Yeremia 11:18-20

A Plot Against Jeremiah is Revealed and He Complains of Injustice

11:18 The Lord gave me knowledge, that I might have understanding. ¹ 

Then he showed me what the people were doing. ² 

11:19 Before this I had been like a docile lamb ready to be led to the slaughter.

I did not know they were making plans to kill me. ³ 

I did not know they were saying, ⁴ 

“Let’s destroy the tree along with its fruit! ⁵ 

Let’s remove Jeremiah ⁶  from the world of the living

so people will not even be reminded of him any more.” ⁷ 

11:20 So I said to the Lord, ⁸ 

“O Lord who rules over all, ⁹  you are a just judge!

You examine people’s hearts and minds. ¹⁰ 

I want to see you pay them back for what they have done

because I trust you to vindicate my cause.” ¹¹ 

Yeremia 20:12

20:12 O Lord who rules over all, ¹²  you test and prove the righteous.

You see into people’s hearts and minds. ¹³ 

Pay them back for what they have done

because I trust you to vindicate my cause.

Nehemia 5:19

5:19 Please remember me for good, O my God, for all that I have done for this people.

Nehemia 6:14

6:14 Remember, O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat in light of these actions of theirs – also Noadiah the prophetess and the other prophets who were trying to scare me!

Nehemia 13:22

13:22 Then I directed the Levites to purify themselves and come and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy.

For this please remember me, O my God, and have pity on me in keeping with your great love.

Nehemia 13:31

13:31 I also provided for ¹⁴  the wood offering at the appointed times and also for the first fruits.

Please remember me for good, O my God.

Mazmur 106:4

106:4 Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people!

Pay attention to me, when you deliver,

Mazmur 109:26-29

109:26 Help me, O Lord my God!

Because you are faithful to me, deliver me! ¹⁵ 

109:27 Then they will realize ¹⁶  this is your work, ¹⁷ 

and that you, Lord, have accomplished it.

109:28 They curse, but you will bless. ¹⁸ 

When they attack, they will be humiliated, ¹⁹ 

but your servant will rejoice.

109:29 My accusers will be covered ²⁰  with shame,

and draped in humiliation as if it were a robe.

Mazmur 119:84

119:84 How long must your servant endure this? ²¹ 

When will you judge those who pursue me?

Mazmur 119:132-134

119:132 Turn toward me and extend mercy to me,

as you typically do to your loyal followers. ²² 

119:133 Direct my steps by your word! ²³ 

Do not let any sin dominate me!

119:134 Deliver me ²⁴  from oppressive men,

so that I can keep ²⁵  your precepts.

Lukas 18:7-8

18:7 Won’t ²⁶  God give justice to his chosen ones, who cry out ²⁷  to him day and night? ²⁸  Will he delay ²⁹  long to help them? 18:8 I tell you, he will give them justice speedily. ³⁰  Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith ³¹  on earth?”

Roma 12:19

12:19 Do not avenge yourselves, dear friends, but give place to God’s wrath, ³²  for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” ³³  says the Lord.

Roma 12:2

12:2 Do not be conformed ³⁴  to this present world, ³⁵  but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve ³⁶  what is the will of God – what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.

Titus 1:14

1:14 and not pay attention to Jewish myths ³⁷  and commands of people who reject the truth.

Wahyu 6:10

6:10 They ³⁸  cried out with a loud voice, ³⁹  “How long, ⁴⁰  Sovereign Master, ⁴¹  holy and true, before you judge those who live on the earth and avenge our blood?”

Wahyu 18:20

18:20 (Rejoice over her, O heaven,

and you saints and apostles and prophets,

for God has pronounced judgment ⁴²  against her on your behalf!) ⁴³ 

[11:18]  ¹ tn Heb “caused me to know that I might know.” Many English versions supply an unstated object “their plots” which is referred to later in the context (cf. v. 19). The presupposition of this kind of absolute ellipsis is difficult to justify and would create the need for understanding an ellipsis of “it” also after “I knew.” It is better to see a bipolar use of the verb “know” here. For the second use of the verb “know” meaning “have understanding” see BDB 394 s.v. ָידַע Qal.5.

[11:18]  ² tn Heb “Then you showed me their deeds.” This is another example of the rapid shift in person which is common in Jeremiah. As elsewhere, it has been resolved for the sake of avoiding confusion for the English reader by leveling the referent to the same person throughout. The text again involves an apostrophe, talking about the Lord to addressing him.

[11:19]  ³ tn Heb “against me.” The words “to kill me” are implicit from the context and are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[11:19]  ⁴ tn The words “I did not know that they were saying” are not in the text. The quote is without formal introduction in the original. These words are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[11:19]  ⁵ tn This word and its pronoun (לַחְמוֹ, lakhmo, “its bread”) is often emended to read “in/with its sap” = “in its prime” (either לֵחוֹ [lekho] or לֵחְמוֹ [lekhÿmo]); the latter would be more likely and the מוֹ (mo) could be explained as a rare use of the old poetic third plural suffix for the third singular; cf. GKC 258 §91.l for general use and Ps 11:7 and Job 27:23 for third singular use. Though this fits the context nicely the emendation is probably unnecessary since the word “bread” is sometimes used of other foodstuff than grain or its products (cf. BDB 537 s.v. לֶחֶם 2.a).

[11:19]  sn The word fruit refers contextually here to the prophecies that Jeremiah was giving, not (as some suppose) his progeny. Jeremiah was not married and had no children.

[11:19]  ⁶ tn Heb “cut it [or him] off.” The metaphor of the tree may be continued, though the verb “cut off” is used also of killing people. The rendering clarifies the meaning of the metaphor.

[11:19]  ⁷ tn Heb “so that his name will not be remembered any more.”

[11:20]  ⁸ tn The words “So I said to the Lord” are not in the text but are implicit from the context. They are supplied in the translation for clarity to show the shift in address.

[11:20]  ⁹ tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.”

[11:20]  sn For the significance of the term see the notes at 2:19 and 7:3.

[11:20]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “Lord of armies, just judge, tester of kidneys and heart.” The sentence has been broken up to avoid a long and complex English sentence. The translation is more in keeping with contemporary English style. In Hebrew thought the “kidneys” were thought of as the seat of the emotions and passions and the “heart” was viewed as the seat of intellect, conscience, and will. The “heart” and the “kidneys” are often used figuratively for the thoughts, emotions, motives, and drives that are thought to be seated in them.

[11:20]  ¹¹ tn Heb “Let me see your retribution [i.e., see you exact retribution] from them because I reveal my cause [i.e., plea for justice] to you.”

[20:12]  ¹² tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.”

[20:12]  sn See the study note on 2:19 for explanation of this title for God.

[20:12]  ¹³ tn Heb “Lord of armies, the one who tests the righteous, who sees kidneys and heart.” The sentence has been broken up to avoid a long and complex English sentence. The translation is more in keeping with contemporary English style.

[20:12]  sn This verse is almost an exact duplication of the petition in one of Jeremiah’s earlier prayers and complaints. See Jer 11:20 and notes there for explanation of the Hebrew psychology underlying the use of “kidneys and heart” here. For the thoughts expressed here see Ps 17.

[13:31]  ¹⁴ tn The words “I also provided for” are not included in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[109:26]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “deliver me according to your faithfulness.”

[109:27]  ¹⁶ tn After the preceding imperative, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose or result.

[109:27]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “that your hand [is] this.”

[109:28]  ¹⁸ tn Another option is to translate the imperfect as a prayer/request (“may you bless”).

[109:28]  ¹⁹ tn The verbal sequence is perfect + prefixed form with vav (ו) consecutive. Since the psalmist seems to be anticipating the demise of his enemies, he may be using these forms rhetorically to describe the enemies’ defeat as if it were already accomplished. Some emend the text to קָמוּ יֵבֹשׁוּ (qamu yevoshu, “may those who attack me be humiliated”). See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 75.

[109:29]  ²⁰ tn Heb “clothed.” Another option is to translate the prefixed verbal forms in this line and the next as jussives (“may my accusers be covered with shame”).

[119:84]  ²¹ tn Heb “How long are the days of your servant?”

[119:132]  ²² tn Heb “according to custom toward the lovers of your name.” The “lovers of” God’s “name” are the Lord’s loyal followers. See Pss 5:11; 69:36; Isa 56:6.

[119:133]  ²³ tn God’s “word” refers here to his law (see v. 11).

[119:134]  ²⁴ tn Or “redeem me.”

[119:134]  ²⁵ tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

[18:7]  ²⁶ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[18:7]  ²⁷ sn The prayers have to do with the righteous who cry out to him to receive justice. The context assumes the righteous are persecuted.

[18:7]  ²⁸ tn The emphatic particles in this sentence indicate that God will indeed give justice to the righteous.

[18:7]  ²⁹ sn The issue of delay has produced a whole host of views for this verse. (1) Does this assume provision to endure in the meantime? Or (2) does it mean God restricts the level of persecution until he comes? Either view is possible.

[18:8]  ³⁰ tn Some argue this should be translated “suddenly.” When vindication comes it will be quick. But the more natural meaning is “soon.” God will not forget his elect and will respond to them. It may be that this verse has a prophetic perspective. In light of the eternity that comes, vindication is soon.

[18:8]  ³¹ sn Will he find faith on earth? The Son of Man is looking for those who continue to believe in him, despite the wait.

[12:19]  ³² tn Grk “the wrath,” referring to God’s wrath as the remainder of the verse shows.

[12:19]  ³³ sn A quotation from Deut 32:35.

[12:2]  ³⁴ tn Although συσχηματίζεσθε (suschmatizesqe) could be either a passive or middle, the passive is more likely since it would otherwise have to be a direct middle (“conform yourselves”) and, as such, would be quite rare for NT Greek. It is very telling that being “conformed” to the present world is viewed as a passive notion, for it may suggest that it happens, in part, subconsciously. At the same time, the passive could well be a “permissive passive,” suggesting that there may be some consciousness of the conformity taking place. Most likely, it is a combination of both.

[12:2]  ³⁵ tn Grk “to this age.”

[12:2]  ³⁶ sn The verb translated test and approve (δοκιμάζω, dokimazw) carries the sense of “test with a positive outcome,” “test so as to approve.”

[1:14]  ³⁷ sn Jewish myths were legendary tales characteristic of the false teachers in Ephesus and Crete. See parallels in 1 Tim 1:4; 4:7; and 2 Tim 4:4.

[6:10]  ³⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[6:10]  ³⁹ tn Grk “voice, saying”; the participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated here.

[6:10]  ⁴⁰ tn The expression ἕως πότε (ews pote) was translated “how long.” Cf. BDAG 423 s.v. ἕως 1.b.γ.

[6:10]  ⁴¹ tn The Greek term here is δεσπότης (despoths; see L&N 37.63).

[18:20]  ⁴² tn On the phrase “pronounced judgment” BDAG 567 s.v. κρίμα 4.b states, “The OT is the source of the expr. κρίνειν τὸ κρ. (cp. Zech 7:9; 8:16; Ezk 44:24) ἔκρινεν ὁ θεὸς τὸ κρίμα ὑμῶν ἐξ αὐτῆς God has pronounced judgment for you against her or God has pronounced on her the judgment she wished to impose on you (HHoltzmann, Hdb. 1893 ad loc.) Rv 18:20.”

[18:20]  ⁴³ tn Grk “God has judged a judgment of you of her.” Verse 20 is set in parentheses because in it the saints, etc. are addressed directly in the second person.

[18:20]  sn This verse forms a parenthetical aside in the narrative.