Discovery BoxJeremiah 4:3 
Context4:3 Yes, 1 the Lord has this to say
to the people of Judah and Jerusalem:
“Like a farmer breaking up hard unplowed ground,
you must break your rebellious will and make a new beginning;
just as a farmer must clear away thorns lest the seed is wasted,
you must get rid of the sin that is ruining your lives. 2
Jeremiah 18:18
Context18:18 Then some people 3 said, “Come on! Let us consider how to deal with Jeremiah! 4 There will still be priests to instruct us, wise men to give us advice, and prophets to declare God’s word. 5 Come on! Let’s bring charges against him and get rid of him! 6 Then we will not need to pay attention to anything he says.”
1 tn The Hebrew particle is obviously asseverative here since a causal connection appears to make little sense.
2 tn Heb “Plow up your unplowed ground and do not sow among the thorns.” The translation is an attempt to bring out the force of a metaphor. The idea seems to be that they are to plow over the thorns and make the ground ready for the seeds which will produce a new crop where none had been produced before.
3 tn Heb “They.” The referent is unidentified; “some people” has been used in the translation.
4 tn Heb “Let us make plans against Jeremiah.” See 18:18 where this has sinister overtones as it does here.
5 tn Heb “Instruction will not perish from priest, counsel from the wise, word from the prophet.”
sn These are the three channels through whom God spoke to his people in the OT. See Jer 8:8-10 and Ezek 7:26.
6 tn Heb “Let us smite him with our tongues.” It is clear from the context that this involved plots to kill him.
