says literally is “Perhaps he can be enticed so that we can prevail over him.” However the word “enticed” needs some qualification. As W. McKane (Jeremiah [ICC], 1:479) notes it should probably be read in the context of the “stumbling” (= “something that would lead to my downfall”). Hence “slipping up” has been supplied as an object. It is vague enough to avoid specifics as the original text does but suggests some reference to “something that would lead to my downfall.”
sn There is an interesting ironical play on words here with the earlier use of these same Hebrew words in v. 7 to refer to the
7 tn Or “Indeed.”
8 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies, the God of Israel.” See the study note on 2:19 for the translation and significance of this title.
9 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
10 tn See the study note on 24:9 and the usage in 29:22 for the meaning and significance of this last phrase.
11 tn Or “land.” The reference is, of course, to the land of Judah.
12 tn Heb “they set their face to go.” Compare 44:11 and 42:14 and see the translator’s note at 42:15.
13 tn Heb “fall by the sword.”
14 tn Or “All of them without distinction,” or “All of them from the least important to the most important”; Heb “From the least to the greatest.” See the translator’s note on 42:1 for the meaning of this idiom.
15 tn See the study note on 24:9 and the usage in 29:22 for the meaning and significance of this last phrase.
sn See Jer 42:18 for parallel usage.
16 tn Heb “oracle of the
17 tn Heb “a desolate tel.” For the explanation of what a “tel” is see the study note on 30:18.
18 tn Heb “Its daughters will be burned with fire.” For the use of the word “daughters” to refer to the villages surrounding a larger city see BDB 123 s.v. I בַּת 4 and compare the usage in Judg 1:27.
19 tn Heb “says the
