Jeremiah 30:18-20

New English Translation

Footnotes

1. Jeremiah 30:18 tn Heb “I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob and will have compassion on his habitations.” For the meaning of the idiom “restore the fortunes of,” see the translator’s note on 29:14. The “tents of Jacob” refer to their homes or houses (see BDB 14 s.v. אֹהֶל 2, and compare usage in Judg 19:9 and Mal 2:12). The word “ruined” has been supplied in the translation to show more clearly the idea of restoration of their houses on their former sites, in conformity to the concepts in the latter half of the verse.
2. Jeremiah 30:18 sn Heb “on its tel.” A tel is a site where successive layers of occupation are built upon one another after the destruction or decay of the former city. The original site was not abandoned because it had been chosen for strategic purposes, such as proximity to water or ease of defense. Many modern archaeological sites have the designation “Tel” as a component of their name because of this practice.
3. Jeremiah 30:18 tn Heb “according to its custom [or plan].” See BDB 1049 s.v. מִשְׁפָּט 6.d, and compare usage in 1 Sam 27:11.
4. Jeremiah 30:19 tn Heb “Out of them will come thanksgiving and a sound of those who are playful.”
5. Jeremiah 30:19 sn Compare Jer 29:6.
6. Jeremiah 30:20 tn Heb “his children will be as in former times, and his congregation/community will be established before me.” “His” in the phrase “his children” refers to “Jacob,” who was mentioned in v. 18 in the phrase “I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob.” “His children” are thus the restored exiles. Some commentaries see the reference here to the restoration of numbers in accordance with the previous verse. However, the last line of this verse and the reference to the ruler in the following verse suggest rather restoration of the religious and political institutions to their former state. For the use of the word translated “community” (עֵדָה, ʿedah) to refer to a political congregation, as well as its normal use to denote a religious one, see 1 Kgs 12:20. For the idea of “in my favor” (i.e., under the eye and regard of) for the Hebrew phrase used here (לְפָנַי, l^efanay), see BDB 817 s.v. פָּנֶה II.4.a(b).