Yeremia 4:17

4:17 They will surround Jerusalem ¹ 

like men guarding a field ² 

because they have rebelled against me,”

says the Lord.

Yeremia 10:21

10:21 For our leaders ³  are stupid.

They have not sought the Lord’s advice. ⁴ 

So they do not act wisely,

and the people they are responsible for ⁵  have all been scattered.

[4:17]  ¹ tn Heb “will surround her.” The antecedent is Jerusalem in the preceding verse. The referent is again made explicit in the translation to avoid any possible lack of clarity. The verb form here is a form of the verb that emphasizes the fact as being as good as done (i.e., it is a prophetic perfect).

[4:17]  ² sn There is some irony involved in the choice of the simile since the men guarding a field were there to keep thieves from getting in and stealing the crops. Here the besiegers are guarding the city to keep people from getting out.

[10:21]  ³ tn Heb “the shepherds.”

[10:21]  ⁴ tn Heb “They have not sought the Lord.”

[10:21]  sn The idiom translated sought the Lord’s advice quite commonly refers to inquiring for the Lord’s guidance through a prophet. See for example Exod 18:15; 1 Sam 9:9; 1 Kgs 22:8. It would not exclude consulting the law.

[10:21]  ⁵ tn Heb “all their flock (or “pasturage”).”

[10:21]  sn This verse uses the figure of rulers as shepherds and the people they ruled as sheep. It is a common figure in the Bible. See Ezek 34 for an extended development of this metaphor.