11:1-2 AND ZECHARIAH 3:8; 6:12
2. An Analysis of Jeremiah 23:5-6; 33:14-16
2.1. Outline of the Book of Jeremiah
2.2.3. A Literary Analysis of Jeremiah 23:1-8
In this subsection, I will first examine the philological aspects; second, the use of significant words or phrases and finally, I will discuss the structure of the textual unit.
2.2.3.1. A Philological Discussion
The „oracle of Yahweh‟ formula is found in three units, verses 1-4; 5-6 and 7-8. The introductory formula of verse 2 suggests a judgment being soon announced. The term
40 Some scholars think that “verses 1-4 and 5-6 were added to chapter 22 as a unit or that they were added separately. If they were added separately, verses 1-4 are appropriately added to the general array in chapter 22 as regards the kings of Judah; in particular the double use of „shepherd‟ in verse 2 and 4 („shepherds who shepherd‟) can be linked to the similar double use of the root in 22:22. Verses 5-6 are essentially a „look, days are coming‟. Another „look, days are coming‟ is found in the following verses 7-8. One can observe at least that Jeremiah 23:8 MT gives a reading of a significant verb yashav meaning „to sit on, to rule or reign‟ and not the adverb shuv which means „again.‟ This particular term relates the section to the preceding dynastic oracle in 23:5-6 MT” (Holladay 1986:613; Lundbom 2004:165; Bogaert 2006:398).
41„The Hebrew Bible, the OT in its modern editions, which I use in my study, is based on manuscripts which are relatively late (by tenth or eleventh centuries CE). “The most important witnesses are the Codex of Aleppo and the Codex Leningradensis. The former is used as the basis of the edition of The Hebrew University Bible, whereas the latter forms the basis of the third edition of the Biblia Hebraica edited by Ruddolf Kittel, and that of the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia” (van der Kooij 2003:729).
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„therefore‟ lākēn which is often expressed by „woe…therefore,‟ is used to announce judgment after an indictment for wrongdoing. In verses 3-4, the emphatic pronoun of the first person „I‟ is related to the use of the emphatic second person „you.‟ “„If you‟
(leaders) have dispersed my people, then „I‟ (Yahweh) will assemble the rest of my people.” In a poetic form, the unit (vv. 1-4) describes, in narrative style, the behaviour of the shepherds of the time (Holladay 1986:443; Lundbom 2004:165).
Furthermore, the use of the converse perfect introduces the imperfect in the unit, particularly, in verse 3 which refers to the oracle. It underlines the restoration of the Judean people following the disaster of the Exile. What Yahweh will do with the dispersed sheep is expressed in a judgment speech addressed to the shepherds (v. 2).
Later, he will assemble them and bring them home again. This is a specific announcement of salvation, thereby producing a prospect of hope for a better future (Brueggemann 2007:36). It implies that Yahweh will take over the shepherding from the irresponsible shepherds (v. 3), and will appoint new shepherds who will shepherd responsibly (v. 4). The phrase welo’yippaqedu (pqd) can be translated as „they will not be missing or lacking.‟
Verse 2b offers a word-play on the nuances of pqd. It expresses that while the shepherds have not „tended‟ to the sheep, Yahweh is about to „attend‟ to them for their evil. The double use of „shepherds who shepherd‟ is of significance in both verses 2 and 4 (Holladay 1986:613). The phrase is related to the one in verse 3 mikkol ha ‘arashot which means „from all the lands‟ (Holladay 1986:614; Lundbom 2004:169). The point at issue is that the shepherds have driven away the flock (v. 2) while in verses 3 and 8 it is Yahweh who has dispersed them. It means the responsibility of being sent away from their homeland “was incumbent upon the Judean leadership and the people themselves” (Lundbom 2004:168). In the MT, the nipha’l of pqd gives the sense of „be missing.‟ This metaphoric sense refers to the sheep that will be mustered and accounted for. It means that „none shall be missing‟;
the repetition of pqd in these oracles suggesting that judgment will be over and the covenant Yahweh is renewed with his people and will no longer experience another painful situation (Lundbom 2004:169), “I will bring forth a rightful shoot from the Davidic line” (v. 5). This announcement gives hope about the arrival of a „loyal king.‟
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Verse 7 has welō-yō’merū’ōd which means „and they shall no longer say.‟ Jeremiah 16:14 has a passive singular, „it shall no longer be said.‟42 The phrase asher he’elah wa’asher hebi’ translated as „who brought up and led‟ (23:8) is found in 16:15 in a short form asher he’elah meaning „who brought up.‟ Verse 7 has also bene yisra’el translated as „people of Israel.‟ Nevertheless, the terms in verse 7 maintain their very close meaning, underlining the coherence of the verse within the unit. The „people of Israel,‟ the „house of Israel‟ and the „sons of Israel‟ are all understood in the same sense. The „children of Israel‟ or „house of Israel‟ will be brought out of the land of the north where they were dispersed (vv. 7-8).43 Verse 8 presents a phrase hiddahtim which means „I have driven them.‟ Moreover, in the same verse, the phrase weyasebu,
„and they will dwell‟ suggests a reversal movement in which God brings his people back home. Therefore, they shall dwell in their homeland. Otherwise, Yahweh will restore the land and its people.
2.2.3.2. A Translation of Jeremiah 23:5-6
The days are coming declares YHWH and I will raise up to David a righteous44 branch,45 a king who will reign wisely and execute what is right, and fair in the earth.
42 In both passages “the LXX reads kai ouk erousin eti which means „and it could not yet be said‟ (cf.
3:16LXX; 7:32LXX). In 16:15LXX, the phrase os anagēge refers back to ò anagagōn in 16:14, but a translation for the phrase asher he’elah in 23:8 is missing in the LXX in most manuscripts, where oz sunēgagen probably represents asher habi’, „who led.‟ The Vulgate follows the MT qui eduxit et adduxit meaning „who brought up and led‟ (23:8). The same phrase is read in 16:15LXX, ton oikon Israel meaning „the house of Israel‟ which is not found in Jer. 16:15MT in which we read bene yisra’el,
„people of Israel‟ as in 23:7” (Parke-Taylor 2000:72).
43 “LXX reads hapan to sperma, „the whole seed‟; the same phrase is read in the MT without kol meaning „whole‟. Moreover, „the seed of Israel in LXX seems to be understood as „the seed of the house of Israel in MT. The same phrase in LXX, exosen autous, is translated as “he had expelled them”. In the text duplicated with v 8, especially, 16:15 MT has a reading, hiddiham which means „he had driven them”. In v8 from the LXX, the phrase kai apekatestesen autous is translated as “and he has restored them”; while the duplicated text (16:15) with v 8 has a reading, wahasibotim, “I will bring them back” with a similarity of meaning in LXX, apokatasteso autous” (Parke-Taylor 2000:72-3).
44 The apparatus Criticus indicates that this verse 5 has saddiq while the Syriac version and Targum have dzdjkwt which is sedeq. In contrast to this, Jeremiah 33:15 has sedaqah. From saddiq to sedaqah respectively in the first oracle and in the second, specifies a particular meaning of semah in how the
„descendant‟ is qualified respectively saddiq in himself and sedaqah as a determinative word of this descendant showing what he will be doing. This supports both texts (23:5 and 33:15) in the codex of Leningrad.
45The apparatus criticus indicates that the word semah in the codex of Leningrad is the same in the MT and in the Syriac version where smh is found meaning „splendor.‟ In the Targum is found msjh which has the same meaning as smh of Jeremiah 33:15. This is translated in the Septuagint as αναηολην which
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In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will dwell in security, and here is his name which he will be called: YHWH our righteousness.46
2.2.3.3. Significant Words
In this section, I will focus on semah and its related adjective saddiq and noun sedaqah (23:5; 33:15). In the OT, of the twelve times the noun semah occurs, seven times denote a „shoot‟ or „growth‟ in a literal sense. In reference to God‟s care for the earth and its growth, Psalms 65:10[11] is not read as an image. Isaiah 61:11 reads that the earth brings forth and causes plants to flourish (Abegg 1997:815). Thus, God causes the righteous to „sprout forth‟ to make justice and praise „springs up‟ for the nations. The remaining images occur in poetic exhortations to obedience. In Ezekiel 17:9-10 for example, the vine symbolising Israel is in danger of having its new growth wither because the people have broken the covenant. Hosea 8:7 likens the stalk with no head to Israel‟s rebellion: it will produce no fruit. In Jeremiah 23:5 and 33:15, semah expresses the sprouting forth of the „loyal leader‟ to come, in David‟s line (Abegg 1997:816).
Verse 5 describes semah saddiq, „righteous branch‟ which is a true or genuine „shoot‟
from the Davidic line. In the LXX, we read anatolēn dikaian, which means „righteous rising‟ where anatolē (a figure used of heavenly bodies) is used of semah as a future ruler (Zech. 3:8; 6:12). The comparison with an expression in Phoenician inscriptions and in Ugaritic texts suggests a ruler who will do people justice (Abegg 1997:816).
Verse 6 reads yiqre’ō meaning „one will call him.‟ His name will be YHWH sidqenu,
„Yahweh our righteousness‟ similar to the last Judean king‟s name sidqiyyahu,
„Zedekiah.‟ It is a play on words on this name or at best an allusion to it (Carroll 1986:446)47. The word „justice‟ in 23:5-6 must be given its full meaning which
means „rising, sunrise, or east.‟ These different manuscripts and versions have similar meanings of the term semah.
46YHWH sidqenu is indicated in the codex of Leningrad that Septuagint translates as Іωζεδεκ. The Greek text Symmachus translates as δίκαιωζον ήμας, Targum has sadqenu that the Latin version translates as iustus noster which means „our just or equitable‟ as we find in 33:16c. These versions have the same meaning of this phrase as in the Codex of Leningrad. Therefore, I maintain them as they are.
47 LXX has kurios Iōsedek which means „the Lord is righteous‟ (Carroll 1986:446).
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includes God‟s salvific presence and action (Couturier 2000:284).48 It points back to a genuine kingship as chosen by Yahweh to realise the blessings deriving from the covenant. These blessings relate to the peace, social justice and prosperity of the people in society (Adamo 2005:125). Therefore, Jeremiah predicts the restoration of the Davidic dynasty which refers to political, religious and moral “obligations of the covenant” (Adamo 2000:284).
2.2.3.4. The Structure of the Unit
The repetition of the accusation (v. 2) is expressed in the second person and in a direct address which begins with the emphatic pronoun ‘attem meaning „you for your part.‟
This stylistic device picks up the phrase „disperse (my) sheep‟ from the first accusation (v. 2b). The judgment speech against shepherds in verses 2b-4 contrasts, through a word-play of pqd, „tend or attend,‟ with Yahweh who is about to attend to the sheep. The unit 23:5-6 underlines how the dynastic oracle is being fulfilled.
According to Holladay and others, this unit is poetry, contradicting Lundbom‟s proposal which states it is in prose (Holladay 1986:313; Lundbom 2004:165). The placement of this unit after verses 1-4 may be for chronological reasons. In fact, the use of wahaqimothiy meaning „I appoint‟ suggests the removal of Judean kings, particularly, Zedekiah, the last king of Judah (Holladay 1986:616).
The section 23:1-8 forms a unity. In reading the unit, there are links between individual kings (vv. 1-4) which present a chronological49 order pointing to the „loyal king‟ to come (vv. 5-6). This promise passes through the disaster of the Exile as a learning experience that turned back the Judean people to the covenant Yahweh made with them (vv. 7-8) (Parke-Taylor 2000:72). The unit itself presents the condemnation of the shepherds who dispersed the flock. Because of this, Yahweh sent them away to foreign countries. A return from the Exile of northern Israel is predicted in terms of a new exodus (23:1-8) (Lundbom 2004:165). Therefore, the three units are tied to each other and underline the history of the Judean kingship and people of the time.
48 Judg. 5:11; 1 Sam. 12:7; Isa. 45:24; Psa. 103:6.
49 “Or logical but the formulation is not yet approved. Maybe verses 1-4 imply that the present kings will be removed to be replaced by the „loyal king‟ to come (vv. 5-6).” See Paul Decock, from my discussion with him on October 9, 2009 at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.
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2.2.4. Conclusion on the Meaning of Jeremiah 23:5-6
The first unit (vv. 1-4) speaks of the condemnation of the Judean kings (shepherds) for having corrupted the „flock,‟ the Judean people. The second unit (vv. 5-6) announces the „loyal king‟ to come, the one who will restore social justice, righteousness, peace and prosperity to the land. The third unit (vv. 7-8) presents the terms, describing not only that God planned to expel the Judean leadership and people away from Judah, but also bring them back in order to dwell in the land and restore it (Parke-Taylor 2000:73).50 The „loyal leader‟ as announced in 23:5-6 brings appropriate solutions in the context of Judah after a generalised corrupt situation. It was caused by the leadership and people who aroused Yahweh‟s wrath. As a result, Yahweh sent them away to a foreign land for moral correction. The dynastic oracle (23:5-6), essentially brings hope to the Judean people (Brueggemann 2007:129).