'I remember for you the affection of your youth, the love of your espousals' — but My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out broken cisterns that can hold no water.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
Verse structure: 4 words, 18 letters. The shortest word is "to·me" (אֵלַ֥י, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·word·of·Hashem" (דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה, 7 letters). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·word·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "saying" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "and·it·was" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah). Full calculation: וַיְהִ֥י [and·it·was] (31) + דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה [the·word·of·Hashem] (232) + אֵלַ֥י [to·me] (41) + לֵאמֹֽר [saying] (271) = 575.
Malbim
And it came to pass, after he had first stated the nature of the beginning of his prophecy and the general subject matter of his prophecy, that he prefaced a general introduction to the words of calamity which he will prophesy throughout the entire book concerning Israel: to inform that in all the punishments and afflictions which the Lord will bring upon Israel, His love for them still endures, and He has not yet forgotten His covenant from ancient days. And all who devour them shall be punished with punishment, like a father who is angry with his son and hands him over to cruel messengers to strike him with many blows; yet even so, his heart is grieved and full of compassion for his beaten son, and he is angry with the cruel one who strikes him, and in the end he will take his son from under his hand.
Go, and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying: Thus says Hashem: I remember for you the affection of your youth, the love of your espousals; how you went after Me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.
verse value 5569
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 83 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 "your·espousals" (כְּלוּלֹתָ֑יִךְ, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "I·have·remembered" (זָכַ֤רְתִּי), "your·youth" (נְעוּרַ֔יִךְ), "love·of" (אַהֲבַ֖ת). The root הלך appears 2 times in this verse. 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "saying" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root אזן ("in·ears·of") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root כה ("thus") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·espousals', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 6 words.
Rashi
“I remember you.” If you were to return to Me, My desire would be to have mercy on you, for I remember the kindness of your youth and the love of the perfection of your bridal chamber, in that I brought you whole into the wedding canopy — this is an expression of “bringing in”; and “your espousals” is [rendered] “noces” in the vernacular. And what is “the kindness of your youth”? It is that you followed the messengers of Moses and Aaron; you departed from a land of habitation and went out into the wilderness, where there was no provision for the journey, because you believed in Me.
Radak
"Halokh" [Go]. It is an infinitive [absolute] or an imperative; and so too "Zakhor et yom ha-Shabbat" [Remember the Sabbath day] and "Tamokh ashurai" [Uphold my steps] [Psalms 17:5].
"Into the ears of Jerusalem." This means: with Jerusalem, and He speaks to the city as if He were speaking to the people.
“I remember for you the kindness of your youth.” Even though I bring evil upon you because of your evil deeds, I will not make you utterly desolate, and I will also punish those who do evil to you, for I remember for you the kindness of your youth. And the meaning of “the kindness of your youth” is “the love of your espousals,” as Jonathan the Targumist translated: “I remember for you the good deeds of the days of old, the compassion of your fathers, who believed in My word, etc.” as in the column. And it is possible that his intention in saying “the days of old” was regarding the fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who were men of kindness; or [the meaning is] “the love of your espousals,” which is the explanation of “the kindness of your youth,” and all is one matter concerning the generation of the wilderness. He calls the earlier days “days of youth” by way of metaphor, just as youths precede young men and old men. And the meaning of “your espousals” is a term derived from “bride,” for the Congregation of Israel is likened to a bride on the day of the Giving of the Torah, and the Holy One, blessed be He, is likened to the groom.
Metzudat David
“Into the ears of Jerusalem.” Into the ears of the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
"I remember for you. I remember for you the kindness that I did with you in the days of your youth, when I chose you to be My people, for you found favor in My eyes."
"Your love as a bride." The love that I had for you when you were like a bride at the time of her wedding canopy, and this refers to the standing at Mount Sinai to receive the Torah.
"Your going forth": That is to say, remembered before Me is the faith that you had in Me, that you followed Me in the wilderness, in a land where there is no seed sown and there is nothing to eat.
Metzudat Zion
"Kelulotayich" (your bridal days). The word is derived from "kallah" (bride), and it is so called because it pertains to the elevation of beauty, as in "the perfection of beauty" (Lamentations 2:15). And the bride, in the days of her wedding canopy, is adorned ["kelulah"] with every kind of beauty and ornament.
Malbim
"I remember for you the kindness of your youth" — this compares the initial joining of the Divine with His people to the union of a bridegroom and bride, a betrothed man and his betrothed. It depicts it as a single man coming from afar, and a wealthy man's daughter, the fairest among women, brought him into her father's house and showed him kindness. Afterward, her soul clung to him, and she married him. Subsequently, she trusted in him and went out with him from her father's house into the wilderness, wherever his spirit desired to go. Likewise, in the allegory: initially, the Patriarchs and their descendants after them guarded the way of the Lord and proclaimed His divinity in the world, while He was still a stranger, not recognized here, to all the nations who served idols and sun-pillars. This is "the kindness of your youth." Afterward, they married Him and entered into the covenant, with the love of espousals, when He brought them out of Egypt and they received the Torah, thereby entering into covenant with Him. This is "the love of your espousals." Subsequently, they trusted in Him and went after Him into the wilderness, due to their great desire for divine cleaving. These are three types of merits possessed by Israel: a. before the betrothal; b. during the betrothal itself; c. after the betrothal. These merits are still remembered in My heart; I will not forget them. Therefore, "holy" — you are likened to a holy thing, and to the first of the harvest, which is the terumah, forbidden for consumption by non-priests, and any non-priest who eats it incurs guilt, both in body and in soul. Likewise, all who eat it incur guilt; this is the guilt of the soul, as it is stated, "And if a man eats of the holy things, and that soul shall be guilty." Moreover, evil will come upon them — this is the punishment of the body, namely death at the hands of Heaven. The meaning is: even though I will prophesy against you now that you will become food for the teeth of lions, ultimately they will receive their punishment like one who eats the holy things of the Lord and His terumah.
Israel is Hashem’S hallowed portion, His first-fruits of the increase; all that devour him shall be held guilty, evil shall come upon them, says Hashem.
verse value 4081
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 54 letters. Notable word values: "to·them" (אֲלֵיהֶ֖ם) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "holiness" (קֹ֤דֶשׁ, 3 letters) and the longest is "all·who·eat·it" (כׇּל־אֹכְלָ֣יו, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 117: all·who·eat·it, says·Hashem. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "his·produce" (תְּבוּאָתֹ֑ה), "all·who·eat·it" (כׇּל־אֹכְלָ֣יו), "shall·be·guilty" (יֶאְשָׁ֔מוּ). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "it·came" (root בוא, 211x in Jeremiah); "to·them" (root אל, 204x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root ישראל ("Israel") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root ראשית ("first") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·produce', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 6 words. Full calculation: קֹ֤דֶשׁ [holiness] (404) + יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ [Israel] (541) + לַיהֹוָ֔ה [to·Hashem] (56) + רֵאשִׁ֖ית [first] (911) + תְּבוּאָתֹ֑ה [his·produce] (814) + כׇּל־אֹכְלָ֣יו [all·who·eat·it] (117) + יֶאְשָׁ֔מוּ [shall·be·guilty] (357) + רָעָ֛ה [evil] (275) + תָּבֹ֥א [it·came] (403) + אֲלֵיהֶ֖ם [to·them] (86) + נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה [says·Hashem] (117) = 4081.
Rashi
"Holy is Israel." Like a heave-offering:
“The beginning of her harvest.” Like the beginning of the harvest before the Omer, which is forbidden for consumption, and one who eats it is liable, so too all who eat it are guilty. So too the Targum.
Radak
“Holy is Israel.” This is considered as “holy,” meaning that a non-priest may not eat it. And what is stated, “the first of her produce,” is a repetition of the same idea using different words, for the terumah, which is the first portion of the produce, is holy, and any non-priests who eat it are liable for a guilt-offering. So too with Israel: even though the Holy One, blessed be He, brings the enemy upon them, the enemy is punished on their account, for He remembers for them the kindness of their youth, which is the kindness of the fathers, as we saw in the case of Sennacherib and likewise in the case of Nebuchadnezzar. And for [wronging] Israel, Babylon was destroyed, as it is written:
Her harvest. It is written with a heh instead of a vav, like "ohalah" and its like. And the Targum [understands] "holy" as the heave-offering, and "the first of her harvest" as the omer, which he thus translated: "They are holy, the House of Israel, before the Lord, and concerning their plunderers, etc." As in the column.
"They shall be held guilty." The aleph is with a shva alone.
Metzudat David
"Israel is holy." And for this reason it is holy to the Lord:
"Beginning." It is the best among all the produce of the nations:
"All who eat it." All who plunder and devour Israel shall be guilty, and evil shall come upon them. That is to say, even though Israel will be delivered into the hands of the nations because of their sin, nevertheless I will ultimately take vengeance upon the nations for having done them evil.
"The utterance of the Lord." This is the statement of the Lord:
Metzudat Zion
"Beginning." The meaning is "the best," as in "the best of their strength" (below, 49:35):
They shall be guilty. From the word "guilt" (asham):
Hear you the word of Hashem, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel;
verse value 3085
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 35 letters. The shortest word is "house·of" (בֵּ֣ית, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·all·clans·of" (וְכׇֽל־מִשְׁפְּח֖וֹת, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 412: house·of, house·of. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·all·clans·of" (וְכׇֽל־מִשְׁפְּח֖וֹת). The root בית appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·word·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "hear" (root שמע, 184x in Jeremiah); "and·all·clans·of" (root כל, 167x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root שמע ("hear") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root בית ("house·of") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Jacob', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: שִׁמְע֥וּ [hear] (416) + דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה [the·word·of·Hashem] (232) + בֵּ֣ית [house·of] (412) + יַעֲקֹ֑ב [Jacob] (182) + וְכׇֽל־מִשְׁפְּח֖וֹת [and·all·clans·of] (890) + בֵּ֥ית [house·of] (412) + יִשְׂרָאֵֽל [Israel] (541) = 3085.
Malbim
“Hear!” After this proposal, in which He declared that the Lord remembers and has not forgotten the love of the bridal chamber, He will argue with them: Why have they and their fathers forgotten Him? The multitude of the House of Jacob, and the families of the House of Israel, the great men of renown.
Thus says Hashem: What unrighteousness have your fathers found in Me, that they are gone far from Me, and have walked after things of nought, and are become nought?
verse value 1957
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 56 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 "your·fathers" (אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֥ם, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "what?·they·found" (מַה־מָּצְא֨וּ), "injustice" (עָ֔וֶל), "they·went·far" (רָחֲק֖וּ). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root מצא ("what?·they·found") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root אב ("your·fathers") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·upon·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 4 words. Full calculation: כֹּ֣ה [thus] (25) + אָמַ֣ר [said] (241) + יְהֹוָ֗ה [Hashem] (26) + מַה־מָּצְא֨וּ [what?·they·found] (182) + אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֥ם [your·fathers] (479) + בִּי֙ [in·Me] (12) + עָ֔וֶל [injustice] (106) + כִּ֥י [for] (30) + רָחֲק֖וּ [they·went·far] (314) + מֵעָלָ֑י [from·upon·me] (150) + וַיֵּ֥לְכ֛וּ [and·walked] (72) + אַחֲרֵ֥י [after] (219) + הַהֶ֖בֶל [the·vanity] (42) + וַיֶּהְבָּֽלוּ [and·they·became·nought] (59) = 1957.
Radak
Thus it says, “What did your fathers find?”—the early generations, after they entered the Land, who served foreign gods.
Metzudat David
"What did they find," etc. What matter of wrongdoing did they find in Me, on account of which they distanced themselves from Me?
"The vanity." This refers to idolatry, which is vanity and has no substance.
"And they were made vain." And for this reason they too became vanity without substance, for their dominion was lowered to the earth.
Malbim
"What did your fathers find in Me?" — He begins to argue that at first, immediately while they were still in the wilderness, their fathers distanced themselves from Him and turned away to shame. Now, when one abandons one thing for another, it must be for one of three reasons: either because he found a wrong and deficiency in the abandoned entity; in response to this, He says, "What did your fathers find in Me as a wrong, that they distanced themselves from Me?" Or, it may be because of the superiority he finds in the thing he has now chosen; in response to this, He says, "Did they not go after vanity?" Or, it may be because the act itself—the substitution and exchange—is good or superior in his eyes, for example, if idol worship were easier or more pleasant; in response to this, He says, "And they became vain," meaning that even the act itself is vanity. The implication is that a person abandons something only if he did not have great love for it, or if his love was conditional and the condition ceased. But after I have reminded you of "the kindness of your youth" which was unconditional, and "the love of your espousals" which was great love, and I have not abandoned you, for "Israel is holy to the Lord," and so on—then, what did your fathers find in Me as a wrong, etc.?
Neither said they: ‘Where is Hashem that brought us up Out of the land of Egypt; that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt?’
verse value 5973
Insights
Verse structure: 24 words, 98 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "in·it" (בָּהּ֙, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·one·who·led" (הַמּוֹלִ֨יךְ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 457: us, us. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "who·brought·up" (הַמַּעֲלֶ֥ה), "the·one·who·led" (הַמּוֹלִ֨יךְ), "and·pit" (וְשׁוּחָה֙). The root ארץ appears 4 times in this verse. 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "they·said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "and·not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root אי ("where?") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root עלה ("who·brought·up") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Egypt', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 16 words.
Rashi
And they did not say, "Where is the Lord?" For [what they meant was]: We will go after other gods.
Aravah. In the vernacular: "Planora."
And a pit. Inclined; in the vernacular, it is called "infowshia."
Tsiya. In the vernacular: "Dishgatah."
And "tzalmavet" – a term denoting darkness:
Radak
“Where is the Lord?” They did not entertain the thought of saying, “How shall we serve other gods, and where is the Lord who brought us up?” That is to say: How did we cast Him behind our backs and not turn to Him?
“Aravah and shochah.” As its Targum [renders it]: “plain and ruin.”
"And no man dwelt there." Lest you say that those places were already inhabited in those days, and afterwards they were destroyed and became a wilderness; this is not so, for those places are not suitable for habitation, as they are not a place for sowing. And what our Sages of blessed memory expounded on this matter is well known. And the explanation of "man" is Adam, the first man; and he said: since he did not pass through it, from where did he dwell? Rather, every land that Adam, the first man, decreed for habitation was inhabited, and that which Adam, the first man, did not decree for habitation was not inhabited.
Metzudat David
"And they did not say." They did not turn back from their way to say, 'Where is the Lord?' That is to say: 'Let us return to serve the Lord Who brought us up from the land of Egypt.'
"He who leads," etc. – This means: we did not go astray on the way, nor did we lack anything.
"In the land, etc." The repetition of the phrase, as it is stated many times, serves to emphasize the matter and follows the style of rhetorical expression.
He did not pass. In the manner of passing:
"And he did not dwell." – In a permanent, fixed abode.
Metzudat Zion
Aravah. It is like a wilderness (midbar):
"Vashuchah." A place of pits and cisterns, as in, "the nations sank in the pit they made" (Psalms 9:16).
"Tziyah." The meaning is desolation.
And "the shadow of death." The shadow of death means the darkness of the grave.
Malbim
And they did not say, “And besides that they had not distinguished between good and evil, they also had not taken note of the lack of benefit and the harm that would befall them at that time, after they were still sheltered under the shadow of the Lord: 1. That He had taken them out of Egypt from bondage and servitude, and on this it says, ‘And they did not say, Where is the Lord who brought us up from the land of Egypt?’ 2. On their way in the wilderness, where alone they would find their lack, and on this it says, ‘Who led us in the wilderness?’ For in this wilderness it is impossible to find their sustenance in a natural manner due to three reasons: 1. That it is unfit for habitation on account of the place and the soil, which is full of desert plain, pits, and excavations; 2. On account of the air, both the celestial air, which is parched from the burning heat of the sun, and the terrestrial air, which is dark and foul; 3. On account of the lack of preparation for habitation, being full of sand, serpents, and the like; and on this it says, ‘In a land through which no man passes.’”
And I brought you into a land of fruitful fields, to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof; but when you entered, you defiled My land, and made My heritage an abomination.
verse value 4878
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 65 letters. Verse gematria: 4878 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "you" (אֶתְכֶם֙, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·you·defiled" (וַתְּטַמְּא֣וּ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 295: plantation, its·fruit. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "its·fruit" (פִּרְיָ֖הּ), "and·her·goodness" (וְטוּבָ֑הּ), "and·you·came" (וַתָּבֹ֙אוּ֙). The root בוא appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·land" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah); "land" (root ארץ, 245x in Jeremiah); "and·I·brought" (root בוא, 211x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root כרמל ("plantation") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root פרי ("its·fruit") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·her·goodness', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 6 words. Full calculation: וָאָבִ֤יא [and·I·brought] (20) + אֶתְכֶם֙ [you] (461) + אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ [to·land] (322) + הַכַּרְמֶ֔ל [plantation] (295) + לֶאֱכֹ֥ל [to·eat] (81) + פִּרְיָ֖הּ [its·fruit] (295) + וְטוּבָ֑הּ [and·her·goodness] (28) + וַתָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ [and·you·came] (415) + וַתְּטַמְּא֣וּ [and·you·defiled] (462) + אֶת־אַרְצִ֔י [land] (702) + וְנַחֲלָתִ֥י [and·my·inheritance] (504) + שַׂמְתֶּ֖ם [name] (780) + לְתוֹעֵבָֽה [to·abomination] (513) = 4878.
Rashi
"To the land of Carmel." [The Targum translates:] "To the land of Israel, which was planted like a Carmel." He explained: "Planted like a forest."
Radak
“Unto the land of Carmel.” Why is it juxtaposed with Carmel? Because the land that is cultivated with fields, vineyards, and good trees is called Carmel. And since the Land of Israel was thus, as it is written of it: “A land of wheat and barley, and vines and fig trees and pomegranates,” etc., it is called the land of Carmel. And the Targum: “The land of Israel, which was planted like a vineyard.”
“An abomination.” As the Targum translates it, “for idolatrous worship,” which is an abomination to the Lord. And what he said, “My land, My inheritance,” means: the land that is fit for Me to have My Divine Presence dwell in it, for it was chosen above all the lands for a known reason among the wise.
Metzudat David
"And I brought." Did I not bring you from there to the land of Carmel? This means a place of fields and vineyards.
"And you defiled [it]." Through your having worshipped idols there.
"And My inheritance." The Land of Israel, which is My inheritance, you have made to become an abomination before Me.
Metzudat Zion
"HaKarmel." A term for a place of fields and vineyards, as in, "and Bashan and Carmel are stripped bare" (Isaiah 33).
Malbim
“And I brought you” — after having considered the sin of their ancestors, those who came out of Egypt, He considered the sin of their children. “I brought you into the land of Carmel” (even though your ancestors sinned). And the ultimate purpose of this bringing was twofold: a) to eat its fruit, to be satisfied with physical good; b) to eat good, in that it is a land prepared to attain therein true good and spiritual happiness. And in both respects they acted in the opposite manner. For “and you came” — at the time you came, contrary to “to eat its fruit,” you defiled my land with abominable deeds that prevented physical success. c) Contrary to “to eat good,” He said “my heritage,” in that it is the heritage of the Lord, for after the Israelites entered the land, it came under the providence of the Lord and became His heritage; yet you made it an abomination.
The priests said not: ‘Where is Hashem?’ And they that handle the law knew Me not, and the rulers transgressed against Me; the prophets also prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.
verse value 3558
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 80 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֤א, 2 letters) and the longest is "spokesman" (וְהַנְּבִאִים֙, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 31: not, not. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·catching" (וְתֹפְשֵׂ֤י), "law" (הַתּוֹרָה֙), "they·knew·me" (יְדָע֔וּנִי). The root לא appears 3 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "they·said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root תפש ("and·catching") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root תורה ("law") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'against·Me', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 6 words.
Rashi
Those who grasp the Torah. Sanhedrin:
And the shepherds. The kings:
They prophesied by Baal. In the name of Baal:
Radak
The priests, "Where is the Lord?" We explained it: The priests, who stand before the Lord all day and offer sacrifices before Him, should have said to the people who serve Baal, "Where is the Lord? Why do you serve another?"
"And the handlers of the Torah"—these are the sages who study Torah but do not know Me, because they did not study the Torah for its own sake, to fulfill what is written in it; rather, they study it with their mouths and not with their hearts. This is what is meant by "do not know Me," for true knowledge (da'at) consists of good thoughts and good deeds, not merely study alone. And the Targum translates: "And the teachers of the Torah did not learn to know reverence for Me."
"And the shepherds" – these are the kings, who are the shepherds of the people, just as shepherds tend the flock. And the Targum Yonatan [renders]: "And the kings rebelled against My word."
“And the prophets” – these are the false prophets.
Metzudat David
The priests, upon whom it rests to instruct in the ways of the Lord, as it is stated: “For the lips of a priest shall guard knowledge, and they shall seek the Torah from his mouth” (Malachi 2:7).
They did not say, “Where is the Lord?” They did not warn the people to say, “Where is the Lord? Why do you abandon Him?”
And those who grasp the Torah are the Sanhedrin, upon whom the laws of the Torah depend.
They did not know Me. They did not wish to know and recognize the greatness of My exaltation:
And the shepherds. They are the kings of Israel who rebelled against Me:
And the prophets. The false prophets prophesy in the name of Baal:
"And they went after that which does not profit." They go after things that have no benefit, and these are the idols, which have no substance.
Metzudat Zion
"ותפשי" – the matter of grasping, as it is said: "When one seizes his brother" (Isaiah 3:6).
"בבעל" – a name for idols.
They will benefit. From the term “benefit”:
Malbim
"The priests" — he enumerates four types of leaders who wear the crowns of leadership: the crown of Torah, the priesthood, the monarchy, and the crown of a good name, which is prophecy. The priests’ concern is to bring down the indwelling of the Divine Presence into the chosen Temple, yet they did not say, “Where is the Lord?” And those who grasp the Torah ought to know the Lord, for this is the ultimate goal of study, yet they did not know Me. And the shepherds, who are the kings and princes, have transgressed against Me; and if they had at least turned away from Me for the sake of some benefit, but rather they went after things that are of no use, as it is stated below: “And My people have exchanged their glory for that which profits not.”
Wherefore I will yet plead with you, says Hashem, and with your children’s children will I plead.
verse value 1769
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 35 letters. The shortest word is "until" (עֹ֛ד, 2 letters) and the longest is "says·Hashem" (נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 213: I·will·strive, I·will·strive. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "your·sons" (בְנֵיכֶ֖ם). The root ריב appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "therefore" (root כן, 76x in Jeremiah); "until" (root עוד, 60x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root כן ("therefore") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root עוד ("until") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'says·Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: לָכֵ֗ן [therefore] (100) + עֹ֛ד [until] (74) + אָרִ֥יב [I·will·strive] (213) + אִתְּכֶ֖ם [with·you] (461) + נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה [says·Hashem] (117) + וְאֶת־בְּנֵ֥י [and·with·sons·of] (469) + בְנֵיכֶ֖ם [your·sons] (122) + אָרִֽיב [I·will·strive] (213) = 1769.
Rashi
I will yet contend. Before I bring evil upon you, I will yet contend with you through My prophets, even though I have already contended with you for many days.
Radak
"Therefore I will yet contend with you." I will yet speak to you words of contention and reproof, and I will say further: Since I opened with words of reproof by saying, 'What did your fathers find [wrong in Me]?' [Jeremiah 2:5], so now I must say to you, as I said concerning your fathers, that you too are evil like them; and so I will also need to contend with your children's children, for they too will act wickedly like you. This is the same manner in which Moses our teacher spoke, [saying]: 'For I know that after my death you will act very corruptly and turn aside from the way' [Deuteronomy 31:29]. And these last words of reproof are [what follows]: 'For cross over to the isles of the Kittim and see' — and the whole matter [that continues from there]. And the Targum Yonatan [renders]: 'Therefore I am destined to take vengeance upon you,' says the Lord, 'and upon your children's children, if they act like your deeds, I am destined to take vengeance.'
Metzudat David
"Therefore, I will yet contend with you." In addition to the fact that I have already reproved your fathers for their wickedness, behold, I will yet contend with you. And I know that I will also contend with your children's children, for this iniquity will pass from fathers to sons, generation after generation, and they are all deserving of reproof and contention.
Malbim
Therefore, the word "Therefore" refers to the entire matter: 1. Since your fathers sinned, and you as well, as it is stated, "And I brought you into a land of fruitful fields," therefore I will yet contend with you. 2. Since your fathers and you have sinned without cause and without benefit, as it is stated, "What wrong did your fathers find in Me?" and "and they went after that which does not profit," therefore I will yet contend with you, for you have no answer or argument against Me to say that you distanced yourselves from Me because of a wrong you found in Me, or because of the benefit you found in idol worship. 3. Since even the priests did not say, "Where is the Lord?" so that the hand of the princes, officials, and leaders of the people was foremost in this transgression, therefore I will yet contend with you, and I will contend with your children's children, for there is still hope that the people will return to Me, since it was the leaders of this people who led them astray from the path, especially since their error could easily be made known to them, as in, "for cross over the isles of Kittim," etc.
For pass over to the isles of the Kittites, and see, and send to Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there has been such a thing.
verse value 3362
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 51 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·consider" (וְהִֽתְבּוֹנְנ֖וּ, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 213: and·see, and·see. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "coastlands·of" (אִיֵּ֤י), "Kittites" (כִתִּיִּים֙), "and·Kedar" (וְקֵדָ֛ר). The root ראה appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "was" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah); "and·consider" (root בין, 146x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root קדר ("and·Kedar") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root מאד ("very") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'very', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 4 words. Full calculation: כִּ֣י [for] (30) + עִבְר֞וּ [pass·on] (278) + אִיֵּ֤י [coastlands·of] (21) + כִתִּיִּים֙ [Kittites] (480) + וּרְא֔וּ [and·see] (213) + וְקֵדָ֛ר [and·Kedar] (310) + שִׁלְח֥וּ [send] (344) + וְהִֽתְבּוֹנְנ֖וּ [and·consider] (525) + מְאֹ֑ד [very] (45) + וּרְא֕וּ [and·see] (213) + הֵ֥ן [they] (55) + הָיְתָ֖ה [was] (420) + כָּזֹֽאת [like·this] (428) = 3362.
Rashi
The islands of the Kittim. [Meaning:] to the islands of the Kittim:
Isles. Ishelash in the vernacular:
"And they sent to Kedar." They sent to Kedar to observe their customs.
And contemplate very carefully. And pay close attention to observe the matter well:
"Hen" – like "im" (if), as in: "If a nation among them has exchanged its gods, even though they are not gods; but My people has exchanged its glory, by which it was honored." And the Kittim and the Kedarites, dwellers of tents and shepherds of flocks, who travel and move from pasture to pasture and from desert to desert, carrying their gods with them to wherever they encamp – yet I carried you until I established you, and you have forsaken Me. So [renders] Targum Yonatan. And our Rabbis said: the Kittim worship water and the Kedarites worship fire, and even though they know that water extinguishes fire, they did not abandon their gods.
Radak
"For the isles of the Kittim have passed over." [The word Kittim] is written fully, with two yods; our Sages of blessed memory interpreted that he mentions these nations for this reason: the Kedarites worship fire, and the Kittim worship water, and even though the fire-worshippers know that water extinguishes fire, nevertheless they do not exchange their deity. And the Targum Yonatan [renders] the verse thus: "For cross over to the coastlands of the Kittim and see, and [send] to the province of the Arabs, etc.," as [printed] in the column [of the Targum], and he [Yonatan] elaborated on this verse.
"Has this been like this?" is phrased in the manner of a question — not that "hen" functions like "im" ("if"), as Rabbi Yonah wrote — but rather "hen" [carries] its plain sense, affirming the matter in agreement with its parallels [elsewhere in Scripture]; and the sense of a question can appear without the interrogative heh and without "im," just as in "Are you this, my son?" [Genesis 27:24] and similar cases.
Metzudat David
"The isles of the Kittim." [Meaning:] to the isles of the Kittim.
"And see." The manner of their custom.
"And Kedar, send." [Meaning:] send messengers to Kedar; they are the sons of Arabia, who are located in the eastern region.
And contemplate greatly. Investigate greatly with extra wisdom:
"And see: was it indeed like this?" See the deed of those idolaters, and whether truly there was among them such an abomination as this.
Metzudat Zion
"Hen" (הן) – like "ha-hen" (that), with the interrogative heh omitted; and similarly, "Can you, like Him, spread out the skies?" (Job 37:18), whose proper form should be "ha-tarkia," with the interrogative heh.
Malbim
“Pass over” – the isles of the Kittim were close to the Land of Israel; therefore it says “Pass over.” “And Kedar” – they dwelled in the desert in tents; therefore it says “Send.” And behold, those who dwell in tents and travel from place to place, like the children of Kedar, exchange their religion more easily, just as they exchange their place of residence from time to time. And yet, they will not exchange their idols. Therefore it says, “And Kedar – send, and observe very carefully.”
Has a nation changed its gods, which yet are no gods? But My people has changed its glory For that which does not profit.
verse value 1132
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 47 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱלֹהִ֔ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "has·changed" (הַהֵימִ֥יר, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 126: and·my·people, profits. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "has·changed" (הַהֵימִ֥יר), "has·changed" (הֵמִ֥יר), "his·glory" (כְּבוֹד֖וֹ). The root מור appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah); "God" (root אלהים, 140x in Jeremiah); "and·they" (root הם, 132x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root מור ("has·changed") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root הם ("and·they") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'God', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: הַהֵימִ֥יר [has·changed] (270) + גּוֹי֙ [a·nation] (19) + אֱלֹהִ֔ים [God] (86) + וְהֵ֖מָּה [and·they] (56) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + אֱלֹהִ֑ים [God] (86) + וְעַמִּ֛י [and·my·people] (126) + הֵמִ֥יר [has·changed] (255) + כְּבוֹד֖וֹ [his·glory] (38) + בְּל֥וֹא [for·not] (39) + יוֹעִֽיל [profits] (126) = 1132.
Rashi
It will not be of benefit. [This refers] to idolatry, in which there is no benefit.
Radak
"Ha-heimir" ["has a nation exchanged its gods"]. Thus it is written with a yod between the heh and the mem, and it is written this way to bring two meanings into the word: the meaning of exchange, as in "and if he indeed exchanges" [Leviticus 27:10], from the roots weak in the letter ayin; and the second meaning, from "and in their glory you shall exult" [Isaiah 61:6], from the roots weak in the letter peh — and this [second sense] is the sense of "greatness." That is to say: if a nation exchanged its own god [for another], or if [that nation] extolled the god of another nation [as greater than its own]. And even though neither of them — this one or that one — is [truly] a god, each one clings to its own [god].
Metzudat David
"The one who changed." And has any nation among them exchanged its god for another?
"And they." And even though their gods are not gods, nevertheless, since they clung to them, they did not replace them.
"And My people" – but My people exchanged the glory of the Omnipresent for idolatry, a thing that is of no benefit.
Metzudat Zion
ההמיר. From the language of substitution and exchange, as it is written: "But if he will at all change it" (Leviticus 27:33).
"His glory." This is a scribal correction (tikkun sofrim); the proper reading is "My glory."
Malbim
Regarding the word "hahimir" (He exchanged), it is said that we should observe three things: 1. "Hahimir goy Elohim" (A nation exchanged God) — meaning that one should not find that a nation exchanges its God. 2. That even a nation of idolaters, which is a lower rank, would not do this. 3. That they would not do this even in a place where they could think to find profit through this exchange, for the gods that they exchange Him for are not gods. And how, therefore, was Israel the opposite: 1. "Ami himir kibbodo" (My people exchanged their Glory). 2. That my people, even though they are of a superior rank, for they are a superior nation compared to the nations, exchanged their God. 3. That they did this even though they suffered a loss, exchanging their Glory without benefit. For sometimes a person will discard honor for the sake of utility, and then, even though this too is a degradation, to despise one's honor for the sake of utility, at least one gains utility. Not so if one exchanges one's honor without utility, which is great foolishness.
Be astonished, O you heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be you exceeding amazed, says Hashem.
verse value 2204
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "name" (שֹׁ֥מּוּ, 3 letters) and the longest is "says·Hashem" (נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·storm" (וְשַׂעֲר֛וּ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "upon·this" (root זאת, 94x in Jeremiah); "be·waste" (root חרב, 87x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root שמם ("name") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root שמים ("heaven") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·this', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: שֹׁ֥מּוּ [name] (346) + שָׁמַ֖יִם [heaven] (390) + עַל־זֹ֑את [upon·this] (508) + וְשַׂעֲר֛וּ [and·storm] (582) + חׇרְב֥וּ [be·waste] (216) + מְאֹ֖ד [very] (45) + נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה [says·Hashem] (117) = 2204.
Rashi
"Be appalled, O heavens." This is a term expressing astonishment, like the word "they were astounded" (השתוממו), and it is a term of command, similar to "If they say to us, 'Wait'" (דומו) (1 Samuel 14:9).
"And be horrified" (וְשָׁעֲרוּ). This is an expression of storm/tempest (סַעַר).
"Be exceedingly desolate" (חרבו מאד). As if you [the heavens] are made desolate over the Temple that is destined to be destroyed.
Radak
“Shomo.” That is to say, the world deserves to be desolate because of this evil. “Shomo” refers to the concept of desolation.
Sh'aru. The matter of a storm:
"Charvu." The sense is destruction, and the chet is vocalized with a chataf-qamats; it is an imperative from the Kal [simple stem], and the Masorah notes concerning it: "there is no other chataf [like it]." And Rabbi Yonah wrote that there were people who used to read it as "charvu," like "charvu penei ha-adamah" ["the face of the ground was dry," Genesis 8:13], and they likewise interpreted it as an imperative, but from the geminated [intensive] stem, like "parku" in "break off the golden earrings" [Exodus 32:2]. And he [Rabbi Yonah] responded to them from the Masorah; and furthermore, the Masorah notes that "charvu penei ha-adamah" occurs twice. And on this verse, the Targum renders it thus: "Mourn, O heavens, over this — over the land of Israel, which is destined to be destroyed," as [printed] in the column [of the Targum].
Metzudat David
"Be appalled, O heavens." This means: See that there will be desolation and horror and great destruction in the world because of this abomination.
Metzudat Zion
"שומו" – from the term "shemamon" (desolation).
ושערו. Like וסער with a samekh, meaning a stormy wind.
“חרבו” – from the language of “חרבן” (destruction).
"Very." This means: great and strong.
Malbim
“Shommu” [be appalled] denotes astonishment, and refers to something that is astonishing; and it refers to what will be said [later], that “My people have committed a double wrong” — over this, “be appalled, O heavens, and be astonished.” And “ve-sa'aru” [be horrified] is about the fact that they were destroyed so greatly. The “storm” (se'ar) refers to the anguish — that they [the heavens] would be stirred to storm and grieve over the greatness of the destruction with which Israel was destroyed so greatly, as it is stated, “Is Israel a servant?” And this is explained as corresponding to “be appalled, O heavens.”
For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, That can hold no water.
verse value 5663
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 69 letters. The shortest word is "did" (עָשָׂ֣ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "for·two" (כִּֽי־שְׁתַּ֥יִם, 6 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "for·two" (כִּֽי־שְׁתַּ֥יִם), "to·dig" (לַחְצֹ֤ב), "cisterns" (בֹּאר֔וֹת). The root מים appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "did" (root עשה, 147x in Jeremiah); "to·them" (root הם, 132x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root שנים ("for·two") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root מקור ("spring") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·people', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 13 words.
Rashi
Two evils. If they had exchanged their fear of Me for something similar to it, there would be only one evil here. But now, since they have abandoned Me, I who am the source of living waters, to go after idolatry, which is like cisterns that gather water but are broken and cracked, and whose waters are absorbed into their cracks, behold, there are two evils.
To hew. To dig:
"Which they cannot contain." Tindronut in the vernacular, meaning their waters, for the waters blur their lips and their walls, and they collapse.
Radak
“Because there are two.” God compared the good that He bestows upon Israel while they cling to His Torah to a spring of living waters that flows without ceasing; so too, I was for them. But they forsook Me to serve idols, which are like broken cisterns that hold no water.
"Pits" (ba'arot): They are grooves made in a building to collect within them the rainwater. And if they are broken, the waters will flow out of them just as they entered them. And behold, the hope of those who trust in them has been dashed. And behold, the goodness of God to those who wait for Him is likened to a spring of living waters in two respects: one good aspect is that the waters do not come to it from another place, but rather they spring forth from its own place; and furthermore, there is no interruption to them. So too is the goodness of God to those who wait for Him, for the good will come to them from Him, and He does not receive it from another; and His goodness, too, has no interruption. And so he likened the good that Israel hoped for from the [foreign] gods and from the nations that worship them, for they trusted in the king of Assyria and the king of Egypt, in whom they trusted that he would help them against the enemies besieging them — [these are] like broken pits, for even if they were whole, they have an interruption when the collected waters run out, for the collected waters come to them from another place, not from themselves. So too, the strength that their helpers had came to them from another, for the king does not do anything except with the help of his armies, and also not without the help of God, as it is said, "The king is not saved by a mighty army" (Psalms 33:16). And if they trust that their god will help them, behold, they are like broken pits that cannot hold water, for even if a person puts water in them, it will flow out through the cracks, and no water will be found in them. So too are those who trust in other gods: even if they are a great multitude, even if they have weapons of war, behold, they are as if they were not, and their enemies will defeat them, and even if they are pierced. And so their grain and their vintage will be for desolation, as it says, "You have looked for much, and behold, it came to little" (Haggai 1:9), and it says, "and when you brought it home, I blew upon it" (Haggai 1:9).
Hold (yakhilu): [that is,] contain, as in 'two thousand baths it would hold.'
Metzudat David
“Two evils.” This means: a double evil, which is counted as two.
"The fountain of living waters." [Meaning:] that I am like a spring that flows forth with living water; that is, I bestow good upon them at all times.
"To hew." In order to hew for themselves many cisterns, their walls broken, which cannot hold the water placed in them; that is to say, they serve the heavenly constellations, which receive the influence from the Omnipresent, yet they do not have it in their power to retain that influence at all times. It is as if to say: behold, one who exchanges a thing for another equal to it, that is counted as evil; how much more so one who exchanges a thing for another inferior to it.
Metzudat Zion
Source. A spring:
"To hew." This term is used for digging out a place in the stones, and similarly, "and hewn cisterns" (Deuteronomy 6).
"They will contain." A term for containment, as in, "too small to contain the world" (1 Kings 8:64).
Malbim
For My people have committed two evils: [1] On the side of abandoning that from which they should have drawn, and in this their evil is doubled: [1a] That they abandoned Me, for the abandonment itself is an evil, as it is stated, “The nation has exchanged its God”; [1b] In view of what they abandoned, which was a fountain of living waters, whose waters do not fail. [2] And likewise their evil is doubled regarding that to which they turned: [2a] That they dug for themselves cisterns, for if they had exchanged one existent thing for another existent thing, the sin would have been merely the exchange itself. But not so when they exchanged an existent thing for a non-existent thing, such that the exchanger must now bring it into existence, for the cisterns they chose did not exist but required digging to bring them into being, and this is great folly; [2b] That instead of the fountain, they dug cisterns, whose waters are not from the fountain itself but come from elsewhere, gathered from rainwater. Moreover, these are broken cisterns that cannot hold the waters coming into them, so that the thirsty one remains thirsty. The metaphorical meaning is: [1] For the salvation of the Lord is like a fountain that springs forth by itself and does not need to be dug by human beings; [2] It is like a fountain in which the more one draws from it, the more waters are added to it, as it is stated, “And you shall draw waters with joy from the springs of salvation”; [3] It is like a fountain whose waters do not fail at any time; and likewise, it is like a fountain that is the primary source, imparting from itself and not through another thing. Not so is the aid they sought from other nations, which was likened: [1] To a cistern that requires digging and much labor, accomplished through work, as it is stated, “The burden of the beasts of the south: In the land of trouble and anguish”; [2] To a cistern whose waters are not from itself but are placed into it, and likewise they needed to give them gifts and bribes, as it is stated, “They shall carry their wealth on the shoulders of young donkeys,” etc.; [3] That even the waters placed into it do not endure, for they did not come to their aid, as it is stated, “And Egypt helps in vain and to no purpose.”
Is Israel a servant? Is he a home-born slave? Why is he become a prey?
verse value 1320
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "house·of" (בַּ֖יִת, 3 letters) and the longest is "if·born·of" (אִם־יְלִ֥יד, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "slave" (הַעֶ֙בֶד֙), "if·born·of" (אִם־יְלִ֥יד). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "was" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah); "house·of" (root בית, 128x in Jeremiah); "Israel" (root ישראל, 110x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root עבד ("slave") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root הוא ("he") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'he', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: הַעֶ֙בֶד֙ [slave] (81) + יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל [Israel] (541) + אִם־יְלִ֥יד [if·born·of] (95) + בַּ֖יִת [house·of] (412) + ה֑וּא [he] (12) + מַדּ֖וּעַ [why?] (120) + הָיָ֥ה [was] (20) + לָבַֽז [to·spoil] (39) = 1320.
Rashi
A native of the house: The son of the maidservant:
Radak
"Ha'avad" – the letter he is open (patach), because it indicates a question, namely: Is he a slave, or is he a home-born servant? And if he is a home-born servant, born of the maidservant whom a man has in his house — behold, he is called "My son, My firstborn" [Exodus 4:22], "You are children of the Lord your God" [Deuteronomy 14:1], and it is the custom of a father to have compassion on his son. How then could God abandon him, letting his enemies plunder him? Or is he a slave, such that the master does not watch over him as closely as a father watches over his son? And why?
Metzudat David
"Is Israel a slave?" Is Israel like a slave purchased with money, or a home-born slave, the son of a maidservant? For these, because of their lowliness, the master does not watch over them with individual providence, and therefore they are abandoned to chance; and it says: is Israel like them, to be abandoned to chance? Why then was he given over to plunder?
Metzudat Zion
To plunder. The word is in the meaning of "to plunder" and "to spoil."
Malbim
Regarding the term "the slave," [the commentator] elucidates what was stated, "and be horribly afraid, be exceedingly desolate," and explains the magnitude of the destruction that befell Israel. He asks why Israel became a spoil. (His intention is to demonstrate that the punishment was not accidental but rather under Divine Providence; for it was not necessitated by the nature of the people—hence he says, "the slave," etc.—nor by the nature of the nations that conquered them—on this he says, "upon him they shall roar," etc.—and besides this, behold, will not also the sons of Noph, etc., crush your skull, etc.? From this he derives the inference that this occurred because you forsook the Lord your God.) Now, human dominion over another human being occurs in one of two ways: either through acquisition, whereby one rules over his slave purchased with money, or through conquest by sword and war. In contrast to this, he asks that it is impossible that Israel became a spoil due to acquisition, for is Israel a slave purchased with money to his plunderers? And behold, a master has no such strong claim over a home-born slave as he does over a slave purchased with money, because the former was not acquired with money. Indeed, it has already been established in political philosophy that even those who maintain the law of slavery regarding a slave purchased with money deem it fitting not to apply this to a home-born slave. In such a way, the master's claim against one purchased with money is stronger than against a home-born slave. Therefore, he says, "Is Israel a slave purchased with money?" implying that his masters would have a strong claim over him, or is he at least a home-born slave, whereby they would find at least a weak claim to hold him? And if so, why did he become a spoil? Regarding this, there remains nothing to say except that he became a spoil due to conquest. On this, he expresses amazement, saying: 1. Did not young lions roar upon him? Did not old lions come upon him, but rather young lions, which are lion cubs in their youth, meaning a weak, small, and lowly kingdom? 2. They had not yet bitten him with their teeth, but only roared at him with their voice? 3. Young lions came upon him who gave forth their voice, meaning this was the beginning of their giving forth their voice? And nevertheless, they prevailed over him, so that "they made his land desolate," which refers to the kingdom as a whole, and also his individual cities were consumed, until the destruction reached every city and town (as stated in Isaiah 1:5).
The young lions have roared upon him, and let their voice resound; and they have made his land desolate, his cities are laid waste, without inhabitant.
verse value 4643
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 55 letters. The shortest word is "dwelling" (יֹשֵֽׁב, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·they·put" (וַיָּשִׁ֤יתוּ, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "young·lions" (כְפִרִ֔ים), "and·they·put" (וַיָּשִׁ֤יתוּ), "his·cities" (עָרָ֥יו). The root יצת appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·him" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah); "his·land" (root ארץ, 245x in Jeremiah); "dwelling" (root ישב, 147x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root שאג ("they·will·roar") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root כפיר ("young·lions") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'their·voice', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 8 words. Full calculation: עָלָיו֙ [upon·him] (116) + יִשְׁאֲג֣וּ [they·will·roar] (320) + כְפִרִ֔ים [young·lions] (350) + נָתְנ֖וּ [they·gave] (506) + קוֹלָ֑ם [their·voice] (176) + וַיָּשִׁ֤יתוּ [and·they·put] (732) + אַרְצוֹ֙ [his·land] (297) + לְשַׁמָּ֔ה [to·astonishment] (375) + עָרָ֥יו [his·cities] (286) + (נצתה) [was·kindled] (545) + נִצְּת֖וּ [are·burned] (546) + מִבְּלִ֥י [from·without·of] (82) + יֹשֵֽׁב [dwelling] (312) = 4643.
Rashi
Yish'agu. Sho'agim is a present-tense verb:
Cubs: Kings.
They were consumed. They were consumed by fire:
Radak
“Upon him shall the young lions roar.” And they shall raise their voice against him; they shall terrify him with their voice and plunder him with their hand. And why was this so? The “young lions” are the kings of the nations, who are likened to lion cubs. This question is as if Israel is asking: “Why did this happen to them?” And the prophet answers them: “Is not this done to you because you have forsaken the Lord your God?”
"Nitzetah": They are destroyed and desolate. And Targum Yonatan [renders it] "tzadyan" [laid waste]. Its root is נצת, written [in the Ketiv] with a heh and read [in the Kri] with a vav, like "yadeinu lo shafkha" (our hands have not shed) and its like. Or perhaps "nitzetu" refers to the matter of kindling and burning, like "vatitzat besivkhei ha-ya'ar" (and it kindled among the thickets of the forest), and it is in the manner of "areichem serufot eish" (your cities burned with fire). And my master and father, of blessed memory, explained that "nitzetu" means "they sprouted," for the desolate place will grow vegetation.
Metzudat David
"Alav." Upon Israel the lions shall roar, threatening him; and they are the mighty men of the nations.
"They gave their voice." Over him they gave their voice, and the matter is repeated in different words:
"And they shall place." They will lay waste his land, and his cities will become desolate, without anyone dwelling in them; and regarding the kingdom of Ephraim, it will say that they have already been exiled from their land.
Metzudat Zion
They shall roar. The matter is a cry of voice:
Young lions. Lions:
And they shall set. The meaning of "set" is like "they have set their mouth against the heavens" (Psalms 73:9):
Nitzetu. The meaning is one of desolation, like [the phrase] "it is laid waste like a wilderness" (below, chapter 9):
The children also of Noph and Tahpanhes feed upon the crown of your head.
verse value 1965
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "head" (קׇדְקֹֽד, 4 letters) and the longest is "also·sons·of·Noph" (גַּם־בְּנֵי־נֹ֖ף, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "also·sons·of·Noph" (גַּם־בְּנֵי־נֹ֖ף), "and·Tahpanhes" (וְתַחְפַּנְחֵ֑ס), "they·will·pasture·you" (יִרְע֖וּךְ). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "they·will·pasture·you" (root רעה, 50x in Jeremiah); "also·sons·of·Noph" (root גם, 24x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root גם ("also·sons·of·Noph") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root תחפנחס ("and·Tahpanhes") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·Tahpanhes', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words.
Rashi
"And the sons of Noph and Tahpanhes." These are the Egyptians upon whom you rely for assistance:
"ירעוך קדקוד" – "They shall crush your skull." The term "ירעוך" is in the sense of crushing, as we translate in the Targum: "וְרַצּוּץ וְרַעַעוּ" – "and crushed and shattered."
Radak
"Even the sons of Noph." The prophet said, and answered them, grasping their words: Thus it is, as you say. Moreover, even the sons of Noph and Tahpanhes, in whom you trust and to whom you go to Egypt to seek help from Egypt, even they will crush your skull. And what will all this do for you? You have abandoned the Lord.
“Yir’ukh.” They will shatter you, just as [the term] “ra’ah” is used in “hitra’ah” (to be utterly broken), and in “va’ya’aru et dalyotav” (and they broke its branches), and in “va’ya’aru et eretz Ashur” (and they shattered the land of Assyria). And the reason it says “qadqod” (crown of the head) is because a blow to the crown is a severe blow that crushes the head in the middle, for it splits the head; thus, “taraf zeroa” (tears the arm) and “qadqod” (crown of the head) [are parallel expressions]. And the Targum translates: “Yir’ukh qadqod” – “They will kill your mighty men and plunder your wealth.”
And “v’tachpanes” is written [Ketiv] but read [Qere] as “v’tachpanchas,” and it is a city in the land of Egypt. It is called by both spellings, for they are similar.
Metzudat David
“Also the sons of Noph and Tahpanhes.” These are from the land of Egypt, in whom you trust and from whom you seek help; yet they too will break you. The verse returns and explains “they will break” by referring to the head, as if to say: Is this because they have been abandoned to chance? Is it fitting that they should be abandoned to chance? Are they like a slave or like a home-born servant?
Metzudat Zion
"Yir'ucha." The meaning of "breaking" is similar to "and its branches were broken" (below, chapter 11).
Kedeked. It is the middle of the head, where the hair is parted this way and that.
Malbim
"And also" — meaning, not only this, but you also gave bribes to the sons of Noph and Tahpanhes so that they would come to help you. Will they not also crush your skull? How will this be? Pay attention, for this is not according to the ways of the world. Rather, this is the destruction that you have brought upon yourself: because you abandoned the Lord your God when He was leading you along the way. This is like an orphan whose father was leading him along the way, but he [the orphan] abandoned him [his father] and wandered in the desert, where whoever comes first and finds him claims him. So too, you became prey and abandoned property.
Is it not this that does cause it to you, that you have forsaken Hashem your God, when He led you by the way?
verse value 2681
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 40 letters. The shortest word is "in·time·of" (בְּעֵ֖ת, 3 letters) and the longest is "is·it·not·this" (הֲלוֹא־זֹ֖את, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "is·it·not·this" (הֲלוֹא־זֹ֖את), "will·do·to·you" (תַּעֲשֶׂה־לָּ֑ךְ), "leading·you" (מוֹלִכֵ֥ךְ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "will·do·to·you" (root עשה, 147x in Jeremiah); "your·God" (root אלהים, 140x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root עת ("in·time·of") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root דרך ("in·the·way") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'will·do·to·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 6 words. Full calculation: הֲלוֹא־זֹ֖את [is·it·not·this] (450) + תַּעֲשֶׂה־לָּ֑ךְ [will·do·to·you] (825) + עׇזְבֵךְ֙ [your·forsaking] (99) + אֶת־יְהֹוָ֣ה [Hashem] (427) + אֱלֹהַ֔יִךְ [your·God] (66) + בְּעֵ֖ת [in·time·of] (472) + מוֹלִכֵ֥ךְ [leading·you] (116) + בַּדָּֽרֶךְ [in·the·way] (226) = 2681.
Rashi
"Is this not what you shall do for yourself?"—namely, that this evil and this calamity you shall bring upon yourself through the guilt and the sin of having abandoned the Lord your God.
"At the time He led you on the way"—for He was teaching you the good and straight path.
Radak
"Is this not what your forsaking shall do to you?" He used the feminine form "shall do" with reference to "your forsaking," which is a noun derived from a verb, because the noun form can take either masculine or feminine gender. Yet he used the masculine form in "for bitter and evil is your forsaking of the Lord your God." And when it says, "Is this not what your forsaking shall do to you," it is as if it said "your act of forsaking," since it is a noun form. And likewise it appears in the feminine form, as in "Is it a slight thing in your eyes to become son-in-law to the king?"
"At the time He led you on the way": He was leading you on the straight path, but you inclined away from it and abandoned the Lord to go after other gods. And it says "on the way" with a definite article, meaning on the known way that your first forefathers had gone.
Metzudat David
"Is this not what you shall do for yourself?" This means: It is not because you are abandoned to chance events, but rather this is the thing that brings about the evil—namely, your abandonment, in that you abandoned the Lord and did not follow Him when He was guiding you along the straight path. And the punishment that came was due to this, and not by chance.
And now what have you to do in the way to Egypt, to drink the waters of Shihor? Or what have you to do in the way to Assyria, to drink the waters of the River?
verse value 5213
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 51 letters. Verse gematria: 5213 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "water·of" (מֵ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "Egypt" (מִצְרַ֔יִם, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 1136: to·drink, to·drink. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "what·to·you" (מַה־לָּךְ֙), "Shihor" (שִׁח֑וֹר), "and·what?·to·you" (וּמַה־לָּךְ֙). The root דרך appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "what·to·you" (root הלך, 108x in Jeremiah); "to·the·way·of" (root דרך, 64x in Jeremiah); "Egypt" (root מצרים, 46x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root עתה ("now") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root שתה ("to·drink") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Shihor', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 6 words. Full calculation: וְעַתָּ֗ה [now] (481) + מַה־לָּךְ֙ [what·to·you] (95) + לְדֶ֣רֶךְ [to·the·way·of] (254) + מִצְרַ֔יִם [Egypt] (380) + לִשְׁתּ֖וֹת [to·drink] (1136) + מֵ֣י [water·of] (50) + שִׁח֑וֹר [Shihor] (514) + וּמַה־לָּךְ֙ [and·what?·to·you] (101) + לְדֶ֣רֶךְ [to·the·way·of] (254) + אַשּׁ֔וּר [Assyria] (507) + לִשְׁתּ֖וֹת [to·drink] (1136) + מֵ֥י [water·of] (50) + נָהָֽר [river] (255) = 5213.
Rashi
What is your business on the way to Egypt? Why will you leave Me and trust in Egypt?
"To drink the waters of Shichor." For your males drowned in the Nile; Shichor is the Nile, as it is stated, "from the Shichor which is before Egypt," in the Book of Joshua (13:3).
"And what is it to you?" To rebel against Me, so that you will be exiled by way of Assyria, to cross the Euphrates River.
Radak
“And now, what do you have?” Why do you go seeking help from Egypt and from Assyria, when your help is in your own place? If you desired to walk the straight path, you would not have needed to trouble yourself with distant roads, as if you were craving to drink the water of Shichor or the waters of the river of the king of Assyria. And the Targum: “And now, what do you have to join yourself to Pharaoh, king of Egypt,” etc., as in the column.
Metzudat David
"And now." Since everything is under [Divine] providence, why do you need to go the way of Egypt and Assyria to quench your thirst with the waters of their land? This means: to seek their help, so that you might be saved through them. Is it not so that everything is under [Divine] providence? What benefit will they bring you?
Metzudat Zion
Shiḥor. This is the Nile.
"Nahar" [River]. This means the Euphrates River.
Malbim
And now, since you yourself have caused your own downfall, what do you have to do with the way of Egypt to seek help from there? Can you not find your help in the Sanctuary? And what will you gain from the way of Egypt? Do you wish to drink the waters of Shichor in place of the fountain of living waters, which you have forsaken? But why do I need the aforementioned proof from the punishments? Will not your own evil chastise you, etc.?
Your own wickedness shall correct you, and your backslidings shall reprove you: Know therefore and see that it is an evil and a bitter thing, that you have forsaken Hashem your God, neither is My fear in you, Says the Lord Hashem of hosts.
verse value 5344
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 80 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "and·bitter" (וָמָ֔ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·your·backslidings" (וּמְשֻׁבוֹתַ֙יִךְ֙, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 690: shall·chasten·you, your·wickedness. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "shall·chasten·you" (תְּיַסְּרֵ֣ךְ), "and·your·backslidings" (וּמְשֻׁבוֹתַ֙יִךְ֙), "shall·reprove·you" (תּֽוֹכִחֻ֔ךְ). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "that·evil" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "and·not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root יסר ("shall·chasten·you") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root צבא ("hosts") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·God', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 6 words.
Rashi
"Your evil shall chastise you." In the end, your evil will bring sufferings upon you.
"And your backslidings." A term for 'wayward children' (below, ch. 3).
"Shall rebuke you." A term of reproof.
"And there was no fear of Me." My fear was not in your heart to fear Me.
Radak
"Your evil shall chastise you." After you have been tested many times, so that when you do evil, evil comes to you, and because of your backslidings, in that you rebel against Me, the enemies will rule over you—they themselves being your evil and your backslidings—and they shall serve as discipline and reproof to chastise you, so that you will no longer return to the path of evil. For you have been tested and seen that evil comes to you because of it. This is what is meant by: "Know and see that it is evil and bitter for you to forsake the Lord your God."
"My dread [pachdati]." [This is] a noun, on the pattern of pachdah, ahavah, achavah [i.e., dread, love, kinship]. It is as if it said: "My fear and My dread was not upon you" — [meaning] you did not fear that I would bring evil upon you as punishment for your evil deeds.
Metzudat David
"Your evil shall chastise you." The evils that you do—they will chastise you with a discipline of affliction; that is to say, because of them you will be chastised with afflictions.
"And your backslidings." That you walked in the ways of your heart shall rebuke you with pain. And the matter is repeated in different words:
And know and see. Set your heart to understand and your eyes to see that bitter and harsh is the matter of abandonment, that you have abandoned the Lord, and the fear of the Lord was not upon you, as if to say: it would not have been fitting to abandon Him, whether on account of the aid that comes from Him, or on account of the fear of punishment.
Metzudat Zion
"Will chastise you." From the language of "afflictions" (yissurim).
And your backslidings. The matter is one of rebellion and walking in the ways of the heart, as it is said: "and he went, backsliding" (Isaiah 57:17).
"They shall reprove you." The matter is one of the judgment of retribution, similar to "and he is chastened with pain" (Job 33:19). "And bitter." From the term of "bitterness."
Malbim
"Your evil shall chastise you" — There is a difference between chastisement and reproof. Reproof is through words, and it comes to restore him gently to the path of goodness in the future. Chastisement, however, is with force, through harsh words or blows, and it comes to punish him for the past, or to force him back to goodness in the future. Now, the one who reproves will clarify his words from the aspect of the good or benefit that will be found in heeding the reproof. And usually, the good or benefit is not in the deed itself, but outside of it. For example, a father who reproves his son not to eat bad foods lest he become ill: the illness is external to the foods, only it results from them in a cause-and-effect relationship. But the one who chastises punishes him with whips, which are not caused by the transgression even in a natural cause-and-effect manner, but only by the will of the chastiser who says, "If you will not listen, I will chastise you with whips." But here it says that the chastisements are caused by your evil way itself, in a natural cause-and-effect manner, for your evil itself will chastise you, not the whip and the rod, but the evil itself that you did. And the reproof is not by informing you of the evil that results from your transgressions, but your transgressions themselves will reprove you, for when you open your eyes, you will find that your evil way is evil in itself, even if no harm resulted from it. (And according to this, whereas reproof is everywhere through an effect external to the deed, here it is through the deed itself. And whereas chastisement is always through the voluntary punishments of the chastiser, here it is through what results from the evil.) Now, reproof acts upon knowledge, so that he will see through proofs that the matter is evil. And chastisements act upon sight and feeling, so that he will feel the pain. Corresponding to this, it says "see and know," and it explains: "know that it is evil" and "see that it is bitter" [refer to] your forsaking the Lord your God — the forsaking itself is evil in itself, and bitter due to the punishment that results from it. And this corresponds to [the pairing of] "your evil will chastise you" with "and see that it is bitter," and [the pairing of] "your transgressions will reprove you" with "and know that it is evil." And "you had no fear of Me" means that abandoning You, God, is evil and bitter, but fearing You is not evil and bitter. That is to say, you abandoned serving God because it seemed to you that this service was hard upon you, and it was evil and bitter. But you will see that fearing Me was good and sweet, for at the time that you feared Me, you were free from all servitude and successful. Not so at the time you abandoned My fear and feared the idols. And it explains that you cannot say that fearing Me was evil and bitter.
For of old time I have broken your yoke, and burst your bands, and you said: ‘I will not transgress’; upon every high hill And under every leafy tree You did recline, playing the harlot.
verse value 6297
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 80 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "your·bands" (מוֹסְרוֹתַ֔יִךְ, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 30: for, for. 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "your·yoke" (עֻלֵּ֗ךְ), "I·broke" (נִתַּ֙קְתִּי֙), "your·bands" (מוֹסְרוֹתַ֔יִךְ). The root כי appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·you·said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root עולם ("from·ever") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root נתק ("I·broke") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·can·pass', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 9 words.
Rashi
"I broke your yoke." The yoke, which is made of wood, is described with the term 'breaking,' while the straps, which are made of leather, are described with the term 'tearing off.'
“Your bonds” – these are the straps with which the yoke is tied.
"And you said, 'I will not transgress.'" Regarding your own words.
"For on every high hill." But you did not keep your promise, and on every high hill you recline — a term for lying down and bedding — for [כי] serves here only as an expression of "but" [אלא].
Radak
"For from of old." From ancient times I broke the yoke of Egypt off you, and likewise in every generation I severed the fetters of the nations from you. And when I was saving you, you would say, "I will no longer transgress Your commandments." And the verse states, "I will serve," meaning I will no longer serve idolatry. Yet you did not do so; rather, when it was convenient for you, you transgressed My commandments and returned to serve idolatry, just as you are doing now, "for on every high hill, etc."
“Tzo’ah zonah” [a roaming harlot]. He compares her in her service of other gods to a harlot, who clings to one paramour for a short time and thereafter desires another and goes after him. With this parable, the majority of Ezekiel’s words are [expressed]: “Thus you served so-and-so [a] foreign deity for a certain time, and thereafter so-and-so [another] foreign deity, and you go from hill to hill and from one lush tree to another lush tree to serve foreign deities.”
Tzoe'a. It goes and travels from place to place; likewise, "speedily [mihar] the captive [tzo'eh] shall be set free" [Isaiah 51:14]; and likewise, "marching [tzo'eh] in the greatness of his might" [Isaiah 63:1]. However, it is a transitive verb [po'al yotze].
Metzudat David
"Because from of old." Behold, from the days of eternity I have been your helper, and I have broken the yoke that the nations have laid heavily upon you.
I have severed. I have removed from your neck the bonds of the straps of bondage:
And you said. And then you said, "I will no longer transgress the word of the Lord."
“Because on every hill” – this is as if it said, “Behold, you have not kept [your covenant], for on every hill…” You are like a harlot, traveling from place to place. That is to say, just as it is not the way of a harlot to remain in one place, as it is stated regarding her: “Her feet do not remain in her house…” (Proverbs 7:11), so too you have gone from this house of idolatry to that house of idolatry.
Metzudat Zion
“Your yoke.” From the term for the yoke placed upon the neck of an animal, serving as a metaphor for the heaviness of the labor.
I have torn off. The matter is one of removal and taking away:
"Your cords" – these are the knots of the straps of the yoke.
Giv'ah. Its meaning is like that of a mountain.
Ranan. The meaning is moisture and dampness, as in “with fresh oil” (Psalms 92:11):
Tzoea. The matter concerns carrying and moving from place to place, and similarly, "And I will send against him tzoeim, and they will tzoe'u him" (further on, 49).
Malbim
"For from of old I have broken your yoke" means that service would be difficult in two respects: either from the aspect of positive commandments, which involve heavy physical actions like a heavy yoke, or from the aspect of negative commandments, whereby a person is bound in fetters, forbidden to do anything. This is similar to an ox upon which a heavy yoke is placed for the sake of labor, and it is bound with shackles so that it does not cross the boundary. But the commandments of the Torah are light in these two respects. Regarding the actions, "from of old I have broken your yoke," for rather, the actions performed by the worshippers of foreign gods in that generation were a heavy yoke, for they would even burn their sons and daughters in fire to their gods. And I have broken this yoke from upon you. And regarding the prohibitions, "I have cut your bonds," for the prohibitions with which the idolaters were warned were more severe, and I have cut these bonds from upon you. For I was satisfied with your saying, "I will not cross the boundary," and then I did not bind you with severe fences and barriers. This explains what was stated, "For bitter and evil is your leaving the Lord your God," and it explains, "On every high hill and under every verdant tree" (and the statement "and My fear is not in you; from of old I have broken Your yoke" is a parenthetical remark). It clarifies how bitter and evil was your leaving the Lord your God, for you went out to such a state of licentiousness that you are a harlot, a reclining and stormy one, given to harlotry on every high hill, like a woman who has left her husband and is licentious to all on every mountain and hill. And this itself is very bitter and evil.
Yet I had planted you a noble vine, Wholly a right seed; How then are you turned into the degenerate plant Of a strange vine to Me?
verse value 3356
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 48 letters. The shortest word is "to·me" (לִ֔י, 2 letters) and the longest is "I·planted·you" (נְטַעְתִּ֣יךְ, 6 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "I·planted·you" (נְטַעְתִּ֣יךְ), "choice vine" (שׂוֹרֵ֔ק), "you·were·turned" (נֶהְפַּ֣כְתְּ). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "his·them" (root כל, 167x in Jeremiah); "and·I" (root אנכי, 37x in Jeremiah); "to·me" (root לי, 25x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root אמת ("truth") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root איך ("and·how?") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'truth', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: וְאָֽנֹכִי֙ [and·I] (87) + נְטַעְתִּ֣יךְ [I·planted·you] (559) + שׂוֹרֵ֔ק [choice vine] (606) + כֻּלֹּ֖ה [his·them] (55) + זֶ֣רַע [seed] (277) + אֱמֶ֑ת [truth] (441) + וְאֵיךְ֙ [and·how?] (37) + נֶהְפַּ֣כְתְּ [you·were·turned] (555) + לִ֔י [to·me] (40) + סוּרֵ֖י [degenerate·of] (276) + הַגֶּ֥פֶן [vine] (138) + נׇכְרִיָּֽה [foreign] (285) = 3356.
Rashi
"I planted you as a choice vine [שורק]." Shorek refers to good vine shoots, meaning [Israel were] children of fit and righteous forefathers. And its midrashic interpretation: 'I planted you as a shorek' — I added for you, beyond the seven Noahide commandments, six hundred and six, corresponding to the numerical value of 'shorek.'
"Suri." "Destoultours" in Old French.
A foreign vine: that which grows in forests.
Radak
"And I planted you as a noble vine" (Jeremiah 2:21). This refers to the most excellent variety of vine, and it is said that no seeds are found in its grapes. He said this about Abraham. He said: How was this? And how did you come forth like a foreign vine? For from your planting there was a chosen vine and a true seed, and it was fitting that good fruit also come forth from it, and the vines that would be planted from it would be good. And how have you turned for Me into the degenerate shoots of a foreign vine? It is the bad vine, and it is foreign to the planting that was noble and a true planting. It is to Me like a foreigner and a stranger, as if it did not come forth from it. And "the strays of the vine" are the bad shoots that are removed from the vine because they are of no use. He said: You have turned for Me like the strays of the vine, or like a foreign vine whose fruits are foul, wild berries, not grapes. And the word "vine" is found in the masculine gender and in the feminine gender. In the masculine gender: "a luxuriant vine" (Hosea 10:1), and "he found a vine ... and gathered from it" (2 Kings 4:39). And in the feminine gender: "and it was blossoming" (Genesis 40:10), "for one vine," "the noble vine" (cf. Ezekiel 17:8), and "a foreign vine" (Jeremiah 2:21).
Metzudat David
"And I planted you a noble vine." Initially, I planted you from the branches of a choice vine. And he goes on to explain: all of it is from seed of truth—they are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and if so, you ought to have been like them. And how did you turn against Me, becoming bad shoots removed from the vine, each of which is foreign and strange to the planting, and does not resemble it?
Metzudat Zion
Shorok. Fine branches; and likewise, "And He planted it [with] shorok" (Isaiah 5:2).
"Degenerate." From the language of removal and separation:
"Foreign." Strange:
Malbim
"And I" — behold, it was their custom to graft a shoot and a twig of the *shorak* variety into the inferior vine, so that the vine would be improved. And in this case, although thereby he improved its fruitfulness, nevertheless it is diminished in that it is not true seed; namely, the seed which is the grafting (which is called 'sowing' regarding trees) is not true, but false, of a foreign kind. And therefore it cannot grow in its likeness, for the hybrids do not reproduce of their kind, as is well known. But I planted you in two degrees: 1. *Shorak*, which is a choice vine; 2. That this was not done by grafting from a foreign kind, but entirely from true seed. And how have you turned in these two respects to the worse? For you are not *shorak*, but *suri* vine, and not true seed, but foreign seed. In such a way that they grafted into the *shorak* vine a shoot of the *suri* vine, until it is spoiled from two aspects. And the metaphor is that the Lord planted them so that they would be distinct from the nations, and nevertheless they would be successful in themselves. But they mingled with other nations and lost the form of the holy nation. And nevertheless, not only did they not gain wealth and success thereby, but on the contrary, they became impoverished and descended lower and lower.
For though you wash you with nitre, and take you much soap, yet your iniquity is marked before Me, says the Lord Hashem.
verse value 3503
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 47 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "if·you·wash" (אִם־תְּכַבְּסִי֙, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "if·you·wash" (אִם־תְּכַבְּסִי֙), "with·the·natron" (בַּנֶּ֔תֶר), "and·you·increase·to·you" (וְתַרְבִּי־לָ֖ךְ). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "to·my·face" (root פנים, 126x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root רבה ("and·you·increase·to·you") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root ברית ("covenant") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'covenant', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 6 words. Full calculation: כִּ֤י [for] (30) + אִם־תְּכַבְּסִי֙ [if·you·wash] (533) + בַּנֶּ֔תֶר [with·the·natron] (652) + וְתַרְבִּי־לָ֖ךְ [and·you·increase·to·you] (668) + בֹּרִ֑ית [covenant] (612) + נִכְתָּ֤ם [is·marked] (510) + עֲוֺנֵךְ֙ [your·iniquity] (146) + לְפָנַ֔י [to·my·face] (170) + נְאֻ֖ם [utterance] (91) + אֲדֹנָ֥י [my·lord] (65) + יֱהֹוִֽה [Hashem] (26) = 3503.
Rashi
“B’natr.” A type of earth with which one scours and rubs garments.
“Borith.” Cleanliness, as it is written, “and a clean heart” (Psalms 24:4). And there are those who say that “borith” is the vernacular word “savon” [soap].
“Your iniquity is stained.” Behold, like the mark of a stain that is not clean, so your sins have multiplied before Me.
Ketem. Takka in the vernacular:
"Your iniquity." Regarding the sin of the Golden Calf, it is stated that it remains in effect for all time, as it is written: "And in the day that I visit [their sins], I will visit them upon them" (Exodus 32:34). This means that in every instance of divine reckoning that comes upon Israel, a portion of the sin of the Golden Calf will be included in it.
Radak
"Yet if you wash yourself": Just as one washes a garment with soda and fullers’ earth to remove the stain from it, so too, if you were to wash yourself and cleanse yourself—meaning, if you were to repent—even so, I would punish you for your sin. For your sin is so great and immense. And behold, it is written: “Wash yourself, O Jerusalem, from the evil of your heart, that you may be saved” (Jeremiah 4:14). This is the answer to the question: For in any case, if the Israelites of that generation had repented, they would have been saved from the enemy and would not have been exiled. However, they would have received the punishment for their great sin within their own land. For there is a sin that is not atoned for by repentance alone, but only together with afflictions that purge the sin after repentance. Our Sages of blessed memory raised a difficulty regarding these verses and resolved it by saying that both cases refer to a decree after it has been pronounced; however, here it refers to a decree accompanied by an oath, whereas there it refers to a decree not accompanied by an oath. For a decree accompanied by an oath is not annulled, as it is stated: “Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, that the guilt of the house of Eli shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever” (1 Samuel 3:14).
Regarding "natron": Some explain that it is what they call in the vernacular "alumi" [alum], and others explain that it is the powder with which one washes the head and with which one cleans everything.
Borith. Some say that it is what is called in the vernacular “sabun” [soap]; and some say that it is a herb with which they launder clothes.
Metzudat David
"And you shall increase for yourself borith." You shall increase for yourself borith to polish yourself with it — meaning: even if you appear before people as righteous and performing good deeds, this will not avail you, for your sin, which you commit in secret, appears before Me like a stain, for neither the natron nor the borith have removed it. That is to say, the charity that you perform before people has not atoned for the sin that was concealed.
Metzudat Zion
"You shall wash." From the language of laundering and washing:
natron: a type of soft earth, and one washes clothes with it. And similarly, vinegar with natron (Proverbs 25:20).
Barit. The name of a herb that cleanses; and likewise, "and with barit they wash" (Malachi 3:2).
Niktam. From the language of a stain and an imprint:
Malbim
“Ki,” meaning: That which you will wash with soda to remove from you the stains of sins, which is that you will offer excuses, saying, “I have not sinned” — even though by this you increase for yourself lye [soap], for yourself alone you have removed the stains, and you are pure in your own eyes, as if you had not sinned. But by this very thing, your sin is stained before Me, for by this the stain remains great in the eyes of the Lord, until the transgression becomes a sin that indicates corruption of the intellect. For one who denies [his sin] necessarily denies the commandment and the obligation upon him. For one who knows that he has sinned, even though he is stained in his own eyes, is not stained in the eyes of the Lord, for he is readily accepted in repentance. Not so is one who considers himself righteous in his own eyes. And it explains, “Ki” – How can you say? Meaning: You are denying, both the impurity itself, saying, “I have not become impure,” and the path you took to become impure, claiming that not only did I not become impure through idolatry, but I did not go after other men at all. But how can you say such a thing? Behold, contrary to what you say that you did not go after other men, look at your path in the valley; still found there are the marks of your footsteps, and your tracks are known there. And contrary to what you say that you did not become impure, consider what you did. Did you not know yourself that you became impure there? How can you deny this? Behold, even a young camel, which entangles her ways so that the straps of her hooves adhere to her paths, making her footsteps evident where she walked, and likewise were your footsteps evident.
How can you say: ‘I am not defiled, I have not gone after the Baalim’? See your way in the valley, know what you have done; you are a swift young camel traversing her ways;
verse value 5036
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 70 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "I·am·defiled" (נִטְמֵ֗אתִי, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 31: how?, not, not. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "I·am·defiled" (נִטְמֵ֗אתִי), "looking" (רְאִ֤י), "birthright" (בִּכְרָ֥ה). The root לא appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "you·will·say" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah); "have·you·done" (root עשה, 147x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root גיא ("valley") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'have·you·done', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 4 words.
Rashi
“See your way in the valley.” What did you do opposite the house of Peor? And even now you cling to that same way, like a swift young she-camel that meanders in her ways.
“Bikhrah.” A young female camel that loves to wander — [as in] “the young camels of Midian” (Isaiah 60:6), which the Targum renders “hugnei Midian” — and they are young camels, as we find in [tractate] Sanhedrin: “Many are the old camels that carry the hides of the young ones.”
mishrekhet. She holds fast to the ways of her youth; the term is like "masrikh, sarikh." And some connect it with the shoelace (Genesis 14:23) — meaning, she ties the ways of her youth in her heart.
Radak
How can you say so? It means that your guilt is so exposed that if you wished to deny it by saying, "I did not become impure, and I did not go after the Baalim," you would not be able to deny it.
"See your way in the valley." Was her idolatrous worship not on the hills? How then can it say "in the valley"? Rather, it means: "See your way," which is a path trodden in the valley to ascend to the hill. The valley is mentioned because the hill, like a mountain, is made of stone, and one cannot discern a path upon it as one can in a valley. Therefore, you can see the path that you had in the valley, for you had no path there except to ascend to the hill—to offer burnt offerings and your continual offerings—until you went there so much that the path became a well-trodden track, known to all who walked on it. And there is no path in that valley except to the hill adjacent to it. Consider what you have done: you engaged in the worship of Baal on the hill. And what Jonathan [ben Uzziel] explained is an accurate interpretation, as he translated: "See your way" as "Lift up your eyes," etc., as in the column. And according to Jonathan's approach, we interpret the verse thus: How can you say, "I did not go after the Baals"? See your way, which is just as it was in the valley opposite Beth-Peor, where you went after Baal-Peor; so too, you are now going after the Baals. How then can you deny it?
Know what you have done. In the valley opposite Beth-Peor, and behold, even in your own land, behold, you are like a light she-camel that traces her paths, sometimes running here and sometimes running there. So too, you sometimes serve one foreign deity and sometimes another. And the Targum says: "You were like a light young camel that ruins her path." And "bichrah" (she-camel) is a young camel, only a few days old, and it runs faster than the male. "Traces" is from the context of the thong of the sandal, which they tie around the sandal many times.
Metzudat David
How will you say, “How can you deny, saying, ‘I have not become defiled now through idol worship, and I never followed the Baalim’?”
“See your way in the valley.” This is as if to say: How can you speak thus? Did you not see your way in the valley, opposite the house of Peor, where you served Baal? Know what you have done on this day, and understand and perceive that that sin which you began there has stood until this very day.
"A swift young camel." And you are like this young female camel, which is quicker to run than the male that was joined with her; her way and custom become ingrained in her, so that all her days she persists in that custom—to chase and run at all times. Likewise, you, when you began with the worship of Baal Peor, became attached to the worship of the Baalim until this day, and you will not abandon them.
Metzudat Zion
"In the valley" – it is opposite Beit Peor, as it is written: "And we dwelt in the valley opposite Beit Peor" (Deuteronomy 3:29).
Bechorah. A choice she-camel, like [the word] "bechorei" in "bechorei Midian" (Isaiah 60).
"Mesarechet." The meaning is tying, and it is from the language of "sharuch na'al" (Genesis 14:23), which is the strap with which one ties the shoe.
“Her ways.” The matter of custom and order:
A wild ass used to the wilderness, that snuffs up the wind in her desire; her lust, who can hinder it? All they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her.
verse value 5003
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 69 letters. The shortest word is "who?" (מִ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "all·her·seekers" (כׇּל־מְבַקְשֶׁ֙יהָ֙, 8 letters). 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "wild·ass" (פֶּ֣רֶה), "in·desire·of" (בְּאַוַּ֤ת), "gasped" (שָׁאֲפָ֣ה). The root נפש appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah); "in·desire·of" (root בוא, 211x in Jeremiah); "will·bring·it·back" (root שוב, 106x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root למד ("teach") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root נפש ("soul") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'will·bring·it·back', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 5 words.
Rashi
Parah. In the vernacular it is called “Shelovatik,” and some in the vernacular call it “Kolein.”
“Accustomed to the wilderness.” [She is] accustomed to being in the deserts; so she loves to wander.
She inhales breath. She opens her mouth and inhales breath, and forever it returns to its place.
"Her craving — who can restrain it?" That is the trait of crocodiles that is within her, for even the crocodile snuffs the wind, as it is stated, "She snuffed the wind like jackals" (Jeremiah 14:6). Who can restrain her from that trait? So too you: who can turn you back from your evil way?
“All who seek her shall not grow weary.” For they will grow weary in vain, since they will not be able to reach her. And what is her end? “In her month they will find her.” There is one month in the year in which she is tranquil the entire month, and then she is caught. So too you: one month (that is Av) has already been prepared for you since the days of the spies, when your fathers established weeping for naught in it — in it you will be caught. “Her craving”: “shon degronemint” in the vernacular, and so Targum Yonatan [renders it] “kiruda.” Another interpretation: it is a term of wailing, as in “taaniyah va’aniyah” [mourning and moaning] (Lamentations 2). Another interpretation: it is “sakontaria” in the vernacular, like “Taanath Shiloh” (Joshua 16).
Radak
"Pereh" (wild donkey). With a heh, just as with an aleph: "a wild-ass of a man." Behold, they are wild asses in the wilderness; and it is the wild donkey. He said, "And behold, you are like the wild ass," which is accustomed to the wilderness, meaning it is used to the desert, which is a land of plains, in which to run very much. And he mentions the wild ass in the verse in the masculine and feminine, because "pere" is a general term for both male and female, like "donkey" and "ox," and it was said, "And there was to me an ox and a donkey." And it is possible that the female runs more; therefore, the feminine term was mentioned, and it said, "In the craving of her soul." But since it is written, "his soul," in the masculine, this parable is said regarding this, and the reading is "her soul," as is the majority of the verse in the feminine. And it said, "In the craving of her soul, she snuffed the wind," meaning she runs to the place she craves, and a person cannot return her from the place of her desire. And the matter of "snuffed the wind" is like "they snuffed the wind, [like] jackals," and it is the sniffing and drawing of the air into the nose, and the snuffing is in running, as the great sage Rabbi Solomon ibn Gabirol wrote, for he hinted at the sense of smell in saying, "For the race is not to the swift," because the race will be in the snuffing of the air from outside to the fluttering or waving over the natural warmth which is within the body of man, and the snuffing will be in the sense of the nose, and were it not for the nose, there would be no breathing, which brings about movement. And Jonathan translated "snuffed the wind" as "drew in the wind like a wild ass," adding "jackals," as it is said, "they snuffed the wind, [like] jackals."
"Taanatah." From the phrase "annah leyado" (it was brought about, came to his hand), indicating that it caused the matter and its occurrence; namely, when she herself brings it about to go to the place of her desire, who can compel her to return?
All who seek her shall not grow weary. For they shall run after her in vain, for they shall not be able to attain her.
"In her month, they shall find her." Some explain that "her month" refers to the time when her pregnancy is completed, for then she is full and heavy, and only then can they attain her and find her. So too with the Congregation of Israel: those who seek her are the prophets who rebuke her to return to God, but they do not succeed. He says that in the month when her sin becomes heavy upon her and she falls—that is, the month of Av, when the Temple fell and was destroyed—then they will find her, and she will confess her sin, that she did not listen to the prophets, when she sees it in her destruction. And some explain "in her newness" as "in her renewal," meaning that at all times they will find her, as if she has just begun to run, and she is fresh in her running. And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated it: "in her time they will forget her."
Metzudat David
"Wild ass." Behold, you are like this wild ass, trained and accustomed to the wilderness, whose soul, in its desire, snuffs the wind — that is to say, no one forces her to run and chase; rather, she runs and chases of her own free will at all times, drawing the air into her throat, the way swift runners do.
"Her passion—who can restrain it?" This means: every time she runs and returns in haste to her place, as if she had pain, mourning, and worry over who would bring her back to her place, and so she runs swiftly. This is a matter of poetic imagery.
"All who seek her." All who seek to seize her in hand do not need to exert themselves to pursue her, for in the month when she is fully pregnant, they will find her easily, for then she is heavy and cannot run. Likewise, Israel are like this wild ass: because of their deeds, which are not good, the enemy comes upon them, and they wander about seeking help from Egypt so that they may be able to stand in their land. If so, all this trouble comes about through their own desire, and likewise their end will be like the end of the wild ass: the enemy who comes upon them to subdue them will not have great exertion, for he will subdue them easily in the month appointed for calamity, which is Av, which was established as a time of mourning for all generations at the time of the spies, as our Sages of blessed memory stated.
Metzudat Zion
"Pereh." Like "pere" spelled with an aleph, and it is the wild donkey.
"Limud." The matter of habituation (custom); and so, "like a calf not trained" (below, 31):
"Ba'avat" [in the craving of]. From the expression of desire and craving:
"Sha'afah." The matter refers to drawing [something] into the gullet/throat; and so, "they drew in air like serpents" (below, 14):
"Ruach." So too is the air called:
Taanatah: The meaning is pain and mourning, like ta'anah and aniyah (Lamentations 2:5).
ייעפו. The matter of toil:
Malbim
Regarding the word "wild donkey" (pera), it is said that one who serves idolatry for the sake of benefit or pleasure can easily be turned back from his way if it is shown to him that he will not find in his service the benefit or delight that he seeks. But one who sins out of love for the sin itself, not out of hope for anything else, in such a way that the sin is for him only an essence (atzmi) and not an accident (mikri), it is impossible to turn him back from his way at all. For the sinner who sins for a matter other than the sin, the sin is accidental to him, just as the investigator said that the adulterer who commits adultery for the sake of money is called a fool essentially and an adulterer accidentally, and the opposite is the opposite. And so, the harlot who commits adultery for the sake of payment can easily be turned back if her needs are provided for in her husband’s house, or if she sees that she has no one from whom to take payment among her lovers. Not so the harlot who does not accept payment, for she is a harlot essentially.
Based on this, the verse here derives its parable from the "wild donkey accustomed to the desert," for all beasts of the field do not move from their place except for the sake of need, to approach what is beneficial or to flee from what is harmful. And any beast of the field that runs from place to place for its livelihood, we can turn it back from its running if we prepare its prey in the place where it is. But the wild donkey accustomed to the desert, the desert in which its nature is found and to which it has been trained, "in the desire of her soul she snuffed the wind"—its snuffing of the wind is not for the sake of any other need, but for its own sake, because it is trained to snuff the wind and to move even without need, for implanted in its heart is the soul’s craving to snuff the wind. So, who will turn back its craving? Who can turn it back from this accident of its, after it is not an accident to it but an essence? And even if they provide it with its food, it will still move in the desert, so that none of its pursuers need grow weary. Yet in vain will its pursuers grow weary trying to raise it in the house, for it is impossible to change its nature and habit; only in its youth will they find it, in the first month after it was born, when it is easy to subdue it. Not so after the month, for it has already learned to move, and it is impossible to change its nature.
And one may wish to interpret that "its craving" means: even though this nature is accidental to it, nevertheless it is impossible to turn it back from this nature. But all its pursuers, if they find it in its youth, will not grow weary, for in the first month after it was born, it will then submit easily, since it has not yet been accustomed to move.
Withhold your foot from being unshod, and your throat from thirst; but you said: ‘There is no hope; No, for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go.’
verse value 3384
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 63 letters. Verse gematria: 3384 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "Lamed" (ל֕וֹא, 3 letters) and the longest is "for·I·loved" (כִּֽי־אָהַ֥בְתִּי, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "from·being·barefoot" (מִיָּחֵ֔ף), "and·your·throat" (וּגְרוֹנֵ֖ךְ), "from·thirst" (מִצִּמְאָ֑ה). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·you·said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "Lamed" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah); "these" (root הלך, 108x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root מנע ("withhold") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root רגל ("your·foot") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·thirst', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 7 words.
Rashi
“Restrain your foot from going barefoot.” This is your character: like a wild donkey that loves to roam, My prophets say to you: “Restrain yourself from idolatry, so that you will not go barefoot in exile,” and restrain your throat from dying of thirst. And you will say concerning the words of the prophets, “It is hopeless” — [meaning] there is no concern, I have despaired of your words. “Hopeless” is “nucler” in Old French.
Radak
"Withhold your foot." When the prophets say to you, "Withhold your foot from being barefoot, so that you will not go barefoot, and withhold your throat from thirst," this means that you should not travel distant paths to seek help from the nations. On such journeys, a person may become thirsty and walk barefoot, for his sandals may wear out on the way, and he may not find water everywhere. If you desire, you will not need this, for in your place you will have help from God, if you follow Him. But you said to them, "Despaired," meaning, "My heart has despaired from following the Lord; I will no longer follow Him, but rather follow strangers, for I see that they succeed, and I have loved them, and after them I will go." And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated: "Withhold your foot from joining the peoples, and your mouth from worshipping the idols of the peoples," etc., as in the column.
"Barefoot." This is a noun. For if it were an adjective, it would have said "barefooted" (yachefah), since "foot" is feminine in language; or it would be both masculine and feminine, like "hand," as in "And behold, a hand was extended to me," and "And behold, in it was a scroll of a book."
"Thirst." A noun, of the same pattern as "simlah" (garment).
"And your throat." It is written as "and your threshing floor," and the meaning is one; perhaps they are two [alternate] forms [of the word]:
Metzudat David
“Withdraw your foot from going bare.” This means: See to it that you set your deeds in order, so that you will not go into exile barefoot and thirsty for water, saying, “It is hopeless.” You said, “I have despaired of serving the Omnipresent and will not return to Him, for I love the strangers”—that is, the service of the Baalim.
"And I will walk after them. To serve them:"
Metzudat Zion
"Restrain." [Meaning] cease:
Yachaf. So is called one who goes without shoes, and thus [it says], "naked and barefoot" (Isaiah 20:3). Ve-gronech. From the word for throat and neck.
Nuaṣ. From the language of despair and abandonment of the matter; and so they said: "Nuaṣ" (below 18):
Strangers. From the language of "stranger" and "foreigner":
Malbim
“Restrain,” now he explains the analogy: Behold, the harlot who commits adultery to receive a wage—this is because she lacks her needs, such as shoes for her feet, or because she desires wine to drink. But here it is the opposite, for the Husband says to her: “Restrain your foot from being bare,” meaning that if you go to commit harlotry, you will go barefoot; not so if you remain at home. And likewise, “your throat is parched,” meaning that if you go to commit harlotry, you will be thirsty; not so if you remain at home. And you say, “I am desperate,” and you claim that you have despaired of all these things, that you do not desire at all shoes or drink to drink, and not for the sake of obtaining these do you go to commit harlotry, but rather because “I have loved strangers”—that I loved them themselves, and for their own sake I will go after them, not in order to obtain a wage of shoes and wine to drink. And this is like a wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness, whose movement is intrinsic to it, not accidental, in order to obtain something of its needs. And it is impossible to answer you further from your nature, for “like a thief who is caught.” The thief who is found is not ashamed because he stole, but rather because he was caught; his shame is only because his wickedness was exposed in public, not because of the deed itself. And from this you see the difference between a sinner essentially and a sinner accidentally: the sinner accidentally will repent concerning the substance of the sin; not so the sinner essentially, like the parable of the harlot for a wage. If she sees that they stripped her naked and did not give her her bread and water, she will repent concerning the substance of the deed, since the deed was not for its own sake but for the sake of the wage. Not so the harlot essentially, from the aspect of harlotry; she will not then repent concerning the substance of the harlotry, but only concerning the accident that happened to her, that they stripped her naked. And likewise, if Israel had served idolatry only because of the benefit and pleasure that they expected from it according to their imagination, they would later repent of their deeds upon seeing that they obtained only many evils and troubles. But since the transgression was intrinsic and not accidental, behold, it is only like the shame of a thief, whose shame is not on the theft itself but on being found, and on the accident that happened to him through the theft. So did the House of Israel shame themselves, they and their kings and their princes, all of them; they were not ashamed of their evil way itself, but only of the evils that they obtained because of it. (And with this we can explain what is said: “Your wickedness will reprove you,” and “My fear is not in you,” meaning that He commanded that the evil itself be the cause of the reproof, not the fear and the punishment that they obtained for the evil, lest they repent only of the punishment that they obtained, but rather they repent of the evil itself, for the punishment is not intrinsic but accidental, resulting from the evil, for “long ago I broke your yoke.”)
As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets;
verse value 3304
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 57 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·their·prophets" (וּנְבִיאֵיהֶֽם, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "as·shame·of" (כְּבֹ֤שֶׁת), "thief" (גַּנָּב֙), "is·found" (יִמָּצֵ֔א). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "their·kings" (root מלך, 253x in Jeremiah); "abundance" (root הם, 132x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root בשת ("as·shame·of") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root גנב ("thief") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Israel', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 5 words. Full calculation: כְּבֹ֤שֶׁת [as·shame·of] (722) + גַּנָּב֙ [thief] (55) + כִּ֣י [for] (30) + יִמָּצֵ֔א [is·found] (141) + כֵּ֥ן [so] (70) + הֹבִ֖ישׁוּ [are·ashamed] (323) + בֵּ֣ית [house·of] (412) + יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל [Israel] (541) + הֵ֤מָּה [abundance] (50) + מַלְכֵיהֶם֙ [their·kings] (145) + שָׂרֵיהֶ֔ם [their·princes] (555) + וְכֹהֲנֵיהֶ֖ם [and·their·priests] (136) + וּנְבִיאֵיהֶֽם [and·their·prophets] (124) = 3304.
Rashi
"When he is found." Initially, when he is found to be a thief, and he was previously presumed trustworthy, so too does the Targum render it.
Radak
“Shame of a thief.” The correct interpretation is according to its Targum: “the shame of a man,” meaning one who is considered trustworthy and is found to be a thief, for a notorious thief has no shame.
“Thus they were put to shame.” The meaning is that they ought to have been put to shame, for they lacked a sense of shame. Had they possessed shame, they would have returned from their evil ways. Rather, they ought to have been put to shame on account of their evil deeds, for they were a people whom the Lord had chosen, both them and their ancestors, yet they went astray after other gods. They are likened in a parable to a person who was regarded as trustworthy and was then found guilty of theft; he would indeed be ashamed of the deed that had befallen him. So too, Israel was regarded as the Lord’s people, observing His commandments and cleaving to Him, yet they turned to serve other gods. They ought to have been put to shame, for they had departed from their established status.
Their princes. Without a vav, just like with a vav, as in: sun, moon, Reuben, Simeon, and similar cases.
And their priests. The priests of Baal:
“their prophets.” The false prophets:
Metzudat David
“Like the shame of a thief when he is found.” Just as the shame of the thief is greatest at the time he is found—since he was previously regarded as trustworthy—so too will the shame of the House of Israel be multiplied in the eyes of the nations, because they were regarded as servants of God, yet they are found to be idolaters like all the peoples.
"They." The multitude of the people:
And their priests. The priests of Baal.
"And their prophets." Prophets of Baal.
Who say to a stock: ‘You are my father’, and to a stone: ‘You have brought us forth’, for they have turned their back to Me, and not their face; but in the time of their trouble they will say: ‘Arise, and save us.’
verse value 5217
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 76 letters. Notable word values: "my·father" (אָ֣בִי) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "to·the·tree" (לָעֵ֜ץ, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·save·us" (וְהוֹשִׁיעֵֽנוּ, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "to·the·tree" (לָעֵ֜ץ), "stone" (וְלָאֶ֙בֶן֙), "you·bore·us" (יְלִדְתָּ֔נוּ). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "saying" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "and·not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah); "to·me" (root אל, 204x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root עץ ("to·the·tree") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root אבן ("stone") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'face', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 5 words.
Rashi
“And in their time of distress they shall say: ‘To Me, arise and save us.’” And so does the Targum render it: “In the time when their suffering comes upon them, they will repent of their error, confess before Me, and say: ‘Have mercy on us and deliver us.’”
Radak
They say it of wood, and of stone: namely, the idols of wood and stone.
"You are my father." [Meaning:] my great one, and my lord.
"You have brought us forth." This is like "You have formed us," and similarly, "Before the mountains were brought forth."
"For they turned their back to Me." This means that all their service is only to idolatry; they do not turn to My service at all, and their turning to Me is only with their back, which is equivalent to denial of Me. And similarly, the phrase "turned the back" is used elsewhere: "Moab has turned the back, ashamed" [Jeremiah 48:39].
“And in the time of their distress”: When calamity will befall them and they will see that their god does not save them, they will say, “Arise and save us,” just as Zedekiah said: “Inquire, I pray, for us from the Lord, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is fighting against us.”
Metzudat David
They say: Regarding those who say to the idol made of wood, “You are my father,” they will say to the statue made of stone, “You have given birth to us,” as if the stars created the world and all that is in it.
"For they turned their back to Me." This means that they do not heed My words, like a person who turns his back to his fellow and refuses to listen to his words.
And in the time of their distress. In the time when distress comes upon them, they will pray to Me and say, "Arise and save us from distress."
Metzudat Zion
"Avi" [my father]. The matter of "lord" and "great one"; and so, "my father, had the prophet told you [to do] a great thing" (2 Kings 5).
“You have brought us forth.” This is akin to “You have formed us,” and similarly, “Before the mountains were brought forth” (Psalms 90:2).
"Turn aside." The word is derived from the root meaning "to turn aside" and "to turn around."
"Oref." It is the back of the head and the neck:
Malbim
"They say," this verse clarifies that they do not worship the wood and stone in such a manner that it serves as an intermediary between them and God, as those of that generation mistakenly believed that the idol was akin to talismans to draw down spirituality from above, such that the idol worship was not directed toward the idol itself, but rather to obtain through it wages and the price for the necessities of the world. Rather, they say to the wood, “You are my father,” thinking that the wood is their Creator, Maker, and Former, and they say to it, “These are your gods, O Israel,” until they worship the wood for its own sake. For they turned their backs to God and not their faces, for one who worships the wood as an intermediary between himself and the Name turns his face toward God, only placing the false deities as an intermediary between himself and Him. But they regarded it as a lofty power in its own right, entirely independent of God, and they turned their faces away from God toward the idol. Nevertheless, in their time of distress, they say, “Arise and save us,” and they do not repent for having abandoned Me to worship the idol; rather, they simply desire to obtain salvation and help from Me, not that they return to serve Me and abandon the worship of the idol.
But where are your gods that you have made you? Let them arise, if they can save you in the time of your trouble; for according to the number of your cities Are your gods, O Judah.
verse value 4033
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 62 letters. The shortest word is "for·yourself" (לָּ֔ךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "if·they·can·save·you" (אִם־יוֹשִׁיע֖וּךָ, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 66: your·God, your·God. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "if·they·can·save·you" (אִם־יוֹשִׁיע֖וּךָ). The root אלהים appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "were" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root מספר ("number") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·trouble', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 6 words.
Rashi
“The number of your cities were your gods.” In every city, a different god.
Radak
"And where..." "for according to the number of your cities...": And if you were to say, 'I have no other gods,' [the verse] states: 'According to the number of your cities were your gods,' for in every city you have a god.
Metzudat David
"And where?" This means: "And behold, I will respond to you: 'Where are your gods that you made for yourself?' Your hands have worked them; let them try to rise up, if they are able to save you when disaster comes upon you."
“for the number of your cities.” According to the calculation of the number of your cities, you, Judah, have made images of stars; thus, they are many, yet not one of them will be found who can save you.
Malbim
“Where is your God?” — Surely, after what you have made for yourselves, they will certainly arise, if they are able to save you in your time of distress. That is to say: if only they possess the power to save you, should they not be obligated to be ready to save you? For since what you have made for yourselves is the work of your own hands, they are bound to recompense those who made them. Moreover, they are not far from you, for they are found with you everywhere, since [as the verse itself says], “according to the number of your cities are your gods, O Judah.” If so, call out to them for salvation! But why do you contend with Me? What do you desire from Me, that I should save you? Have you not all transgressed against Me? Am I not therefore under no obligation to save you?
Wherefore will you contend with Me? You all have transgressed against Me, says Hashem.
verse value 1863
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "against·Me" (בִּ֖י, 2 letters) and the longest is "says·Hashem" (נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "you·will·strive" (תָרִ֖יבוּ), "your·them" (כֻּלְּכֶ֛ם), "you·rebeled" (פְּשַׁעְתֶּ֥ם). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "to·me" (root אל, 204x in Jeremiah); "your·them" (root כל, 167x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: לָ֥מָּה [why] (75) + תָרִ֖יבוּ [you·will·strive] (618) + אֵלָ֑י [to·me] (41) + כֻּלְּכֶ֛ם [your·them] (110) + פְּשַׁעְתֶּ֥ם [you·rebeled] (890) + בִּ֖י [against·Me] (12) + נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה [says·Hashem] (117) = 1863.
Rashi
"Why do you contend?" How will you come to argue in a quarrel and say, "We have not sinned"?
"All of you have transgressed against Me." This implies that even the righteous are included; this is what people say: "Along with the thorn-bush, the cabbage gets beaten" [i.e., the righteous suffer together with the wicked].
Radak
"Why do you contend?" The matter of contention and complaint: He said, "When the enemy comes upon you, you contend with Me and say, 'Why has the Lord forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of our enemies?' And why do you contend with Me? Have not you all transgressed against Me?" And the meaning of "you all" is your leaders and your commoners. And the Targum: the matter is one of legal dispute: "Why do you consider it right to contend against My words?"
Metzudat David
"Why do you contend with Me?"—Why do you complain against Me that I do not save you from the impending evil? Have you not all transgressed against Me; not a single person is exempt. And what merit is found among you?
Metzudat Zion
"Contend." The matter of complaints and grievances:
In vain have I smitten your children— They received no correction; Your sword has devoured your prophets, Like a destroying lion.
verse value 3239
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 52 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "your·sons" (אֶת־בְּנֵיכֶ֔ם, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "I·struck" (הִכֵּ֣יתִי), "your·sons" (אֶת־בְּנֵיכֶ֔ם), "your·sword" (חַרְבְּכֶ֛ם). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah); "your·prophets" (root נביא, 93x in Jeremiah); "your·sword" (root חרב, 87x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root שוא ("to·the·emptiness") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root נכה ("I·struck") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·took', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: לַשָּׁוְא֙ [to·the·emptiness] (337) + הִכֵּ֣יתִי [I·struck] (445) + אֶת־בְּנֵיכֶ֔ם [your·sons] (523) + מוּסָ֖ר [discipline] (306) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + לָקָ֑חוּ [they·took] (144) + אָכְלָ֧ה [devoured] (56) + חַרְבְּכֶ֛ם [your·sword] (270) + נְבִיאֵיכֶ֖ם [your·prophets] (133) + כְּאַרְיֵ֥ה [like·a·lion] (236) + מַשְׁחִֽית [ruin] (758) = 3239.
Rashi
In vain I have smitten. For naught, because it did not avail that they should take admonition.
"Your sword has devoured." Your prophets—you killed Zechariah and Isaiah:
Radak
"Lashav." "Your sons" – because it said "all of you," [the verse] says: "Why do you strive against Me?" And if you were to say, "Why do I strike you by the hand of the enemies?" [the answer is]: You have transgressed against Me. And if you were to say, "Why do I strike your sons?" [the answer is]: Because from their youth they learn to speak falsehood. And if the prophets of the Lord reprove them, they do not take reproof. If so, why do you strive against Me? And the Targum translates "lashav" as "le-magan," meaning: I struck them for nothing, because they did not take reproof. And our Sages of blessed memory interpreted "lashav" as referring to matters of falsehood, which they said concerning the sin of vows: sons die, as it is stated: "Lashav hikkeiti et beneichem, musar lo lakachu" – "In vain I have stricken your sons; they received no correction."
“Your sword has devoured your prophets.” Some explain that this refers to Zechariah and Uriah the prophets, whom they killed. But this explanation is not correct, for he would not have said “your prophets,” since they were not their prophets but rather false prophets, as is stated regarding “their priests and their prophets.” Rather, the correct explanation is as my master and father, of blessed memory, explained: “Your prophets” refers to the false prophets; you killed them when you heard the word of the Lord, and their prophecy caused you the loss of lives. Therefore, He said, “like a lion that devastates,” meaning one that devastates the flesh and tears it into pieces in its prey; so too, you devastated them in their lives and their bodies.
Metzudat David
In vain. For naught have I smitten your sons, since even so the fathers have not taken to heart the lesson, and they still stand in their rebellion, and the entire purpose of smiting the sons was in order that the fathers might be disciplined.
"Devoured." For your sword has slain your prophets, for they killed Isaiah and Zechariah.
Like a lion that destroys. Like a lion that destroys people:
Metzudat Zion
Vainly. In vain:
Malbim
“Vainly,” meaning that the punishment I inflicted upon your children because they did not take to heart moral instruction was in vain and for nothing, for your children were not guilty in this matter, since they had no one from whom to take moral instruction after your sword had devoured your prophets like a destructive lion. After you killed your prophets, who used to prophesy to you moral instruction and reproof, until the teachers of moral instruction and knowledge ceased, it follows that your children had no one from whom to take moral instruction.
O generation, see you the word of Hashem: Have I been a wilderness to Israel? Or a land of thick darkness? Wherefore say My people: ‘We roam at large; we will come no more to You’?
verse value 3834
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 73 letters. Verse gematria: 3834 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "if" (אִ֛ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·word·of·Hashem" (דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֔ה, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 120: why?, my·people. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "the·generation" (הַדּ֗וֹר), "see" (רְא֣וּ), "deep darkness" (מַאְפֵּ֖לְיָ֑ה). 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·word·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "they·said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "I·was" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root דור ("the·generation") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root אם ("if") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'deep darkness', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 7 words.
Rashi
“See the word of the Lord.” He brought out for them the jar of manna and said to them: “See here what the word of the Lord is worth: Have I been a wilderness to Israel?” This is an expression of wonder [a rhetorical question]; therefore it is vocalized with the mem unaccented (rafé) and the heh with a hataf-patach. Did it ever seem to your fathers that I was like a wilderness when they walked in it, seeing that I brought down for them this bread, a portion for each day?
Ma'afaliah. A term denoting darkness.
Why did My people say, "radnu"? [It means:] We have separated ourselves from You, like one who removes bread from the oven [a cognate of רדנו] — so [explains] the Midrash of Rabbi Tanḥuma. And Menachem explained "radnu" as an expression of descent. And there are other interpretations as well.
Radak
"O generation" [ha-dor]. The heh [prefix] is the heh of vocative address (calling out), like the heh in "ha-kahal, chukkah achat lakhem" [Numbers 15:15: "O congregation, there shall be one statute for you"].
"See the word of the Lord." Understand what He is saying to you, for there is a "seeing" of the heart, as in "and my heart has seen much" (Ecclesiastes 1:16), "see, your words are good" (2 Samuel 15:3), and the like. And in the midrash: because He showed them the jar of manna, therefore He said to them, "see," and did not say, "hear."
"I was like a wilderness." If I had been to them like the wilderness, or a land of Maafliyah, in which a person cannot find his needs — but rather, all their needs and provisions they found in Me, all the time that they went after Me — if so, why did they say, "My people, we have ruled"? That is to say, "We have the dominion of kings and princes; we will no longer come to You." "Radnu" [we have ruled] is from the sense of "rad im El" [Hosea 12:1], which denotes dominion. "Maafliyah" is a single word with the lamed in shva, and its vocalization is disputed among the [manuscript] texts: some texts vocalize the mem of Maafliyah with patach and the aleph with shva, and some vocalize the mem with shva and the aleph with patach, with the pe having a dagesh. Its meaning is "a dark land"; and to intensify the darkness, it is joined to the [divine] name "Yah" — similarly, "the flame of Yah" [Song of Songs 8:6], "like the mighty mountains of God" [Psalms 36:7], "an exceedingly great city" [lit. "a city great to God," Jonah 3:3], and "it became a very great terror" [lit. "a terror of God," 1 Samuel 14:15]. And the Targum renders Maafliyah as "desolate," for it is like a land of darkness in which nothing is found. And it translates "radnu" as "we have wandered," and likewise it translates "the wandering poor" [Isaiah 58:7] as "those who wander."
Metzudat David
"[You are] the generation": You, the children of [this] generation, perceive with the understanding of the heart the commandments of the Lord, upon which there is a complete reward.
“The wilderness.” And was I until now like a wilderness and a land of thick darkness to Israel, a place where one cannot find the necessary sustenance for man? That is to say: Was it not within my power to reward them generously for the commandments they had performed?
"We have broken loose." We have already separated ourselves from You, and we will no longer come to You.
Metzudat Zion
See. It also refers to the understanding of the heart, as it is written: “And my heart saw much wisdom” (Ecclesiastes 1:16).
"Ma'afliyah": from the language of "ofel" (gloom) and "choshech" (darkness). And when [the text] comes to amplify the matter, it is joined to the word "Yah"; and similarly, "shalhevet-yah" [a flame of Yah] (Song of Songs 8). And it is like "midbar" (desert), and the matter is doubled with what was [already] said.
Ridnu (we have roamed). The matter of separation from a place to which [something] is attached, as in "he scraped the honey out" (Judges 14):
Malbim
In the generation of "You, O generation," there were found in Israel three differing opinions. Some said that the reason they do not act like their ancestors in upholding the Torah and moral instruction is because only in the earlier generation did the Spirit of God hover among them, and they were able to receive holiness, separation, commandments, and divine matters. But they have already distanced themselves from the light and descended wondrously low, and they can no longer ascend to the mountain of the Lord or stand in His holy place. One group said the opposite, that the way of their ancestors was not yet complete, and they wish to perfect themselves in a better and more complete way than the way of their ancestors. A third group did not say either this or that, but rather they simply forgot the Lord, the Torah, and the commandment entirely. With these three groups He will argue. To the one group that said that divine speech was revealed only to the first generation, who were holy and great, and not to the last generation, which descended to the depths of the pit, He says: "You, O generation, see the word of the Lord; you too, the last generation, also see the word of the Lord, for the word of the Lord still appears among you as it did in the earlier generations. Was I only with Israel in the wilderness? Was I not God, Father, and Teacher to Israel only in the wilderness, or only in a land of thick darkness? Was I only God to Israel there, and not to the inhabitants of the land? Why did they say, 'Our people have descended,' meaning that they say, 'We have already descended to the depths of the pit, so that we can no longer come to You, we can no longer ascend to the mountain of the Lord, to His holy heavens, because we have descended greatly and distanced ourselves from the Lord, from spirituality, and from holiness.' This is a lie, for the word of the Lord still appears to this generation as it did to the first generation."
Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me days without number.
verse value 2996
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 43 letters. The shortest word is "all" (כַּלָּ֖ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "they·have·forgotten·me" (שְׁכֵח֔וּנִי, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "will·forget" (הֲתִשְׁכַּ֤ח), "her·finery" (עֶדְיָ֔הּ), "her·attire" (קִשֻּׁרֶ֑יהָ). The root שכח appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "days" (root יום, 133x in Jeremiah); "nothing" (root אין, 88x in Jeremiah); "and·my·people" (root עם, 86x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root שכח ("will·forget") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root בתולה ("virgin") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'her·attire', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 5 words. Full calculation: הֲתִשְׁכַּ֤ח [will·forget] (733) + בְּתוּלָה֙ [virgin] (443) + עֶדְיָ֔הּ [her·finery] (89) + כַּלָּ֖ה [all] (55) + קִשֻּׁרֶ֑יהָ [her·attire] (615) + וְעַמִּ֣י [and·my·people] (126) + שְׁכֵח֔וּנִי [they·have·forgotten·me] (394) + יָמִ֖ים [days] (100) + אֵ֥ין [nothing] (61) + מִסְפָּֽר [number] (380) = 2996.
Radak
"Can a maiden forget her ornaments?" "Maiden" [corresponds to] "bride." The matter is repeated in different words, for Scripture never describes a "bride" with ornaments and sashes except when she is also called a "maiden"; and likewise it never describes a "maiden" with ornaments and sashes except when she is also called a "bride." Israel was compared to a bride on the day of the standing at Mount Sinai. How, then, did they forget Me, this day, and go after other gods — these many days and years? And when it says "without number," it is an expression of exaggeration.
Metzudat David
“Has she forgotten?” Is it the way for a virgin to forget to place her ornaments upon herself to adorn herself with them? And is it the way for a bride to forget her ties, which are the silk threads with which she binds her hair to adorn herself? It is as if saying: Surely it is not the way of a person to forget something that is most necessary to him.
“And My people.” But My people have forgotten Me for many days without number, a people whose very essence of life on earth is this:
Metzudat Zion
"Edyah" [her ornaments]. From the language of "adi" (ornament) and "takhshit" (jewelry):
Malbim
“Will a maiden forget her ornaments?” — Now He will contend with the generation that abandoned the Torah of the Lord due to forgetfulness and concealment, without paying attention. He says: How could they forget their glory and their honor? “Will a maiden forget her ornaments?” And even if it were to happen that a maiden forgets her ornaments, could a bride forget her bonds? These are the bonds that her betrothed gave her as a sign of the bond between him and her, such as the betrothal ring and the like, which is the sign that she is bound to him. Could she forget this? And the meaning is: Is not this Torah the bond between you and the Lord? And it was through it that He became your God — how could you forget this? And this is what is meant by: “How could My people forget Me?” And not for a short time, but for countless days.
How trim you your way To seek love! Therefore—even the wicked women have you taught your ways;
verse value 4003
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 47 letters. Notable word values: "love" (אַהֲבָ֑ה) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "also" (גַּ֣ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "what?·you·make·good" (מַה־תֵּיטִ֥בִי, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "what?·you·make·good" (מַה־תֵּיטִ֥בִי), "to·seek" (לְבַקֵּ֣שׁ), "love" (אַהֲבָ֑ה). The root דרך appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "therefore" (root כן, 76x in Jeremiah); "your·way" (root דרך, 64x in Jeremiah); "also" (root גם, 24x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'love', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 6 words. Full calculation: מַה־תֵּיטִ֥בִי [what?·you·make·good] (476) + דַרְכֵּ֖ךְ [your·way] (244) + לְבַקֵּ֣שׁ [to·seek] (432) + אַהֲבָ֑ה [love] (13) + לָכֵן֙ [therefore] (100) + גַּ֣ם [also] (43) + אֶת־הָרָע֔וֹת [the·wicked·women] (1082) + (למדתי) [you·have·taught] (484) + לִמַּ֖דְתְּ [you·have·taught] (474) + אֶת־דְּרָכָֽיִךְ [your·ways] (655) = 4003.
Rashi
“Be beautiful.” Adorn yourself for your paramours, like (2 Kings 9) “and she adorned her head” — referring to Jezebel, in the portion of Jehu.
You have also learned the evil ways. You repeated all the evil paths in order to learn the most corrupt of them all:
"Gam" [also/even] – an expression of "even." "Lachen" [therefore] – here an expression of a true oath [i.e., "assuredly"]. But you learned for yourself the evil way, which is the worst of all the ways.
"You have taught." You have guided [them]:
Radak
"How will you improve your way?"—that is, "you set your way in order to seek love," namely, the love of the nations, as it is said: "What have you to do with the way of Egypt?" and "what have you to do with the way of Assyria?" [Jeremiah 2:18]. And the term "heitev" [to improve/do well] is found used even regarding evil, for it means "to set the matter right" or "to reinforce it," as in: "Is it right that you are angry?" [Jonah 4:9] and "should my father resolve to bring the evil upon you" [1 Samuel 20:13], and "skilled with both hands to do evil" [Micah 7:3].
"Also the evils." This means: to the wicked nations you taught your ways — that is to say, that you exceeded them in evil, and they learned from your evil ways. And it is written [Ketiv] "limadti" [I have taught], which is a statement of God, meaning: "I taught you your ways, which are evil, and evil would come upon you because of them — as if I had taught them these evils from your own ways, so that they would be chastened on your account." And the Kri, "limadt" [you have taught], is as we have explained.
Metzudat David
"What will you improve in your way?" What will you rectify in your custom in the worship of Baal, to act in complete imitation of the deeds of the idolaters, to seek from them love by doing as they do?
Therefore. Indeed, even to the wicked idolatrous nations you taught your ways; that is, you yourself did more evil in deed than all of them, and even to the wicked among them you taught to become more wicked, like yourself.
Metzudat Zion
You will do well. The matter of “repair” is like [the verse] “and she dressed her head” (II Kings 9).
Your way. Your custom:
Malbim
"What will you improve? He now debates with the sect who used to say that the way of their ancestors was not yet complete, and that they would be more perfected in the commandments which they added and invented for themselves, as if they desired to improve their ways and perfect them in order to seek love from the Lord. And regarding this it says, 'What will you improve in your way,' more than the way of your ancient ancestors, as if you desire to seek love. But how and what are the means you have grasped for this? In truth, under the pretext you stated that you wish to perfect your ways, you have conducted the statutes of the nations and their ways which you learned from them, alongside your previous ways. This is like Ahaz, who built an altar in the Temple in the likeness of the altar he saw in Damascus, as if he desired to improve the altar even more, or the high places they built, as if they desired to add to the service. Yet in truth, this was the opposite of the words of the Lord. And this is what it says, 'For therefore, in order to improve your way, you also learned your ways from the evil ones.' You also grasped the evils which you learned from the nations surrounding you, as if by this you would improve your way, by joining to the way of the Torah also the evil way of the nations."
Also in your skirts is found the blood of the souls of the innocent poor; you did not find them breaking in; yet for all these things
verse value 3499
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 55 letters. The shortest word is "also" (גַּ֤ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "not·in·the·breaking·in" (לֹֽא־בַמַּחְתֶּ֥רֶת, 8 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "in·your·wings" (בִּכְנָפַ֙יִךְ֙), "the·souls·of" (נַפְשׁ֥וֹת), "innocent" (נְקִיִּ֑ים). The root מצא appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "not·in·the·breaking·in" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah); "upon·all·these" (root אלה, 64x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root כנף ("in·your·wings") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root דם ("blood") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'innocent', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 4 words. Full calculation: גַּ֤ם [also] (43) + בִּכְנָפַ֙יִךְ֙ [in·your·wings] (182) + נִמְצְא֔וּ [are·found] (187) + דַּ֛ם [blood] (44) + נַפְשׁ֥וֹת [the·souls·of] (836) + אֶבְיוֹנִ֖ים [needy] (119) + נְקִיִּ֑ים [innocent] (210) + לֹֽא־בַמַּחְתֶּ֥רֶת [not·in·the·breaking·in] (1081) + מְצָאתִ֖ים [you·found·them] (581) + כִּ֥י [for] (30) + עַל־כׇּל־אֵֽלֶּה [upon·all·these] (186) = 3499.
Rashi
"In breaking in, you found them." You did not find them breaking in when you killed them:
"You found them." Thus it is said to the feminine, the wording of "you did" [a second-person feminine form]; and there are many [such forms] in the book (Ezekiel 16:58): "you bore them."
"For all these things"—namely, those that were reprimanding you with these words:
Radak
"Also on your skirts." [Meaning] on the corners of your garment, in the manner of "and their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, and I have stained all My raiment" (Isaiah 63:3). And Jonathan [Targum Yonatan] rendered it: "Even in secret you were found, for you have shed innocent blood." He translated "your skirts" as "the hidden place," similar to "he shall not uncover his father's skirt" (Deuteronomy 23:1), which they interpret as "his father's hidden place" — meaning, his wife. And as for its saying "were found" [plural] yet "blood" [singular], it is as if it said "bloods" [plural], since it said "souls" [plural].
"Not in a tunnel." As it is stated: "If the thief is found breaking in, and is struck so that he dies, there is no bloodguilt for him" (Exodus 22:1). Since you did not find them breaking in, why did you kill them? They are innocent.
You have found them. You have found them, for thus is the feminine form that is found joined with the pronoun by a hireq under the tav.
"For all these." Its accent is attached to the following verse:
Metzudat David
Even in your wings. Even in the wings of your garments were found the blood of innocent souls, of the poor who were clean of capital punishment, and you killed them for nothing.
We did not find them in a hidden place. The blood of these souls was not found in a concealed or secret location, but rather in an open and public manner.
“Upon all these.” The wings mentioned above, meaning: You did not do the deed in secret, but with great publicity, without shame.
Metzudat Zion
“On your wings.” The edges of the garment:
In breaking in (ba-machteret): that is to say, in a hidden place; and it derives from the language of tunneling and digging, as in 'If the thief be found breaking in (ba-machteret)' (Exodus 22:1).
Malbim
And furthermore, by means of this, blood of the souls of the poor was found in your wings, because through this you killed the prophets who came to reprove you and to turn you back from this way, for you thought that they desired to lead you astray from the good way. For the earlier ones, who considered in their minds that their way was not good, did not kill the prophets; they merely did not listen to them when they said, "We have fallen greatly and are not able to serve the Lord." Not so was this faction, who considered that the law was on their side and that their way was more complete; they killed the prophets. "You did not find them in secret" is the measure of the verse, "For you found them on account of all these ways of yours." It compares it as if the prophets, who desired to turn them back from this way, were to them like thieves coming to steal their property; thus they came to steal and take from them their way, which was good and upright in their eyes. And therefore they killed them. He says: You did not find the prophets in secret; they did not desire to steal money from you. Rather, on account of all these ways you found them, for they desired to turn you away from them, and therefore you killed them. And by means of this, your evil is tripled: First, the evil ways which you learned remained with you, and you added wickedness by saying that in them the Lord delights. Second, because of this you stretched out your hand to kill the prophets, as if they desired to mislead you from the good and upright way in the eyes of God. Third, "And you said, 'I am clean.'" Because of this, you think in your heart that you are clean from all sin, and that only now, only by means of these ways of yours, has the anger of the Lord turned away from me. Therefore, I am judging you specifically, for you say, "I have not sinned." And the meaning is: With you I must contend and stand in judgment, for you come with a claim against Me and say, "I have not sinned," as if I were the one on trial, and you have claims against Me.
You said: ‘I am innocent; surely His anger is turned away from me’— Behold, I will enter into judgment with you, because you say: ‘I have not sinned.’
verse value 3608
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 49 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·you·said" (וַתֹּֽאמְרִי֙, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "I·am·innocent" (נִקֵּ֔יתִי), "because·you·say" (עַל־אׇמְרֵ֖ךְ). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·you·said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root נקה ("I·am·innocent") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root אך ("indeed") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 6 words. Full calculation: וַתֹּֽאמְרִי֙ [and·you·said] (657) + כִּ֣י [for] (30) + נִקֵּ֔יתִי [I·am·innocent] (570) + אַ֛ךְ [indeed] (21) + שָׁ֥ב [returned] (302) + אַפּ֖וֹ [his·anger] (87) + מִמֶּ֑נִּי [from·me] (140) + הִנְנִי֙ [they] (115) + נִשְׁפָּ֣ט [contends] (439) + אוֹתָ֔ךְ [you] (427) + עַל־אׇמְרֵ֖ךְ [because·you·say] (361) + לֹ֥א [not] (31) + חָטָֽאתִי [I·have·sinned] (428) = 3608.
Rashi
"And you said." In your heart:
"For I am innocent." That my soul is innocent:
"I will enter into judgment with you." [He] comes with you into judgment:
Radak
"And you said." He says: "For all these things I am reproving you, because you have gone after the nations and served their gods, and you have also shed innocent blood, yet you say, 'I am clean of evil deeds, and God's anger has turned away from me, and He will not harm me anymore.' And thus your sin is doubled, as the Wise One said, 'The denial of sin is two sins.' And thus I judge you and punish you for this, for your saying, 'I have not sinned.'"
Metzudat David
“And you said.” This means: If indeed you have done all these things publicly, how can you say, “It is not so, for I am innocent of transgression, and the truth is not with the prophets who claim that the anger of the Lord burned against me; rather, His wrath has turned away from me, since I am cleansed of iniquity”?
"I will judge you." Therefore, I will argue with you even regarding that which you will deny, saying, "I have not sinned." This means: in addition to the recompense for the sin, I will add further punishment for the fact that you denied your sins. And this punishment will be considered as an argument, because by this it will be made known that they transgressed in this matter.
Metzudat Zion
neshpat. The matter is one of dispute; and likewise, "for by the fire of the Lord shall He judge" (Isaiah 66:16):
How greatly do you cheapen thyself to change your way? You shall be ashamed of Egypt also, As you were ashamed of Asshur.
verse value 4913
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 44 letters. The shortest word is "also" (גַּ֤ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "as·you·were·ashamed" (כַּאֲשֶׁר־בֹּ֖שְׁתְּ, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "what?·you·cheapen·yourself" (מַה־תֵּזְלִ֥י), "to·change" (לְשַׁנּ֣וֹת), "way" (אֶת־דַּרְכֵּ֑ךְ). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "as·you·were·ashamed" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "way" (root דרך, 64x in Jeremiah); "to·change" (root שנה, 50x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'way', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 5 words. Full calculation: מַה־תֵּזְלִ֥י [what?·you·cheapen·yourself] (492) + מְאֹ֖ד [very] (45) + לְשַׁנּ֣וֹת [to·change] (786) + אֶת־דַּרְכֵּ֑ךְ [way] (645) + גַּ֤ם [also] (43) + מִמִּצְרַ֙יִם֙ [from·Egypt] (420) + תֵּבֹ֔שִׁי [you·will·be·ashamed] (712) + כַּאֲשֶׁר־בֹּ֖שְׁתְּ [as·you·were·ashamed] (1223) + מֵאַשּֽׁוּר [of·Asshur] (547) = 4913.
Rashi
"Tezli [you cheapen yourself]." A term of scorn/contempt:
"To change your ways. To abandon Me and rely on Egypt for help, in the days of Jehoiakim and Zedekiah (below, 36):"
To change. The language of change:
"Just as you were put to shame through Assyria." This refers to the fact that Ahaz relied upon him [the king of Assyria], and he distressed him, and did not strengthen him, as it is stated (2 Chronicles 28):
Radak
“Why will you go?” Its root is *azal*, meaning “to go,” as rendered in the Targum. He said, “Why will you go here and there, seeking help, and change your way—once to Assyria, once to Egypt?” And what is meant by “very much” (*me’od*)? It is as he said, “How will you improve your way?” as we have explained.
As for "you were put to shame through Assyria": Ahaz sent him [the king of Assyria] a bribe, and it is stated in Chronicles, "He distressed him, and did not strengthen him." Likewise, in the days of Hezekiah, [the enemy] captured all the fortified cities of Judah. And it also says, "You shall be put to shame through Egypt," because Jehoahaz gave a bribe to Pharaoh Necho, and he assessed the land to provide the bribe; and he [Pharaoh] helped him against the king of Babylon, but it was of no avail, for bands of Chaldeans went out, and the king of Egypt no longer continued to go out, because the king of Babylon took [territory] from the Brook of Egypt. And behold, Judah was put to shame by its help, and the helper stumbled, and the one helped fell. Therefore, this verse is stated:
Metzudat David
Why do you go so much? Why should you increase your efforts to seek help from the Egyptians?
To change your ways: at one time to Assyria, at another time to Egypt.
You shall also be ashamed of Egypt. Because you will not find help through him.
As for the shame of Assyria: For Ahaz, king of Judah, sent messengers to the king of Assyria to help him, and he distressed him even more, as it is stated, "And the king of Assyria came, etc., and distressed him, but did not strengthen him" (II Chronicles 28).
Metzudat Zion
It shall go forth. The matter of "going" is like "the waters have gone from the sea" (Job 14:11):
"Very much." It is akin to "many changes." From the root meaning "change":
Malbim
What? But why will you go with such great exertion to travel from nation to nation to learn their deeds, and change your way to the way of those nations to which you will come to seek help from them? What good will these do you? Behold, now you are going to Egypt, and I promise you that you will also be ashamed from Egypt as from Assyria, for they too will not only fail to help you, but will also harm you.
From him also shall you go forth, with your hands upon your head; for Hashem has rejected them in whom you did trust, and you shall not prosper in them.
verse value 2576
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 50 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "also" (גַּ֣ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "in·your·trusts" (בְּמִבְטַחַ֔יִךְ, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·your·hands" (וְיָדַ֖יִךְ), "upon·head" (עַל־רֹאשֵׁ֑ךְ), "in·your·trusts" (בְּמִבְטַחַ֔יִךְ). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "and·not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah); "to·them" (root הם, 132x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root ראש ("upon·head") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root מאס ("for·rejected") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·head', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: גַּ֣ם [also] (43) + מֵאֵ֥ת [from] (441) + זֶה֙ [this] (12) + תֵּֽצְאִ֔י [you·will·go·out] (501) + וְיָדַ֖יִךְ [and·your·hands] (50) + עַל־רֹאשֵׁ֑ךְ [upon·head] (621) + כִּֽי־מָאַ֤ס [for·rejected] (131) + יְהֹוָה֙ [Hashem] (26) + בְּמִבְטַחַ֔יִךְ [in·your·trusts] (91) + וְלֹ֥א [and·not] (37) + תַצְלִ֖יחִי [you·will·prosper] (548) + לָהֶֽם [to·them] (75) = 2576.
Radak
“Also from this you will go out.” This means: from this place, your trusts in which you placed your confidence, will not be of benefit to you.
"And you shall not prevail against them." This means: on their account. And what is the meaning of "and your hands upon your head"? For this is the custom of a woman who cries out in distress: she goes with her hands upon her head, as it is said of Tamar, "And she put her hand upon her head, and went, weeping aloud." And the Targum renders it: "and the shame of your guilt shall be upon your head."
Metzudat David
“Also from this one.” Just as you went out in distress and wailing from the king of Assyria, so too you shall go out from the king of Egypt in distress, and your hands shall be placed upon your head, like the manner of one who mourns.
“For the Lord has rejected those in whom you trust.” That which is detestable and abhorrent in the eyes of the Lord is that you place your trust in the aid of the Egyptians; therefore, you will not succeed in finding favor in their eyes so that they may be of assistance to you against those who rise up against you.
Malbim
"For also from this you shall go forth, and you will place your hands on your head, regretting that you went to them; and this is because the Lord has despised those in whom you trusted—the intermediaries in whom you place your trust—He has despised them, for they are contrary to His will; therefore you will not succeed with them, with these in whom you trust; you will not be able to find success from them, since they are contrary to the will of the Lord."
Malbim