Jeremiah 18:7

There are times, Jeremiah, ¹  when I threaten to uproot, tear down, and destroy a nation or kingdom. ² 

If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed,

"At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it;

If I announce that a certain nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed,

At any moment I may decide to pull up a people or a country by the roots and get rid of them.

Whenever I say anything about uprooting a nation or a kingdom, and smashing it and sending destruction on it;

At one moment I may declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it,

"The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it ,

There are times, Jeremiah, ¹  when I threaten to uproot, tear down, and destroy a nation or kingdom. ² 

¹ tn The word “Jeremiah” is not in the text but it is implicit from the introduction in v. 5 that he is being addressed. It is important to see how the rhetoric of this passage is structured. The words of vv. 7-10 lead up to the conclusion “So now” in v. 11 which in turns leads to the conclusion “Therefore” in v. 13. The tense of the verb in v. 12 is very important. It is a vav consecutive perfect indicating the future (cf. GKC 333 §112.p, r); their response is predictable. The words of vv. 7-10 are addressed to Jeremiah (v. 5) in fulfillment of the Lord’s promise to speak to him (v. 2) and furnish the basis for the Lord’s words of conditional threat to a people who show no promise of responding positively (vv. 11-12). Verse six then must be seen as another example of the figure of apostrophe (the turning aside from description about someone to addressing them directly; cf., e.g., Ps 6:8-9 (6:9-10 HT). Earlier examples of this figure have been seen in 6:20; 9:4; 11:13; 12:13; 15:6.

² tn Heb “One moment I may speak about a nation or kingdom to…” So also in v. 9. The translation is structured this way to avoid an awkward English construction and to reflect the difference in disposition. The constructions are, however, the same.