The word at the potter's house: the vessel marred in his hand is made again another vessel — 'cannot I do with you as this potter, O house of Israel?' Shall the snow of Lebanon fail from the rock of the field? They devise devices against Jeremiah.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
’Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear My words.’
verse value 2898
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 32 letters. Verse gematria: 2898 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "rise" (ק֥וּם, 3 letters) and the longest is "I·will·cause·you·to·hear" (אַשְׁמִיעֲךָ֥, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·you·will·go·down" (וְיָרַדְתָּ֖), "I·will·cause·you·to·hear" (אַשְׁמִיעֲךָ֥). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "My·words" (root דבר, 270x in Jeremiah); "I·will·cause·you·to·hear" (root שמע, 184x in Jeremiah); "house·of" (root בית, 128x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'that·binds', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: ק֥וּם [rise] (146) + וְיָרַדְתָּ֖ [and·you·will·go·down] (620) + בֵּ֣ית [house·of] (412) + הַיּוֹצֵ֑ר [that·binds] (311) + וְשָׁ֖מָּה [and·name] (351) + אַשְׁמִיעֲךָ֥ [I·will·cause·you·to·hear] (441) + אֶת־דְּבָרָֽי [My·words] (617) = 2898.
Metzudat David
"The House of the Potter." To the house of a craftsman of clay:
Metzudat Zion
"Arise." This is a matter of urging.
Malbim
"Arise and descend," because after all the decrees that He had decreed against them, He said that if they would observe the Sabbath and refrain from profaning it, the decree would be annulled. He said to him: "In the Potter's House I will make you hear, and I will make you understand My words tangibly [through direct, sensory experience]."
Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he was at his work on the wheels.
verse value 1763
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 40 letters. The shortest word is "house·of" (בֵּ֣ית, 3 letters) and the longest is "upon·stone" (עַל־הָאׇבְנָֽיִם, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·I·arded" (וָאֵרֵ֖ד), "and·behold·he" (וְהִנֵּה־ה֛וּא), "occupation" (מְלָאכָ֖ה). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "doing" (root עשה, 147x in Jeremiah); "house·of" (root בית, 128x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'that·binds', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 5 words.
Rashi
"On the stones" – on the block, [called] "forma" in the vernacular:
Radak
"Vehinehu" [and behold him]. It is written as one word, and it is read "vehinei hu" [and behold, he], two words, and the meaning is the same.
"The stones." [This is] the potter's wheel, upon which he fashions vessels from the clay that is in his hand. And Targum Yonatan renders it "sadna" [the wheel-block/pivot], and I have elaborated further on its explanation in Sefer HaShorashim [the Book of Roots].
Metzudat David
“Doing work.” He performs his task with the material in his hand upon the stones, and it is the tool designated for that purpose.
Metzudat Zion
“The stones.” Similarly, the term is used for the tool specifically designated for the potter to perform his work upon, and it is akin to the phrase “and you shall look upon the stones” (Exodus 1:16), which refers to the instrument specifically designated for the woman giving birth.
And whensoever the vessel that he made of the clay was marred in the hand of the potter, he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
verse value 5558
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 67 letters. The shortest word is "that" (אֲשֶׁ֨ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·made·it" (וַֽיַּעֲשֵׂ֙הוּ֙, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 311: that·binds, that·binds. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·was·marred" (וְנִשְׁחַ֣ת), "the·vessel" (הַכְּלִ֗י), "in·the·clay" (בַּחֹ֖מֶר). The root עשה appears 3 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "doing" (root עשה, 147x in Jeremiah); "and·he·returned" (root שוב, 106x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root ישר ("straighted") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'that·binds', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 9 words.
Rashi
That which He does in the clay. That which He does from the clay is spoiled by the hand of the potter while it is still wet, and the verse is inverted:
Radak
Yashar. A past-tense verb, for half of it has a qamats and half has a patach.
Metzudat David
"And the vessel was spoiled." The vessel that was being formed from the clay while in the hands of the potter, when he made the vessel, was marred.
"And he returned." And the potter returned and made from that same material another vessel, different from the first, according to what seemed right in his eyes.
Metzudat Zion
"In clay." Mud:
Malbim
"And the vessel was spoiled" — there were two parables here: A. that the first vessel was spoiled and completely nullified; B. that this spoiling was not merely temporary, for he made from the material another vessel — and not in a different form, but only as it seemed right in the eyes of the potter to make at first — for it was [made] upon the [same] stones and the first mold.
’O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? says Hashem. Behold, as the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.
verse value 4547
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 70 letters. Notable word values: "in·my·hand" (בְּיָדִ֖י) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "this" (הַזֶּ֜ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "says·Hashem" (נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 541: Israel, Israel. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "is·it·as·the·potter" (הֲכַיּוֹצֵ֨ר), "not·I·can" (לֹא־אוּכַ֨ל), "as·the·clay" (כַחֹ֙מֶר֙). The root יצר appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "to·do" (root עשה, 147x in Jeremiah); "they" (root הן, 130x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'says·Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 8 words.
Metzudat David
The potter. And is it not within My power to deal with you in the manner that a potter deals with clay, making from it one vessel after another once the first one has been spoiled?
“Behold, as clay.” Truly, just as clay is in the hand of the potter to do with it whatever he wishes, so are you in My hand.
Malbim
"Can I not [deal with you] like this potter?" — [i.e., I surely can,] through these two parables:
At one instant I may speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy it;
verse value 2266
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 38 letters. The shortest word is "moment" (רֶ֣גַע, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·concerning·kingdom" (וְעַל־מַמְלָכָ֑ה, 8 letters). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "I·will·speak" (root דבר, 270x in Jeremiah); "against·nation" (root גוי, 81x in Jeremiah); "and·concerning·kingdom" (root עול, 57x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·concerning·kingdom', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: רֶ֣גַע [moment] (273) + אֲדַבֵּ֔ר [I·will·speak] (207) + עַל־גּ֖וֹי [against·nation] (119) + וְעַל־מַמְלָכָ֑ה [and·concerning·kingdom] (241) + לִנְת֥וֹשׁ [to·pull·up] (786) + וְלִנְת֖וֹץ [and·to·pull·down] (582) + וּֽלְהַאֲבִֽיד [and·to·destroy] (58) = 2266.
Metzudat David
"I will speak for a moment. In a single moment, I will decree upon a nation from among the idolatrous nations destruction and ruin because of its evil."
Metzudat Zion
To uproot. The matter of uprooting:
And to tear down. The matter of demolishing and breaking, and likewise "to uproot, and to tear down, and to overthrow" (below, 31):
Malbim
"I will speak for a moment," just as in the second parable, the breaking of the vessel was only for a single moment, and solely in order to repair it anew; so too, "I will speak for a moment" to uproot and to tear down, for the intent of the speech of uprooting was in order to repair.
but if that nation turn from their evil, because of which I have spoken against it, I repent of the evil that I thought to do to it.
verse value 5255
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 55 letters. Notable word values: "to·it" (לֽוֹ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "to·it" (לֽוֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·I·repent" (וְנִֽחַמְתִּי֙, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 501: that, that. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "upon·the·evil" (עַל־הָ֣רָעָ֔ה), "I·thought" (חָשַׁ֖בְתִּי). The root אשר appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "upon·him" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah); "I·have·spoken" (root דבר, 270x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 6 words. Full calculation: וְשָׁב֙ [and·it·turns] (308) + הַגּ֣וֹי [the·nation] (24) + הַה֔וּא [that] (17) + מֵרָ֣עָת֔וֹ [from·their·evil] (716) + אֲשֶׁ֥ר [that] (501) + דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי [I·have·spoken] (616) + עָלָ֑יו [upon·him] (116) + וְנִֽחַמְתִּי֙ [and·I·repent] (514) + עַל־הָ֣רָעָ֔ה [upon·the·evil] (380) + אֲשֶׁ֥ר [that] (501) + חָשַׁ֖בְתִּי [I·thought] (720) + לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת [to·do] (806) + לֽוֹ [to·it] (36) = 5255.
Rashi
"From its wickedness, about which I spoke" – from the transgressions in its possession, on account of which I spoke against it. "To uproot and to tear down" – which in the vernacular is called "to demolish."
"And I repented." And I considered another thought:
Radak
"From His evil which I have spoken concerning him." Explanation: From His evil which I have spoken concerning him — on account of them, to bring him harm; afterward it says, "And I will speak a moment," etc.
Metzudat David
And he shall return. When that nation returns from the evil for which I decreed destruction upon it:
“And I will relent.” At that moment, when they repent, I am consoled concerning the evil and do not bring it upon them.
Metzudat Zion
And I will relent. The matter is a reversal of thought:
Malbim
“And that nation shall return” — so that they may return in repentance, and then “I will relent concerning the evil.” And it says, “And they shall return from their evil which I spoke concerning them,” meaning: even if they return only out of fear of punishment, because they are afraid of the evil that I have decreed, nevertheless, this repentance will serve to annul the decree.
And at one instant I may speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;
verse value 1505
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 32 letters. The shortest word is "and·in·an·instant" (וְרֶ֣גַע, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·concerning·kingdom" (וְעַל־מַמְלָכָ֑ה, 8 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·in·an·instant" (וְרֶ֣גַע). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "I·will·speak" (root דבר, 270x in Jeremiah); "against·nation" (root גוי, 81x in Jeremiah); "and·concerning·kingdom" (root עול, 57x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·concerning·kingdom', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 2 words. Full calculation: וְרֶ֣גַע [and·in·an·instant] (279) + אֲדַבֵּ֔ר [I·will·speak] (207) + עַל־גּ֖וֹי [against·nation] (119) + וְעַל־מַמְלָכָ֑ה [and·concerning·kingdom] (241) + לִבְנ֖וֹת [to·build] (488) + וְלִנְטֽוֹעַ [and·to·plant] (171) = 1505.
Radak
"To build and to plant." Explanation: And so I did, I built them and I planted them, and afterward it did evil and I repented. And we were compelled to this interpretation because it is necessary to distinguish between these two attributes: for the evil will not come to pass if they do repentance, but the good will come to pass in any case, since God has decreed it; however, it will not stand if they do evil, as Jeremiah said to Hananiah the son of Azzur. And there is an allusion to this matter: regarding the evil, it says "I thought," and regarding the good, it says "I said."
Malbim
And "a moment" — so too, sometimes I speak only of a moment regarding building and planting. This is like the first parable, where the first vessel is immediately nullified and broken. This will be the case if "it does evil in My eyes," which is like in the parable, "the vessel was spoiled." And "I will relent concerning the good that I said I would do for it," as stated in the parable, "he returned and made it into another vessel" — for then I would break it in order to repair it. Now, concerning the evil, it says, "that I had planned to do evil to him," whereas concerning the good, it says, "that I had said I would do good to him." For regarding the matter of evil, He relents even concerning the thought, in that the evil is completely nullified; but regarding the matter of good, He relents only from the utterance, not from the thought, for the intention of doing good remains even now — for even the breaking is in order to repair and to do good. And this is hinted at in what is written, "to do good to him" [אותו, direct-object form], whereas it should have said "to do good to him" [לו, dative form] — meaning that, in the intent of the moral [nimshal], He relents regarding the good, and the ultimate purpose of this relenting is to do good to the person and to restore him to what is good.
Now therefore do you speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying: Thus says Hashem: Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you; return you now every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your doings.
verse value 6275
Insights
Verse structure: 25 words, 118 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 "to·man·Judah" (אֶל־אִישׁ־יְהוּדָה֩, 10 letters). Words sharing gematria 170: upon·you, upon·you. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "say·now" (אֱמׇר־נָ֣א), "to·man·Judah" (אֶל־אִישׁ־יְהוּדָה֩), "and·to·inhabitants·of" (וְעַל־יוֹשְׁבֵ֨י). The root אמר appears 3 times in this verse. 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "say·now" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "to·man·Judah" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'device', dividing the verse into phrases of 17 and 8 words.
Radak
And regarding "upon the inhabitants": It is like "unto the inhabitants," and likewise "and she prayed to the Lord" is like "unto the Lord."
“Who forms evil against you.” He renews and speaks in this language because He mentioned in the passage of “The Potter” that He renews the vessels, making this vessel and then another new vessel, not resembling the first one; so too, I will renew evil upon you, one after another.
Metzudat David
A man of Judah. The men of Judah:
"And concerning [ve'al] the inhabitants." [I.e.,] and to [ve'el] the inhabitants:
Yotzer. "He creates evil for you and intends to take vengeance upon you through it; therefore, return now, each man from his way, etc."
Metzudat Zion
Yotzer. “Creator and renewer”:
“Your deeds.” Your actions:
Malbim
"Behold, I am forming against you an evil," meaning that the Lord is preparing for you a harsh decree. However, His intention is not [truly] to harm until even the thought itself consents to harm. For in My thoughts, at the time that I am forming evil, I am thinking of you with the thought: "Return, please, each man from his evil way." The ultimate purpose of the evil is so that you will return in repentance and the decree will be annulled. And "return" means to return regarding the past and to improve your ways in the future, like the parable of the vessel that is broken in order to make it into a different vessel, as stated above. And "improve your ways" refers to the ways of the soul and the character traits, and "your deeds" refers to the actions that emerge through these ways. That is to say: improve both the thought and the deed.
But they say: There is no hope; but we will walk after our own devices, and we will do every one after the stubbornness of his evil heart.’
verse value 3942
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 46 letters. Verse gematria: 3942 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "we·will·walk" (נֵלֵ֔ךְ, 3 letters) and the longest is "our·thoughts" (מַחְשְׁבוֹתֵ֙ינוּ֙, 9 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "our·thoughts" (מַחְשְׁבוֹתֵ֙ינוּ֙). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·shall·say" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "and·man" (root איש, 153x in Jeremiah); "we·will·do" (root עשה, 147x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'despaired', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 7 words. Full calculation: וְאָמְר֖וּ [and·they·shall·say] (253) + נוֹאָ֑שׁ [despaired] (357) + כִּֽי־אַחֲרֵ֤י [for·after the following part] (249) + מַחְשְׁבוֹתֵ֙ינוּ֙ [our·thoughts] (822) + נֵלֵ֔ךְ [we·will·walk] (100) + וְאִ֛ישׁ [and·man] (317) + שְׁרִר֥וּת [stubbornness] (1106) + לִבּֽוֹ־הָרָ֖ע [his·heart·the·evil] (313) + נַעֲשֶֽׂה [we·will·do] (425) = 3942.
Rashi
And they said, "We have despaired." And I knew that they would say to you regarding your words that they are not concerned with them.
Radak
And they said, "It is hopeless." And when you say this to them, they will say to you, "It is hopeless," meaning: our heart has despaired of walking after the Lord.
Metzudat David
And they said, "We have despaired." I knew that they would say, "We have become disheartened from the ways of the Omnipresent, but let us go after our own thoughts."
"And a man..." – Every person acts according to what his evil inclination shows him and what he desires.
Metzudat Zion
No’ash. From the language of despair and abandonment of the matter, as it says, “And you said, ‘No’ash’” (above 2). Shrirut. A matter of seeing and gazing.
Malbim
And they said, "We have despaired," but they will say the words of one who despairs, who does not desire the remedy; and against "Improve your ways," they will say, "Let us go according to our thoughts"; and against "Improve your deeds," they will say, "Each man will act according to the willfulness of his evil heart."
Therefore thus says Hashem: Ask you now among the nations, Who has heard such things; The virgin of Israel has done A very horrible thing.
verse value 4726
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 54 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 "ask" (שַֽׁאֲלוּ־נָא֙, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "like·these" (כָּאֵ֑לֶּה), "horrible thing" (שַֽׁעֲרֻרִת֙). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "heard" (root שמע, 184x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'like·these', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 5 words. Full calculation: לָכֵ֗ן [therefore] (100) + כֹּ֚ה [thus] (25) + אָמַ֣ר [said] (241) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + שַֽׁאֲלוּ־נָא֙ [ask] (388) + בַּגּוֹיִ֔ם [among·the·nations] (61) + מִ֥י [who?] (50) + שָׁמַ֖ע [heard] (410) + כָּאֵ֑לֶּה [like·these] (56) + שַֽׁעֲרֻרִת֙ [horrible thing] (1170) + עָשְׂתָ֣ה [did] (775) + מְאֹ֔ד [very] (45) + בְּתוּלַ֖ת [virgin] (838) + יִשְׂרָאֵֽל [Israel] (541) = 4726.
Rashi
A scandal. A word of disgrace:
Radak
Therefore, a scandal. The matter of filth and vileness:
"Who has heard such a thing?" [This is] like one who would leave a pure person and go after an idol and filth. And Targum Yonatan renders [it] "shinui" [something strange/different], meaning she did a strange thing. And he then drew a parable, and said:
Metzudat David
“Who has heard such things?” Who among men has heard such words, to say, “Let us go according to the stubbornness of our hearts”?
"Sha'arurit" (a scandalous thing). She did an exceedingly disgraceful act — the virgin of Israel, who is set apart for God, like a virgin in her father's house who is set apart for the one who will marry her.
Metzudat Zion
"Sha'arurit." The matter of a disgraceful and repulsive thing, as in "an appalling and horrifying thing" (above, ch. 5):
Malbim
"Ask now among the nations," for even the nations listen to the prophets who rebuke and warn against evil, as the deeds of Nineveh attest; and if so, "Maiden Israel has done a most horrible thing."
Does the snow of Lebanon fail From the rock of the field? Or are the strange cold flowing waters Plucked up?
verse value 2862
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 44 letters. Verse gematria: 2862 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "field" (שָׂדַ֖י, 3 letters) and the longest is "if·are·plucked·up" (אִם־יִנָּֽתְשׁ֗וּ, 7 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "will·leave" (הֲיַעֲזֹ֥ב), "from·the·rock" (מִצּ֛וּר), "snow" (שֶׁ֣לֶג). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "will·leave" (root עזב, 24x in Jeremiah); "water" (root מים, 21x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root צור ("from·the·rock") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root לבנון ("Lebanon") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Lebanon', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 5 words. Full calculation: הֲיַעֲזֹ֥ב [will·leave] (94) + מִצּ֛וּר [from·the·rock] (336) + שָׂדַ֖י [field] (314) + שֶׁ֣לֶג [snow] (333) + לְבָנ֑וֹן [Lebanon] (138) + אִם־יִנָּֽתְשׁ֗וּ [if·are·plucked·up] (807) + מַ֛יִם [water] (90) + זָרִ֥ים [strangers] (257) + קָרִ֖ים [cool] (350) + נוֹזְלִֽים [streams] (143) = 2862.
Rashi
"Shall one abandon, from the rock of the field, the snow of Lebanon?" Shall a person who needs to drink water abandon water that flows from the rock in the fields, which comes from the snow of Lebanon, which is pure?
"If foreign waters are drawn." Or, if they abandon living, flowing waters, which are foreign until now to every person, and they are cold — foreign means flowing. And this proves it: "I have dug and drunk foreign waters" (Isaiah 37:25). And Menachem associated "foreign" [zarim] with "they have not been pressed out nor bound up" (ibid., ch. 1) — an expression of medicinal waters. And he gave a reason for his words, saying that had he wanted to speak in the language of "zerem" [stream], he would have doubled the mem and added a yod and mem, and would have said "zerumim," to include the plural of the waters and for them to be streams [zeramim].
"Sadai." Like "sadeh" [field]:
Cold. In the vernacular: "froids" [cold].
"Flowing." "Courants" in the vernacular. And there is also another way to interpret it: If they are drawn to be foreign, repulsive waters — the waters that are cold [and] flowing:
(“Strangers”: the first meaning is the language of “flowing,” and the second meaning is the language of “alienation,” namely, repulsive waters):
Radak
"Will one forsake, from the rock of the field, the snow of Lebanon?" Will a person forsake the water that flows from the rock of a field? And it mentions "field" because these waters are there with him in the field and ready for him, so that he need not go far after them to drink from them. But if they are in the field and flow from a rock, being cold — would a person forsake them, refraining from drinking them, in the days of heat? Truly he would not forsake them. And I am to Israel like cold water to a weary soul; I am ready and near to them whenever they call out to Me. How then have they forsaken Me and forgotten Me, My people? He gives yet another parable similar to this: the cold, good water that people bring from afar through pipes beneath the ground to the city, or near the city, because of its great importance — and he calls it "strange," because it comes from a strange and distant place. And if that water were to be uprooted [diverted away], truly it would not be uprooted. And I am far from them because of My greatness, yet near to them to do them good if they would listen to Me. How then have they forsaken Me and forgotten Me, My people?
"ינתשו" – [written] with a tav, just as [it could be] with a tet, which conveys the sense of uprooting and forsaking, for the tet and the tav come from the same point of articulation and are used with the same meaning, as in "טעה" and "תעה" [both meaning 'erred']. Likewise, "ונטשתי אתכם ואת העיר אשר נתתי לכם ולאבותיכם מעל פני" ["and I will cast you out, and the city that I gave to you and to your fathers, out of My sight"] is used in the sense of "ונתשתי," with a tav. And Targum [Yonatan] renders the verse thus: "כמא דלית איפשר דיפסקון מי תלג וגו'" ["just as it is not possible for the snow-waters to cease," etc.], as [given] in the column.
Metzudat David
"Will He abandon?" Is it fitting to abandon the waters that flow from the rock in the field, which come from the melting of the snow on Lebanon? Are not those waters pure, cold, and good for quenching thirst?
"If they should be abandoned. And is it proper to abandon and leave waters that flow from their people who come from afar with the work of pipes, and they are cold and drip by themselves, and the water is easily taken, and how could anyone abandon them? Rather, the meaning is: Is it proper to abandon the place that imparts at all times wisdom and understanding into the hearts of those who seek it?"
Metzudat Zion
"From the rock." From the crag:
Lebanon. The name of a forest in the Land of Israel:
ינתשו. Like ינטשו with a tet, because the letters dalet, tet, lamed, nun, and tav [all pronounced with the tongue] interchange with one another — as shown by טעה and תעה, which share one meaning [to err, one spelled with a tet, the other with a tav]. And נטישה is a matter of abandonment, as in "for He will not forsake" (1 Samuel 12).
"Strangers." From the words "stranger" and "foreigner":
“Cold.” From the language of cold and chill:
"Fluids." From the language of flowing and dripping, as it is said: "water shall flow from his buckets" (Numbers 24:7).
Malbim
“Will he forsake?” Would a thirsty man forsake the snow of Lebanon, which flows from the rock of the mountain, which are good in their quality, clear and cold? And if he were to forsake these because they do not flow constantly and are not abundant, would he then turn to foreign waters, which flow in abundance, are cold from the source, and are waters that require no effort to draw, which are many and constant and can be drawn with ease? And how then can it be said, “My people have forgotten Me,” meaning they have forsaken Me, the source of living waters, and instead of Me they burn offerings in vain, as it is written, “to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns”? And they [the false worship] caused them to stumble in their ways — “their ways” refers to the ways of Torah and commandment, which are broad paths (for “path” implies the way of the many), meaning they encompass the general conduct applicable everywhere and at all times for the entire people. And they are also “paths of eternity” (for “path” implies the individual's route), in that they also contain paths for individuals in all the details of actions, and they are eternal, not having changed at any time; therefore it says “paths of eternity.” And they cause them to stumble in their ways, meaning they place obstacles on these paths as if they are not easy to traverse due to stumbling blocks, and instead they entice them to go on unmade roads, for the customs they place before them do not encompass the many but only specific routes for individuals, and the general path for all is unmade, and they cause them to wander in a trackless waste, no path. And the end of this course is to make their land a desolation, not for a temporary time but for everlasting hissing for many days, until every passerby will be appalled, etc. This will be the punishment of the land, and the punishment of the people will be: “As the east wind that blows strongly and scatters everything, so will I scatter them.” And do not say that they will find rest in their exile, for “I will show them their back and not their face,” meaning they will always turn their back to flee, as it is said, “And among those nations you shall find no rest.”
For My people has forgotten Me, They offer to vanity; And they have been made to stumble in their ways, In the ancient paths, To walk in bypaths, In a way not cast up;
verse value 4125
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 62 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "for·they·forgot·me" (כִּֽי־שְׁכֵחֻ֥נִי, 7 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "for·they·forgot·me" (כִּֽי־שְׁכֵחֻ֥נִי), "they·offer" (יְקַטֵּ֑רוּ), "and·they·made·them·stumble" (וַיַּכְשִׁל֤וּם). The root דרך appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah); "to·walk" (root הלך, 108x in Jeremiah); "my·people" (root עם, 86x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·offer', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 9 words. Full calculation: כִּֽי־שְׁכֵחֻ֥נִי [for·they·forgot·me] (418) + עַמִּ֖י [my·people] (120) + לַשָּׁ֣וְא [to·the·emptiness] (337) + יְקַטֵּ֑רוּ [they·offer] (325) + וַיַּכְשִׁל֤וּם [and·they·made·them·stumble] (412) + בְּדַרְכֵיהֶם֙ [in·their·ways] (281) + שְׁבִילֵ֣י [paths·of] (352) + עוֹלָ֔ם [ever] (146) + לָלֶ֣כֶת [to·walk] (480) + נְתִיב֔וֹת [paths] (868) + דֶּ֖רֶךְ [way] (224) + לֹ֥א [not] (31) + סְלוּלָֽה [cast·up] (131) = 4125.
Rashi
For. Thus has My people done, who have forgotten Me; they offer incense in vain.
"Ancient paths." Paths that are made smooth [i.e., proper, established]. They said that they are a stumbling block, in order to walk on an unsmoothed, untrodden path.
Radak
"For they have forgotten Me," "and they were made to stumble." [The word] "those who cause to stumble" is omitted [i.e., left unstated]. Likewise, "and it was told to Jacob" [Genesis 48:2] — [the word] "the one who told" is omitted. And those who cause [Israel] to stumble are the false prophets.
"The ancient paths." [The word] "to forsake" is omitted [from the verse], that is to say: they [the false prophets] are the ones who make [people] stray from the paths that their righteous ancestors have trodden from of old, and [instead cause them] to walk on [other] paths.
A path not paved. For their way is a path not trodden, for it is new, as it is said: “New things have come recently.”
"שבולי" is written with a vav, and read "שבילי" with a yod; the meaning is the same, though the forms are not the same. And the word "to forsake" is omitted [from the verse] — and there are many like it, for such is the way of Scripture, to omit words whose meaning can be understood from the context. [So too] "ותחס עליך" is missing [the word] "my soul" or "my eye" [as its subject]; and "ותכל דוד" [2 Samuel 13:39, whose soul longed for Absalom] is missing [the word] "soul" as well; and there are many similar to these, as we have written in the book Mikhlol.
Metzudat David
In vain they sacrifice. They offer sacrifices to the host of heaven, from which there is no benefit in their service, and it causes them to stumble in their ways.
"Paths of the world." This means that the paths of the world are those that cause them to stumble in their ways, for when they see the ways of nature in the lower world, that the stars in their courses act upon these lowly things, these "paths of the world" cause them to stumble in their ways, leading them to think that all their good depends upon the host of heaven; and therefore they would offer incense to them. This is what it says: "to walk in the paths…" meaning, to walk in a path that is not paved, which they do not make use of in order to remove the stumbling block, for they did not investigate the matter to know that everything is in the hand of God, and that it is not fitting to serve them with the service of divinity.
Metzudat Zion
Shvilim. [Same as] netivot (paths) — their meaning is one: the sense of orach (way) and ma'agal (track).
"Selulah." The matter concerns the concept of continuous use. Likewise, "the way of the righteous is selulah" (Proverbs 15:19).
To make their land an astonishment, And a perpetual hissing; Every one that passes thereby shall be astonished, And shake his head.
verse value 4632
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 50 letters. The shortest word is "all" (כֹּ֚ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "hissings·of" (שְׁרִיק֣וֹת, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "hissings·of" (שְׁרִיק֣וֹת), "transgressing" (עוֹבֵ֣ר), "and·shall·shake" (וְיָנִ֥יד). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "on" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah); "their·land" (root ארץ, 245x in Jeremiah); "all" (root כל, 167x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'ever', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words.
Rashi
"Whistling." One who passes by ruins that he had previously seen in good buildings is accustomed to whistle:
"Will be appalled." Will wonder:
Radak
"To make." They, through their evil ways, cause their land to be made a desolation.
"Hissing for all time." It is written with a vav and read with a yod, "hissing," meaning that every passerby will hiss at them, and this will be for all time, i.e., for a long period.
"[Every passerby] will be appalled and shake his head." He will be astonished in his heart and shake his head, like a person who is astonished.
Metzudat David
To make desolate. And this is the reason for making their land desolate:
"Perpetual hissing." For a long time, they will hiss over its destruction and desolation.
Yishom. He will be astonished at the desolation and shake his head, in the manner of one expressing astonishment.
Metzudat Zion
Whistling. The matter of producing a sound by gathering the lips, as when one sees something important that has been destroyed; and likewise, “They whistled and shook their heads” (Lamentations 2:15):
Yashom. A matter of astonishment, as in "turn to me and be astonished" (Job 21).
And he shall shake [his head]. From the language of moving and swaying:
I will scatter them as with an east wind Before the enemy; I will look upon their back, and not their face, In the day of their calamity.
verse value 1720
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 43 letters. Verse gematria: 1720 is divisible by 86, the value of Elohim. The shortest word is "neck" (עֹ֧רֶף, 3 letters) and the longest is "like·east-wind" (כְּרוּחַ־קָדִ֥ים, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "like·east-wind" (כְּרוּחַ־קָדִ֥ים), "I·will·scatter·them" (אֲפִיצֵ֖ם), "and·not·faces" (וְלֹֽא־פָנִ֛ים). The root פנים appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·day·of" (root יום, 133x in Jeremiah); "to·face·of" (root פנים, 126x in Jeremiah); "I·will·see·them" (root ראה, 71x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root איד ("their·calamity") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'enemy', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 5 words. Full calculation: כְּרוּחַ־קָדִ֥ים [like·east-wind] (388) + אֲפִיצֵ֖ם [I·will·scatter·them] (221) + לִפְנֵ֣י [to·face·of] (170) + אוֹיֵ֑ב [enemy] (19) + עֹ֧רֶף [neck] (350) + וְלֹֽא־פָנִ֛ים [and·not·faces] (217) + אֶרְאֵ֖ם [I·will·see·them] (242) + בְּי֥וֹם [in·day·of] (58) + אֵידָֽם [their·calamity] (55) = 1720.
Rashi
“The nape of the neck, and not the face.” This refers to when they flee from the enemy.
"I will look upon them." But I will not save them:
Radak
As for “wind” (k’ruach): Just as the east wind is strong and scatters straw and fine particles, so too shall I scatter them before the enemy, that they flee before him hither and thither, with their backs turned and not their faces.
"I will show them." Measure for measure: just as they turned a back to Me and not a face, so I will turn to them a back and not a face. [It is called] "I will show them," for I will turn toward them — that is to say, when the day of their calamity comes, I will hide My face from them and will not show them [My] face to save them; rather, [they will have] only the sight of [My] back, which is the hiding of the face and being cast behind [My] back.
Metzudat David
"Like the wind." Just as the east wind is the most violent of the winds, scattering the things that are scattered, so will I scatter them in their flight before the enemy.
"Back, etc." On the day their calamity comes, I will hide My face from them, and I will show them [My] back. And he grasps the parable of a man who turns his face away from a man who is hateful to him. That is to say: I will not pay heed to them to save them.
Metzudat Zion
"Afitsam." The meaning is scattering (pizur), as in "vayafetz ha'am" [and the people scattered] (Exodus 5:12).
Oref. It is the back of the head and the neck:
Eidam: A matter of destruction and misfortune, as it is stated, “Is not destruction (id) to the wicked?” (Job 31:3).
Then said they: ‘Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; For instruction shall not perish from the priest, Nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, And let us not give heed to any of his words.’
verse value 4943
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 93 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּי֩, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·let·us·not·give·heed" (וְאַל־נַקְשִׁ֖יבָה, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 371: and·let·us·think, upon·Jeremiah. 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·let·us·think" (וְנַחְשְׁבָ֥ה), "not·perish" (לֹא־תֹאבַ֨ד), "law" (תּוֹרָ֜ה). The root הלך appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "to·all·his·words" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root עצה ("and·counsel") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·prophet', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 5 words.
Rashi
"And they said, 'Come, etc.'" Jeremiah was complaining about the men of Anathoth, saying that they say thus:
Torah from a Kohen. That the Kohanim are to teach Torah, as it is stated: "They shall teach Your judgments to Jacob" (Deuteronomy 33:10).
"And the word of the prophet." The words of prophecy:
"And let us strike him with the tongue." [Targum:] And we shall bear false testimony against him:
Radak
"And they said." These are the words of Jeremiah, who spoke to God, saying: "I will rebuke them with Your words," and they say to one another, "Come, let us plot against Jeremiah."
"Come." The word is an expression of urging, as in "Come, let us treat ourselves to merriment" [Ecclesiastes 2:1], "Come, let us reason together" [Isaiah 1:18], "Come, let us strike him with the tongue" [this very verse], and others like them.
"Thoughts." This implies evil thoughts to kill him.
“For the Torah shall not perish from the priest.” This means: What do we lack if he dies? For the Torah will not perish because of this, for the other priests know it. And moreover, we have sages who are masters of counsel, and we have prophets who will speak to us words of prophecy, and they will not be like him, who prophesies nothing but evil against us.
"And let us strike him." This means that they inform against him to the king with evil words, so that he may put him to death.
"And let us not heed all his words." That is to say, [we should not heed] the multitude of his words that he speaks to us — let us not heed [them]. And Jeremiah said:
Metzudat David
And they said. When I spoke to them that prophecy, they said to one another, "Let us consider against Jeremiah a plot, what to do with him, so that we will no longer hear such words as these."
"For it shall not perish." This is akin to saying: "What are we lacking due to his death? Will the Torah not remain among the other priests? (The priest is commanded to teach Torah, as it is stated: 'For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and they shall seek the Torah from his mouth,' Malachi 2:7.) Will counsel not remain with other sages who are with us? And will prophetic utterance not remain with the other prophets, who do not prophesy evil like him?"
"Come, and let us strike him." "Come, let us strike him mortally, with the tongue"—for we shall speak against him falsely.
And let us not listen. For then we would not hear, like all the words that he spoke, because there is no one among the prophets to speak words like his.
Metzudat Zion
“Come.” This is a matter of urging.
Let us listen. The matter of hearing and listening:
Malbim
And they said: In place of [heeding that] Jeremiah had informed them that God's plan for them was for good, they plotted to kill him by various schemes, for [Scripture says] it shall not be lost, since Jeremiah possessed three ranks: he was a priest who gave halakhic rulings, he was a sage who offered them good counsel, and he was a prophet who spoke God's word. Regarding this, they said: Even if these three ranks are not found in one person, each rank is found in a specific individual in his stead: Torah and halakhic instruction will not be lost from the priesthood, for counsel there will be found a wise advisor, and for God's word there will be found a prophet besides Jeremiah. Let us strike him with the tongue. Since their attempt to kill him by poison, as it is stated, “We will destroy the tree with its fruit,” did not succeed, they wished to strike him through lashon hara (slander) and baseless accusations, and let us not heed any of his words by which he seeks to justify himself. And also, that is to say, that we shall strike him with his own tongue — through his prophetic speech we will fabricate charges against him to hand him over to the royal authority. And even though, if they were to hear the conclusion of his words, they would find merit in him, for in the end he prayed for the people and aroused them to moral repentance, so that they would return and God would turn to them for good, we will not heed any of his words; rather, we will recount only a portion of his words, on the basis of which he will be liable to death.
Give heed to me, O Hashem, And hearken to the voice of them that contend with me.
verse value 1303
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 26 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "to·me" (אֵלָ֑י, 3 letters) and the longest is "attend" (הַקְשִׁ֥יבָה, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "attend" (הַקְשִׁ֥יבָה), "my·adversaries" (יְרִיבָֽי). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "to·me" (root אל, 204x in Jeremiah); "and·hear" (root שמע, 184x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: הַקְשִׁ֥יבָה [attend] (422) + יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + אֵלָ֑י [to·me] (41) + וּשְׁמַ֖ע [and·hear] (416) + לְק֥וֹל [to·voice·of] (166) + יְרִיבָֽי [my·adversaries] (232) = 1303.
Radak
"Listen." They say that they will not listen to me; You, however, listen to me — that is, to my prayer.
"And take note of the voice of my adversaries." That is to say, to their words, which they speak concerning me:
Metzudat David
“Hear, O Lord, me.” What I pray for them is good, yet in contrast, You hear the voice of those who contend with me, who conspire against me.
Malbim
“Hearken,” he invites the Lord to act as a judge who will hear his claims and their claims, and see who is righteous in the dispute. And based on this, he argues: Shall good be repaid with evil? Was it not fitting that instead of good, evil be repaid? Surely all my prophecy was for their benefit, to restore them and annul the decree. For did I not always stand before You to pray on their behalf, to avert wrath?
Shall evil be recompensed for good? For they have dug a pit for my soul. Remember how I stood before You To speak good for them, To turn away Your wrath from them.
verse value 4790
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 68 letters. The shortest word is "evil" (רָעָ֔ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "instead·of·good" (תַּֽחַת־טוֹבָה֙, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "shall·it·be·repaid" (הַיְשֻׁלַּ֤ם), "instead·of·good" (תַּֽחַת־טוֹבָה֙), "to·my·soul" (לְנַפְשִׁ֑י). 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·them" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah); "to·speak" (root דבר, 270x in Jeremiah); "from·them" (root הם, 132x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·my·soul', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 9 words.
Radak
"Should good be repaid with evil? For they have dug a pit for my soul." The poison of death that they sought to give him to drink is likened to those who dig a pit for a person, to cause him to fall into it without his knowledge. And behold, they are repaying me evil for good, for I spoke good of them before You, and I prayed on their behalf until that time when You revealed to me that they desired to kill me.
Metzudat David
"Shall it be repaid?" Is it fitting that evil be repaid for good? "For they have dug a pit to ensnare me"—meaning, they think evil thoughts against me.
"Remember." Pay attention to remember the time when I stood before You in prayer to request good on their behalf, to remove Your wrath from them.
Metzudat Zion
Karu. "They dug" – akin to "he dug" a pit (Psalms 7:15).
Pit. A pit, akin to "a deep pit" (Proverbs 22:14):
Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, And hurl them to the power of the sword; And let their wives be bereaved of their children, and widows; And let their men be slain of death, And their young men smitten of the sword in battle.
verse value 5901
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 89 letters. The shortest word is "give" (תֵּ֨ן, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·hands·of·sword" (עַל־יְדֵי־חֶ֒רֶב֒, 8 letters). 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "give" (תֵּ֨ן), "and·hurl·them" (וְהַגִּרֵם֮), "to·hands·of·sword" (עַל־יְדֵי־חֶ֒רֶב֒). The root היה appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·let·it·be" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah); "and·their·men" (root איש, 153x in Jeremiah); "give" (root נתן, 141x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'death', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 3 words.
Rashi
And He caused them to fall. (He brought them down by the sword.) The term is akin to "my eyes stream" (Lamentations 3:49), like "waters that are poured out" (Micah 1:4):
"By the sword." "By armies":
"And their men" – the husbands of the widows – shall be the slain by the Angel of Death.
Radak
Therefore. From now on, I am permitted to pray against them for evil, since they plotted to kill me.
"And mow them down [by the sword]." A term of 'pouring' is used in connection with the sword, because of the blood that is poured out, and likewise, 'he shall be poured out by the sword.'
"Those bereaved of their children": and widows of their husbands. That they [the husbands] shall be slain by death, meaning that they should die by the plague, and the young men, who are accustomed to go out to war, should be slain by the sword in battle.
Metzudat David
Therefore, since they repay evil for good:
"And pour them out." [Meaning:] pour out their blood through the sword of the enemy.
"Bereaved and widowed." Bereaved of their children, and widowed of their husbands.
"And their men." The husbands of the widows shall die by slaying, and not by their own [natural] death.
"In war." For it is the way of young men to go to war.
Metzudat Zion
Give. The matter of "handing over":
And pour them out. The term denotes pouring out and spilling forth, as in "He will pour him out by the sword" (Psalms 63:11).
Shkulot. One whose children have died is called a shakol (a parent bereaved of children).
Malbim
Therefore, give their sons who remain in the city to die of famine, and they themselves who go out to war will die by the sword, and thereby their wives will be bereaved of their children and widowed of their husbands, and their men who are not warriors will be victims of death, meaning that they will be killed by unusual deaths, and their young men, the mighty ones who go out to war, will fall by the sword in battle.
Let a cry be heard from their houses, When you shall bring a troop suddenly upon them; For they have dug a pit to take me, And hid snares for my feet.
verse value 4189
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 66 letters. The shortest word is "you·hear" (תִּשָּׁמַ֤ע, 4 letters) and the longest is "from·their·houses" (מִבָּ֣תֵּיהֶ֔ם, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 144: to·seize·me, and·snares. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "from·their·houses" (מִבָּ֣תֵּיהֶ֔ם), "when·you·shall·bring" (כִּֽי־תָבִ֧יא), "band" (גְּד֖וּד). 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·them" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah); "when·you·shall·bring" (root בוא, 211x in Jeremiah); "you·hear" (root שמע, 184x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root פח ("and·snares") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'suddenly', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 7 words.
Rashi
"For they dug a pit": This means they suspected him of having relations with a married woman, as it is stated (Proverbs 23:27): "For a harlot is a deep pit."
Radak
"Let a cry be heard." For the cry will be when evil comes suddenly.
"For they dug a pit." It is written with a yod and read with a vav. The 'pit' and the 'snares' refer to the poison of death that they planned to feed him.
Metzudat David
Za'akah. A cry of brokenness:
“Suddenly.” So that they would not know to be wary of them.
"They dug a pit." They dug a pit to trap me; that is to say, they plotted evil against me.
"And snares." They hid nets to catch my feet, and the matter is doubled with what was said.
Metzudat Zion
“Hosts.” Armies of a people:
And snares. From the language of "snare" and "net":
They concealed it. The matter of hiding:
Malbim
"[Let it] be heard": At the time that You bring upon them a sudden band and they are in great distress, then they shall accept the judgment against themselves [as just], and then a cry shall be heard from their houses, "for they have dug a pit to trap me." This means that then they shall cry out and confess that this punishment came upon them for the sin of having dug a pit to catch me. And by this it shall become known to all that those who dug a pit against me and spread a slander about me did so falsely.
Yet, Hashem, You know All their counsel against me to slay me; Forgive not their iniquity, Neither blot out their sin from Your sight; But let them be made to stumble before You; Deal You with them in the time of Your anger.
verse value 6428
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 89 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְ֠הֹוָ֠ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "upon·me" (עָלַי֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "all·trees" (אֶֽת־כׇּל־עֲצָתָ֤ם, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "all·trees" (אֶֽת־כׇּל־עֲצָתָ֤ם), "not·forgive" (אַל־תְּכַפֵּר֙), "upon·perversity" (עַל־עֲוֺנָ֔ם). The root איל appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "not·forgive" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah); "upon·me" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'not·blot·out', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 8 words.
Rashi
"Do not erase." Do not be erased. And since it is a feminine form, a yod was placed in it, and even that yod is superfluous, like the yod in "vatizni bam" (Ezekiel 15).
Radak
"And you, do not blot out." Like [the word] 'do not blot out' (אל תמחה) — the yod stands in place of the heh, [as with verbs whose] third root letter is heh, like 'the Rock who bore you, you neglected' (Deuteronomy 32:18).
"And they were made to stumble." It is written 'vehayu' and read 'veyihyu', but the meaning is the same:
"At the time of Your anger, act against them." This is in the manner of [the phrase] 'and My anger shall blaze against them, and I will consume them' [cf. Exodus 32:10].
Metzudat David
"Against me, to death." That is, they are upon me to kill me.
Do not erase. Do not blot out their sins from before You, for they shall be written for remembrance, in order that they may receive their reward.
"And let them be, etc." Even at the time when they walk before You on the path of Your commandments, a stumbling block will come to them, so that they will not be able to perform [the commandments] in their proper manner.
"In the time of Your anger." In the time when You are angry, then take vengeance on them, so that it will be ample enough to bear [the full punishment they deserve].
Metzudat Zion
Tamechi. From the language of "wiping" and "erasing":
Malbim
"And You know": This means that you shall not accept this cry as one who admits guilt and abandons the sin; do not atone for their iniquity through confession before they are punished, for confession atones for sin. Furthermore, even after the punishment, do not blot out their sin from before You, but let it remain written before You as an eternal reminder. Moreover, let the punishment not come about through the hiding of Your face, but rather through Your providential oversight, so that they stumble before You under Your watchful eye. "In Your anger, do to them": This means that it shall not be like a punishment that comes to atone for sin, which stems from the attribute of mercy, but rather through anger and wrath. And it shall not be like a punishment that comes of its own accord through the hiding of Your face, but rather impose upon them a punishment of providential oversight, such that the act is ascribed to the Lord.
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim