The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, with the point of a diamond; cursed is the man that trusts in man — blessed is the man that trusts in Hashem, for he shall be as a tree planted by the waters; hallow the sabbath day in the gates of Jerusalem.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
The sin of Judah is written With a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond; It is graven upon the tablet of their heart, And upon the horns of your altars.
verse value 4233
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 59 letters. The shortest word is "with·pen·of" (בְּעֵ֥ט, 3 letters) and the longest is "your·altars" (מִזְבְּחוֹתֵיכֶֽם, 9 letters). 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "purgation·offering·of" (חַטַּ֣את), "written" (כְּתוּבָ֛ה), "with·pen·of" (בְּעֵ֥ט). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Judah" (root יהודה, 134x in Jeremiah); "their·heart" (root לב, 42x in Jeremiah); "written" (root כתב, 20x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root כתב ("written") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'thorns', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 5 words. Full calculation: חַטַּ֣את [purgation·offering·of] (418) + יְהוּדָ֗ה [Judah] (30) + כְּתוּבָ֛ה [written] (433) + בְּעֵ֥ט [with·pen·of] (81) + בַּרְזֶ֖ל [iron] (239) + בְּצִפֹּ֣רֶן [with·point·of] (422) + שָׁמִ֑יר [thorns] (550) + חֲרוּשָׁה֙ [engraved] (519) + עַל־ל֣וּחַ [upon·the·tablet·of] (144) + לִבָּ֔ם [their·heart] (72) + וּלְקַרְנ֖וֹת [and·on·the·horns·of] (792) + מִזְבְּחוֹתֵיכֶֽם [your·altars] (533) = 4233.
Rashi
"With a stylus of iron." This is a metaphor, meaning that it is engraved by sinking deep and is not easily erased. And an aggadic midrash: "With a stylus of iron, with an adamant point" — through Jeremiah, who is called "a pillar of iron," and through Ezekiel, of whom it was said, "Like a diamond, harder than flint, I have made your forehead."
"Engraved." Carved, like one who plows deep.
“Upon the tablet of their heart.” This means that they do not forget their idolatry.
Radak
"The sin of Judah." It seems that their sin is written and engraved on the tablet of their heart, such that it cannot be erased from their heart, as though it were written and engraved with an iron stylus. For a thing that a person writes and engraves in stone is a thing that endures forever, as it is said, "With a pen of iron and lead, they are engraved forever in the rock" [Job 19:24]. And the reason lead is mentioned is that a person fills the engraved writing with lead, so that the edges of the engraving will not break and the form of the writing will not be ruined. And the meaning of "with a point" is like "with a pen," for since a person engraves with his fingernail, he likened the iron stylus with which one engraves to a fingernail, or it is itself called a fingernail. And so it says in the Midrash: "He took an iron point and engraved with it."
Shamir. Its meaning is the strong iron, just as he called the hard stone "shamir," in saying, "Like a shamir, harder than flint, I have made your forehead" (Ezekiel 3:9); and Targum Yerushalmi rendered [there]: "mitzur" as "chalamish" (flint), "shamir" as "tinra" (rock). And it may also be explained that "shamir" is said of the hard stone, and the bet in "be-tzipporen" is in place of two [letters], as if it said "be-shamir" — meaning: it is written with a pen of iron, and with a point of shamir. For after stating the instrument with which one writes, one must state the thing upon which one writes. And even though it says "upon the tablet of their heart" — their heart is the shamir, [i.e.,] hard, which is compared elsewhere to a stone, as it is stated, "And I will remove the heart of stone" (Ezekiel 36:26). And the structure of the verse is thus: it is written with a pen of iron, with a point of iron, and it is written with shamir and with a hard stone, for it is engraved upon the tablet of their heart, and the tablet of their heart is the shamir. And the bet in "be-et" (with a pen) and in "be-tzipporen" (with a point) will be the bet that is called "bet ha'ezer" (the bet of assistance), and the bet in "be-shamir" will be the bet of instrument. And he explained "charushah" (engraved) as [equivalent to] "cherutah" (engraved), from [the word] "charut" (engraved), "upon the tablets."
"And to the horns of your altars." With a kaf. Even though it said "libam" (their heart) in the third person, and afterward it said "mizbechoteichem" (your altars) in the second person, thus is the way of Scripture in many places. And likewise it might say, "your sin is engraved on the horns of your altars," for they [the horns] are [associated with] the sin offering. And the lamed of "u-lekarnot" is in place of a bet, like the lamed in "lifneikhem" (before you), "lecherev" — "haragti lefitz'i" (I have slain for my wound) [Genesis 4:23], "yashavta lechise" (you sat upon the throne) [Psalm 9:5], and the like.
Metzudat David
"The sin of Judah." This refers back to what was said above, to say: Behold, in the end even the idolaters will abandon their idols and believe in the Lord; yet behold, Judah's sin even now is still preserved in their heart, as if it were written there with a pen of iron and with a point of adamant, engraved with great force and great depth.
"Engraved." It is incised deeply, like plowing:
"On the tablet of their heart." These are the walls of the heart, for it is formed like walls and cavities, and he speaks by way of metaphor:
"And to the horns." Also on the horns of your altars your sin is engraved and inscribed, for upon those horns they continually used to sprinkle blood for idolatry — as if to say: whether in thought of the heart or in deed, the matter is kept on record against you.
Metzudat Zion
Be'at. With a reed pen, just as it is stated, "He made a pen to lie" (above, 8):
“With a nail.” This refers to the nails on the fingers above. And similarly, “And she shall cut her nails” (Deuteronomy 21:12). And since it is customary for a person to cut with his nails, the quill is called a “nail” by way of metaphor [borrowed usage].
Shamir. So is called the strong iron; and so [it says], "Like a diamond, harder than flint" (Ezekiel 3:9).
Charusha. Charusha means plowed to a depth like that of plowing.
Tablet. A plank and a leaf, as it is stated: “and its boards” (ibid. 27:).
"And to the horns": These are the projections at the four corners of the altar. Similarly, "and you shall make its horns" (Exodus 27:2). The letter lamed here functions in place of a bet. Similarly, "You sat upon the throne" (Psalms 9).
Malbim
The sin of Judah is written with an iron pen that engraves upon the parchment from above, and also with a diamond nail that deeply carves inward, meaning that their sin was both in the overt deed and in the conscience of the heart and soul. And it explains: corresponding to the diamond nail, it is engraved on the tablet of their heart in depth; and corresponding to the iron pen, it is at the horns of your altars, which is the overt action. And it clarifies: “as a memorial of their children,” just as they will remember their children with all their heart, so too will they remember their altars and their Asherim. And it explains: their altars upon a fresh tree, and their Asherim upon the high hills, for it was the way of idolaters to build altars near trees planted around them, as it is stated, “You shall not plant for yourself an Asherah, any tree, beside the altar of the Lord,” and the Asherim were planted on a high hill.
Like the symbols of their sons are their altars, And their Asherim are by the leafy trees, Upon the high hills.
verse value 3051
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 44 letters. The shortest word is "upon" (עַ֖ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "their·altars" (מִזְבְּחוֹתָ֔ם, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "as·remembrance·of" (כִּזְכֹּ֤ר), "their·altars" (מִזְבְּחוֹתָ֔ם), "and·their·Asherim" (וַאֲשֵׁרֵיהֶ֖ם). The root על appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·tree" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah); "their·sons" (root בן, 56x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'leafy', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: כִּזְכֹּ֤ר [as·remembrance·of] (247) + בְּנֵיהֶם֙ [their·sons] (107) + מִזְבְּחוֹתָ֔ם [their·altars] (503) + וַאֲשֵׁרֵיהֶ֖ם [and·their·Asherim] (562) + עַל־עֵ֣ץ [upon·tree] (260) + רַעֲנָ֑ן [leafy] (370) + עַ֖ל [upon] (100) + גְּבָע֥וֹת [hills] (481) + הַגְּבֹהֽוֹת [the·high] (421) = 3051.
Rashi
"As it is said, 'As their sons were remembered, so were their altars remembered.' Just as their sons were remembered, so too were their altars remembered, like a person who has yearning for his son."
"And their asherim, which are upon a leafy tree." [Here] "upon" is like [the word] "beside"; and as Targum [Yonatan] renders it: "under every leafy tree."
Radak
As their children remember. He said: the remembrance of their altars and their asherim, and the recounting of them, is pleasant to them, like the memory of their children, who are dear to them, and they remember them constantly out of their love for them. And there are those who explain "kizkor" as referring to the matter of burning, like "its memorial offering to the Lord" [Leviticus 2:2], meaning that they would pass their children through the fire. And the first explanation is correct. And Yonatan translated: "ke'idkara benaihon agoreihon" [as their children remember their shrines].
“Upon a fresh tree.” Its meaning is that it is attached to “their altars,” not to “their asherim,” for the “fresh tree” is the asherah. And “upon” means “near,” like “and beside it, the tribe of Manasseh” [Numbers 2:20] and “and you shall sacrifice upon it your burnt offerings” [Exodus 20:21] and similar cases. For the asherah is the tree that they would plant in order to worship it, or they would place the image that they worshipped under the tree. And of it it is said in all places, “under every fresh tree.” And they would build their altars near that tree upon which they would offer sacrifices to the idol worshipped under the tree, or to the tree itself. And likewise they would build altars on the high mountains and on the lofty hills, where they would worship their gods there, as it is written:
“On the hills.” The word is missing a vav, as in “shemesh” (sun), “yareach” (moon), “Reuven,” “Shimon,” and similar words. And I am astonished at the Targum, which translated “on a fresh tree” as “beneath every thick tree.” How did he translate the word with its opposite, for “al” (on) and “tachat” (beneath) are two opposites?
Metzudat David
As it is said: “Just as their children will persist in remembering, so too will they remember their altars and their Asherim.”
"Upon a fresh tree." [This means] near a fresh tree, and it refers to the altars that they erected near a fresh tree, and upon the high hills.
Metzudat Zion
"And their Asherim." It is the tree that is worshipped.
Re'anan. The meaning is moisture and dampness, as in "fresh oil" (ibid. 92).
O you that sit upon the mountain in the field, I will give your substance and all your treasures for a spoil, And your high places, because of sin, throughout all your borders.
verse value 3082
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 47 letters. The shortest word is "to·spoil" (לָבַ֣ז, 3 letters) and the longest is "all·your·treasures" (כׇל־אוֹצְרוֹתֶ֖יךָ, 10 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "my·mountain" (הֲרָרִי֙), "all·your·treasures" (כׇל־אוֹצְרוֹתֶ֖יךָ), "your·high·places" (בָּמֹתֶ֕יךָ). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "I·will·give" (root נתן, 141x in Jeremiah); "your·valor" (root חיל, 38x in Jeremiah); "in·the·field" (root שדה, 23x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·will·give', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: הֲרָרִי֙ [my·mountain] (415) + בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה [in·the·field] (311) + חֵילְךָ֥ [your·valor] (68) + כׇל־אוֹצְרוֹתֶ֖יךָ [all·your·treasures] (783) + לָבַ֣ז [to·spoil] (39) + אֶתֵּ֑ן [I·will·give] (451) + בָּמֹתֶ֕יךָ [your·high·places] (472) + בְּחַטָּ֖את [in·purgation·offering] (420) + בְּכׇל־גְּבוּלֶֽיךָ [in·all·your·borders] (123) = 3082.
Rashi
"Mountains in the field." [This refers to] Jerusalem, which sits on a mountain amid a plain: all around the city is level field. And the term "hararai" is like "aravi" (Isaiah 13:20), because he dwells in the plain (aravah); "montaigneis" in the vernacular, [meaning] "mountain-dwellers" (variant reading: "[she who] dwells on the mountain").
"Your wealth." Like "your money."
“Your high places in sin”: Your high places were made for sin, for the sake of idolatry, in all your borders.
Radak
"Mountains in the field." Since they would worship on the mountains, he called Israel "harari" [My mountain]; he said it as a form of address: "You are My mountains." And the word "in the field" — even though the [cantillation] accent rests upon it, its meaning is that it is attached to "your wealth." He said: "You are My mountains; in the field is your wealth, and all your treasures I will give as plunder," meaning that the plunderers will bring out the spoil into the field to divide the booty there.
"Your wealth." Your money.
"All your treasures." The letter vav is missing, as in the case of "shemesh" (sun), "yareach" (moon), "Reuven," "Shimon," and similar words.
"Your shrines, through sin." This is like a reversed [word order], as if it said, "Through the sin of your shrines," which are throughout all your borders. That is to say: why should all your might and all your treasures become plunder on account of the sin of your shrines? And there are many words like this that are reversed in their sense, such as "a place, there, a grave" (מקום שם קבר), whose sense is "a place of a grave, there" (מקום קבר שם); and "and wailing to those who know lament" (ומספד אל יודעי נהי), which is like "and those who know lament, to wailing" (ויודעי נהי אל מספד); and there are many similar to these. And so too did Jonathan translate it in reverse: "Through the sins in which you served idolatry, in all your borders."
Metzudat David
Harrei. This means: You, Judah, who serve idolatry and stand upon the mountains—behold, the plunderers shall carry off your wealth and divide it among themselves in the field, in the place where they encamp against you, with all the treasures hidden there; I shall give them to be looted.
"Your high places." This means: because of your high places, which are made for sin, for the idolaters who stand in all your borders, not a single place is lacking.
Metzudat Zion
Harrei. From the language of "har" (mountain):
Cheilcha. Your wealth:
For a spoil. Plunder and spoil:
“Your high places.” From the word “bamah” (high place).
Malbim
"My mountain," and therefore "My mountain that stands in the field" — this is Mount Zion, around which it became like a field, for the cities surrounding it were laid waste. "Your wealth, etc." I will give to plunder, and likewise "your high places" I will give to plunder, on account of the sin that is throughout your borders.
And you, even of thyself, shall discontinue from your heritage That I gave you; And I will cause you to serve your enemies In the land which you know not; For you have kindled a fire in My nostril, Which shall burn for ever.
verse value 6723
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 75 letters. The shortest word is "to·you" (לָ֔ךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·you·will·discontinue·and·in·you" (וְשָׁמַטְתָּ֗הוּבְךָ֙, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 501: that, that. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·you·will·discontinue·and·in·you" (וְשָׁמַטְתָּ֗הוּבְךָ֙), "from·your·inheritance" (מִנַּחֲלָֽתְךָ֙), "and·I·will·cause·you·to·serve" (וְהַעֲבַדְתִּ֙יךָ֙). The root אשר appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "for·fire" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "in·the·land" (root ארץ, 245x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·did·not·know', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 5 words.
Rashi
And you shall release it. By necessity, you must release your land, namely that which did not rest during your Sabbaths, as I said to you: "And the land shall rest" (Leviticus 25:2).
"And in you." I will take vengeance on account of your inheritance which I gave you, for you did not do My will to release it [in the Sabbatical year]. Another interpretation: "and in you, from your inheritance" — I will take vengeance against you, [removing you] from your inheritance, for I will exile you from it.
"For a fire you have kindled in My nostril." You have kindled it in My nostrils.
Radak
"And you shall be released, and through you." The explanation is: "And you shall be released" means that the release will be through you — that you will be removed from your inheritance, because you did not let it rest [observe its release, i.e., the shemitah] while you were dwelling in it. And Jonathan rendered it in the Targum: "And I will bring the enemy upon your land, and it shall lie desolate on account of your [neglect of] the release; I will execute retributive judgments."
"And I will enslave you." [The word] "veha'avadticha" is spelled with a dalet, whereas above, in the parashah of "Oy li ami" (Woe to My people), [the verse] "veha'avarti" is spelled with a resh.
"You have kindled" [קדחתם] – meaning "you have burned/set aflame" [הבערתם]. Above [15:14], the form is "kidcham"; here it is "kidachtem" ["you have kindled"]. Above, [it says] "upon you"; here, [it says] "forever."
Metzudat David
"And you shall let it rest." You shall leave the land, refraining from working it by plowing and sowing.
"And in you." This means: It will not be your own will that causes you to abandon her service; rather, the abandonment will be "in you," meaning that you will be abandoned from your inheritance, etc., and you will not be there to serve her. This is a retribution for the fact that they did not observe the Sabbatical year.
"And I will make you serve." This means: But you will serve the land of the enemy, in a land you had never known before.
"For fire." "You have kindled My wrath, and it shall burn forever." This means: I will be angry with you for a long time.
Metzudat Zion
"And you shall release it." From the language of release and abandonment, as it is said, "Every creditor shall release that which he has lent" (Deuteronomy 15:2).
"You have kindled." "Tukad" [it shall burn] refers to the matter of kindling and burning, as it says, "A fire is kindled in My wrath; upon you it shall burn" (above 15:14).
Malbim
"And you shall release it" – its structure is [as if it read] "you shall release" and "it shall be released against you." It explains: "you shall release" – from your inheritance; and "it shall be released against you" – I will enslave you to your enemies. Because they went to Egypt after the death of Gedaliah son of Ahikam, they released the land and abandoned their inheritance (for had they remained then in the Land of Israel, it would not have been desolate, since he [the enemy] had left some of them as vinedressers and plowmen). And thereby the release came also upon themselves, for they went from freedom to slavery, serving their enemies in the land of Egypt, for Nebuchadnezzar subsequently conquered the land of Egypt. For the fire is always burning, and similarly it said above, 16:14.
Thus says Hashem: Cursed is the man that trusts in man, And makes flesh his arm, And whose heart departs from Hashem.
verse value 3053
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 52 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "thus" (כֹּ֣ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·from·Hashem" (וּמִן־יְהֹוָ֖ה, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·from·Hashem" (וּמִן־יְהֹוָ֖ה). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root זרוע ("his·arm") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·arm', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 3 words. Full calculation: כֹּ֣ה [thus] (25) + אָמַ֣ר [said] (241) + יְהֹוָ֗ה [Hashem] (26) + אָר֤וּר [cursed] (407) + הַגֶּ֙בֶר֙ [man] (210) + אֲשֶׁ֣ר [that] (501) + יִבְטַ֣ח [he·is·confident] (29) + בָּאָדָ֔ם [in·the·man] (47) + וְשָׂ֥ם [and·will·name] (346) + בָּשָׂ֖ר [flesh] (502) + זְרֹע֑וֹ [his·arm] (283) + וּמִן־יְהֹוָ֖ה [and·from·Hashem] (122) + יָס֥וּר [he·shall·turn·aside] (276) + לִבּֽוֹ [his·heart] (38) = 3053.
Rashi
"Whoever places his trust in man"—in his plowing and his harvest, thinking: "I will sow in the Sabbatical year and eat."
"His arm." Like "his help," and so did Targum Yonatan render it: "his reliance" [ruchtzaneih].
"And his heart turns away from the Lord." For He had promised him, "And I will ordain My blessing for you" (ibid.). Thus have I heard it.
Radak
Thus says the Lord: Since Israel had placed their trust in Egypt and in Assyria, He said this:
"And from the Lord shall His heart depart." For if his heart does not depart from the Lord, he is not considered wicked, even if he places his trust in a human being to assist him. For his intention is that, with the help of God, a person can provide assistance—not that he relies on anything other than God.
Metzudat David
“Who trusts in man”: This means that they will not find help from flesh and blood, for “cursed is the man who trusts in man,” etc.
"And he places." He places his strength and his trust in flesh and blood, and removes his heart from trusting in the Lord.
Metzudat Zion
Accursed. The matter of a curse:
The man. The man:
"Flesh." This means: a person who is flesh.
His arm. His strength:
Malbim
Thus says the Lord: In contrast to those who did not trust in the Lord but trusted in Egypt, as it is stated, “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, and trust in chariots...” and they did not heed the Lord... Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his arm. For there is one who trusts in man and yet also trusts in the Lord; this is the case if he trusts that the Lord will save him through a certain commander. Even though he trusts in a person, the primary arm and power of his trust is in the Lord. But one whose entire trust is in man, to the extent that he even places his arm (which is the power that moves the acting hand) in flesh, meaning he trusts only in the power of flesh, and his heart turns away from the Lord completely—this one is cursed.
For he shall be like a tamarisk in the desert, And shall not see when good comes; But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, A salt land and not inhabited.
verse value 3379
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 57 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "and·not" (וְלֹ֥א, 3 letters) and the longest is "when·comes" (כִּֽי־יָ֣בוֹא, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 37: and·not, and·not. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "like·tamarisk" (כְּעַרְעָ֣ר), "in·the·arabah" (בָּעֲרָבָ֔ה), "when·comes" (כִּֽי־יָ֣בוֹא). The root לא appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah); "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah); "land" (root ארץ, 245x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'good', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 7 words. Full calculation: וְהָיָה֙ [and·it·shall·be] (26) + כְּעַרְעָ֣ר [like·tamarisk] (560) + בָּעֲרָבָ֔ה [in·the·arabah] (279) + וְלֹ֥א [and·not] (37) + יִרְאֶ֖ה [will·see] (216) + כִּֽי־יָ֣בוֹא [when·comes] (49) + ט֑וֹב [good] (17) + וְשָׁכַ֤ן [and·will·settle·down] (376) + חֲרֵרִים֙ [dry regions] (458) + בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר [in·the·wilderness] (248) + אֶ֥רֶץ [land] (291) + מְלֵחָ֖ה [saltness] (83) + וְלֹ֥א [and·not] (37) + תֵשֵֽׁב [is·inhabited] (702) = 3379.
Rashi
"Like a heath-tree (ar'ar)." Like a solitary tree, a term [related to] "ariri" [alone/childless] (Genesis 15:2). And some say it is "gastia" in the vernacular. And Menachem explained that [ar'ar] is the name of a tree among the trees of the forest, and "ar'ar" is its name. And so he explained "like a heath-tree in the wilderness" [Jeremiah 48:6]: one tree among the trees of the forest.
"in the wilderness." A term denoting a level plain:
"Charerim." Dryness, like [the phrase] "charah mini chorev" [my bones were scorched from the heat] (Job 30:30).
"A land of salt": A land that is salty and shall not be inhabited.
Radak
"And he shall be like a bush [ar'ar] in the wilderness." Jonathan translated: "like a caper bush in the plain." And Rav Hai Gaon, of blessed memory, explained: the caper is a plant with thorns on the outside, and inside is edible fruit, and it is called ar'ar.
"And he shall not perceive." [This is expressed] in a figurative manner.
"When good comes" – this refers to the rain.
"And it shall dwell among the parched places [chareirim] in the wilderness." The tree dwells in a place that is parched, and this is [what is meant by] "in the wilderness" — a place where rain does not fall on account of the great heat. And "chareirim" refers to burning and scorching from great heat, as in "and my bone burns from the heat" (Job 30:30), "and its copper glows hot" (Ezekiel 24:11), "the bellows is scorched" (Jeremiah 6:29). "Chareirim" is a noun on the pattern of "chatzerim" [courtyards], and the idea is doubled in different words when it says, "a salted land, not inhabited" — "melechah" [salted] describes a land that does not grow crops; ["not inhabited"] is derived from "yishuv" [settlement]. And so "berit melach" [covenant of salt] — "berit" is likewise derived. And so "a fruitful land turned into a salt waste" (Psalms 107:34). And Jonathan translated: "like the land of Sodom, which is not inhabited." He likened the person who turns his trust away from God to this tree, which does not become moist but stands in dryness the whole time; and even though it does not die, so too the wicked person will be in evil all his days, and will choose his death over his life.
Metzudat David
"And it shall be." One who trusts in man shall be like a tamarisk tree growing in the desert.
"And he shall not see." He does not see when good comes into the world — these being the rains; meaning, the rains shall not be for him.
“And He dwells in the desolate places.” He dwells there in the dry, barren regions due to the intense heat of the desert.
"Land of salt": This is a land whose soil is salty and which is uninhabited. This is a repetition of the matter [already] stated [above].
Metzudat Zion
"Ke'erar." A name of a desert tree; and likewise "ke'erar" in the wilderness (below, 48).
"In the Arabah." Its meaning is like that of "in the wilderness":
Chorerim. Its meaning is dryness, like the phrase "nachar mapu'ach" ["the bellows is scorched"] (above, 6):
Melechah. From the language of "melach" (salt):
Malbim
And it shall be like a tree standing barren in the desert, which does not receive abundance from the bounty of heaven from above, for it does not see when good comes; nor from its surroundings and neighbors, for it dwells among thorns, scorched and dry places in the wilderness; nor from its roots below, for it is a salty land and will not be inhabited.
Blessed is the man that trusts in Hashem, And whose trust Hashem is.
verse value 1113
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 33 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָ֥ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "that" (אֲשֶׁ֥ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·Hashem" (בַּיהֹוָ֑ה, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 26: and·it·shall·be, Hashem. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "his·trust" (מִבְטַחֽוֹ). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: בָּר֣וּךְ [Baruch] (228) + הַגֶּ֔בֶר [man] (210) + אֲשֶׁ֥ר [that] (501) + יִבְטַ֖ח [he·is·confident] (29) + בַּיהֹוָ֑ה [in·Hashem] (28) + וְהָיָ֥ה [and·it·shall·be] (26) + יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + מִבְטַחֽוֹ [his·trust] (65) = 1113.
Radak
"Blessed is the man ... and the LORD shall be his trust" – if he places his trust in Him, He shall be his refuge, and he shall not fear any evil.
Metzudat David
"And the Lord shall be His trust." This means that just as He shall trust in Him, so too shall He be a source of trust and help.
Malbim
Blessed is the man who not only places his trust in the Lord, but moreover, "the Lord shall be his trust." For one who trusts in the Lord that He will save him through natural intermediaries—even though he trusts in the Lord—nevertheless, his object of trust, namely the thing by means of which his security is attained, is not the Lord, but rather the natural intermediaries, in whom he hopes that the Lord will save him through them. And although he is not cursed, since he trusts in the Lord, he is not blessed either. Only if he trusts in the Lord that He will save him without any intermediary whatsoever, so that the Lord Himself is also his object of trust, namely the thing by which his security is attained.
For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, And that spreads out its roots by the river, And shall not see when heat comes, But its foliage shall be luxuriant; And shall not be anxious in the year of drought, Neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
verse value 6514
Insights
Verse structure: 23 words, 91 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָ֞ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "father-in-law" (חֹ֔ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·by·stream" (וְעַל־יוּבַל֙, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 816: his·roots, from·doing. 12 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "like·a·tree" (כְּעֵ֣ץ), "planted" (שָׁת֣וּל), "and·by·stream" (וְעַל־יוּבַל֙). The root לא appears 3 times in this verse. 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah); "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah); "when·comes" (root בוא, 211x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root דאג ("will·fear") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'leafy', dividing the verse into phrases of 15 and 8 words.
Rashi
"It shall not perceive [the heat]." The tree, when heat comes:
"Drought." This term denotes famine, as expressed by the foreign word "famez"; alternatively, "drought" is derived from the word "fortress," and so Menachem [ben Saruq] classified it [in his lexicon].
He shall not be anxious. He shall not fear:
Radak
"And he shall be upon waters." This means that he shall never thirst.
"And by a stream." And by streams of water it sends forth its roots — for even if its roots spread out to a distant place, they will be by streams of water.
"And it does not sense." This is [meant] in a figurative sense — that is to say, even when there is heat in the world, it will not be affected by it, for it is planted by water, and the heat cannot dry it out. Even its leaves will be fresh, so that they will not fall as with other trees, whose leaves wither in the rainy season. And even if there is a year of drought when rains are withheld, it will not worry over this, for it is by water — and it says "it will not worry" [also] in a figurative sense.
And it shall not cease to yield fruit. For even in a year of drought, it will remain in its moisture and yield its fruit in its season. So too, the good person who trusts in the Lord—his goodness shall never depart, and even at a time when other people are in distress, he will be in good fortune, as it is said: “In six troubles He will deliver you, and in the seventh, evil shall not touch you.” And likewise, the good person from whom people learn his wisdom and his good deeds; he compares this to his wealth and abundance, that people benefit from him.
Metzudat David
"And he shall be like a tree planted." He shall be filled with goodness, like a tree planted by the waters, and its roots spread out by the streams of water.
"And it shall not perceive." This means that it will not feel [the heat] when the heat and drought come, since it is planted near the waters that moisten it.
"And its leaf shall be fresh." The leaves upon it shall be moist:
"And in a year of drought." In a year when there is a withholding of rain, he will not worry; that is to say, it will not harm him.
"And he shall not cease." He shall not depart from producing fruit. That is to say: so too shall be one who trusts in the Lord, that he shall lack nothing and shall not worry about the troubles that arise in the world.
Metzudat Zion
"Planted." [The word] "planted" is like [the phrase] "planted in the house of the Lord" (Psalms 92:14):
Yovel. "Streams of water," like "upon the streams of water" (Isaiah 44:4).
He shall send forth. The matter is one of spreading out, and similarly: "She shall send forth her branches" (Psalms 80):
Chom. From the language of warmth:
Alehu. The leaves:
Re’anan. The meaning is moisture:
Drought. The matter of withholding rain; and likewise regarding the statement about droughts (above, 14):
Yidag. From the language of "da'agah" (sorrow/worry):
Yamish. The meaning of "removal" is like "the pillar of cloud did not move" (Exodus 13:22):
Malbim
"And it shall be" — this is similar to a tree planted by water, which sends out its roots along a streambed, a place of harvest and fruit. Such a tree will not fear either continuous hardships, such as when heat comes and causes the foliage of the tree to wither, nor intermittent hardships, such as in a drought year when there is no rain; it will not be anxious, for even then it will produce fruit. This means that its wealth and possessions, which are represented by the leaves, will not be lacking, nor its life and children, which are represented by the fruit. (The expression "it shall not be anxious" is employed here in a figurative sense, for a man is forbidden to engage in marital relations during a severe famine, as if he were anxious and thus refraining from producing fruit. But this tree shall not be anxious, nor shall it cease from producing fruit even in a drought year.)
The heart is deceitful above all things, And it is exceeding weak—who can know it?
verse value 858
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 23 letters. Verse gematria: 858 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "who?" (מִ֖י, 2 letters) and the longest is "can·know·it" (יֵדָעֶֽנּוּ, 5 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "because" (עָקֹ֥ב), "the·heart" (הַלֵּ֛ב), "and·sick" (וְאָנֻ֣שׁ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "from·all" (root כל, 167x in Jeremiah); "can·know·it" (root ידע, 71x in Jeremiah); "it" (root הוא, 69x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'it', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 2 words. Full calculation: עָקֹ֥ב [because] (172) + הַלֵּ֛ב [the·heart] (37) + מִכֹּ֖ל [from·all] (90) + וְאָנֻ֣שׁ [and·sick] (357) + ה֑וּא [it] (12) + מִ֖י [who?] (50) + יֵדָעֶֽנּוּ [can·know·it] (140) = 858.
Rashi
"Crooked is the heart." It is full of pretexts, and more crooked than any evil.
"And it is incurable." This is an expression of illness, and this is its sickness.
"Who can know it?" He supposes: "Who can know it [i.e., my heart]?" [But] I am the Lord, who searches the heart.
Radak
“Deceitful is the heart.” This is because He spoke about trust, which is evil when one places his trust in a person, and this depends on the intention of the heart, as it says, “And his heart shall depart from the Lord,” as he explained. Therefore, He spoke about the intention of the heart and said that the heart is more deceitful than any other thing, meaning that it is deceptive, for a person can appear good in his speech and in his deeds, yet his heart may be evil. And who knows this except God? Therefore, He said, “Who can know it?” And He said, “I am the Lord who searches the heart,” for deception depends on the heart, not on the mouth or on deeds. For even though sometimes deception occurs in speech, when one says words that have a double intention, or one performs deception with his hands, everything is according to the intention of the heart. Therefore, He said “than all,” for there is nothing as deceitful as the heart.
"And it is incurable." The meaning is pain and brokenness, as in "my pain is severe" [or: incurable] and "my wound is incurable." And it [i.e., the term] is used, by way of metaphor, for the pain of the heart — whether from grief, or anxiety, or evil dealings, or thought. Therefore it says, "and it is incurable," and it says, "Reproach has broken my heart, and it is sick" (Psalms 69:21).
Metzudat David
“Deceitful is the heart.” Even though the heart of man is more crooked and twisted than all his limbs, and it has a strong pain, meaning a corrupted opinion, to think: “Who is there that knows the mysteries of my heart? Is he trusting in truth or not?”
Metzudat Zion
"Akov" (crooked): The meaning is "crooked" and "twisted," and similarly, "every brother will utterly supplant [his brother]" (above, ch. 9).
"Ve'anush" (and is severe): The meaning is a severe pain, as in "my wound is incurable" (Job, ch. 34):
Malbim
“Devious” (Akov): This implies, “And if you were to ask, ‘Have we not seen that there are those who trust in the Lord yet do not succeed?’” To this, he offers two responses. First, there is one who trusts in what is revealed (i.e., outwardly) but not in his innermost self. For it is required that the trust be with a whole heart, not with deceit, for “the heart is devious above all things.” All evil imaginations and bad traits lie in wait for the heart, which is the governing faculty within the soul, and they present to it evil imaginations for every transgression and every sin. And it is human — the heart itself is a human heart, ready to change at every moment according to the imaginations that then dominate the soul. And “who can know it”? If it appears to you from his outward demeanor that he trusts in the Lord, you do not know his thoughts. But I, the Lord, search the heart and test the counseling kidneys, to give to each person according to his ways. And I give to each person both according to the ways of the inner soul and according to the fruit of the actions that emerge outwardly through the soul’s dispositions. And even though it may appear to you, according to the sight of your eyes, that his deeds are good, I weigh the root of the soul’s dispositions and its ways: whether the trust comes from the depths of the soul and the heart, with a whole heart and a willing spirit.
I Hashem search the heart, I try the reins, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.
verse value 2876
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 43 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֛ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "heart" (לֵ֖ב, 2 letters) and the longest is "his·deeds" (מַעֲלָלָֽיו, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "searching" (חֹקֵ֥ר), "as·his·ways" (כִּדְרָכָ֔ו). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "to·man" (root איש, 153x in Jeremiah); "and·to·give" (root נתן, 141x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root חקר ("searching") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'kidneys', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: אֲנִ֧י [I] (61) + יְהֹוָ֛ה [Hashem] (26) + חֹקֵ֥ר [searching] (308) + לֵ֖ב [heart] (32) + בֹּחֵ֣ן [testing] (60) + כְּלָי֑וֹת [kidneys] (466) + וְלָתֵ֤ת [and·to·give] (836) + לְאִישׁ֙ [to·man] (341) + כִּדְרָכָ֔ו [as·his·ways] (250) + כִּפְרִ֖י [as·fruit·of] (310) + מַעֲלָלָֽיו [his·deeds] (186) = 2876.
Radak
"I am the Lord, who searches the heart and tests the kidneys." He mentions the kidneys because the kidneys advise and the heart decides.
"And to give." In this passage, "and to give" [ve-latet] is written with a vav, [while] "like the fruit [of]" [kifri] is written without a vav. And further below, in the passage of Hanamel ben Shallum, it is the reverse: "to give" [latet] is written without a vav, and "and like the fruit [of]" [ukhfri] with a vav. The mnemonic is "vekhulo." And the explanation of "and to give" is: [as if] He said, I am the Lord who searches the heart, and so too it is in My power likewise to give to a man according to his ways.
"According to his way." It is written in the singular, yet read as "according to his ways" in the plural, and the meaning is one and the same: for one is a general way of speaking and the other a particular way of speaking; or, it is also, as it is written, plural, with the yod of the plural missing from the text.
Metzudat David
"I am the Lord." This means: Rather, I am the Lord who searches the heart of man and examines the thoughts of the kidneys, in order to know what is in them, so as to give to each person according to the ways of his heart and according to the fruit of his deeds. These are the thoughts, which are the deeds of the heart and its ways. And the matter is doubled in what is stated:
Metzudat Zion
Choker: The matter of searching and inquiring.
"Who examines" – from the language of examination and testing:
His doings. His deeds:
As the partridge that broods over young which she has not brought forth, So is he that gets riches, and not by right; In the midst of his days he shall leave them, And at his end he shall be a fool.
verse value 3058
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 54 letters. The shortest word is "calling" (קֹרֵ֤א, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·in·his·end" (וּבְאַחֲרִית֖וֹ, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 37: and·not, and·not. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "broodsed" (דָגַר֙), "in·half·of" (בַּחֲצִ֤י), "his·days" (יָמָו֙). The root לא appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah); "it·will·be" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah); "doing" (root עשה, 147x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·judgment', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 6 words. Full calculation: קֹרֵ֤א [calling] (301) + דָגַר֙ [broodsed] (207) + וְלֹ֣א [and·not] (37) + יָלָ֔ד [bore] (44) + עֹ֥שֶׂה [doing] (375) + עֹ֖שֶׁר [riches] (570) + וְלֹ֣א [and·not] (37) + בְמִשְׁפָּ֑ט [in·judgment] (431) + בַּחֲצִ֤י [in·half·of] (110) + יָמָו֙ [his·days] (56) + יַעַזְבֶ֔נּוּ [he·will·leave·them] (145) + וּבְאַחֲרִית֖וֹ [and·in·his·end] (633) + יִהְיֶ֥ה [it·will·be] (30) + נָבָֽל [fool] (82) = 3058.
Rashi
"[The] partridge broods [eggs not its own]." KOK"V GLONTSN"T [a term for the bird] in the vernacular:
"And did not bear." This kore [partridge] draws to itself chicks that it did not bear, [by its] chirping—a chirping sound that the bird chirps with its voice to draw chicks after it. And these that the kore chirps to will not follow it once they grow, for they are not its own kind. So too is one who amasses wealth unjustly.
He will be a fool. It is interpreted as “wicked.”
Radak
"The partridge hatches [what she did not lay]." Because it states, "to give to a man according to his ways," [the text implies]: Do not wonder at the wicked man who succeeds in wealth, for how would God not give to him according to his ways? Know that the wicked man whose wealth is not through justice will not endure; rather, it will depart from him in the midst of his days. And He compares him to a "korei" [partridge], which is a bird called in the foreign language "perniz" [partridge], which sits upon the eggs of other birds and warms them. When those eggs hatch and the chicks emerge, they will not be like his own offspring that would follow him; rather, they will abandon him and not recognize him, but will follow those who are their [true] mothers. So too, the wicked man who acquired wealth not through justice—his wealth will abandon him in the midst of his days, or he will die and leave his wealth to others, and he will not complete his days with the wealth he acquired, and he will be a fool in his end. That is to say, he will fall, dying before his time, or his wealth will be lost from his hands in the midst of his days, and he will be a fool and diminished in his end. And so the Targum translates the verse: "He is like the partridge that gathers into its eye what is not his," and so on, as in the column.
"His days" [ימו]. It is written without the plural yod, and it is read "yamav" [his days] with the plural yod. And so too: "His adversaries shall be broken; against them, in the heavens, He will thunder" (1 Samuel 2:10).
Metzudat David
"A koreh hatches [what it did not bear]." Just as a bird called the koreh draws chicks after it with the chirping of its voice, yet it did not give birth to them—and this is a matter that cannot endure, for when they grow up, they will realize that it did not give birth to them and will abandon it—so too is the one who gathers wealth unjustly, not through righteous judgment but only through the cunning of his heart. For this wealth will not endure in his possession, and in the midst of his days he will abandon that wealth, and in the end, the cunning of his heart will be revealed to people, and he will be regarded as a scoundrel.
Metzudat Zion
"Kore." It is the name of a bird, and similarly, "as one pursues the partridge in the mountains" (1 Samuel 26:20).
On the word "dagar" (brooding): The matter of the bird's chirping to draw the chicks after it, as it is said, "and she broods in her shadow" (Isaiah 34:15).
"Making." The meaning is "gathering," like "and Israel gathers might" (Numbers 24:18):
And at its end. At its conclusion:
Naval. "Lessened and despised":
Malbim
The word “korei” (the second condition of trust) implies that one’s deeds should not contradict his trust. For anyone who claims to trust in God yet strives to amass wealth through bloodshed and injustice, it is clear that he does not possess complete trust; therefore, his wealth will not remain in his possession. Just as God established in the nature of the creature called “korei”—which is a foster parent and not a biological parent—that it is its way to sit upon the eggs and chicks of others, which it did not itself hatch, and afterward, when they grow up, they recognize that they are not its offspring and abandon it; so too, one who acts and accumulates wealth unjustly will have that wealth abandon him in the midst of his days, and in his latter days he will fare even worse than one who never possessed wealth at all. For although the latter was never rich, he was not a scoundrel; but the former will remain a scoundrel, for the innate character of extortion, violence, and wickedness will remain within him.
You throne of glory, on high from the beginning, You place of our sanctuary,
verse value 1682
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "throne" (כִּסֵּ֣א, 3 letters) and the longest is "from·first" (מֵרִאשׁ֑וֹן, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "from·first" (מֵרִאשׁ֑וֹן), "our·sanctuary" (מִקְדָּשֵֽׁנוּ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "place·of" (root מקום, 46x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root מרום ("height") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·first', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 2 words. Full calculation: כִּסֵּ֣א [throne] (81) + כָב֔וֹד [glory] (32) + מָר֖וֹם [height] (286) + מֵרִאשׁ֑וֹן [from·first] (597) + מְק֖וֹם [place·of] (186) + מִקְדָּשֵֽׁנוּ [our·sanctuary] (500) = 1682.
Rashi
“Throne of glory” etc. Since he comes to say, “All who forsake You shall be put to shame,” he begins with the praise of the Omnipresent and says before Him: You, whose throne is glory, and who is exalted from the beginning of the creation of the world, and who is opposite our Temple.
Radak
“Throne of Glory.” The Gaon Rabbi Saadia explained that this phrase is connected to the end of the preceding verse, as if it said, “Let him be cast down from the throne of glory,” meaning thrown away. And the Targum [Yonatan] says, “His punishment will be executed upon him,” and so on, as stated in the column. And our Sages explained it regarding the Temple, for they said that seven things were created before the world was created, and one of them is the place of the Temple, as it is stated, “Throne of Glory, exalted from the beginning; our sanctuary is from the beginning,” meaning before the world was created. And they also said that the Temple is aligned opposite the Throne of Glory, as it is stated, “Throne of Glory, exalted from the beginning; our sanctuary.” This is the approach of the commentators. And they said in Sefer Yetzirah, “And the Holy Temple is aligned in the center.” And I elaborated on this matter in my commentary on Psalms, in the Psalm “Song of Ascents: Remember, O Lord, David.” And the matter is good, but its subject is not connected to the verse before it and the verse after it. The scholar Rabbi Shmuel ben Tibbon connected it to the matter of the verse that says, “I am the Lord, who searches the heart, who tests the kidneys,” and so on. And he explained “Throne of Glory” with the omission of the letter kaf of similitude, as if it said, “Like the throne of glory,” and there are many such instances. And he explained the matter thus: The prophet came to inform that the Name, blessed be He, dwells in the Temple, just as He sits on the exalted Throne of Glory, which is the upper heavens, which the prophet Isaiah also called “a high and lofty throne”; so Jeremiah called it “exalted.” And he says that it is “from the beginning,” meaning from of old, as it is written, “Your throne is established from of old.” Just as the heavens, which are the Throne of the Lord, and they are His Throne of Glory, testify to His existence and to His glory, so too the place of our sanctuary testifies and indicates His very existence, that He caused His light and glory to dwell in it. And let not the thinker think that the fact that the Lord is on a high and lofty throne, which is the heavens, prevents Him from knowing what is on earth, and from watching over the lowly, and from punishing the wicked for their wickedness. For the place of our sanctuary is evidence and proof that He sees the lowly and searches their hearts and kidneys. For He dwells in our sanctuary, and His dwelling and abode are in the heavens, and His light and glory appear in it. And since He dwells in it, and He is found among us, it is necessary to believe that the Lord sees us, and visits our deeds, and examines our hearts and kidneys, for good and for evil. And this is what He added and said, “The hope of Israel,” and so on. And the matter of “those who turn aside in the land shall be written” means: those who turn aside among His people, who are turned away from the Lord, blessed be He, and from His service, will be written in the earth, to return to dust like beasts; there will be no portion remaining for them to be written in the heavens among the inhabitants of the upper realm. And this is because they abandoned the source of living waters, which is the Lord, blessed be He. Therefore, they will not live, but will die like beasts. And this explanation is correct for the matter of the passage.
Metzudat David
"Throne of Glory." [This is] like [the phrase] "the Throne of Glory," and it refers to the heavens of the heights, as it is stated: "The heavens are My throne" (Isaiah 66:1).
From the beginning. That which was prepared for you from of old, as it is stated: "Your throne is established from of old" (Psalms 93:2).
"Place of our Sanctuary." This means that this is indeed the place of our Sanctuary, for just as the Divine Presence is in heaven, so too is it in the Temple.
Metzudat Zion
"Kisei" (throne): It is like "ka-kisei" (as a throne), with the comparative kaf omitted; and similarly, "[a joyful heart] produces healing" [ye'itiv gehah] (Proverbs, ch. 17), whose implied sense is "ka-gehah" [like a healing/remedy].
On high. The lofty heavens:
From the beginning. From of old:
Malbim
“Throne of Glory”: After having explained that “cursed is the man who trusts in man,” the prophet now says, “The place of our sanctuary is the throne of Glory from of old.” The prophet refers to God by the name “the Most High from of old,” meaning He is exalted and elevated above the first created entity, implying that there is nothing higher than Him, and He is the beginning of all emanated and created beings. And since the title “First” would not properly apply to Him, for He has no genealogical connection with created beings at all, the prophet says that He is “the Most High from of old” in terms of exaltation, rank, and importance. And the place of the Sanctuary is His throne of Glory, where He caused His Divine Presence to dwell, and where He sits and conducts providential governance. And he explains who is this “Most High from of old”? It is the Hope of Israel, the Lord, who is the Hope of Israel. His throne of Glory dwells in the Sanctuary. Therefore, “all who forsake You shall be put to shame”—those who forsook the Lord, who dwells and exercises providence in the Sanctuary, and went to seek the help of flesh, shall be put to shame in their trust. And “those who turn away from the Lord shall be inscribed in the earth, because they have forsaken the fountain of living waters.” Their names shall be published as a curse, as if written in a book throughout the land, to inform everyone that they forsook the fountain of living waters to hew for themselves broken cisterns.
You hope of Israel, Hashem! All that forsake You shall be ashamed; They that depart from You shall be written in the earth, Because they have forsaken Hashem, The fountain of living waters. .
verse value 3540
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 66 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "all·who·forsake·You" (כׇּל־עֹזְבֶ֖יךָ, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "all·who·forsake·You" (כׇּל־עֹזְבֶ֖יךָ), "and·who·turn·aside·from·You" (וְסוּרַי֙), "they·will·be·written" (יִכָּתֵ֔בוּ). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "in·the·land" (root ארץ, 245x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'let·them·be·ashamed', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 9 words.
Rashi
The hope of Israel. The Lord sits upon it; therefore, all who forsake You shall be put to shame.
"And those who turn from Me shall be written in the earth." [This refers to] those who turn away from My words, who do not heed My mission; they shall be written in the lowest graves of the earth.
Radak
“Mikveh Yisrael.” Its meaning is in the language of calling: “You, who are the hope of Israel and the trust of all who trust in You.” All who abandon You, who have no trust in You, shall be put to shame from their trust in flesh and blood, as it previously stated that they trusted in human beings. And it further says, “And those who turn aside in the land shall be written down.” Those who turn away from You, as it says, “And his heart shall turn away from the Lord,” shall be written down in the land. They shall not have a portion in You, since they have abandoned You; rather, they shall be written down in the land like beasts, so that nothing shall remain of them to have a portion in You.
“For they have forsaken the Source of living waters, the Lord.” This is measure for measure: just as they have forsaken You, who are the Source of living waters that do not cease, so too those who cling to You will not have their good cut off, neither in this world nor in the World to Come. And as for those who have forsaken You and placed their trust in flesh and blood, which is a portion of the earth, so shall they be inscribed in the earth and not in the heavens. “Mikveh” (pool/reservoir) here means “hope,” and so did Jonathan translate it: “the Hope of Israel.” And there are those who explain it like a mikveh of water, meaning that You are a mikveh of purification for Israel. And the first explanation is correct.
"And those who turn away." It is written as *yissurei*, meaning "those who will turn away from you," but it is read as *ve-surei* (and those who turn away). This is a descriptive adjective of a hollow root (with the middle letter quiescent), vocalized with a shuruk, similar to *surei ha-gefen nokhriyah* ("the strange, degenerate vine"), *golah ve-surah* ("exiled and wayward"), *nechalatz chushim* ("we will hasten, armed"), and similar forms. The pronoun refers to the prophet, meaning "those who turn away from me," for they are turning away from the Name, whereas I cling to the Name, and they turn away from me and abandon the Lord. In this manner it is said, "According to all that My servant Moses commanded you, you shall not turn aside from it," where "from it" refers back to Moses, meaning from his good way. Similarly, Jeremiah says, "and those who turn away," meaning those who turn away from me, that is, from the good way to which I cling to God. It is also possible that *ve-surei* is like *surim* (those who turn away), and it is missing the mem of the plural, similar to *ve-kara lo chaloni* (and he cut out for himself windows), which is like *chalonim* (windows), and similar forms.
Metzudat David
"The Hope of Israel is the Lord." Therefore, it is fitting that the hope of Israel should be in the Lord, since You have planted Your Divine Presence among them.
"All those who forsake You." All those who forsake You and place their trust in a human being are deserving that they be put to shame.
And "suri." [This refers to] those who remove themselves from Me, and it is the statement of the prophet concerning the word of God:
"In the land they shall write." "In a book they shall write" – to descend to the depths of the earth, into the abysses of Sheol, because they abandoned the Source that gushes forth living waters, and it goes on to explain that the Lord bestows goodness at all times like a Source that gushes forth.
Metzudat Zion
Mikveh. From the word tikvah (hope):
And "suri." From the language of removal:
Source. Spring:
Heal me, O Hashem, and I shall be healed; Save me, and I shall be saved; For You are my praise.
verse value 2775
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 37 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "save·me" (הוֹשִׁיעֵ֖נִי, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "heal·me" (רְפָאֵ֤נִי), "and·let·me·be·healed" (וְאֵ֣רָפֵ֔א), "save·me" (הוֹשִׁיעֵ֖נִי). The root רפא appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "you" (root אתה, 61x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·I·shall·be·saved', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: רְפָאֵ֤נִי [heal·me] (341) + יְהֹוָה֙ [Hashem] (26) + וְאֵ֣רָפֵ֔א [and·let·me·be·healed] (288) + הוֹשִׁיעֵ֖נִי [save·me] (451) + וְאִוָּשֵׁ֑עָה [and·I·shall·be·saved] (388) + כִּ֥י [for] (30) + תְהִלָּתִ֖י [my·praise] (845) + אָֽתָּה [you] (406) = 2775.
Rashi
"My glory, You are." In You I boast and take pride, to say that You are my Savior.
"My glory" – in the vernacular, it is said: "vantance" [i.e., praise/boast].
Radak
"Heal me, O Lord." He sought healing from the wound and the pain, as it is stated, "Why is my pain perpetual and my wound grievous?" And the pain and the wound, as we have explained, refer to disgrace and curse.
"For You are my praise. I take pride in You, that You will save me from their hands."
Metzudat David
“Heal me.” The prophet said: “When You heal me, I will be healed.” And to elaborate further, he said: “Save me from those who rise up against me, and then I will be saved.” This means: There is no one else but You who has the power to save me.
"For You are my praise." In You I boast, to say that You are the God of my salvation.
Malbim
“Refa’eni” (“Heal me”): Return to what was stated above regarding why it was said, ‘my pain was perpetual.’ Since he prophesied a prophecy of wrath that the Lord filled him with, calling it “pain” and “illness,” he requested that the Lord heal him from his grievous affliction and that he no longer prophesy calamity.
Behold, they say to me: ‘Where is the word of Hashem? let it come now.’
verse value 760
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "please" (נָֽא, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·word·of·Hashem" (דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "behold·they" (הִנֵּה־הֵ֕מָּה). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·word·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "saying" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "let·him·go·in" (root בוא, 211x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: הִנֵּה־הֵ֕מָּה [behold·they] (110) + אֹמְרִ֖ים [saying] (291) + אֵלָ֑י [to·me] (41) + אַיֵּ֥ה [where?] (16) + דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה [the·word·of·Hashem] (232) + יָ֥בוֹא [let·him·go·in] (19) + נָֽא [please] (51) = 760.
Rashi
“Where is the word of the Lord?”—the calamity that you prophesy.
Radak
Behold, they say, "The word of the Lord." You say that the land will be destroyed; let it come to pass, for we do not believe that the Lord has spoken to destroy His city.
Metzudat David
Behold, they are the ones who rise up against me, saying to me in mockery, "Where is the word of the Lord? Let it now come to pass, and we shall see if the truth is with you," for they think that I am inventing it from my own heart, out of my hatred for them.
Metzudat Zion
"Na." Now:
Malbim
Behold, they say, “Where is the word of the Lord?” And by means of this, they wish to establish me as a false prophet, who is liable to death.
As for me, I have not hastened from being a shepherd after You; Neither have I desired the woeful day; you know it; That which came out of my lips was manifest before You.
verse value 4510
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 61 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "I·desired" (הִתְאַוֵּ֖יתִי, 7 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "not·I·hastened" (לֹא־אַ֣צְתִּי), "and·day" (וְי֥וֹם), "I·desired" (הִתְאַוֵּ֖יתִי). 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah); "was" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah); "and·day" (root יום, 133x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root אנוש ("man") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'You·know', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 5 words.
Rashi
"And I did not hasten" – I did not rush to urge You to bring it [the punishment] upon them, more than [I hastened] to be a good shepherd, pursuing You to seek mercy for them.
"And the day of illness" – I did not desire the sickness of calamity. And Targum Yonatan [renders]: "And I did not hold back concerning Your command, from prophesying against them, to bring them back to the fear of You." And according to the Targum, [the word] "I did not hasten" is to be understood in the sense of delay — meaning: I did not delay from telling them Your mission and bringing them back to You, had they listened to me.
"The utterance of my lips was before Your face, to turn away Your wrath from them."
Radak
And I did not hasten. I did not force myself, nor did I worry about this matter that I would be a shepherd after you, meaning that I would be a prophet:
And I did not desire the grievous day, for I knew that the grievous day would be for me a day of prophecy, but You compelled me. The grievous day is a harsh and heavy day.
"Motsa sfatai" – I said to You, "Behold, I did not know how to speak, for I am but a youth." And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated: "And I did not hold back, at Your word, from prophesying against them," etc., as it is written in the column.
Metzudat David
"And I." But I did not hasten to abandon being a shepherd following You — to pasture Your people's flock and to prophesy to them — just as it is stated at the beginning of his prophecy, where he said, "Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am a youth" (above 1:6).
"And the fatal day I did not desire." And even after I went to prophesy against my will, I did not desire that a fatal day should come upon them.
You have known. For so it is:
"Motsa sfatai" ("The utterance of my lips"): That which I prayed for them — was this not before Your face? And it is as if to say: I did not desire to prophesy to them [words of doom]. Yet, when the prophecy of calamity came to me, I prayed for them. And they think that I am fabricating it from my own heart, out of hatred for them.
Metzudat Zion
“Haste.” The matter is one of speed, as it is said: “and it did not hasten to go down” (Joshua 10:13).
Anush. The matter is one of great pain:
“התאותי” – from the word “תאוה” (desire).
Nochach. Opposite:
Malbim
And as for me, not only do I not devise calamity from my heart, but even when You chose me to be a shepherd and leader, I did not hasten after You, nor did I desire to be a prophet, as it is stated, "Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am a youth." And even after You sent me to prophesy calamities, I did not long for the fatal day to come, in order to uphold the words of my prophecy. And all this You knew. Not only did I not desire it in my heart, but also the utterance of my lips was before Your face, for I prayed to You to remove Your anger and wrath, even though You commanded me not to pray. Therefore, I request that this matter for which I prayed—to delay the calamity—should not be held against me as a cause of ruin, so that they might prove me to be a false prophet. But are You not my refuge in the day of evil? Therefore, let my pursuers be ashamed, so that I myself will not be ashamed. And let them be dismayed, so that my prophecy concerning them will be fulfilled, and I myself will not be dismayed, lest they say that I am a false prophet. Therefore, bring upon them the day of evil that is destined for them according to my prophecy. And with double breaking, break them, so that they will be broken at the time of the community's calamity, and let an individual breaking come upon them in advance, before the arrival of the time of evil, as stated above: "Set them apart like sheep for the slaughter," etc.
Be not a ruin to me; You are my refuge in the day of evil.
verse value 1831
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "evil" (רָעָֽה, 3 letters) and the longest is "be·not·to·me" (אַל־תִּֽהְיֵה־לִ֖י, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "be·not·to·me" (אַל־תִּֽהְיֵה־לִ֖י), "to·destruction" (לִמְחִתָּ֑ה), "You·are·my·refuge" (מַחֲסִי־אַ֖תָּה). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "be·not·to·me" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah); "in·day·of" (root יום, 133x in Jeremiah); "evil" (root רעה, 50x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root מחתה ("to·destruction") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·destruction', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: אַל־תִּֽהְיֵה־לִ֖י [be·not·to·me] (491) + לִמְחִתָּ֑ה [to·destruction] (483) + מַחֲסִי־אַ֖תָּה [You·are·my·refuge] (524) + בְּי֥וֹם [in·day·of] (58) + רָעָֽה [evil] (275) = 1831.
Rashi
"Do not be a cause of dismay to me" – Let Your mission not be a cause of dismay [to me].
Radak
"Do not be a cause of dismay to me." That is to say, do not cause me through my prophecy to become an object of dismay before them.
"You are my hiding place in the evil day." On the day when they think evil against me, You are my hiding place; and thus You shall always act, not just once before them, as You have promised me.
Metzudat David
"Let there not be." Therefore I asked, "Let not prophecy be for me a stumbling block and a cause of dismay. Are You not from of old my refuge in times of distress? Save me even now."
Metzudat Zion
"A cause of dismay." The matter of breaking, and likewise, "and My righteousness shall not be abolished" (Isaiah 51:6):
Let them be ashamed that persecute me, but let not me be ashamed; Let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed; Bring upon them the day of evil, And destroy them with double destruction.
verse value 4009
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 64 letters. Notable word values: "to·bring" (הָבִ֤יא) = 18, chai, 'life'. The shortest word is "I" (אָ֔נִי, 3 letters) and the longest is "but·let·not·me·be·ashamed" (וְאַל־אֵבֹ֣שָׁה, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 61: I, I. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "but·let·not·me·be·ashamed" (וְאַל־אֵבֹ֣שָׁה), "let·them·be·dismayed" (יֵחַ֣תּוּ), "and·not·be·dismayed" (וְאַל־אֵחַ֖תָּה). The root בוש appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·them" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah); "to·bring" (root בוא, 211x in Jeremiah); "day" (root יום, 133x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 7 words.
Rashi
"Let my pursuers be put to shame"—only the men of Anathoth.
Radak
“The pursuers shall be put to shame.” “Bring [it] upon them”—since they say, “Let it come, please,” bring it upon them.
And "mishnah" means a second breaking. And "mishnah" is not a construct form, for it is pointed with a segol, and it is like "u-shavron sheni" (and a second breaking). And similarly, "u-mishnah kesef" (and a second silver) is like "u-kesef sheni" (and a second silver). And he means to say that by "shavron sheni" (second breaking) he refers to a breaking after a breaking, and he did not wish to say merely two times by saying "mishnah," but rather a breaking after a breaking, many times. And similarly, "veshuv mal et bnei Yisrael shnit" (and again circumcise the children of Israel a second time), as we have explained.
Metzudat David
Let the pursuers be put to shame. At the time they go into exile:
"Let them be dismayed." They shall be broken by the hand of the enemy.
"And a double breaking": A doubled break, meaning a break upon a break — shatter them!
Thus said Hashem to me: Go, and stand in the gate of the children of the people, whereby the kings of Judah come in, and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem;
verse value 4271
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 74 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֜ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "with" ((עם), 2 letters) and the longest is "son·nation" (בְּנֵֽי־הָעָ֔ם, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 8: in·him, in·him. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·you·will·stand" (וְעָֽמַדְתָּ֙), "son·nation" (בְּנֵֽי־הָעָ֔ם), "all" (וּבְכֹ֖ל). The root שער appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "thus·said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 16 and 3 words.
Radak
Thus says the Lord: "O people." It is written and read as "the people," and it is one [word], except that the written text lacks the definite article "the."
“By which they shall enter.” Initially, he commanded that the proclamation be made at the gate through which the kings of Judah entered and exited, for it was fitting for them to admonish the people and to guard the Sabbath day. And what is meant by “at the gate of the people”? It refers to proclaiming into the ears of the people who were entering and exiting through that gate, for not only the kings of Judah entered and exited through it, but also the people who resided near that gate entered and exited through it. And he told him that afterward he should proclaim at all the gates of Jerusalem, in order to warn all the people. And the reason he told him to proclaim at the gates is that they brought things in and took things out through the gates on the Sabbath, and he warned them only regarding bringing in and taking out through the gates outside the city, for within the city they were not liable, because the gates of Jerusalem are locked at night, and they are not liable for it on account of being a public domain. Therefore, he said, “And you shall bring into the gates of Jerusalem,” so that you not bring a burden through the gates of this city. And he said, “And let no one carry a burden and enter through the gates of Jerusalem.” And what is meant by “And you shall not carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day”? It means outside the city. And the reason he mentioned bringing more than taking out is that Jerusalem was a large metropolis, and in a metropolis, those who bring burdens are more numerous than those who take them out, for the inhabitants of the villages bring grain and fruits to the city, as well as merchandise. And so it is written in the Book of Ezra, when Nehemiah admonished them regarding the Sabbath, and he said, “And they brought [it] into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day.” And he said, “And they shut the gates,” and he said, “That they should not be opened until after the Sabbath.” And from my servants I stationed [some] at the gates, “No burden shall come [through] on the Sabbath day.” Behold, he warned them only from outside the city, not within the city, for they were not liable for bringing in and taking out from their houses within the city, because the gates of Jerusalem were locked at night, and they were not liable for it on account of being a public domain. And what is meant by “Hear the word of the Lord, O kings of Judah”? There was only one king; this means the king and his sons, and since they were destined to reign after their father, he called them kings.
Metzudat David
Regarding the phrase “the gate of the people”: This refers to the gate where the common people are found, and it is the gate through which the kings of Judah enter and exit.
"And in all." Likewise, you shall go and stand at all the gates of Jerusalem:
Malbim
Thus said the Lord to me: After the Lord had decreed His sentence, the attribute of mercy intervened and granted them a simple remedy so that Jerusalem would not be destroyed, and that is if they observe the Sabbath and refrain from profaning it. This is in accordance with what our Sages of blessed memory stated: anyone who observes the Sabbath in accordance with its laws, even if he practices idolatry like the generation of Enosh, is forgiven. For the observance of the Sabbath testifies to the belief in creation and divine providence, and it refutes idolatry. Therefore, it is impossible that the sin of idolatry should cause the destruction after the observance of the Sabbath testifies to the contrary—that the Lord created the world and governs the cosmic order. And they already stated that if Israel observes two Sabbaths, they are immediately redeemed (and all the more so will the merit of the Sabbath suffice to prevent the destruction of Jerusalem). [The verse refers] to the kings of Judah who would enter to admonish the leaders first, and who would go out to admonish many times upon their arrival and departure, and in all the gates of Jerusalem to admonish all the people.
thus says Hashem: Take heed for the sake of your souls, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem;
verse value 5223
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 58 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "thus" (כֹּ֚ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "in·your·souls" (בְּנַפְשׁוֹתֵיכֶ֑ם, 9 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·do·not·carry" (וְאַל־תִּשְׂא֤וּ), "and·you·shall·bring" (וַהֲבֵאתֶ֖ם). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "and·you·shall·bring" (root בוא, 211x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root משא ("burden·of") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·your·souls', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 7 words. Full calculation: כֹּ֚ה [thus] (25) + אָמַ֣ר [said] (241) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + הִשָּׁמְר֖וּ [be·kept] (551) + בְּנַפְשׁוֹתֵיכֶ֑ם [in·your·souls] (908) + וְאַל־תִּשְׂא֤וּ [and·do·not·carry] (744) + מַשָּׂא֙ [burden·of] (341) + בְּי֣וֹם [in·day·of] (58) + הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת [Sabbath] (707) + וַהֲבֵאתֶ֖ם [and·you·shall·bring] (454) + בְּשַׁעֲרֵ֥י [in·gates·of] (582) + יְרֽוּשָׁלִָֽם [Jerusalem] (586) = 5223.
Metzudat David
“Be on your guard for your lives.” This means: Be vigilant in a matter that involves the preservation of your lives, and do not carry a burden on the Sabbath to bring it through the gates of Jerusalem from outside.
Malbim
"Guard yourselves with your lives, for it is subject to the penalties of execution by the court and excision, and do not carry a burden that they used to bring from outside in order to sell."
neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do you any work; but hallow you the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers;
verse value 7058
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 73 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·do·not·bring·out" (וְלֹא־תוֹצִ֨יאוּ, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 707: Sabbath, Sabbath. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·do·not·bring·out" (וְלֹא־תוֹצִ֨יאוּ), "from·your·houses" (מִבָּֽתֵּיכֶם֙), "and·all·work" (וְכׇל־מְלָאכָ֖ה). The root שבת appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "as" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah); "and·all·work" (root כל, 167x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root תיום ("the·day·of") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·shall·do', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 6 words. Full calculation: וְלֹא־תוֹצִ֨יאוּ [and·do·not·bring·out] (550) + מַשָּׂ֤א [burden·of] (341) + מִבָּֽתֵּיכֶם֙ [from·your·houses] (512) + בְּי֣וֹם [in·day·of] (58) + הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת [Sabbath] (707) + וְכׇל־מְלָאכָ֖ה [and·all·work] (152) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + תַעֲשׂ֑וּ [you·shall·do] (776) + וְקִדַּשְׁתֶּם֙ [and·you·shall·consecrate] (850) + אֶת־י֣וֹם [the·day·of] (457) + הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת [Sabbath] (707) + כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר [as] (521) + צִוִּ֖יתִי [I·commanded] (516) + אֶת־אֲבוֹתֵיכֶֽם [your·fathers] (880) = 7058.
Metzudat David
"And you shall not take out...": To the outside.
"And every work" – and any work whatsoever.
"And you shall sanctify it" – by not desecrating it through any matter that is forbidden on the Sabbath.
Malbim
"And you shall not carry a burden out of your houses": Radak explains that this refers to outside the gates of the city, meaning that Jerusalem's gates are locked at night, and it does not have the status of a public domain. And it can be said that He also warned against carrying in a karmelit, which Solomon decreed [is subject to] the laws of eruvin. And with this in mind it says, "And you shall do no work," even work prohibited only by rabbinic decree. And you shall sanctify yourselves by resting and deriving pleasure.
but they hearkened not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction.
verse value 4818
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 56 letters. The shortest word is "and·not" (וְלֹ֣א, 3 letters) and the longest is "ear" (אֶת־אׇזְנָ֑ם, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 416: they·heard, hearing. The root שמע appears 3 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah); "they·heard" (root שמע, 184x in Jeremiah); "to·take" (root לקח, 65x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'ear', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 8 words.
Rashi
And they did not listen. Your fathers, to what I commanded them:
Metzudat David
And they did not listen. But they, the ancestors, did not listen to His commandments:
“And they stiffened their necks.” This is a matter of rhetoric, as if their necks had become so stiff that they could not turn their faces to listen.
"And lest they take correction." They did not turn their faces back, so as not to accept correction and reproof from the prophets.
Metzudat Zion
And they hardened. From the language of "hard":
“Their napes.” It refers to the back of the head:
Malbim
"And your fathers did not listen" — they did not accept My words; nor did they incline their ears at all to hear. They hardened themselves so as not to hear, due to the prompting of their intellect, and so as not to take correction, due to the prompting of the fear of punishment.
And it shall come to pass, if you diligently hearken to Me, says Hashem, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but to hallow the sabbath day, to do no work therein;
verse value 7382
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 90 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְ֠הָיָ֠ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "to·me" (אֵלַי֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "says·Hashem" (נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֔ה, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 707: Sabbath, Sabbath. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "if·hearken" (אִם־שָׁמֹ֨עַ), "you·shall·hearken" (תִּשְׁמְע֤וּן), "and·to·hallow" (וּלְקַדֵּשׁ֙). The root שמע appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah); "to·bring" (root בוא, 211x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Sabbath', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 6 words.
Radak
"Do any work on it [bah]." [The word] "bah" is written [ketiv], and "bo" is read [keri], and both are correct, for the word "Shabbat" is found used in the masculine and in the feminine — mostly in the feminine, and in the masculine as in [Isaiah 56:2], "kol shomer Shabbat mechallelo" [every one who keeps Shabbat, not profaning it]. And what he said, "and they shall enter [u-va'u] through the gates of this city," means "they shall come in and go out," as it says, "through which the kings of Judah shall enter and through which they shall exit." And [as for] why He commanded to warn them concerning Shabbat when they had several other transgressions in hand, even idolatry — it is because the observance of Shabbat is a great principle in belief in God, in the creation of the world, and in belief in signs and wonders, and in the fulfillment of the entire Torah; and whoever keeps Shabbat with sincere faith does not readily sin in the other commandments. And our Sages of blessed memory said: whoever observes Shabbat according to its law, even if he worships idols like the generation of Enosh, he is forgiven, as it is stated, "Happy is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds fast to it" — "kol shomer Shabbat mechallelo" [every one who keeps Shabbat, not profaning it]; do not read "mechallelo" ["profaning it"] but "mochel lo" ["forgives him"]. And the first commandment that Israel was commanded before the Giving of the Torah was Shabbat. And you see how great is the observance of Shabbat, for He made the destruction of Jerusalem contingent upon the observance of Shabbat. And from the verse, "And I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem," our Sages of blessed memory derived an allusion, and said: fire does not break out except in a house where there is desecration of Shabbat. And they said: what is [the meaning of] "it shall not be quenched"? At a time when people are not available to extinguish it. And so the passage is explained, and the matter of the portion of the Potter is likewise explained, and its meaning is that providence is over mankind and the power is in God's hand — all the more so Israel, whose providence is always upon them; therefore He said, "so are you in My hand, House of Israel."
Metzudat David
"If you will heed." If you will heed Me, so as not to bring [a burden through the gates of the city] on the Sabbath, etc., and to sanctify the Sabbath, so as not to perform any labor on it.
then shall there enter in by the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city shall be inhabited for ever.
verse value 6291
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 102 letters. The shortest word is "David" (דָוִ֜ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·city·this" (הָעִיר־הַזֹּ֖את, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·their·princes" (וְשָׂ֣רֵיהֶ֔ם), "and·she·shall·dwell" (וְיָשְׁבָ֥ה), "the·city·this" (הָעִיר־הַזֹּ֖את). The root ישב appears 3 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "kings" (root מלך, 253x in Jeremiah); "and·they·shall·come" (root בוא, 211x in Jeremiah); "man" (root איש, 153x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Jerusalem', dividing the verse into phrases of 18 and 3 words.
Metzudat David
"And they shall come." Then they shall enter through the gates, etc.
“Upon the throne of David.” This means upon the throne of kingship, and it alludes to kings.
“On a chariot.” In a chariot that is made for riding in it.
And in the horses. Those who draw the chariot:
They. The kings:
A man of Judah. The men of Judah are from the remainder of the people:
“And it shall be inhabited.” It shall be inhabited with people.
Malbim
And He assured them of four things: 1. That the kingship of the House of David—kings and princes—would not cease; and He expounds this by saying, "Kings will sit on the throne of David, and princes will ride in chariots and on horses." 2. That foreigners would not rule there; and this is what is meant by the verse, "They and their princes shall be of Judah." 3. That the city would not be destroyed; and this is what is meant by the verse, "And the city shall dwell."
And they shall come from the cities of Judah, and from the places round about Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the Lowland, and from the mountains, and from the South, bringing burnt-offerings, and sacrifices, and meal-offerings, and frankincense, and bringing sacrifices of thanksgiving, to the house of Hashem.
verse value 4291
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 98 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 4291 is divisible by 613, the number of the commandments (mitzvot). The shortest word is "house·of" (בֵּ֥ית, 3 letters) and the longest is "from·cities·of·Judah" (מֵעָרֵֽי־יְ֠הוּדָ֠ה, 9 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "from·cities·of·Judah" (מֵעָרֵֽי־יְ֠הוּדָ֠ה), "and·from·around·of" (וּמִסְּבִיב֨וֹת), "and·from·the·Lowland" (וּמִן־הַשְּׁפֵלָ֤ה). The root בוא appears 3 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "and·from·the·land·of" (root ארץ, 245x in Jeremiah); "and·they·shall·come" (root בוא, 211x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root שפלה ("and·from·the·Lowland") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root תודה ("confession") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·frankincense', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 4 words.
Metzudat David
"And they shall come." Men shall come from the cities of Judah, etc.
"and from the lowlands." From the cities that dwell in the valley.
And from the Negev: those who dwell in the southern extremity.
They shall bring. And they shall bring up an ascent-offering and a sacrifice, etc., and from among them shall those who bring a thank-offering to the House of the Lord be.
Metzudat Zion
"Shephelah." The valley:
Malbim
4. That the Temple will not be desolate, nor the service of the Lord cease. And this is what is stated: “And they shall come…”—they bring a burnt offering and a sacrifice, and they bring a thanksgiving offering in acknowledgment of the miracles.
But if you will not hearken to Me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden and enter in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.
verse value 9203
Insights
Verse structure: 22 words, 97 letters. The shortest word is "fire" (אֵ֣שׁ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·not·to" (וּלְבִלְתִּ֣י, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 707: Sabbath, Sabbath. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·if·not" (וְאִם־לֹ֨א), "to·consecrate" (לְקַדֵּשׁ֙), "to·bear" (שְׂאֵ֣ת). The root שבת appears 2 times in this verse. 19 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah); "and·to·enter" (root בוא, 211x in Jeremiah); "to·me" (root אל, 204x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Sabbath', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 8 words.
Rashi
"And to come." Like "and to come":
Metzudat David
"And if you will not listen to Me." What did I command? To sanctify the day of Shabbat, and not to carry a burden, nor to bring it through the gates of Jerusalem.
"And I will kindle." Then I will kindle a fire at its gates, and it will burn the palaces, and it will not be extinguished until it burns everything.
Metzudat Zion
"and set fire." The meaning of the word is kindling.
And it shall devour. And it shall burn; so too, "like a devouring fire" (ibid. 9). Palaces. Mansions and palatial buildings:
"It shall be extinguished." From the language of extinguishing:
Rashi
Radak
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim