'With an everlasting love have I loved you'; a voice is heard in Ramah — Rachel weeping for her children, refusing comfort: 'your children shall return to their own border.' Behold, days come when I will make a new covenant: 'I will put My law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it.'
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
In those days, the word of Hashem, I will be to you a God, for all families of Israel, and they will be to me a people.
verse value 2469
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 51 letters. The shortest word is "time" (בָּעֵ֤ת, 3 letters) and the longest is "says·Hashem" (נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֔ה, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 21: that, I·will·be. The root היה appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "I·will·be" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah); "to·them·of" (root כל, 167x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Israel', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 3 words. Full calculation: בָּעֵ֤ת [time] (472) + הַהִיא֙ [that] (21) + נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֔ה [says·Hashem] (117) + אֶֽהְיֶה֙ [I·will·be] (21) + לֵֽאלֹהִ֔ים [for·God] (116) + לְכֹ֖ל [to·them·of] (80) + מִשְׁפְּח֣וֹת [clans·of] (834) + יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל [Israel] (541) + וְהֵ֖מָּה [and·they] (56) + יִֽהְיוּ־לִ֥י [they·shall·be·mine] (71) + לְעָֽם [to·the·people] (140) = 2469.
Metzudat David
"At that time" – In the time of the redemption, "I will be to them as God," etc., meaning that I will watch over them and do good with them.
“And they shall be a people unto Me.” All of them shall believe in Me, and they shall be My people.
Thus says Hashem: The people that were left of the sword Have found grace in the wilderness, Even Israel, when I go to cause him to rest.
verse value 2499
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 45 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "thus" (כֹּ֚ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·give·him·rest" (לְהַרְגִּיע֖וֹ, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "found" (מָצָ֥א), "favour" (חֵן֙), "survivors·of" (שְׂרִ֣ידֵי). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "Israel" (root ישראל, 110x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root שריד ("survivors·of") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'sword', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 3 words. Full calculation: כֹּ֚ה [thus] (25) + אָמַ֣ר [said] (241) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + מָצָ֥א [found] (131) + חֵן֙ [favour] (58) + בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר [in·the·wilderness] (248) + עַ֖ם [people·of] (110) + שְׂרִ֣ידֵי [survivors·of] (524) + חָ֑רֶב [sword] (210) + הָל֥וֹךְ [going] (61) + לְהַרְגִּיע֖וֹ [to·give·him·rest] (324) + יִשְׂרָאֵֽל [Israel] (541) = 2499.
Rashi
"Found favor." In the eyes of the generation of the wilderness:
"Remnants of the sword": Egypt, Amalek, and Canaan.
"[He therefore] went to give Israel their resting place."—That is, by leading them to inherit the land of their rest.
Radak
Thus says the Lord: He has found favor in the wilderness. This matter is connected to the theme of redemption mentioned above: this people has already found favor in My sight on another occasion, when I brought them out from exile in Egypt, for they found favor in My sight, and they were a remnant of the sword, for the Egyptians plotted against them to kill and destroy them, and I brought them out from among them. And they found favor in My sight in the wilderness, as I led them through the wilderness for forty years and sustained them with manna without labor and without toil.
"Going to comfort him." The word *haloch* ("going") is an infinitive used in place of the past tense, like [the verse] *yaldah ve-azov* ("she gave birth, and abandoned [it]") [Jeremiah 14:5], where *azov* ("abandoned") stands in place of *ve-azvah* ("and she abandoned"). Thus, the meaning of *haloch* is like *halach* ("he went"), namely, that God went before them in the wilderness to provide them with rest, as it is stated, "To seek for them a resting place." And it says "Israel" after "to comfort him," as an additional clarification, for he had already mentioned "the people," and it is well known that the people who found favor in the wilderness is Israel. And Targum Yonatan renders the verse: "Thus said the Lord, who gives mercy to His people," etc., as printed [in the parallel column].
Metzudat David
"With the remnant of the sword." This refers to the people of Israel who remained from the sword of Egypt — [Egypt] having plotted against them to kill them. That people found favor in My eyes when they went after Me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.
"Going." Therefore, Israel went to their place of rest, to inherit the land and dwell in it in tranquility.
Metzudat Zion
"Sridei." The meaning of "she'arit" (remnant) and "sheyur" (remainder) is like "sarid u-falit" (a remnant and a survivor) (below, 42).
To calm him. The matter of rest and tranquility is like, “And find rest for your souls” (above 6:).
Malbim
Thus says the Lord: “He found favor in the wilderness.” Now it describes how this kindness will be such that He will then be aroused to precede His divinity over them on the account of kindness, without looking at their preparation, and the words correspond to what was stated above (section 2): “I remember for you the kindness of your youth, the love of your espousals, when you went after Me in the wilderness,” that Israel first preceded the Lord with kindness in that they recognized His divinity while they had not yet received any good from Him, and afterwards the love of espousals at the time that they were bound to Him in the covenant of espousals and He did good and wonders for them, and afterwards they went after Him into the wilderness in the greatness of their trust, and the Lord will return their reward to them also, but in the reverse order from top to bottom: first, He will find favor in the wilderness with a people who are remnants of the sword, for the prophets described the exile by the name of wilderness, as it is stated, “And I will bring them out into the wilderness of the nations” (Ezekiel 20:35), and “I will lead her into the wilderness” (Hosea 2:16), and there, after they remain as remnants of the sword, after the slaughter and persecutions that will be done to them, finally He will find favor in the wilderness and the exile will be lightened from upon them, and the Lord will go to comfort him; He will go to them into the wilderness to provide them with comfort, and this is contrary to what was stated, “When you went after Me in the wilderness,” and similarly the Lord will go to them into the wilderness, which is the exile, which is the wilderness of the nations.
’From afar Hashem appeared to me.’ ’Indeed, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with affection have I drawn you.
verse value 2706
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 43 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "to·me" (לִ֑י, 2 letters) and the longest is "I·loved·you" (אֲהַבְתִּ֔יךְ, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·love·of" (וְאַהֲבַ֤ת), "I·loved·you" (אֲהַבְתִּ֔יךְ), "I·drew·you" (מְשַׁכְתִּ֥יךְ). The root אהב appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "therefore" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah); "appeared" (root ראה, 71x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 6 words. Full calculation: מֵרָח֕וֹק [from·afar] (354) + יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + נִרְאָ֣ה [appeared] (256) + לִ֑י [to·me] (40) + וְאַהֲבַ֤ת [and·love·of] (414) + עוֹלָם֙ [ever] (146) + אֲהַבְתִּ֔יךְ [I·loved·you] (438) + עַל־כֵּ֖ן [therefore] (170) + מְשַׁכְתִּ֥יךְ [I·drew·you] (790) + חָֽסֶד [goodness] (72) = 2706.
Rashi
From afar. By the merit of the Patriarchs:
It appears to me: "I am the prophet, and it was said to me to say to the Congregation of Israel: 'With an everlasting love have I loved you.'"
Radak
"From afar the Lord appeared to me." The verse is divided into a statement and a response. In exile, the Congregation of Israel responds to what God had said—that she found favor in the wilderness—saying: "Indeed, this is true, for from long ago the Lord appeared to me; but now He has hidden His face from me in exile." God answers them: "With an everlasting love have I loved you"—meaning, My love for you was not for a time, but rather that the love would be everlasting.
"Therefore I have drawn you with kindness." This means: Therefore I have drawn you with My kindness, and I appeared to you in My glory on Mount Sinai, so that My love for you would be eternal, not temporary. And even though I have left you in this exile for many years, yet I will build you, and you will be built, etc.
Metzudat David
"From afar." The prophet said: From a distant time, when we were still in Egypt, the Lord appeared to me — meaning, He was then revealed to the prophets of Israel, namely Moses and Aaron.
"And an everlasting love." This means: And so it is always said: 'Behold, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I will continue to extend kindness to you.'
Malbim
From afar the Lord is seen by me, and then He will be seen by them from afar. For even though He will still stand at a distance, and His providence will be concealed within hidden miracles, they will already see Him from afar and recognize that He is watching over them, through His lightening the yoke of exile from upon them and their finding rest. And then the Lord will say concerning them, “With everlasting love I have loved you,” because the love of the bridal chamber that existed between them from of old will be aroused. And through this love, “I have drawn you with kindness,” redeeming them from exile through the attribute of kindness. This corresponds to “the love of your bridal chamber and the kindness of your youth,” in that the kindness will come at the end, through the everlasting love, and the love will come through finding favor in the wilderness, whereby they will find favor in His eyes through the length of the exile and through what they suffered for the sake of the honor of His Name. And He will redeem them and be their God through His kindness.
Again will I build you, and you shall be built, O virgin of Israel; Again shall you be adorned with your tabrets, And shall go forth in the dances of them that make merry.
verse value 4215
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 50 letters. Notable word values: "in·dance·of" (בִּמְח֥וֹל) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "again" (ע֤וֹד, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·you·will·be·built" (וְֽנִבְנֵ֔ית, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 80: again, again. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "I·will·build·you" (אֶבְנֵךְ֙), "and·you·will·be·built" (וְֽנִבְנֵ֔ית), "you·will·pass·on" (תַּעְדִּ֣י). The root עוד appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Israel" (root ישראל, 110x in Jeremiah); "and·you·will·go·out" (root יצא, 73x in Jeremiah); "again" (root עוד, 60x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Israel', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 6 words. Full calculation: ע֤וֹד [again] (80) + אֶבְנֵךְ֙ [I·will·build·you] (73) + וְֽנִבְנֵ֔ית [and·you·will·be·built] (518) + בְּתוּלַ֖ת [virgin] (838) + יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל [Israel] (541) + ע֚וֹד [again] (80) + תַּעְדִּ֣י [you·will·pass·on] (484) + תֻפַּ֔יִךְ [your·timbrels] (510) + וְיָצָ֖את [and·you·will·go·out] (507) + בִּמְח֥וֹל [in·dance·of] (86) + מְשַׂחֲקִֽים [playing] (498) = 4215.
Rashi
"Again I will build you, and you shall be built." There were two buildings built for you by a human being, and therefore they were destroyed. "Again I will build you"—I Myself [will build] a third building, and you shall be built forever. "You shall adorn yourself"—[i.e.,] you shall bedeck yourself.
Radak
"I will yet build you." For the scattered congregation is like a ruined building, whose stones and timbers are scattered; and when it is rebuilt, they are gathered together.
A virgin of Israel. For you shall again be like a virgin who has not been defiled, and no other lords shall defile you.
"You shall again adorn yourself with your tambourines." This means: on account of the abundance of good, you shall go forth and rejoice with tambourines and dances, and the tambourines shall serve as ornaments for you.
Metzudat David
"Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt." This means: Behold, the First and Second Temples were built by human hands and were destroyed; but I Myself will build you — the Third one — and it will remain built forever.
“Virgin of Israel.” This refers to the congregation of Israel, who is beloved to Me as a virgin who has not known a man, for she is beloved to her Husband.
"Your timbrels shall be adorned." Adorn your timbrels to beautify them, like those who indulge in pleasure, who beautify their musical instruments with all kinds of splendor.
"And you shall go out." And you shall go out with a dance of joy. And since He compared Israel to a virgin, He spoke of the matter of the virgin's joy and her delights, meaning: much good shall come to you.
Metzudat Zion
"I will build you, and you shall be built." From the language of building:
"Ta'di." From the language of "adi" (ornament) and adornment:
"Your timbrels" – the name of a musical instrument:
“With dancing.” The matter of the dance of joy, as it is stated, “You have turned my mourning into dancing for me” (Psalms 30:12). And for this there is a musical instrument called a “dance,” as it is stated, “Praise Him with timbrel and dance” (Psalms 150:4), because it arouses the dance of joy.
Malbim
"Yet will I build you" – the building of the kingdom and the building of the Temple. "Again you shall adorn your timbrels" – on account of the miracles that I will perform for you, you shall go out with timbrel and dances, just as the women went out after Miriam with timbrels and dances over the miracle of the splitting of the Red Sea.
Again shall you plant vineyards upon the mountains of Samaria; The planters shall plant, and shall have the use thereof.
verse value 2086
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 35 letters. The shortest word is "again" (ע֚וֹד, 3 letters) and the longest is "vineyards" (כְרָמִ֔ים, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 80: again, and·enjoy·the·fruit. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "you·will·plant" (תִּטְּעִ֣י), "in·mountains·of" (בְּהָרֵ֖י), "they·planted" (נָטְע֥וּ). The root נטע appears 3 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "again" (root עוד, 60x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Samaria', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: ע֚וֹד [again] (80) + תִּטְּעִ֣י [you·will·plant] (489) + כְרָמִ֔ים [vineyards] (310) + בְּהָרֵ֖י [in·mountains·of] (217) + שֹֽׁמְר֑וֹן [Samaria] (596) + נָטְע֥וּ [they·planted] (135) + נֹטְעִ֖ים [planting] (179) + וְחִלֵּֽלוּ [and·enjoy·the·fruit] (80) = 2086.
Rashi
"And they shall desecrate it." In the fourth year, they shall desecrate their fruit, to redeem it with money.
Radak
"Yet you shall plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria; they planted plantings, and redeemed [the fruit]." "They planted" is used in the past tense instead of the future tense, because it is the custom of the world to plant vineyards on mountains, for the wine produced from them is of superior quality. And when they were fearful in their land because of their enemies, they were afraid to go out to the vineyards, all the more so to plant them, as it is stated: "With arrows and with bow shall one come there" (Isaiah 7:24). But now He assured them that they would have great tranquility, and they would plant vineyards for themselves and redeem [the fourth-year fruit] in the fourth year, according to the law of redeeming the fruits of the vineyards, making them non-sacred, and they would be permitted for a stranger to eat them after the redeeming. And the redeeming is mentioned because it is done with joy and songs, as it is stated: "Holy, for jubilant praise [to the Lord]" (Leviticus 19:24). And in a time of fear, a person does not perform acts of jubilant praise. And the reason that Samaria is mentioned is because they were there for many days in fear of the enemy, under siege and in distress.
Metzudat David
“On the mountains of Samaria.” Although they are now desolate.
They planted. The past tense is used in place of the future, and the meaning is: those who plant will plant the vineyards, and they will redeem them [from their sanctity] in the fourth year, as it is stated, "And in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, an offering of praise to the Lord" (Leviticus 19:24) — that is, one must bring the fruits to Jerusalem and eat them there, or redeem them and release them [from their sanctity] for money, and spend that money in Jerusalem. And he said that the planters themselves will redeem them, so that the enemy will not take them as before; and because of the great abundance, they will not be able to bring them all to Jerusalem, so they will redeem them for money.
Metzudat Zion
"Vechallalo." The matter of redemption is like the verse, "You shall plant a vineyard and not redeem it" (Deuteronomy 20:6).
Malbim
“Yet you shall plant vineyards again”: whereas Samaria was to become a desolation of the field for vineyards (Micah 1:6), which the Cutheans planted there, whom Sennacherib settled, you shall plant vineyards in the place where planters planted and profaned it, for the Samaritans planted vineyards there and brought them into the status of profane [produce], since they did not bring the fruits to Jerusalem to eat them there.
For there shall be a day, That the watchmen shall call upon the mount Ephraim: Arise you, and let us go up to Zion, To Hashem our God.’
verse value 2259
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 49 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·Hashem" (אֶל־יְהֹוָ֖ה, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "there-is·day" (יֶשׁ־י֔וֹם), "in·mountain·of" (בְּהַ֣ר). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "our·God" (root אלהים, 140x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Ephraim', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: כִּ֣י [for] (30) + יֶשׁ־י֔וֹם [there-is·day] (366) + קָרְא֥וּ [they·called] (307) + נֹצְרִ֖ים [guarding] (390) + בְּהַ֣ר [in·mountain·of] (207) + אֶפְרָ֑יִם [Ephraim] (331) + ק֚וּמוּ [get·up] (152) + וְנַעֲלֶ֣ה [and·let·us·go·up] (161) + צִיּ֔וֹן [Zion] (156) + אֶל־יְהֹוָ֖ה [to·Hashem] (57) + אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ [our·God] (102) = 2259.
Rashi
"Notzerim" [Watchers]. Lookouts atop high towers, to proclaim [with] a voice heard from afar. Another interpretation: "notzerim" is like "notzer chesed la-alafim" ["who keeps mercy for thousands"] (Exodus 34:7), a term of guarding—that is, there will be a day when they call to those who kept the Torah, and they will say, "Arise." And according to its Targum: "For there is a length of days and great goodness destined to come to the righteous who kept the Torah of old."
Radak
"For there shall be a day." There shall be a day that is destined to come, when they shall be called "Notzrim" (Watchmen), and they are the watchmen who will stand there to call out to the inhabitants of the villages to ascend to Zion to give thanks to the Lord for His abundant goodness. And "day" means time and season, like "on that day" (in the phrase "the root of Jesse"), and similar expressions. And Targum Yonatan renders: "For there shall be a lengthening of days," etc., as printed [in the column].
Metzudat David
"Behold, there is a day." Here, "a day" refers to a day prepared by the Watchers who stand on the mountains, who will call out with a voice: "Arise and let us go up to Zion, to the Lord," for the Redemption has come and the Divine Presence has returned to its place in Zion.
Metzudat Zion
Notsrim. The matter of guarding, and regarding the watchmen it says that their way is to stand in a high place to see who and who are coming to guard the city from harm.
Malbim
For there will be a day, when instead of the initial practice of appointing guards on Mount Ephraim to prevent the Israelites from ascending to Jerusalem, there will come a day when watchmen and guards will stand and cry out, "Arise, and let us ascend to Zion," and they will guard in the opposite manner, so that each person will ascend to Jerusalem with the fruits of his fourth-year planting to eat them there.
For thus says Hashem: Sing with gladness for Jacob, And shout at the head of the nations; Announce you, praise you, and say: ‘O Hashem, save Your people, The remnant of Israel.’
verse value 5393
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 77 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "said" (אָמַ֣ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "proclaim" (הַשְׁמִ֤יעוּ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 26: Hashem, Hashem. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "overcome" (רׇנּ֤וּ), "and·shout" (וְצַהֲל֖וּ), "in·head·of" (בְּרֹ֣אשׁ). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "for·thus" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root רנן ("overcome") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·nations', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 9 words.
Rashi
"And they shall shout at the top of the nations." [I.e.] on high towers, so that they may be heard from afar.
Radak
For thus says the Lord: Rejoice for Jacob, gladness. This is said concerning the beginning of the redemption, when the voice of the good tidings comes; and He remembered them, as if it said: Thus says the Lord to Jacob: Rejoice — gladness; that is to say, with gladness. And similar to this is the phenomenon of the earlier [word] functioning as the later, such as: "the place, there, of a grave" being like "the place of a grave, there," and "all many peoples" being like "all peoples, many," and the like, which we have written in the book Mikhlol, in the section on grammar.
"And cry aloud at the head of the nations." As Targum Yonatan renders it: "And rejoice openly, before the eyes of all the peoples."
“Proclaim it.” The good tidings, and praise the Lord:
"And say: 'Save, O LORD.'" [The people say:] Just as You have proclaimed the tidings to us, so shall You act; and they say, "Save Your people" — this is what they say. And [God answers]: I shall act according to your words, and I will bring you from all the places to which you have been cast out. And concerning this it says:
Metzudat David
“Sing joyfully to Jacob.” This is the reverse of what the Lord said to Jacob: “Sing with a voice of joy.”
"V'tzahalu." Raise a loud voice:
"At the head of the nations." This means in the high places of the lands of the nations, so that the voice would be heard from afar.
“Let them proclaim, praise,” etc. – Let them make heard the voice, and praise the Lord, and say: “You, O Lord, have indeed saved Your people, etc.”
Metzudat Zion
And they shall shout for joy. The matter of making a loud sound, as it is said: "break forth into singing and cry aloud" (Isaiah 54:1).
Malbim
"Sing joyfully for Jacob" – initially, they sing about the joy that will be for Jacob. And what will be the joy? "And shout for joy at the head of the nations" – at the end of the days of their exile, the yoke of subjugation will be removed from them, and they will shout with gladness because they will be at the head of the nations, meaning that the nations will honor them and place them at their head, instead of how they were initially despised and humiliated among them. Now, "Jacob" refers to the masses of the people and the lowliest among them, while "Israel" refers to the great ones. This joy, whereby they will shout with gladness at the head of the nations, will be only for Jacob, not for Israel, for the latter desire that He restore His Divine Presence to Zion. But then, at that time, they will make known and proclaim publicly, praising the Lord by saying, "Save, O Lord, Your righteous people," referring to the remnant of Israel, who desire true salvation through the ingathering of the exiles and their return to Zion. And so it will be then, for the Lord will restore them.
Behold, I will bring them from the north country, And gather them from the uttermost parts of the earth, And with them the blind and the lame, The woman with child and her that travails with child together; A great company shall they return hither.
verse value 4513
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 72 letters. The shortest word is "in·them" (בָּ֚ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "from·flank·of·land" (מִיַּרְכְּתֵי־אָ֒רֶץ֒, 9 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·I·will·gather·them" (וְקִבַּצְתִּים֮), "and·lame" (וּפִסֵּ֔חַ), "pregnant" (הָרָ֥ה). The root הן appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "from·land·of" (root ארץ, 245x in Jeremiah); "bringing" (root בוא, 211x in Jeremiah); "they" (root הן, 130x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'together', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 4 words.
Rashi
"Among them the blind and the lame." Even the stumblers among them, I will not reject.
Radak
Behold, I will bring them from the land of the north. For the majority of the exile is in the north:
“From the depths of the earth.” The word “earth” [here] is vocalized with a qamats, [and elsewhere] with a segol, and it is one of the fourteen words that take a qamats when accented with a zaqef, and a segol [otherwise].
“Among them, the blind and the lame.” They will come with such ease that even the blind and the lame among them, and the pregnant woman and the woman in labor, will walk gently. And my master and father, of blessed memory, explained and said: “I will lead them so gently, by a straight path, that even the blind, the lame, the pregnant woman, and the woman in labor will be able to walk with them without stumbling in their gait.”
Metzudat David
Behold, I am bringing them. For "Behold, I am bringing them from the land of the North"—these are those who were exiled to Babylonia.
“From the farthest parts of the earth.” These are the ten tribes who were exiled to distant lands, to the ends of the earth.
"Among them." Among those who come there will be blind and lame, etc. This means that all of them will return; not a single person will be missing.
A great congregation. A great assembly:
Metzudat Zion
From the uttermost parts [of the earth]. From the end:
And the lame. A cripple [one who limps]:
Malbim
Behold, I am bringing them from the land of the north, where they are gathered together and none are missing, only that I must bring them to their place; and I have gathered them from the corners of the earth, where they are scattered among the nations, I will gather them. "With them" – meaning even in places in the corners of the earth where one will find only one blind man and one lame man, namely two men of Israel who are blemished – meaning, even though they are few in number and lacking in strength, nevertheless I will perform a miracle, for "she shall be in labor and give birth together," meaning that the nation will conceive and immediately give birth to a great multitude. That is to say, suddenly a great multitude will be born, as if they were all born on one day, until a great multitude returns here. And this is a wondrous expression: even from places where it seems that only a few of the children of Israel are found, and even these cannot naturally travel on the way, like a blind man and a lame man, nevertheless they will suddenly multiply through many who will accompany them, and a great multitude will return from there.
They shall come with weeping, And with supplications will I lead them; I will cause them to walk by rivers of waters, In a straight way wherein they shall not stumble; For I am become a father to Israel, And Ephraim is My first-born.
verse value 3830
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 83 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·in·supplications" (וּֽבְתַחֲנוּנִים֮, 9 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·in·supplications" (וּֽבְתַחֲנוּנִים֮), "I·will·lead·them" (אֽוֹבִילֵם֒), "I·will·cause·them·to·walk" (אֽוֹלִיכֵם֙). 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah); "to·torrents·of" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah); "for·I·have·become" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·her', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 6 words.
Rashi
"With weeping they shall come." Through prayer and repentance.
Radak
"With weeping they shall come." There is weeping of joy, as it is said, "And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept" (Genesis 29:11), and "And he wept on his neck yet again" (Genesis 46:29), and similar verses. So too, this [weeping] is due to excessive joy that they will come to their land, for many years were they exiled from it.
“And with supplications will I lead them.” The matter is one of compassion and mercy, as in, ‘Entreat now the countenance of God, that He be gracious to us’ (Malachi 1:9); ‘that they should have no supplication’ (Joshua 11:20); [and] ‘there was supplication from the Lord our God’ (Ezra 9:8) — and similar [verses], a matter of compassion and mercy. And Yonatan translated: ‘במגליהון כד הוו,’ etc., as [printed] in the column [of the Targum].
“Unto the streams of water.” Like [saying] ‘upon the streams of water.’ And like ‘and he struck the Philistine upon his forehead’ (1 Samuel 17:49), which is like ‘upon his forehead.’ [Also like] ‘upon the mountains he did not eat’ (Ezekiel 18:6), which is like ‘upon [על],’ and similar expressions.
"And Ephraim is my firstborn." [Scripture here] mentions Ephraim by name, for the majority of Israel—namely, the Ten Tribes—were initially under the kingdom of Ephraim when the monarchy was divided, and subsequently they were referred to by the name of Ephraim. This is indicated in many places where it is written "Judah and Ephraim." As for the statement "my firstborn," this is because the birthright was given to Joseph. Alternatively, it means that he is dear to me like a firstborn son to his father. Similarly, it is stated, "Israel is my son, my firstborn," in the sense of favor and love, as rendered by Targum Yonatan: "And Ephraim is dear before Me."
Metzudat David
“In their tears they shall come.” This means that through repentance and prayer, I will redeem them.
“By the streams of water.” Beside the streams of water, so that they may find [water] to quench their thirst.
“On a straight path.” On a path that is even, without crookedness, so that they will not stumble in it.
"As a father." [Meaning:] to be concerned for their welfare, like a father who is concerned for the welfare of his son.
He is my firstborn. He is dear to me as a firstborn son is to his father.
Metzudat Zion
"I will guide them" (אובילם). The matter of bringing, as in [the phrase] "a tribute shall be brought" (ibid, Isaiah 18:7):
"Unto the streams of water" [אל] – [i.e.] "by the streams of water" [read as על]:
Malbim
"They shall come with weeping" – they shall be like a child weeping before his father and entreating him to take him to his father's house (after he has been exiled from his home due to his sin), and I shall fulfill their request, for I shall lead them to streams of water, as it is written, "For He will lead them according to His compassion, and He will guide them to springs of water." And by a straight path, as it is stated, "And I will make all the mountains a highway," for I have been a father to Israel and I have compassion on them; likewise, they shall be like a child to treat Me with the honor due a father. And this is what is meant by, "And Ephraim is My firstborn son" — "Hear..." etc., "and declare," for this is a matter of great novelty: "He who scattered Israel will gather him." The Lord Himself, who scattered Israel, is the very One who will gather them. Just as the scattering was a supernatural event, so too will the gathering be a miraculous matter. Moreover, the scattering itself had its ultimate purpose in the gathering, as it is written concerning, "And I will sow her unto Me in the land," for sowing is for the purpose of the harvest. And "He will guard them as a shepherd guards his flock" – as a shepherd guards his own flock, not the flock of another, paying attention to each individual sheep so that none shall be missing.
Hear the word of Hashem, O you nations, And declare it in the isles afar off, and say: ‘He that scattered Israel does gather him, And keep him, as a shepherd does his flock.’
verse value 3623
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 64 letters. The shortest word is "hear" (שִׁמְע֤וּ, 4 letters) and the longest is "the·word·of·Hashem" (דְבַר־יְהֹוָה֙, 7 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·declare" (וְהַגִּ֥ידוּ), "in·the·isles" (בָאִיִּ֖ים), "scatterer·of" (מְזָרֵ֤ה). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·word·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "and·say" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "hear" (root שמע, 184x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·afar', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 7 words. Full calculation: שִׁמְע֤וּ [hear] (416) + דְבַר־יְהֹוָה֙ [the·word·of·Hashem] (232) + גּוֹיִ֔ם [nations] (59) + וְהַגִּ֥ידוּ [and·declare] (34) + בָאִיִּ֖ים [in·the·isles] (63) + מִמֶּרְחָ֑ק [from·afar] (388) + וְאִמְר֗וּ [and·say] (253) + מְזָרֵ֤ה [scatterer·of] (252) + יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ [Israel] (541) + יְקַבְּצֶ֔נּוּ [gathers·him] (258) + וּשְׁמָר֖וֹ [and·keeps·him] (552) + כְּרֹעֶ֥ה [as·a·shepherd] (295) + עֶדְרֽוֹ [his·flock] (280) = 3623.
Rashi
"Mezareh" [the one who scatters]. Separant, in Old French [la'az]—i.e., separating.
Radak
“Hear… He who scattered Israel will gather him.” He who scattered them and exiled them among the nations will [Himself] gather them, and the nations will know that it was not by their own power that they exiled him, but by the will of God — for He will bring them out of the nations' domain against their will, and return them to their land. This is what is stated afterward: “For the Lord has redeemed…” etc.
Metzudat David
And they shall proclaim. Whatever you hear, proclaim it in the distant islands:
"And say." Thus shall you say: Behold, Israel, who is scattered among the nations—God will gather them, and He will guard them as a shepherd guards his flock.
Metzudat Zion
"Mezareh" [one who scatters]. The matter of scattering, as in [the phrase] "and I will scatter them to every wind" (below, 49):
For Hashem has ransomed Jacob, And He redeems him from the hand of him that is stronger than he.
verse value 1079
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 30 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 1079 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "from·hand·of" (מִיַּ֖ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "Jacob" (אֶֽת־יַעֲקֹ֑ב, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "for·has·ransomed" (כִּֽי־פָדָ֥ה), "and·He·redeemed·him" (וּגְאָל֕וֹ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "from·hand·of" (root יד, 98x in Jeremiah); "from·him" (root מן, 29x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Jacob', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: כִּֽי־פָדָ֥ה [for·has·ransomed] (119) + יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + אֶֽת־יַעֲקֹ֑ב [Jacob] (583) + וּגְאָל֕וֹ [and·He·redeemed·him] (46) + מִיַּ֖ד [from·hand·of] (54) + חָזָ֥ק [strong] (115) + מִמֶּֽנּוּ [from·him] (136) = 1079.
Metzudat David
For He will redeem. From exile:
"Than him." [Referring to] Israel, who is delivered into his hand:
Malbim
"For the Lord has redeemed Jacob, that He may redeem him from his distresses, and deliver him from the side of kinship that He has with them, even though the enemy who holds them may be stronger than they."
And they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, And shall flow to the goodness of Hashem, To the corn, and to the wine, and to the oil, And to the young of the flock and of the herd; And their soul shall be as a watered garden, And they shall not pine any more at all.
verse value 4824
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 96 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 4824 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "like·a·garden" (כְּגַ֣ן, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·height·of·Zion" (בִמְרוֹם־צִיּוֹן֒, 9 letters). 11 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "in·height·of·Zion" (בִמְרוֹם־צִיּוֹן֒), "and·they·will·shine" (וְנָהֲר֞וּ), "upon·wheat" (עַל־דָּגָן֙). The root עול appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "to·the·goodness·of" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah); "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root רוה ("watered") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root יסף ("and·not·they·shall·add") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·cattle', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 7 words.
Rashi
And they shall stream. They shall gather, like a river:
Radak
"And they shall come up to the height of Zion." The Targum: "On the mount of the Temple that was built in Zion."
“And they shall flow to the goodness of the Lord.” This denotes a sense of running toward the desired thing; and similarly it is said, “And all the nations shall flow unto Him.”
"לדאבה" – to be sad and to worry. It is an infinitive construct, [with] the first root letter vocalized with a patach, on the pattern of "to love the Lord your God."
Metzudat David
"On Zion's height": On Mount Zion, which is high and exalted.
And they shall flow. They shall be drawn to come to the goodness of the Lord; that is to say, to receive abundant goodness. And he goes back and explains this regarding grain, etc.
Like a watered garden. They shall be sated with goodness, like a vegetable garden that is [always] satisfied, for the manner of watering it is by foot.
"And they shall no longer add to sorrow." They shall no longer be in grief and distress as before.
Metzudat Zion
And they shall flow. They will be drawn like a river; and similarly, “And all the nations shall flow unto it” (Isaiah 2:2).
Tirosh. Thus it is called: the grapes of the wine.
Yatzhar. It is the oil:
"Raveh." Satiated/full, like "and satisfies the earth" (ibid. 55). "Leda'avah." The matter of sorrow and worry, like "and sorrow of soul" (Deuteronomy 28).
Malbim
Regarding the spiritual good of the Lord, and also regarding material success, such as grain, etc., and from the aspect that they will flow toward the good of the Lord, their spiritual souls will be like a well-watered garden, satiated with the good of the Lord; and from the aspect of material success, they will no longer add to their sorrow from poverty and lack, as it is stated, “My eyes are sorrowful from poverty.”
Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, And the young men and the old together; For I will turn their mourning into joy, And will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.
verse value 4579
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 67 letters. Notable word values: "in·dance" (בְּמָח֔וֹל) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "then" (אָ֣ז, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·I·will·comfort·them" (וְנִ֣חַמְתִּ֔ים, 7 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "will·rejoice" (תִּשְׂמַ֤ח), "and·young·men" (וּבַחֻרִ֥ים), "and·the·aged" (וּזְקֵנִ֖ים). The root שמח appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'together', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 6 words. Full calculation: אָ֣ז [then] (8) + תִּשְׂמַ֤ח [will·rejoice] (748) + בְּתוּלָה֙ [virgin] (443) + בְּמָח֔וֹל [in·dance] (86) + וּבַחֻרִ֥ים [and·young·men] (266) + וּזְקֵנִ֖ים [and·the·aged] (213) + יַחְדָּ֑ו [together] (28) + וְהָפַכְתִּ֨י [and·I·will·turn] (521) + אֶבְלָ֤ם [their·mourning] (73) + לְשָׂשׂוֹן֙ [to·gladness] (686) + וְנִ֣חַמְתִּ֔ים [and·I·will·comfort·them] (554) + וְשִׂמַּחְתִּ֖ים [and·I·will·make·them·rejoice] (804) + מִיגוֹנָֽם [from·their·grief] (149) = 4579.
Radak
“Then shall the virgin rejoice.” This means each and every virgin. And the Targum renders it: “Then the congregation of Israel shall rejoice, as with dancing.”
“From their sorrow.” The yod is quiescent [silent].
Metzudat David
“And young men and old men together.” For the sake of abundant joy, the elders will follow the young men to emulate their actions and rejoice in dancing.
"And I will reverse." The mourning that they have had of old, I will turn into joy, and in this way they will be comforted for the mourning of old.
"And I will gladden them [more] than their sorrow." That is to say, the value of the joy shall be greater than the value of the sorrow they had had since then.
Metzudat Zion
In the dance. A dance of joy:
Malbim
"Then," and the young men and the elders shall rejoice together equally, unlike the building of the Second Temple, when the elders wept with great weeping because they remembered the glory of the First Temple. And I turned their outward mourning into joy, for the definition of joy is the signs that are performed to indicate happiness, such as wearing festive garments and the like, and this is the opposite of outward mourning, which is wearing mourning garments. And also, "and I comforted them" regarding the troubles they suffered in the past, and "I made them rejoice" with the joy of the heart from their grief that they had in the past, for whenever they remember the past grief, the joy will be greater now.
And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, And My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, Says Hashem.
verse value 2605
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 40 letters. The shortest word is "soul" (נֶ֥פֶשׁ, 3 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): "and·I·will·satiate" (וְרִוֵּיתִ֛י), "fatness" (דָּ֑שֶׁן), "goods" (אֶת־טוּבִ֥י). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "and·my·people" (root עם, 86x in Jeremiah); "soul" (root נפש, 61x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'fatness', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְרִוֵּיתִ֛י [and·I·will·satiate] (632) + נֶ֥פֶשׁ [soul] (430) + הַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים [the·priests] (130) + דָּ֑שֶׁן [fatness] (354) + וְעַמִּ֛י [and·my·people] (126) + אֶת־טוּבִ֥י [goods] (428) + יִשְׂבָּ֖עוּ [shall·be·sated] (388) + נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה [says·Hashem] (117) = 2605.
Rashi
"Fatness." [I.e.] richness.
Radak
"And I will satiate." The accent is on the last syllable, on the tav. [Scripture] mentions the priests, to say that the service of the Temple will return to its place, and they will be sated with the fatness of the sacrifices, which will increase from all places, as it says: "The rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you; they shall be accepted with favor upon My altar" (Isaiah 60:7).
Metzudat David
"And I will satiate." Since at the time of the Destruction the priests were lacking the remainder of the fire-offerings of the Lord, therefore it says, "Behold, then I will satisfy the priests' souls with fatness, for they will eat the flesh of the holy things."
"My goodness." The good that comes to them from Me.
Metzudat Zion
I will satiate. A term of satiety:
Fatness. A term of fat:
Malbim
And the priests' souls shall be satiated with fatness, meaning that the priests who engage in the Temple service will have their spiritual souls satisfied from the abundance of the influence of the sacrifices, and thereby "My people shall be satisfied with My goodness," so that they too will have every good thing to their satisfaction.
Thus says Hashem: A voice is heard in Ramah, Lamentation, and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children; She refuses to be comforted for her children, Because they are not.
verse value 3143
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 68 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 "bitterness" (תַמְרוּרִ֔ים, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 167: upon·her·sons, upon·her·sons. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "in·Ramah" (בְּרָמָ֤ה), "Rachel" (רָחֵ֖ל), "weeping" (מְבַכָּ֣ה). The root על appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·her·sons', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 5 words.
Rashi
"A voice is heard in Ramah." A voice was heard in the heights of the world, the voice of the House of Israel, as they lamented over Jeremiah the prophet, when Nebuzaradan sent him from Ramah to return after the exiles to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, as it is stated in this book (below, 39):
"Rachel weeps for her children." The Midrash Aggadah states that the Patriarchs and Matriarchs went to appease the Holy One, blessed be He, because Menasheh had set up an idol in the Sanctuary, but He was not appeased. Rachel entered and said before Him: "Master of the Universe, whose mercy is greater — Your mercy or the mercy of a human being (flesh and blood)? You must say Your mercy is greater. Yet did I not bring my rival into my own house? For all the labor that Jacob performed for my father, he performed only for my sake. When I came to enter the bridal canopy, they brought in my sister, and not only did I stay silent, but I even gave her my signs. You too — if Your children brought Your rival into Your house, keep silent for them." He said to her: "You have learned well how to plead a defense. There is a reward for your deed and for your righteousness, that you gave your sign to your sister."
Radak
Thus says the Lord: A voice is heard in Ramah. He spoke by way of parable concerning the Ten Tribes, whose head is Ephraim, and he mentioned the mother of them all, who is Rachel, as if she were weeping by way of parable for her children.
"For he is not." Meaning: [it refers to] the people; and he mentioned these [tribes] and said of them, "he is not," because they did not return from their exile, unlike Judah and Benjamin who returned from the first exile from Babylonia. The Ten Tribes did not return, and their whereabouts are not known. Therefore it says, "for he is not." And the phrase "in Ramah" means "on a high hill," so that the voice would be heard from afar.
There is a midrashic interpretation asking: Why Rachel? Because the patriarchs and matriarchs went to appease the Holy One, blessed be He, over the fact that He had allowed Manasseh to set up an idol in the Temple, but He was not appeased. Then Rachel entered and said before Him: "Master of the Universe, whose mercy is greater, Yours or the mercy of flesh and blood? You must say Yours is greater. Yet did I not bring my rival into my house? For all the labor that Jacob served my father was only for my sake. And when it was time for me to enter the wedding canopy, they brought in my sister instead. Not only did I remain silent, but I even gave her my signs. You, too, if the children of Your rival have been brought into Your house, be silent for them." He said to her: "You have taught a fine defense for My children. There is a reward for your deed, for your righteousness in giving your signs to your sister."
There is another midrashic interpretation: that He led them into exile along the road past Rachel's tomb; therefore it says, "Rachel weeping for her children." Our Sages expounded this in connection with the verse, "And she was buried on the way to Ephrath" (Genesis 35:19). They asked: What did Jacob our father see [reason] to bury Rachel on the way to Ephrath? Rather, Jacob our father foresaw through the Holy Spirit that the exiles were destined to pass through that place. Therefore he buried her there so that she would plead for mercy on their behalf. This is what is written: "A voice is heard in Ramah," etc. And the Targum renders the verse thus: "Thus says the Lord, a voice in the heights of the world," etc., as printed in the column.
"With bitter weeping." [She] weeps with bitterness of heart, in the manner of "I will weep bitterly," and weeps to You in bitterness of soul.
"Rachel weeps." The verb comes from the intensive [Piel, lit. "dageshed"] pattern, [used] for abundance of weeping.
Metzudat David
"The voice is heard in the high place." Behold, in the heights of heaven a voice is heard, and it is a wailing of bitter weeping.
Rachel weeps. That voice of our mother Rachel, which weeps for her children who were exiled among the nations:
"Refuses." She refuses to accept consolation, for no one remains in their land, for they have all been exiled.
Metzudat Zion
On the heights. In the high heavens:
Wailing. A term for howling:
Tamrurim. From the language of bitterness:
She refused. From the language of "mi'un" (refusal):
Malbim
“The voice is heard in Ramah” — this is a city in the land of Benjamin. “Rachel weeping for her children” — this depicts Rachel, the mother of children, crying out with a loud voice over her two sons who went into exile, namely the house of Joseph and the house of Benjamin. Now, the children of Benjamin who went into exile with Judah to Babylonia are destined to return in the days of Cyrus, and she weeps for her children who went into exile at this time. But regarding the house of Joseph, who were exiled to Halah and Habor, and who are not destined to return, she refuses to be comforted. Even though she will receive consolation for the children of Benjamin upon their return in the Second Temple period, she will not be comforted for her children who are no longer present, which refers to the house of Joseph.
Thus says Hashem: Refrain your voice from weeping, And your eyes from tears; For your work shall be rewarded, says Hashem; And they shall come back from the land of the enemy.
verse value 3286
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 64 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 "says·Hashem" (נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֔ה, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "from·tears" (מִדִּמְעָ֑ה), "reward" (שָׂכָ֤ר), "to·your·wages" (לִפְעֻלָּתֵךְ֙). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·tears', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 8 words.
Radak
Thus says the Lord: "Because of your deeds." [This refers to] the deeds of your children, who endured the exile for many years, yet did not forget My Name, nor transgress My covenant. And the Targum translates: "There is a reward for those who serve You with love, the righteous ones."
Metzudat David
"And your eyes." Restrain your eyes from tears.
"For there is a reward for your deed." Our Sages of blessed memory said: When Manasseh set up a graven image in the Temple, Rachel came before the Lord and said: "Are not Your mercies greater than the mercies of flesh and blood? Did I not bring my rival into my own house? For I myself handed over the tokens to my sister Leah. You too, if Your children have brought Your rival into Your house, forgive them." And the Lord said to her: "Behold, now you will receive reward for your deed of handing over the tokens, and in recompense for this your children will return from the land of the enemy." Or, alternatively, the phrase "for your deed" refers to the deed of your children, who, despite the hardship of the Babylonian exile, did not deny the Lord and performed His commandments, and in recompense for this they will return from the land of the enemy.
Malbim
Thus says the Lord: “Restrain your voice from weeping”—concerning the children of Benjamin; “and your eyes from tears”—concerning the children of Joseph. Regarding the children of Benjamin it says, “for there is a reward for your labor”: because of what you pray for them, there is reward in it, that they will return from the land of the enemy, from the Babylonian exile. But regarding the children of Joseph, who will not return, nevertheless [it says], “there is hope for your future”—there is hope for the latter days, at the time of the end, when “the sons shall return to their border.” This means: even though they themselves will not return, their sons, who are the last generation, will return to their border. (And regarding this it did not say “they shall return from the land of the enemy,” because the Ten Tribes are not in the land of the enemy, for they dwell by themselves in a distant land, separate from their border; and they will return in the end of days to their border.)
And there is hope for your future, says Hashem; And your children shall return to their own border.
verse value 2140
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 35 letters. The shortest word is "and·they·shall·return" (וְשָׁ֥בוּ, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·there-is·hope" (וְיֵשׁ־תִּקְוָ֥ה, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·there-is·hope" (וְיֵשׁ־תִּקְוָ֥ה), "to·your·end" (לְאַחֲרִיתֵ֖ךְ), "to·their·border" (לִגְבוּלָֽם). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "and·they·shall·return" (root שוב, 106x in Jeremiah); "son" (root בן, 56x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'says·Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְיֵשׁ־תִּקְוָ֥ה [and·there-is·hope] (827) + לְאַחֲרִיתֵ֖ךְ [to·your·end] (669) + נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה [says·Hashem] (117) + וְשָׁ֥בוּ [and·they·shall·return] (314) + בָנִ֖ים [son] (102) + לִגְבוּלָֽם [to·their·border] (111) = 2140.
Radak
"And there is hope for your latter end." For the latter end of your children:
Metzudat David
"And there is hope." You have a place to hope for a good future for your children, for through this recompense your children shall return to their territory. The matter is repeated in different words:
I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself: ‘You have chastised me, and I was chastised, As a calf untrained; Turn you me, and I shall be turned, For You are Hashem my God.
verse value 4497
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 64 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֥ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "bemoaning·himself" (מִתְנוֹדֵ֔ד, 6 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "bemoaning·himself" (מִתְנוֹדֵ֔ד), "You·chastised·me" (יִסַּרְתַּ֙נִי֙), "and·I·was·chastened" (וָֽאִוָּסֵ֔ר). The root שמע appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root עגל ("as·calf") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'was·teached', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 6 words.
Rashi
"Complaining." The Old French term "Kumplenit" corresponds to the expression "Who will console you?" (above, 19).
"You have disciplined me." With afflictions, You, the Holy One, blessed be He, have disciplined me.
"Like a calf, it has not been trained." "Puschagoyiloni" in the vernacular is the term for "ox-goad" [malmad ha-bakar] (Judges 4). I was like this at first, and therefore I sinned against You.
Radak
"Shamoa," "mitnoded." [He is] weeping and moaning — "plaindre" in the vernacular [Old French] — and he says to Me:
"You have disciplined me." "You have disciplined me" refers to the many years in exile, and behold, I am disciplined and shall know no more.
Like a calf, it did not learn. For they did not teach it to pull the yoke, and it did not learn until they beat it and accustom it until it learns. So I have endured Your afflictions and learned to return to You, and behold, I am returning to You.
"Restore me." That is to say, "Accept me in repentance."
Metzudat David
"I have surely heard." This is the statement of the Omnipresent: "I have heard that the kingdom of the Ten Tribes, who are called by the name of Ephraim, is shaking his head, as one who is distressed and mourns, saying: 'Behold, You have disciplined me with afflictions, to open my ear to instruction; and behold, I have accepted the instruction, like this calf that was not accustomed to drawing the yoke. And when it becomes accustomed, it will return and draw; so too am I like it.'"
“Restore me.” You will arouse my heart to return to You, and so I will do, and I will return to You.
"For You are the Lord my God." If so, what is fitting is to return to You:
Metzudat Zion
"מתנודד" – from the root meaning "to wander" and "to move."
Accustomed. A term for habituation, like "a wild ass accustomed to the wilderness" (above, chapter 2):
Malbim
“Hearing I have heard Ephraim wavering,” Ephraim shall complain and dispute with God, “You have disciplined me, etc.” This means that there are two ways to bring the people back in repentance: 1) through afflictions, whereby they return out of fear; 2) through revealing His divinity to them via miracles and wonders, until they recognize His providence, and thereby they return to God out of love. Now, God desired to bring Ephraim back through the afflictions He brought upon him. Yet Ephraim complains about this, stating that it was ineffective: “You disciplined me, and I was disciplined”—meaning that by bringing afflictions upon me, You accomplished nothing; rather, [the verse says only] “I was disciplined,” meaning I suffered afflictions, but You did not achieve that I should thereby return in repentance. For I am like a calf that does not learn: a trained ox, when it strays from the furrow and is struck, returns to the plowing furrow; but a calf that is not trained, when struck, strays even further from its path. Likewise, through the afflictions, I strayed even further from the path. Therefore, I request: “Restore me, and I will return,” through Your showing me that You, LORD, are my God, by revealing to me Your unique providence and Your divinity, until I return in repentance out of love and knowledge of God.
Surely after that I was turned, I repented, And after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh; I was ashamed, indeed, even confounded, Because I did bear the reproach of my youth.’
verse value 5501
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 64 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·also·I·was-confounded" (וְגַם־נִכְלַ֔מְתִּי, 9 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "my·knowing" (הִוָּ֣דְעִ֔י), "I·clapped" (סָפַ֖קְתִּי), "upon·thigh" (עַל־יָרֵ֑ךְ). The root אחר appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "return" (root שוב, 106x in Jeremiah); "for·after the following part" (root אחר, 78x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·thigh', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 6 words. Full calculation: כִּֽי־אַחֲרֵ֤י [for·after the following part] (249) + שׁוּבִי֙ [return] (318) + נִחַ֔מְתִּי [I·regret] (508) + וְאַֽחֲרֵי֙ [and·after] (225) + הִוָּ֣דְעִ֔י [my·knowing] (95) + סָפַ֖קְתִּי [I·clapped] (650) + עַל־יָרֵ֑ךְ [upon·thigh] (330) + בֹּ֚שְׁתִּי [I·am·ashamed] (712) + וְגַם־נִכְלַ֔מְתִּי [and·also·I·was-confounded] (599) + כִּ֥י [for] (30) + נָשָׂ֖אתִי [I·lifted] (761) + חֶרְפַּ֥ת [reproach] (688) + נְעוּרָֽי [my·youth] (336) = 5501.
Rashi
"I relented." I regret my abominations:
"Hoda'i [I was made to know myself]." That I contemplated within myself that I had been unfaithful — "aprinu'iy" in the vernacular.
The reproach of my youth. That my enemies might reproach me because of the sins of my youth:
Radak
"For after I returned, I repented." After I returned to You, I repented of my evil deeds, for the repentance of a penitent is not complete unless he laments and repents over his prior sins. And likewise it is stated: "Who knows whether He will return and repent" (Jonah 3:9).
And afterward, I smote upon my thigh. After I became aware of myself and contemplated the evil deeds that I had done, and I recognized that I had committed great evils, I smote upon my thigh as one who is distressed and mourning, and I was ashamed of myself for the deeds that I had done.
"And I was also humiliated." Humiliation is greater than shame; therefore it says "also." Likewise: "they were ashamed and also humiliated."
"For I have borne the reproach of my youth." When I remembered that what I bore and endured, the reproach of my youth, was namely due to the evil deeds I committed in my days of youth, which were a reproach and a disgrace to me. And the explanation of "my youth" is the ancient days; and the ancient days are called "youth" by way of metaphor, just as the days of youth precede the days of maturity and the days of old age. Likewise, "the kindness of your youth," as explained above. And Targum Yonatan [renders]: "chasudei chuvna d'malkidmin" [the kindnesses of affection from of old].
Metzudat David
"For after my return." After I have returned from the ways of the wicked, I am astonished and I regret the sins that I committed.
"And after I became aware." After I had reflected upon myself that I had not done good, I smote my hand upon my thigh, as is the custom of a person who repents.
“For I have borne the reproach of my youth.” This means that when I sinned at this time, the reproach of the sins I had committed since then was recalled against me. For such is the way: when a person persists in walking in the way of wickedness, when people see him transgressing a sin, they say about him, “Behold, this man has been a wicked person from his youth.”
Metzudat Zion
I relented. A term for a change of mind and regret:
I struck. A term for striking, like "and he clapped his hands" (Numbers 24:10):
Thigh. The side of the body:
I bore [it]. A term for burden and load:
Malbim
For after I returned, I regretted it—for now that You are striving to bring Me back through afflictions, even when I sometimes do return because of the afflictions, I will afterward regret that return and I will return again to my evil ways. And after I have been made aware, and after You have afflicted me a second time, I will beat my thigh and I will lament again for my sins. And yet I was ashamed and also humiliated, for I still bore the disgrace of my youth—the transgressions that I committed in the days of my youth, I still bear their disgrace, for I did not return to them in complete repentance. And if so, since the afflictions are not effective, it is better that You bring Me back by showing Me Your divinity, as You did in ancient times.
Is Ephraim a darling son to Me? Is he a child that is dandled? For as often as I speak of him, I do earnestly remember him still; Therefore My heart yearns for him, I will surely have compassion upon him, says Hashem.
verse value 3569
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 76 letters. Notable word values: "for·him" (ל֔וֹ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "to·me" (לִ֜י, 2 letters) and the longest is "says·Hashem" (נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה, 7 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "son" (הֲבֵן֩), "rare" (יַקִּ֨יר), "delight" (שַׁעֲשֻׁעִ֔ים). The root זכר appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "for·sufficiency" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "therefore" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'still', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 7 words.
Rashi
"Is Ephraim a son dear to Me?" These are the words of the Divine Presence; that is to say, he [Ephraim] is wavering, and as for Me, My heart is turned within me to have mercy — perhaps he is My dear son? [This is] like one who has only one son, for whom he does all that he wishes. "Dandled" [שעשועים] — "Ishbaniemeynts" in Old French:
"From the time of My speaking with him." At every time that I speak of him. And the Midrash Vayikra Rabbah explains: [reading it as] "My speech is enough (דַּי דִבּוּרִי) that I placed within him," in that I taught him My Torah — to have mercy upon him.
Radak
My dear son. What is this that I always remember him as if he were a beloved son who never sinned against me?
"If he is a child of play." This refers to a father who is playing with his beloved son.
“Whenever I speak of him.” Whenever I speak of him, I will recall him again in my ancient love for him. Similarly, “And it shall be, whenever they go out, whenever they pass over, He will take them.” Their matter is: “whenever.”
Therefore my heart is troubled. Therefore, when I recall the ancient love, my heart is troubled within me when I see him in exile.
"I will surely have compassion on him." And I will bring him out of exile. And the explanation of "[whenever] I speak of him" is: to My servants, the prophets. And Targum Yonatan [renders]: "hakhvar chaviv kodmai" [Is he not indeed dear before Me], etc., as in the column.
Metzudat David
"The beloved son": This is the statement of the Omnipresent who said, "Is Ephraim to Me a beloved son? Is he to Me like a delightful child whom his father plays with?" Meaning, whenever I speak concerning him, I do not stop immediately, but rather I continue to remember him for a long time — in the manner of a father speaking about his beloved son, who does not cease from mentioning him for a long time, for he takes pleasure in the remembrance of his name.
Therefore. Since I remember him for a long time, therefore my heart is moved toward him and I will have compassion on him.
Metzudat Zion
Yakir. From the language of "precious" and "important":
"Sha'ashu'im." The matter of engaging in activity for the sake of joy; and similarly, "and the sucking child shall play" (Isaiah 11:8).
"Middei." [Its meaning is] "when"/"whenever"; and so, "whenever it passes" (ibid. 28).
"Od" [more/again] — it is a matter of increase/repetition, as in "and he wept upon his neck again" (Genesis 46:29).
"Hamu." From the language of "hamiyyah" (stirring/moaning), and it refers to the kindling of mercy and compassion; similarly, "the stirring of your bowels" (Isaiah 63:15).
Malbim
My dear son, the Lord answers them that there is a distinction between the earlier generations, whom He brought back to Himself by showing them His divinity, His might, and His wonders, and between the present time. And there is a distinction between "my dear son" and "a child of delights." A "child of delights" is the young child; even though he sins before his father, nevertheless the father loves him because he is a young child in whom he takes delight. And "my dear son" is the grown son, who has many exalted qualities and is precious on account of his merits. If he sins, nevertheless the father loves him, for he remembers his merits and his preciousness. Now, in Egypt, although Israel then had no merit or perfection, they were in His eyes like a "child of delights," as it is stated, "For Israel was My child, and I loved him." And when they were in the wilderness and in the Land of Israel in ancient times, they were like "my dear son," for there were among them prophets, princes of holiness, and sages. And then, if they sinned, He remembered the righteous ones among them and bore their iniquity. But now, "my dear son to Me is Ephraim"—is there any preciousness or importance in him? And likewise, "he is a child of delights"—is he not no longer a child, but has he not grown old and advanced in years? The statements correspond: "My dear son to Me is Ephraim," for since I speak of him, I will remember him again. (Any use of the verb "to speak" followed by the preposition "about him" [בו] denotes disparagement.) That is, even at the time that I speak of him with some disparagement, I will remember again his merits on account of his being precious. "If he is a child of delights," therefore my heart yearns for him, my heart churns for him, and I will have compassion on him on account of his being a young child in whom I take delight. And so, how can you request that I perform for you now wonders and love you as in ancient times?
Set you up waymarks, Make you guide-posts; Set your heart toward the high-way, Even the way by which you went; Return, O virgin of Israel, Return to these your cities.
verse value 6110
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 73 letters. Notable word values: "these" (אֵֽלֶּה) = 36, double chai. Verse gematria: 6110 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for·yourself" (לָ֣ךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "bitterness" (תַּמְרוּרִ֔ים, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 50: for·yourself, for·yourself. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "set-up" (הַצִּ֧יבִי), "waymarks" (צִיֻּנִ֗ים), "to·the·causeway" (לַֽמְסִלָּ֖ה). The root לך appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·your·cities" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah); "name" (root שם, 122x in Jeremiah); "Israel" (root ישראל, 110x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·went', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 6 words.
Rashi
“Set up for yourself signposts.” Signs on the paths of your fathers’ good deeds:
Signposts. Small date palms planted as a marker along the road. And the plain meaning of the verse is: "Make signs for yourself to know the path you traveled from the Land of Israel to Babylonia, so that you will return by that same route." In other words, surely you will return from there.
"The road you traveled." It is written הָלָכְתִּי, 'I went' — wherever you went, I went with you. And Jonathan [Targum Yonatan] renders "place signposts for yourself": pray in the bitterness of your soul [relating תַּמְרוּרִים to מַר, bitter]. (And Menachem explained תַּמְרוּרִים as an expression of raising up, and so too he explained "columns of smoke" [וְתִימֲרוֹת עָשָׁן] (Joel 3:3) — this is missing in some editions.)
Radak
“Set up for yourself landmarks.” This refers to the Congregation of Israel in that generation: when you go into exile, set up for yourself landmarks, such as piles of stones or a memorial stone, to recognize the way. This means: even though you go into exile, your hope is not lost, for you will yet return to your cities.
“Set up for yourself tamarorim.” This is a repetition of the idea using different words, for “tamarorim” is akin to “tziyonim”—that is, high mounds—since it is a term denoting height, as in “vayitmarmer elav.”
"Set your heart." And if you do not set up [landmarks], "set your heart," so that you will remember the path by which you went into exile, for by that same path you shall return. All of this is an allegory for consolation. And Targum Yonatan renders it: "Congregation of Israel, remember for yourself the deeds of your fathers."
Metzudat David
"Set up for yourself." You, Israel, when you go into exile, set up for yourself landmarks along the way, so that you may recognize the path to return by the same route. This is a matter of rhetorical expression and exaggeration.
"Set up." Plant for yourself many date-palm trees, so that you may recognize the way; and the matter is repeated in different words:
"Set your heart, etc." – Set your heart upon the path you have traveled, so that you may remember it.
“Return.” And in this manner, the Virgin of Israel shall return, meaning: beloved to Me as a virgin is to her bridegroom.
"Return, etc." The matter is repeated using different words:
Metzudat Zion
“Set it up.” The matter of setting up:
"Tziyunim." The matter of a sign and a token, like "and he shall set up a marker beside it" (Ezekiel 39:15):
Tamrurim. Palm trees:
"Shiti" [Set]. The matter of placing:
To the path. The matter of a footpath and a road:
Malbim
“Set up for yourself landmarks”: Just as when one repairs a public road, one sets up landmarks, placing a marker at every junction to indicate the direction in which the road leads; and when the road is improved further, one plants waymarks, namely date-palm trees, along both sides of the road, so that one knows that the path lies between the palms; and when it is improved even further, one paves a causeway, raising and compacting the road with stones so that it becomes a straight path. With this in mind, it says to the children of Israel, who seek the way to the Land of Israel: Will you not find it by means of the landmarks? And more than that, by means of the waymarks? And even more than that, if you pay attention to the stone-paved causeway? All of these are found along the path you have already traveled, and through them you will know the way. Therefore, “Return, O virgin Israel.” Return from exile. And it adds, “Return to these your cities.” Behold, your cities stand before you, visible to your eyes; return to them.
How long will you turn away coyly, O you backsliding daughter? For Hashem has created a new thing in the earth: A woman shall court a man.
verse value 3960
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 50 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֤ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 3960 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "daughter" (הַבַּ֖ת, 3 letters) and the longest is "you·turn-away" (תִּתְחַמָּקִ֔ין, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "you·turn-away" (תִּתְחַמָּקִ֔ין), "for·son" (כִּֽי־בָרָ֨א), "female" (נְקֵבָ֖ה). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "for·son" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "in·the·land" (root ארץ, 245x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'backturning', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 7 words. Full calculation: עַד־מָתַי֙ [until·when] (524) + תִּתְחַמָּקִ֔ין [you·turn-away] (1008) + הַבַּ֖ת [daughter] (407) + הַשּֽׁוֹבֵבָ֑ה [backturning] (320) + כִּֽי־בָרָ֨א [for·son] (233) + יְהֹוָ֤ה [Hashem] (26) + חֲדָשָׁה֙ [new] (317) + בָּאָ֔רֶץ [in·the·land] (293) + נְקֵבָ֖ה [female] (157) + תְּס֥וֹבֵֽב [shall·court] (470) + גָּֽבֶר [man] (205) = 3960.
Rashi
“Tithchamaken” – “You will hide from Me, for you are ashamed to return to Me because of your ways.” Behold, a new thing is created in the land: that the female will pursue the male, seeking him to take her as a wife, as it is said, “I will go about the city in the streets, and in the broad places I will seek Him whom my soul loves” (Song of Songs 3:2). And I heard from Rabbi Yehudah the Exegete: “The female will go about” – meaning she will become like a male. I have made you like a daughter who takes a tenth of the estate; the seven nations out of the seventy [nations] – in the end, you will take everything, like a son who is male, who inherits everything.
Radak
“Until when will you evade?”—When will you cease turning here and there? From the phrase *chamak avar*, whose meaning is “to turn.”
“The rebellious daughter.” That she was rebellious and defiant toward Me, meaning: “How long will you go hither and thither and not walk a straight path to return to your first husband?” That is, how long will you delay in repentance?
"For the Lord will create a new thing upon the earth." He will create a new thing after you have dwelled in exile for many days. And what is this new thing? That the female will pursue the male, whereas the way of the world is that the man pursues and seeks after the woman. And so our Sages of blessed memory said: The owner of a lost item pursues his lost item. Then the female will pursue the male, meaning that the children of Israel will return to the Lord their God, and He will redeem them. And so it is said in the prophecy of Hosea: "Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and they shall come in fear unto the Lord and to His goodness in the latter days."
Metzudat David
"Until when will you evade?"—the rebellious daughter, until when will you continue to wander from your land because of your iniquity?
"For He created." For then the Lord will create a new thing: although now she is likened to a female over whom her husband rules, because they [the Chaldeans] have mastered you, behold, then she will turn about to become a male, to rule again over the Chaldeans as a man rules over a woman.
Metzudat Zion
"Titchamqin" — the meaning is "to turn/go around," similar to "[my beloved] had turned and slipped away" (חמק עבר) (Song of Songs 5:6).
The word "shovava" (the rebellion). Its meaning is "rebellion," similar to the phrase "Why has the people rebelled?" (above, chapter 8).
Malbim
“Until when will you evade, O wayward daughter?” — this refers to the Land of Israel. “Until when will you hide yourself from the children of the exile?” For the verse states, “For the Lord has created a new thing upon the earth: a woman shall surround a man.” The metaphor portrays the Land as female and the people dwelling upon it as the male who mates with her, as it is written, “As a young man marries a virgin, so shall your sons marry you.” And just as it is the custom of the world that the man returns and goes about seeking the woman, and not vice versa, so too would the people strive to conquer the land they desire to inhabit through conquest and war. However, in the days of the Second Temple, when they returned to their land without conquest and war, it was as if the land sought them and prepared itself to welcome the man who would come to her. Therefore, it is said, “For the Lord has created a new thing upon the earth,” meaning that although other women are sought and pursued by men, this particular woman, which is the Land, the Lord created with a new nature: she shall surround the man and seek him, that he may come to her, and he shall not seek her through the effort of conquest and war.
Thus says Hashem of hosts, the God of Israel: Yet again shall they use this speech In the land of Judah and in the cities thereof, When I shall turn their captivity: ‘Hashem bless you, O habitation of righteousness, O mountain of holiness.’
verse value 5577
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 88 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֤ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 5577 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "hill" (הַ֥ר, 2 letters) and the longest is "captivity" (אֶת־שְׁבוּתָ֑ם, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 26: Hashem, Hashem. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·in·his·cities" (וּבְעָרָ֔יו), "in·my·turning" (בְּשׁוּבִ֖י), "may·he·bless·you" (יְבָרֶכְךָ֧). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "thus·said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "the·word" (root דבר, 270x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'captivity', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 5 words.
Radak
Thus says the Lord. This too, the passage, is future, and so are the subsequent passages down to “the word that came to Jeremiah.”
"In the land of Judah." It recalls Judah, because in his portion was the Holy Temple, which is the abode of righteousness and the holy mountain. And they said, "May the Lord bless you," meaning that it will not be destroyed again.
Metzudat David
They will say further, etc. There will yet come a time when all will say:
"Upon My return." At the time that I will restore the exiles to their place, they will say, "The Lord bless you; you are the abode of righteousness" — referring to Jerusalem.
The Holy Mountain: This is the Temple.
Metzudat Zion
"When I restore" [beshuvi]. From the language of hashavah (causative: to bring back/restore):
"Their captivity" [shevutam]. From the language of captivity (shevi):
"Naveh." The matter of a dwelling place:
Malbim
They will further say, "when I restore their captivity" (b'shuvi et shevutam): This refers to the captivity of the cities. When the cities return to their former glory, the Lord will bless you, O dwelling place of righteousness. The reason the Lord will bless you is because you are a dwelling place of righteousness. The verse depicts it as if righteousness itself planted its dwelling and residence in these cities, and they became its abode. And Mount Zion will be called the Holy Mountain, for there He will dwell in holiness and reside there.
And Judah and all the cities thereof Shall dwell therein together: The husbandmen, and they that go forth with flocks.
verse value 1470
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 37 letters. The shortest word is "in·her" (בָ֛הּ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·all·its·cities" (וְכׇל־עָרָ֖יו, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·shall·move·forward" (וְנָסְע֖וּ), "in·the·flock" (בַּעֵֽדֶר). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·shall-dwell" (root ישב, 147x in Jeremiah); "Judah" (root יהודה, 134x in Jeremiah); "and·all·its·cities" (root עיר, 117x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'together', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְיָ֥שְׁבוּ [and·shall-dwell] (324) + בָ֛הּ [in·her] (7) + יְהוּדָ֥ה [Judah] (30) + וְכׇל־עָרָ֖יו [and·all·its·cities] (342) + יַחְדָּ֑ו [together] (28) + אִכָּרִ֕ים [husbandmen] (271) + וְנָסְע֖וּ [and·shall·move·forward] (192) + בַּעֵֽדֶר [in·the·flock] (276) = 1470.
Radak
And they shall dwell in it. In the land of Judah, of which it is said, "Judah shall dwell in it," just as it had dwelt there before.
"And all its cities." Explanation: [it means] "and in all its cities," and the letter bet of "בה" (in it) stands in place of two [i.e., it does double duty, standing also for the missing bet of "ובכל עריו"].
“Farmers and they will travel with their flocks.” The explanation is that farmers, field workers, and shepherds will dwell there, and they will travel with their flocks from place to place without fear. And Jonathan rendered it: “Farmers and those who are traveling with their companies.”
Metzudat David
"And they dwelt in it." In Jerusalem, which is called "the dwelling of righteousness."
“And all its cities.” “And in all the cities of Judah”—they shall dwell in all of them collectively.
"Peasants." There the tillers of the soil will be engaged in plowing, and the shepherds of the flocks will travel there from place to place with their herds to seek pasture, and they will not fear the enemy.
Metzudat Zion
"Farmers." They are those who till the soil by plowing, as it says: "The farmers are ashamed" (above, 14:4).
"Be'eder" (with the flock). [Meaning] with a flock, and the letter bet comes in place of "with" (im); similarly, [in] "Has [the Lord spoken] only, only through Moses" (Numbers 12:2), whose sense is "im Moshe" (with Moses).
Malbim
“And they shall dwell in it” — in the “dwelling of righteousness,” Judah and all its cities shall dwell. The verse alludes as if both the cities and the people were all dwelling in the “dwelling of righteousness,” meaning that they shall be filled with righteousness. This includes even the farmers who till the soil, and even those who are constantly traveling with their flocks from place to place — namely, the shepherds who are generally robbers, grazing in other people’s fields. Now, however, they shall no longer travel from place to place, but shall dwell permanently in the “dwelling of righteousness.”
For I have satiated the weary soul, And every pining soul have I replenished.
verse value 2235
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "I·satiated" (הִרְוֵ֖יתִי, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "I·satiated" (הִרְוֵ֖יתִי), "faint" (עֲיֵפָ֑ה), "and·all·soul" (וְכׇל־נֶ֥פֶשׁ). The root נפש appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "soul" (root נפש, 61x in Jeremiah); "I·filled" (root מלא, 30x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'faint', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: כִּ֥י [for] (30) + הִרְוֵ֖יתִי [I·satiated] (631) + נֶ֣פֶשׁ [soul] (430) + עֲיֵפָ֑ה [faint] (165) + וְכׇל־נֶ֥פֶשׁ [and·all·soul] (486) + דָּאֲבָ֖ה [became·faint] (12) + מִלֵּֽאתִי [I·filled] (481) = 2235.
Radak
"For I have satisfied the weary soul." The soul of Israel, which was weary and thirsty in exile, I have satisfied from the springs of salvation.
"And every soul that grieves." [The soul] that grieved and was anxious because of the abundance of troubles — I filled it with all good, so that it may rejoice, the opposite of the grief. And so did Jonathan render it: "I filled it with all good."
Metzudat David
For I have satisfied. For then I will satiate the weary and thirsty soul with water, and every despondent soul I will fill with good.
Metzudat Zion
“I have satisfied.” The matter of satiety:
“Eifah.” This means thirsty, for “ayef” denotes one who is thirsty for water.
Da’ava. The matter of sorrow:
Malbim
"For I have sated the soul that was weary"—one who was weary from excessive labor; "and the soul that was faint"—one who lacked his needs; "I have filled all his needs." Therefore, they will then have no need to plunder or rob, and they will dwell in a secure abode of justice.
Upon this I awaked, and beheld; And my sleep was sweet to me.
verse value 2419
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "to·me" (לִּֽי, 2 letters) and the longest is "I·awoke" (הֱקִיצֹ֣תִי, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "I·awoke" (הֱקִיצֹ֣תִי), "and·I·saw" (וָאֶרְאֶ֑ה), "and·my·sleep" (וּשְׁנָתִ֖י). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·this" (root זאת, 94x in Jeremiah); "and·I·saw" (root ראה, 71x in Jeremiah); "and·my·sleep" (root שנה, 50x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·I·saw', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: עַל־זֹ֖את [upon·this] (508) + הֱקִיצֹ֣תִי [I·awoke] (615) + וָאֶרְאֶ֑ה [and·I·saw] (213) + וּשְׁנָתִ֖י [and·my·sleep] (766) + עָ֥רְבָה [pledged] (277) + לִּֽי [to·me] (40) = 2419.
Rashi
“Upon this I awakened.” Thus Jeremiah said: All the time that I was asleep and slumbering in prophecies of doom, in this prophecy I awakened from my slumber.
"Arvah" (it was pleasant). [I.e.,] it was sweet to me.
Radak
"Upon this I awoke." The letter he is pronounced with a shva and a segol. This verse is the words of the prophet, for prophecy comes for the most part to prophets in a dream. Its meaning is as its Targum: the prophet said, "Concerning this — the tidings of the days of consolation that are destined to come — I awoke and I saw; I returned, I lay down, and my sleep pleased me." The vav of "and I saw" is like the vav of "Behold, You were angry, and we sinned," meaning: we had already sinned, therefore You were angry. So too, "I awoke and I saw" means: I had already seen in the prophetic dream this consolation, and out of it I awoke and rejoiced. And when I returned afterward [to sleep], my sleep was pleasant to me because of the joy — the opposite of "my sleep came upon me [was troubled]." "Pleasant" denotes a matter of pleasure.
Metzudat David
"Regarding this." On account of this good prophecy, I awoke from sleep, for in a dream he saw that prophecy, and due to the great arousal of joy, he awoke from sleep.
"I awoke, and I looked." This means: Behold, I awoke from sleep, and the awakening occurred because I had seen that prophecy in a dream. Similar expressions include: "Behold, You were angry, and we sinned" (Isaiah 64:4), which means: And the anger was because we had sinned.
"And my sleep was pleasant to me." The sleep was sweet upon me, for I had seen a good prophecy in a dream.
Metzudat Zion
"I awoke." From the language of awakening and stirring from sleep:
"And my sleep." From the language of sheinah (sleep):
"Arevah" (was pleasant). The meaning is sweetness, as in "and your sleep shall be sweet" (Proverbs 3:24).
Malbim
"Concerning this I awoke and saw" — Jeremiah was unable to see his prophecy while awake, because due to the great distress he constantly witnessed calamities, the Divine Spirit did not rest upon him while awake, but only in a dream. Then his prophecies were shown to him, his sleep was constantly disturbed, and he was terrified by frightening visions. But concerning this prophecy, which is good tidings, "I awoke and saw" — I saw it in the time of waking (for prophecy while awake is greater in its merit than prophecy in a dream), and "my sleep was pleasant to me" — because my sleep was not stolen from me.
Behold, the days come, says Hashem, that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man, and with the seed of beast.
verse value 3883
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 59 letters. The shortest word is "they" (הִנֵּ֛ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "says·Hashem" (נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·I·will·sow" (וְזָרַעְתִּ֗י). The root זרע appears 3 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "going·in" (root בוא, 211x in Jeremiah); "Judah" (root יהודה, 134x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'says·Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 9 words. Full calculation: הִנֵּ֛ה [they] (60) + יָמִ֥ים [days] (100) + בָּאִ֖ים [going·in] (53) + נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה [says·Hashem] (117) + וְזָרַעְתִּ֗י [and·I·will·sow] (693) + אֶת־בֵּ֤ית [the·house·of] (813) + יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ [Israel] (541) + וְאֶת־בֵּ֣ית [and·house·of] (819) + יְהוּדָ֔ה [Judah] (30) + זֶ֥רַע [seed] (277) + אָדָ֖ם [man] (45) + וְזֶ֥רַע [and·seed·of] (283) + בְּהֵמָֽה [beast] (52) = 3883.
Rashi
"Human seed and beast seed." The righteous and the foolish among them—I will sow them all to be My seed. "Human seed and beast seed": Targum Yonatan [ben Uzziel] renders, "I will establish them like human beings, and cause them to prosper like cattle, whose iniquities are not accounted against them."
Radak
Behold, the seed of man and the seed of beasts. The explanation is that I will make them like seed, from which one coin produces many coins:
"Man and beast." Just as it says, "Blessed be the fruit of your womb, and the fruit of your cattle, and the fruit of your soil" — after having said, "And I will sow," meaning that He will place His blessing in them and multiply them, and there will be no bereavement [loss of young] among them. One may also explain that the vav of "and [the] seed [of beast]" is a vav of comparison, like [the pairing of] "cold waters upon a weary soul" and "good news from a distant land," and similar cases, which serve to equate the two things — meaning, as this, so that. [Thus] he explains "seed of man" as "like the seed of beast," namely, that mankind will be as numerous among them as the beasts. And so it says, "I will multiply them like a flock of men." And Jonathan rendered it: "I will increase them like men, and I will prosper them like beasts."
Metzudat David
"And I will sow them." Just as one who sows grain sees it grow more than what was sown, so too will they multiply at all times.
"Seed, etc." – Also, human beings will multiply, and so will the animals, and there will be no miscarriage or barrenness among them.
Malbim
“Behold, days are coming, and I will sow the house of Israel,” meaning that their exile will resemble seed which, before it begins to sprout, first decays and disappears; yet this disappearance is necessary for the growth, and through it the crop will flourish and yield produce. So too with Israel: although I sowed them and scattered them in the earth until their very existence seemed to vanish and they ceased to be a nation, nevertheless this will serve the purpose of their sprouting, flourishing, and becoming a great nation. This will apply both to human seed and to animal seed, meaning both to the prominent among them and to the lowly, who are likened to animals. He explains: “Just as I watched over them to uproot and to break down,” so too “I will watch over them to build and to plant.” For the uprooting is for the sake of planting, and the breaking down is for the sake of building. Both actions are attributed to Me, and I watched over them with great vigilance: I watched over them to uproot and to break down so that I could watch over them to build and to plant, just as a sower watches with care that the seed should rot in the earth so that it may sprout and flourish, through his vigilance.
And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them to pluck up and to break down, and to overthrow and to destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over them to build and to plant, says Hashem.
verse value 4954
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 74 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָ֞ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "so" (כֵּ֣ן, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·to·destroy" (וּלְהַאֲבִ֣יד, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 155: upon·them, upon·them. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "I·watch" (שָׁקַ֣דְתִּי), "and·to·tear·down" (וְלַהֲרֹ֖ס), "and·to·harm" (וּלְהָרֵ֑עַ). The root שקד appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "as" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "upon·them" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·to·harm', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 6 words.
Radak
"And it shall be, [as] I was watchful." The meaning is exertion in a matter and alacrity in it.
Metzudat David
"As I was diligent" – Just as I hastened and strove to do them harm, so too will I hasten and strive to do them good.
Metzudat Zion
"I was watchful." The meaning is swiftness and persistence, as it says, "I am watchful over My word" (above, 1:12).
To uproot. The meaning is uprooting:
And to break. The matter of breaking:
"And to overthrow." From the language of overthrow and ruin. "To build." From the language of building:
In those days they shall say no more: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the children’s teeth are set on edge.’
verse value 2286
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 43 letters. Verse gematria: 2286 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "abundance" (הָהֵ֔ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "not·shall-say" (לֹא־יֹאמְר֣וּ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 102: in·the·days, son. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "unripe grapes" (בֹ֑סֶר), "and·teeth·of" (וְשִׁנֵּ֥י). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not·shall-say" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "in·the·days" (root יום, 133x in Jeremiah); "abundance" (root הם, 132x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'unripe grapes', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 3 words. Full calculation: בַּיָּמִ֣ים [in·the·days] (102) + הָהֵ֔ם [abundance] (50) + לֹא־יֹאמְר֣וּ [not·shall-say] (288) + ע֔וֹד [again] (80) + אָב֖וֹת [fathers] (409) + אָ֣כְלוּ [they·ate] (57) + בֹ֑סֶר [unripe grapes] (262) + וְשִׁנֵּ֥י [and·teeth·of] (366) + בָנִ֖ים [son] (102) + תִּקְהֶֽינָה [they·will·be·blunt] (570) = 2286.
Rashi
"Boser." Fruit that has not fully ripened, and it sets the teeth on edge.
"And the teeth of the children shall be set on edge." The children shall be punished for the sin of their fathers.
Radak
They shall no longer say, "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge." This is a parable for the sinner, as their ancestors used to say: "Our fathers sinned, and they are no more, and we have borne their iniquities." And this is true, for it is from the attribute of the Creator, blessed be He, that He visits the iniquity of the fathers upon the children. And this attribute applies only when the children adhere to the deeds of their fathers; then the sins of the fathers are joined with the sins of the children, and the iniquity of the fathers is visited upon the children together with their own sins. And this applies only to the sin of idolatry and similar great sins. But God promised Israel that in the future their heart will be whole with the Lord, and the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord, and sinners will be few. And even the sinners in that time will not commit a great sin, for even for themselves the punishment will be prolonged, as it is said: "And the sinner, being a hundred years old, shall be cursed." How much more so that the child will not be punished for the sin of his father, even if he sins like his father. Therefore, "He who eats sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge." And "sour grapes" refers to fruit that has not completed its ripening, and he who eats it, his teeth become dull. In the book of Ezekiel, we will elaborate further on this matter, with the help of God.
Metzudat David
"They shall no longer say" — they shall no longer complain, saying, "Behold, the fathers have eaten sour grapes," etc. But surely the proper thing is that he who ate the sour grapes should have his teeth set on edge; that is to say, the fathers sinned, and yet the children are receiving the punishment. Surely the proper thing is that the sinner himself should receive the punishment. And similarly it is stated that they said, as complaining, "The fathers eat sour grapes," etc. (Ezekiel 18:2).
Metzudat Zion
"Boser." So is called the fruit whose ripening is not yet complete, and it is sour and dulls the teeth, as it is said: "and the blossom shall become a ripening grape" (Isaiah 18:5).
"Let them be blunted." The meaning is the weakening of the teeth for cutting food, and likewise, "if the iron be blunted" (Ecclesiastes 10:10), meaning that the iron has become weakened for cutting wood.
Malbim
"In those days" means that then they will no longer fear that I will punish them for the sin of their fathers, as was the case previously, for then each person will die for his own sin, and the children will not be punished for the sin of their fathers. This matter is explained by me in Ezekiel, chapter 18, regarding the reason for this; see there. Secondly, they will no longer fear that they will sin themselves and that I will punish them, for behold, days are coming when I will make a new covenant, for the previous covenant was conditional upon their not sinning, in which case the covenant would be broken, for in the past it was possible to sin, but in the future it will not be possible at all for them to sin, as will be explained.
But every one shall die for his own iniquity; every man that eats the sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.
verse value 2331
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 40 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֛י, 2 letters) and the longest is "all·the·man" (כׇּל־הָֽאָדָ֛ם, 6 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "but·man" (אִם־אִ֥ישׁ), "in·his·iniquity" (בַּעֲוֺנ֖וֹ), "all·the·man" (כׇּל־הָֽאָדָ֛ם). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "but·man" (root איש, 153x in Jeremiah); "will·die" (root מות, 64x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'will·die', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 5 words. Full calculation: כִּ֛י [for] (30) + אִם־אִ֥ישׁ [but·man] (352) + בַּעֲוֺנ֖וֹ [in·his·iniquity] (134) + יָמ֑וּת [will·die] (456) + כׇּל־הָֽאָדָ֛ם [all·the·man] (100) + הָאֹכֵ֥ל [food] (56) + הַבֹּ֖סֶר [unripe grapes] (267) + תִּקְהֶ֥ינָה [they·will·be·blunt] (570) + שִׁנָּֽיו [his·teeth] (366) = 2331.
Metzudat David
"But." For then it will not be so, for each person will die for his own iniquity, and his children will not be punished after him. Just as one who eats unripe fruit causes only his own teeth to become blunted, and not the teeth of his children, so too will it be with the matter of punishment. (And this is because in the future the evil inclination will not overpower them so greatly to commit serious transgressions, nor will the children also cling to them, to the point of being punished also for the iniquity of their father.)
Behold, the days come, says Hashem, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah;
verse value 4098
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 52 letters. The shortest word is "they" (הִנֵּ֛ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "says·Hashem" (נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה, 7 letters). The root בית appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "going·in" (root בוא, 211x in Jeremiah); "Judah" (root יהודה, 134x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'says·Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 7 words. Full calculation: הִנֵּ֛ה [they] (60) + יָמִ֥ים [days] (100) + בָּאִ֖ים [going·in] (53) + נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה [says·Hashem] (117) + וְכָרַתִּ֗י [and·I·will·cut] (636) + אֶת־בֵּ֧ית [the·house·of] (813) + יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל [Israel] (541) + וְאֶת־בֵּ֥ית [and·with·house·of] (819) + יְהוּדָ֖ה [Judah] (30) + בְּרִ֥ית [covenant] (612) + חֲדָשָֽׁה [new] (317) = 4098.
Radak
“Behold, days are coming,” a new covenant. It is new in that it will be enduring and not broken, unlike the covenant that the Lord made with the children of Israel at Mount Sinai. And he says that the prophet prophesied concerning a new Torah that is destined to be, not a new Torah that was given at Mount Sinai, as it says, “not like the covenant that I made with their fathers.” And this is the new Torah that their repentance renewed for them. And behold, it states—the meaning is: What is meant by “not like the covenant that I made with their fathers”? They broke My covenant, but this covenant they will not break, for I will place My Torah within their hearts and upon their hearts I will write it, so that it will never be forgotten by them. And the entire matter is as he proceeds to explain, that the novelty of the covenant will not be its being new, but rather its permanence. And behold, Malachi, who is the last of the prophets, concludes his words by saying, “Remember the Torah of My servant Moses, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, statutes and ordinances.” And that entire passage is destined to be fulfilled, as he concluded, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet.” You see, therefore, that there will never be a new Torah, but only that which was given at Mount Sinai, as it is written, “which I commanded him in Horeb.”
Metzudat David
A new covenant. This means that the matter of the covenant will be new, the like of which had never existed before.
not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; forasmuch as they broke My covenant, although I was a lord over them, says Hashem.
verse value 6414
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 87 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "with·their·fathers" (אֶת־אֲבוֹתָ֔ם, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "as·the·covenant" (כַבְּרִ֗ית), "my·taking-hold" (הֶחֱזִיקִ֣י), "to·bring·them·out" (לְהוֹצִיאָ֖ם). The root ברית appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Egypt', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 7 words.
Radak
No, hold fast. The heh is vocalized with a segol instead of a patach, for it is an infinitive; and likewise, "a man's discretion makes him slow to anger."
"I espoused them"—that is to say, even though I espoused them and became their God, they broke My covenant. And the Targum of Jonathan translates: "and I took delight in them." And my master and father of blessed memory explained that every expression of intercourse that is joined with the letter bet denotes disgrace. And he explained "I espoused them" as akin to "I loathed," meaning "I was disgusted," as in: "And their soul, too, loathed Me."
Metzudat David
"Not like the covenant." It shall not be like the covenant that I made with their fathers, etc.
"That they." They are the ones who broke that covenant.
"And I." But I, "I," did not break My covenant, for I was to them as a master to save them from the hand of the enemy.
Metzudat Zion
“Hachaziki.” The matter of holding:
"Heferu." The matter of nullification:
"Baalti." The term "master" is used in the sense of ownership, as in: "If its owner is with it" (Exodus 22:14).
Malbim
"Not like the covenant which I made with their fathers, when they were not yet prepared for perfection and rectification, for this was on the day that I took hold of them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, when I held them by their hand with great strength and power to bring them out before their time, for they were not worthy then, but I was compelled to bring them out so that they would not be completely corrupted. It is they who broke My covenant, for after their nature was still inclined toward evil, and the choice was in their hands, and the covenant was conditional, they broke it by nullifying the condition. But I have taken possession of them against their will."
But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says Hashem, I will put My law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people;
verse value 8198
Insights
Verse structure: 22 words, 102 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "says·Hashem" (נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֔ה, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "I·will·cut" (אֶכְרֹת֩), "in·their·midst" (בְּקִרְבָּ֔ם), "and·on·their·heart" (וְעַל־לִבָּ֖ם). The root הם appears 3 times in this verse. 19 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·will-write·it', dividing the verse into phrases of 16 and 6 words.
Radak
This. It is clear:
"I will write it." The tav is vocalized with a chataf-qamats; "to the son of Asher" and "to the son of Naphtali" are vocalized with a shva and a patach.
Metzudat David
"After those days." After they return from exile:
"I gave" – this is a past tense used in place of a future tense; that is to say, "I will give My Torah among them," meaning, I will incline their hearts to fulfill the Torah.
“And I will write it upon their hearts.” This means that it shall not be forgotten from their hearts, as if it were engraved there. “And I will be, etc.”:
"And they, etc." – This means: Just as I will not break it, so too they will not break that covenant, for I will be their God to save and deliver them, and they will be My people, to believe in Me and to observe My commandments.
Malbim
"For this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the Lord: "I will place My Torah within them," so that they will observe My Torah from the perspective of intellectual insight, until it becomes a natural matter for them, found within their very being. "And upon their heart I will write it," so that it will not need to be written on a scroll with ink, for it will be written upon their hearts. The heart depicts the power of choice and dominion that is in the soul, so that a choice contrary to the Torah will not arise among them, for their hearts will be filled with the statutes of the Torah, engraved upon their hearts. "And I will be their God," first and subsequently, "and they shall be My people." The cleaving of the Divine to them will no longer depend upon their deeds through an arousal from below, since it will not be conceivable at all that they will choose evil. Rather, it will be aroused from above, from the aspect of the Lord’s kindness, which will not cease in any manner. 3. It will not be conceivable that they will stray from the path due to a lack of teachers and instructors, or due to misleading teachers, for one will no longer teach his neighbor, saying, "Know the Lord," and they will no longer need a teacher of knowledge. 4. They will not fear that I will hold their previous sins against them, for I will forgive their iniquity which they committed intentionally, and their transgression which they committed unintentionally I will remember no more, to the extent that for unintentional sins they will not need forgiveness at all.
and they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying: ‘Know Hashem’; for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says Hashem; for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more.
verse value 5061
Insights
Verse structure: 22 words, 105 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·unto·great" (וְעַד־גְּדוֹלָם֙, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 90: shall·they·teach, they·shall·know. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "know" (דְּע֖וּ), "for·all" (כִּֽי־כוּלָּם֩), "to·small·of" (לְמִקְּטַנָּ֤ם). The root לא appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "saying" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "for·all" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 12 words.
Radak
"And they shall not teach." This does not mean that all will be equal in wisdom, for that is impossible; all the more so is it impossible that the young will be as wise as the old, as it is stated, "from the least of them to the greatest of them." Rather, the meaning of "to know the Lord" is to revere Him and to walk in His ways, as we have explained regarding the verse: "Is not this the knowledge of Me, says the Lord?"
All of them. With a vav with dagesh:
"For I will forgive their iniquity": This refers to the sins they committed while they were still in exile, and I will give them a new heart, so that they will know Me.
Metzudat David
"And they shall not teach." They will no longer need to teach one another, nor to urge each other, saying, "Know the Lord," for all of them, from the least to the greatest, will know Me on their own.
"For I will forgive, etc." Thus all of them will then be pure and cleansed of sin, and therefore they will all attain that perception, that the Lord is God.
Thus says Hashem, Who gives the sun for a light by day, And the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, Who stirs up the sea, that the waves thereof roar, Hashem of hosts is His name:
verse value 4222
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 71 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "thus" (כֹּ֣ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·stars" (וְכוֹכָבִ֖ים, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 237: to·light, to·light. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "statutes·of" (חֻקֹּ֛ת), "month" (יָרֵ֥חַ), "and·stars" (וְכוֹכָבִ֖ים). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "giving" (root נתן, 141x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'night', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 7 words.
Rashi
"Le-or" (for light). Esclarzir, in Old French [le'az]; and so too Targum Yonatan [renders it] "le-anhara" (to give light).
"Who stirs up (רוגע) the sea." He shakes it and makes it boil, so that it forms wrinkle upon wrinkle, as in "my skin hardens/wrinkles" (Job 7:5).
Radak
Thus says the Lord, Who gives the sun for light by day. He recalls these things, which are constant and have not changed from what they were of old, and will not change; so too, the seed of Israel will not change from the time of their return from this exile, from being a nation that worships God, forever. And He said regarding the moon and the stars: "their ordinances"—meaning, the ordinances of their course, which is a wondrous wisdom that man cannot fully grasp in its depths. And similarly it is said, "Do you know the ordinances of the heavens?" And the sense of "gives" applies to both the sun and to the ordinances of the moon, as if He said, "and gives the ordinances of the moon and the stars for light by night."
"Roga ha-yam ve-yehemu galav." The word roga is akin to boke'a [splits/bursts], and similarly, "Uri raga." But [boke'a] is an intransitive verb, whereas this is a transitive verb. And the interpretation is that He split the sea for the children of Israel; even though its waves roared, He calmed them, and the waters of the sea stood like a wall to their right and to their left, and Israel passed through.
"The LORD of Hosts is His name." [Meaning] that He is Master of the hosts above and below, and everything is in His hand. And the vav of "vayehemu" [and they roared] is like the vav of "vayered me'asot ha'olah" [and he went down from offering the burnt-offering], and all similar cases, which we have explained [as meaning] "after he had gone down"—so too the explanation of this one is "after they had roared."
Metzudat David
He gives the sun. He who gives the sun to shine every day, and gives the ordinances of the moon and the stars to shine every night:
“Who splits the sea.” This refers to the splitting of the sea before the children of Israel when they departed from Egypt.
“And the waves of it were in tumult.” This means that although its waves were surging with a great noise and continuing to surge onward, nevertheless they were split apart, and the waves did not proceed in their usual manner.
Metzudat Zion
Hukkat. The subject matter is a fixed decree:
"Roga." The matter of cracking, as in "my skin is cracked" (Job 6):
Malbim
Thus says the Lord: He explains in detail these two matters: 1. That then they will have no possibility to do evil at all, and just as the laws of nature are fixed and unchanging, so too the deeds of Israel will not change, as if their actions are natural and compelled to do good, not voluntary. And this is what it says: “Just as that which gives the sun for light by day and the ordinances of the moon, etc.”—all of these are natural laws.
If these ordinances depart from before Me, Says Hashem, Then the seed of Israel also shall cease From being a nation before Me for ever.
verse value 3312
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 61 letters. Verse gematria: 3312 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "also" (גַּם֩, 2 letters) and the longest is "says·Hashem" (נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "if·they-depart" (אִם־יָמֻ֜שׁוּ), "the·statutes" (הַחֻקִּ֥ים), "they·will·cease" (יִשְׁבְּת֗וּ). The root פנים appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "from·being" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah); "all·the·days" (root יום, 133x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'says·Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 8 words. Full calculation: אִם־יָמֻ֜שׁוּ [if·they-depart] (397) + הַחֻקִּ֥ים [the·statutes] (163) + הָאֵ֛לֶּה [these] (41) + מִלְּפָנַ֖י [from·my·face] (210) + נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה [says·Hashem] (117) + גַּם֩ [also] (43) + זֶ֨רַע [seed] (277) + יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל [Israel] (541) + יִשְׁבְּת֗וּ [they·will·cease] (718) + מִהְי֥וֹת [from·being] (461) + גּ֛וֹי [nation] (19) + לְפָנַ֖י [to·my·face] (170) + כׇּל־הַיָּמִֽים [all·the·days] (155) = 3312.
Rashi
ימושו. Like “לא ימיש” (it shall not depart).
Radak
"If the statutes should cease." Regarding the sun, the moon, and the stars, He stated that their statute shall not cease. This is not referring to the splitting of the sea; rather, it means: just as these statutes do not cease, so too shall Israel not cease, nor shall they be prevented from being a nation before Me—that is, serving before Me all the days. And the meaning of "before Me" is that I establish them in their statutes. He did not mention "the stirring [of the sea]" to compare it to the standing and perpetuity of Israel, for that splitting did not endure; rather, the sea returned to its course at the morning watch. But He mentioned it to say: He who nullified the statute of the sea for the sake of Israel and performed a novel act for their sake, He will perform this novelty again, creating for them a new heart to fear Him all the days, and He will nullify for their sake the nature of creation, about which it is said, "for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth" (Genesis 8:21). And after He compared the perpetuity of Israel, in truth, to the statutes of the heavens, He compared their love to the measuring of the heavens above and the probing of the foundations of the earth below, which is impossible for human beings. Just as that is impossible, so too is it impossible for God to separate Himself from Israel and reject them.
Metzudat David
"If the laws should vanish. If the laws of the sun and the moon were to cease from before Me, so that they would not shine except at their fixed appointed time, then also the seed of Israel would cease, etc. And the meaning is: Just as these laws will not vanish, so too the seed of Israel will not cease."
“From being a nation before Me” – meaning, so that there not be before Me a nation, i.e., a distinct people.
"All the days." This means that all the days they shall cease, etc., similar to the phrase "these statutes," implying that just as they shall not depart, so too, etc.
Metzudat Zion
ימושו - The meaning is removal, as in "the pillar of cloud did not depart" (Exodus 13:22).
"Yishbetu." The matter of nullification:
Malbim
If these decrees were to depart from before [God], [it would be] because they are natural and fixed forever; so too the seed of Israel would not cease from being a nation before [God], since their election to be a holy nation standing before [God] would not change.
Thus says Hashem: If heaven above can be measured, And the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, Then will I also cast off all the seed of Israel For all that they have done, says Hashem.
verse value 4043
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 80 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 4043 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "thus" (כֹּ֣ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "foundations·of·earth" (מוֹסְדֵי־אֶ֖רֶץ, 8 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "if·can-be-measured" (אִם־יִמַּ֤דּוּ), "from·above" (מִלְמַ֔עְלָה), "and·they·will·be·searched" (וְיֵחָקְר֥וּ). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "upon·all·that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'downward', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 7 words.
Rashi
"If they were to measure the heavens" – how high are they?
"I too will reject." [This refers] to Israel; that is to say, just as heaven will not be measured and the foundations of earth will not be fathomed, so too Israel will not be rejected for all that they have sinned.
Radak
Thus says the Lord: “If heaven can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out...” He mentioned measuring in connection with heaven because it is stretched out, and the concept of measurement is applicable to it. And he mentioned “the foundations of the earth” because it is the lower one, serving as the foundation for a structure. Similarly, it is stated in another passage: “My hand also laid the foundations of the earth, and My right hand spread out the heavens.”
“Concerning all that they have done” – namely, concerning all the sins they have committed, He will not reject them on account of this, for He will forgive their iniquity, as stated above. And regarding this it says:
Metzudat David
"If they were to measure": If the height of the heavens above were to be measured, and if the depth of the foundation of the earth below were to be probed by measurement, then I too would reject all the seed of Israel because of all the sins they have committed. And this means: Just as it is impossible to measure the height of the heavens and to probe by measurement the depth of the foundation of the earth, so too I will not reject Israel because of their transgression.
Metzudat Zion
Mosdei. From the word "yisod" (foundation), and it is the center of the terrestrial sphere:
“Al kol.” On account of all:
Malbim
Thus says the Lord (concerning the second matter): Just as they will not change their deeds, so too I will not change [My stance] to detest them on account of their previous sins, for My love for them has no quantitative limit, just as the heavens above cannot be measured due to their lack of a fixed measure; and similarly, there is no inquiry that can attain to it by investigating why I love them, just as the foundations of the earth below cannot be investigated, for even though they can be measured in quantity, their inner workings cannot be attained. And a thing that has no quantitative limit will not be nullified because of sins, which do have a limit; and similarly, a thing that has no inquiry or reason, being an inherent [seguli] matter, cannot be nullified, for a thing that has a reason will be nullified when the reason and cause that brings about the thing are nullified. Not so is an inherent [seguli] matter. And therefore, it is impossible that I should detest them on account of their previous sins. And this is what it says: "Thus I would also have detested them, etc., for all that they have done."
Behold, the days come, says Hashem, that the city shall be built to Hashem from the tower of Hananel to the gate of the corner.
verse value 2150
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 50 letters. Verse gematria: 2150 is divisible by 86, the value of Elohim. The shortest word is "they" (הִנֵּ֛ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "says·Hashem" (נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 117: says·Hashem, from·tower·of. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "from·tower·of" (מִמִּגְדַּ֥ל), "Hananeel" (חֲנַנְאֵ֖ל), "the·corner" (הַפִּנָּֽה). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "going·in" (root בוא, 211x in Jeremiah); "days" (root יום, 133x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'says·Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 7 words. Full calculation: הִנֵּ֛ה [they] (60) + יָמִ֥ים [days] (100) + בָּאִ֖ים [going·in] (53) + נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה [says·Hashem] (117) + וְנִבְנְתָ֤ה [and·shall·be·built] (513) + הָעִיר֙ [the·city] (285) + לַיהֹוָ֔ה [to·Hashem] (56) + מִמִּגְדַּ֥ל [from·tower·of] (117) + חֲנַנְאֵ֖ל [Hananeel] (139) + שַׁ֥עַר [gate] (570) + הַפִּנָּֽה [the·corner] (140) = 2150.
Radak
"Behold, days are coming" – [the word] "coming" is read (Kri) but not written (Ketiv).
"And the city shall be built." This means Jerusalem.
For the Lord. That all her days shall be for the Lord, and she shall not be destroyed again. And it says that the city shall be expanded beyond what it was, and He shall set the boundary of its expansion.
"From the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate." This means to the Corner Gate, and similarly it is stated in the prophecy of Zechariah: "to the Corner Gate," and there too the name is mentioned, "and the Tower of Hananel." And Hananel is a known name among them. And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated [it] as "Pakos."
Metzudat David
“And the city shall be built.” This means that Jerusalem will be expanded beyond what it was, and it will be constructed to be holy to the Lord, from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate; this is the width from north to south.
Metzudat Zion
The gate of the corner. A gate that stands in a corner:
Malbim
“And the city shall be built for the Lord” – so that it shall no longer belong to the portion of Judah and Benjamin, but rather to the Lord alone, as it is stated in Ezekiel that it shall be a heave-offering to the Lord from the land, and it shall be holy to the Lord.
And the measuring line shall yet go out straight forward to the hill Gareb, and shall turn about to Goah.
verse value 1897
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 37 letters. The shortest word is "cord" (קָ֤ו, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·he·went·out" (וְיָצָ֨א, 4 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "cord" (קָ֤ו), "measure" (הַמִּדָּה֙), "opposite·it" (נֶגְדּ֔וֹ). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah); "and·he·went·out" (root יצא, 73x in Jeremiah); "yet" (root עוד, 60x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Gareb', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 2 words. Full calculation: וְיָצָ֨א [and·he·went·out] (107) + ע֜וֹד [yet] (80) + (קוה) [line] (111) + קָ֤ו [cord] (106) + הַמִּדָּה֙ [measure] (54) + נֶגְדּ֔וֹ [opposite·it] (63) + עַ֖ל [upon] (100) + גִּבְעַ֣ת [hill] (475) + גָּרֵ֑ב [Gareb] (205) + וְנָסַ֖ב [and·shall·turn] (118) + גֹּעָֽתָה [Goath] (478) = 1897.
Radak
"And another measuring line went out." It is written קוה with a heh, for this name [קו, "line"] is found in the feminine form, like [in] "the cord of scarlet thread" [Joshua 2:18]; and it is read as קו in most instances.
"Gareb and Goah." These are names of places known to them in Jerusalem or in its vicinity.
Metzudat David
"And it went out further." This means that opposite that entire width, the measuring line went out further to measure its length as far as the hill of Gareb, and it turned to Goah. These are names of places.
Metzudat Zion
The measuring line. A cord designated for measuring with it:
"On the hill of Gareb." Up to the hill of Gareb. And likewise, "and his border was toward Sidon" (Genesis 49:13):
And it shall turn. From the language of "turning around":
And the whole valley of the dead bodies, and of the ashes, and all the fields to the brook Kidron, to the corner of the horse gate toward the east, shall be holy to Hashem; it shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more for ever.
verse value 6692
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 91 letters. The shortest word is "gate" (שַׁ֤עַר, 3 letters) and the longest is "all·field" (וְכׇֽל־הַשְּׁדֵמוֹת֩, 9 letters). 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·all·the·valley" (וְכׇל־הָעֵ֣מֶק), "the·carcasses" (הַפְּגָרִ֣ים), "and·the·fatness" (וְהַדֶּ֡שֶׁן). 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "again" (root עוד, 60x in Jeremiah); "to·ever" (root עולם, 36x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root פגר ("the·carcasses") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 4 words.
Rashi
The Valley of Corpses. A valley in which the corpses of Sennacherib’s camp fell.
"And the ashes" – the place where the ashes were poured out, which was outside Jerusalem, they will add to the city and bring all of this within its walls; and this prophecy is destined to come to pass.
"The fields." Knefaniya, in the vernacular.
Radak
"And all the valley" – its meaning is as its Targum [Jonathan] translates it: "and all the level place," etc. [The phrase] "the ash heap" [is explained] as in the column [of the Targum], [meaning] "the ash" from [the word] "richness" and "fatness," i.e., the camp of Ashur, who were fat and fresh. And according to its simple meaning, "the ash heap" is the place where the ash is dumped outside the city, and all of this will be an addition to the city. And that which the Targum translated "the Horse Gate" as "the gate of the king's racing-house" means the place where the horses race, i.e., a gate through which the king would go out with his cavalry, and there was a level road there for the racing of the horses. And that road had the measure of a ris [stadion], which is seventy reeds, and the reed is six cubits and a span.
"The fields." According to the simple meaning, [it means] "the fields," i.e., most of the fields adjacent to the city; now they will be included within the city, inside the wall.
"Holy to the Lord." Just as it says, "Israel is holy to the Lord," so too here. For it says, "It shall not be uprooted or demolished anymore." Alternatively, one may say that part of this additional portion will be in the Temple, for it too will expand its place, as it says in Ezekiel's prophecy: "It shall not be uprooted or demolished anymore," unlike the First and Second Temples, which were destroyed. This refers to the building of the city and the building of the Temple, which shall not be demolished forevermore.
The water channels. It is written with a resh and read with a dalet, and the Targum translates it as “aryta,” which is from the language of our Sages of blessed memory: “aryta de-dalai,” meaning the water channel from which the fields are irrigated.
Metzudat David
"And all the valley of the corpses." This will also encompass the valley where the corpses of Sennacherib's camp fell.
"And the ashes" – the place where the ashes were poured out, which was outside the city.
"And all the fields." The place of the fields:
"Until the Kidron Valley." One who stands on this side:
"Until, etc." – "Until" refers to the corner of the gate through which the horses enter, which stands on this side, extending eastward across the width of the addition.
"Set it apart for the Lord." All of this breadth and length shall be set apart for the Lord, holy with the sanctity of the city.
"It shall not be uprooted." From that time onward, it shall not be uprooted nor demolished forever, for the enemy shall no longer subdue it.
Metzudat Zion
The corpses. The slain:
And the ashes. The ashes of the altar.
The fields. From the word *sadeh* (field), and similarly, "the fields of Heshbon" (Isaiah 16).
Qidron. So is the name of the stream:
Yantesh. The matter of uprooting:
"Yeharas." From the language of destruction and ruin:
Metzudat David