Discovery BoxJeremiah 5:27 
Context5:27 Like a cage filled with the birds that have been caught, 1
their houses are filled with the gains of their fraud and deceit. 2
That is how they have gotten so rich and powerful. 3
Jeremiah 32:18
Context32:18 You show unfailing love to thousands. 4 But you also punish children for the sins of their parents. 5 You are the great and powerful God who is known as the Lord who rules over all. 6
Jeremiah 48:17
Context48:17 Mourn for that nation, all you nations living around it,
all of you nations that know of its fame. 7
Mourn and say, ‘Alas, its powerful influence has been broken!
Its glory and power have been done away!’ 8
1 tn The words, “that have been caught” are not in the text but are implicit in the comparison.
2 tn Heb “are filled with deceit.” The translation assumes a figure of speech of cause for effect (metonymy). Compare the same word in the same figure in Zeph 1:9.
3 tn Heb “therefore they have gotten great and rich.”
4 tn Or “to thousands of generations.” The contrast of showing steadfast love to “thousands” to the limitation of punishing the third and fourth generation of children for their parents’ sins in Exod 20:5-6; Deut 5:9-10; Exod 34:7 has suggested to many commentators and translators (cf., e.g., NRSV, TEV, NJPS) that reference here is to “thousands of generations.” The statement is, of course, rhetorical emphasizing God’s great desire to bless as opposed to the reluctant necessity to punish. It is part of the attributes of God spelled out in Exod 34:6-7.
5 tn Heb “pays back into the bosom of their children the sin of their parents.”
6 tn Heb “Nothing is too hard for you who show…and who punishes…the great [and] powerful God whose name is Yahweh of armies, [you who are] great in counsel…whose eyes are open…who did signs…” Jer 32:18-22 is a long series of relative clauses introduced by participles or relative pronouns in vv. 18-20a followed by second person vav consecutive imperfects carrying on the last of these relative clauses in vv. 20b-22. This is typical of hymnic introductions to hymns of praise (cf., e.g., Ps 136) but it is hard to sustain the relative subordination which all goes back to the suffix on “hard for you.” The sentences have been broken up but the connection with the end of v. 17 has been sacrificed for conformity to contemporary English style.
7 tn For the use of the word “name” (שֵׁם, shem) to “fame” or “repute” see BDB 1028 s.v. שֵׁם 2.b and compare the usage in Ezek 16:14; 2 Chr 26:15.
sn This refers to both the nearby nations and those who lived further away who had heard of Moab’s power and might only by repute.
8 tn Heb “How is the strong staff broken, the beautiful rod.” “How” introduces a lament which is here rendered by “Alas.” The staff and rod refer to the support that Moab gave to others not to the fact that she ruled over others which was never the case. According to BDB 739 s.v. עוֹז 1 the “strong staff” is figurative of political power.
