Discovery BoxJeremiah 4:17-18 
Context4:17 They will surround Jerusalem 1
like men guarding a field 2
because they have rebelled against me,”
says the Lord.
4:18 “The way you have lived and the things you have done 3
will bring this on you.
This is the punishment you deserve, and it will be painful indeed. 4
The pain will be so bad it will pierce your heart.” 5
1 tn Heb “will surround her.” The antecedent is Jerusalem in the preceding verse. The referent is again made explicit in the translation to avoid any possible lack of clarity. The verb form here is a form of the verb that emphasizes the fact as being as good as done (i.e., it is a prophetic perfect).
2 sn There is some irony involved in the choice of the simile since the men guarding a field were there to keep thieves from getting in and stealing the crops. Here the besiegers are guarding the city to keep people from getting out.
3 tn Heb “Your way and your deeds.”
4 tn Heb “How bitter!”
5 tn Heb “Indeed, it reaches to your heart.” The subject must be the pain alluded to in the last half of the preceding line; the verb is masculine, agreeing with the adjective translated “painful.” The only other possible antecedent “punishment” is feminine.
