Discovery BoxJeremiah 23:21 
Context23:21 I did not send those prophets.
Yet they were in a hurry to give their message. 1
I did not tell them anything.
Yet they prophesied anyway.
Jeremiah 38:5
Context38:5 King Zedekiah said to them, “Very well, you can do what you want with him. 2 For I cannot do anything to stop you.” 3
Jeremiah 39:12
Context39:12 “Find Jeremiah 4 and look out for him. 5 Do not do anything to harm him, 6 but do with him whatever he tells you.”
1 tn Heb “Yet they ran.”
sn The image is that of a messenger bearing news from the king. See 2 Sam 18:19-24; Jer 51:31; Isa 40:9; 52:7; Hab 2:2 (the tablet/scroll bore the message the runner was to read to the intended recipients of his message). Their message has been given in v. 17 (see notes there for cross references).
2 tn Heb “Behold, he is in your hands [= power/control].”
3 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.
4 tn Heb “Get [or fetch] him.” The referent is supplied for clarity.
5 tn Or “take care of him”; Heb “set your eyes on him.” For the meaning of this idiom see BDB 963 s.v. שִׂים 2.c and compare 24:6 where the phrase “for good” is added.
6 tn Heb “Don’t do anything evil [= harmful] to him.”
