Against Babylon: 'Declare among the nations... Bel is put to shame, Merodach is dismayed'; Israel is a scattered sheep, driven away by lions — but their Redeemer is strong; Hashem of hosts is His name; He will plead their cause.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
The word that Hashem spoke concerning Babylon, concerning the land of the Chaldeans, by Jeremiah the prophet.
verse value 2060
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 43 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֛ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "that" (אֲשֶׁ֨ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "Jeremiah" (יִרְמְיָ֥הוּ, 6 letters). The root דבר appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "to·Babylon" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Chaldea', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 3 words. Full calculation: הַדָּבָ֗ר [the·word] (211) + אֲשֶׁ֨ר [that] (501) + דִּבֶּ֧ר [spoke] (206) + יְהֹוָ֛ה [Hashem] (26) + אֶל־בָּבֶ֖ל [to·Babylon] (65) + אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ [to·land] (322) + כַּשְׂדִּ֑ים [Chaldea] (374) + בְּיַ֖ד [in·hand·of] (16) + יִרְמְיָ֥הוּ [Jeremiah] (271) + הַנָּבִֽיא [the·prophet] (68) = 2060.
Radak
The word which the Lord spoke concerning Babylon, concerning the land of the Chaldeans:
Metzudat David
To Babylon, to the land of the Chaldeans: concerning Babylon and concerning the land of the Chaldeans.
Declare you among the nations and announce, And set up a standard; Announce, and conceal not; Say: ‘Babylon is taken, Bel is put to shame, Merodach is dismayed; Her images are put to shame, her idols are dismayed.’
verse value 4258
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 79 letters. The shortest word is "Bel" (בֵּל֙, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·proclaim" (וְהַשְׁמִ֙יעוּ֙, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·raise·a·standard" (וּֽשְׂאוּ־נֵ֔ס), "not·conceal" (אַל־תְּכַחֵ֑דוּ), "Bel" (בֵּל֙). The root שמע appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "say" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "not·conceal" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah); "and·proclaim" (root שמע, 184x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'not·conceal', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 11 words.
Rashi
"And they shall lift up a banner." "Perekah," in Old French, is a term meaning a sign of gathering:
"Bel." And Merodach are names of the idols of Babylon:
Radak
“Proclaim among the nations.” Since Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed all the nations, [the verse] says that they should announce this good tidings among the nations.
"Bel is put to shame, Merodach is dismayed." These were the gods of Babylon, and he said: Behold, they are as if they were put to shame now and dismayed, for they could not save their worshippers. "Chat" is a past-tense verb, on the pattern of "tam" in "tam avonekh" [Lamentations 4:22, "your iniquity is at an end"]; its root is chet-tav-tav; "chatu" is accented on the penultimate syllable (mil'eil).
Metzudat David
“Announce.” You, the heralds of tidings, announce this news among the nations: the news of the destruction of Babylon, for it will be counted as joy to them, since Babylon had destroyed many peoples.
"And they shall raise a standard" – so that they may all gather and hear.
Do not conceal. Do not withhold any detail from the full account of the destruction:
"Bel is put to shame." The idol Bel was put to shame, and Merodach was broken, and they could not save their people.
And they were ashamed, etc. All the idols were ashamed and broken.
Metzudat Zion
Nes. A long pole with a cloth at its top, and it is made to signal the gathering.
"Conceal." The meaning is that of hiding, as in "I pray, do not conceal from me" (1 Samuel 3).
“Hovish.” The word is derived from “bushah,” meaning shame.
"Bel," "Merodach." Names of the idols of Babylon:
Chat. The meaning of "shattering," as in: "And I will shatter Elam" (above, 49).
“Her idols.” So they are called “idols” because they sadden the hearts of their worshippers, who cry out to them but are not answered.
Malbim
"Proclaim among the nations, and more than that, make it heard, announce it publicly, and more than that, raise a banner, make all the details known and do not omit anything. Say: 'Babylon has been captured.' Bel — whom Babylon worshipped — is put to shame, and so too are the rest of the idols."
For out of the north there comes up a nation against her, Which shall make her land desolate, And none shall dwell therein; They are fled, they are gone, both man and beast.
verse value 3069
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 65 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "he·will·make" (הֽוּא־יָשִׁ֤ית, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "he·will·make" (הֽוּא־יָשִׁ֤ית), "from·man" (מֵאָדָ֥ם). 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "on" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah); "and·not·will·be" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·her', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 4 words.
Rashi
"Goy from the north": Media and Persia.
Radak
"For a nation from the north has come up [against her]." Media and Persia.
Metzudat David
"Goy from the north" – these are the Medes and Persians, who dwell in the northern extremity, in the northeast corner.
"Nadu, halakhu" [they wandered, they went] – "nadu" means they departed from there, and "halakhu" means they went into exile.
Metzudat Zion
Yeshit. The meaning is that of placement [setting], like [the verse] "if a ransom is imposed on him" (Exodus 28):
Nadu. From the term for wandering:
Malbim
For a nation has come up against her from the north, just as they came up against Israel from the north:
In those days, and in that time, says Hashem, The children of Israel shall come, They and the children of Judah together; They shall go on their way weeping, And shall seek Hashem their God.
verse value 2674
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 82 letters. The shortest word is "abundance" (הֵ֥מָּה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·sons·of·Judah" (וּבְנֵי־יְהוּדָ֖ה, 9 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·weeping" (וּבָכוֹ֙). The root הם appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "they·will·go·in" (root בוא, 211x in Jeremiah); "their·God" (root אלהים, 140x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'together', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 6 words.
Radak
"Those [days]." For when Babylon was destroyed, the Jewish people went forth from exile through the agency of Cyrus, king of Persia.
"The children of Israel shall come, they, and the children of Judah, together." Explanation: "They" refers to those who were in the Babylonian exile together with Judah and Benjamin. For when the Ten Tribes were exiled, only a few remained scattered in the Land, as stated in the words concerning Hezekiah and Josiah. Regarding those children of Israel, it is said that they were exiled to Babylon together with Judah, and they went up with them from Babylon through the agency of Cyrus, King of Persia.
"Go, and weep." [This teaches that] their joy upon returning to their land was accompanied by weeping, for there is such a thing as weeping of joy, as it is said, "They shall come with weeping," and as it is written, "And he kissed Rachel and lifted up his voice and wept," and [furthermore], "And he wept upon his neck still more."
Metzudat David
The Children of Israel: These are those who remained in the Land after the exile of the Ten Tribes; they were joined with the Children of Judah and Benjamin, and went into exile with them to Babylonia.
"They, etc." – This means that the children of Israel and the children of Judah will come together.
“Go, weep, go.” They shall go in repentance and supplication, and they shall seek the Lord to ask Him for help and a successful path.
Malbim
The Children of Israel, meaning the tribes of Levi and Benjamin, will join with the tribe of Judah. "They shall go, and they shall weep as they go," like one who has lost his father who used to guide him on the way; so too, they will seek to find the Lord, to return to Him.
They shall inquire concerning Zion With their faces hitherward: ‘Come you, and join yourselves to Hashem In an everlasting covenant that shall not be forgotten.’
verse value 2653
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 48 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·Hashem" (אֶל־יְהֹוָ֔ה, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "they·will·ask" (יִשְׁאָ֔לוּ), "and·they·shall·be·attached" (וְנִלְו֣וּ). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah); "go·in" (root בוא, 211x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'their·faces', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 7 words. Full calculation: צִיּ֣וֹן [Zion] (156) + יִשְׁאָ֔לוּ [they·will·ask] (347) + דֶּ֖רֶךְ [way] (224) + הֵ֣נָּה [they] (60) + פְנֵיהֶ֑ם [their·faces] (185) + בֹּ֚אוּ [go·in] (9) + וְנִלְו֣וּ [and·they·shall·be·attached] (98) + אֶל־יְהֹוָ֔ה [to·Hashem] (57) + בְּרִ֥ית [covenant] (612) + עוֹלָ֖ם [ever] (146) + לֹ֥א [not] (31) + תִשָּׁכֵֽחַ [will·be·forgotten] (728) = 2653.
Rashi
The path of this place, Jerusalem, they shall turn their faces toward it when Babylon will be destroyed and they will emerge from it with the permission of Cyrus, king of Persia.
Radak
"They shall ask about Zion." When they return from the Babylonian exile, they will ask one another the way to Zion:
"Toward here." [Meaning] toward this place, like [the verse] "You did not send me here," and similar expressions.
"Come, and let us join ourselves to the Lord." Each one will say to his companion, "Come, let us join ourselves to the Lord." "Ve-nilvu" is an imperative expressed in the form of the past tense; and so too "ve-nilvu el Hashem" and "ve-nikbetzu" – both "nilvu" and "nikbetzu" are imperatives. And the Targum [renders this] – "Come and let us join ourselves," a past-tense form turned to the future – as: "Yeitun ve-yitosfun al ama de-Hashem" [they will come and be added to the people of the Lord], "and an eternal covenant that shall not cease will be decreed for them." [Radak continues:] His [the Targum's] intent here is that converts will join with them when they ascend from Babylon. And so it says in the prophecy concerning Babylon in Isaiah, "And the convert will be attached to them" [Isaiah 14:1]. And we explained there that it refers to the future: half the verse [refers] to their ascent from Babylon, and half to the future, in the days of the Messiah, as we explained there.
Metzudat David
"Zion shall ask." [They ask] about the way that goes to Zion, and they turn their faces in this direction.
“Come.” This means that they said to one another: “Come and join together with the Lord in a covenant that endures forever and shall never be forgotten.”
Metzudat Zion
"Hither." To here and to there:
And they accompanied. The matter of joining, as in "and the stranger shall join" (Isaiah 14:1).
Brit. Its meaning everywhere is a matter that endures:
Malbim
"Zion, they shall ask the way" – they will ask for the road that leads to Zion. For until now, their faces were turned toward Zion in their prayer, as it is written, "and windows were open for him in his upper chamber, facing Jerusalem" [Daniel 6:11]. "[Now] they come" – Zion will answer them, saying: "Come, and join yourselves to the Lord," for the eternal covenant that He had with you shall not be forgotten.
My people has been lost sheep; Their shepherds have caused them to go astray, They have turned them away on the mountains; They have gone from mountain to hill, They have forgotten their resting-place.
verse value 3615
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 64 letters. The shortest word is "flock" (צֹ֤אן, 3 letters) and the longest is "backsliding" ((שובבים), 6 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "perish" (אֹֽבְדוֹת֙), "caused·them·to·stray" (הִתְע֔וּם), "turned·them·away" (שׁוֹבְב֑וּם). The root היה appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "it·was" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah); "walked" (root הלך, 108x in Jeremiah); "turned·them·away" (root שוב, 106x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'turned·them·away', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 5 words.
Rashi
"Their shepherds led them astray." Their great ones led them astray, away from Me:
"Mountains, they led them astray." To the mountains — to the idolatry that is on the mountains — they led them astray. "Anveizanz," in Old French, [means] "led them astray"; their kings led them astray. And Targum Yonatan [renders] "the mountains led them astray" as "the rulers plundered them":
Radak
"Lost sheep" – meaning that no one seeks them out. So too were My people until the time when Babylon would be destroyed; for then they will have one who seeks and searches for them.
"My people were" [ketiv: הָיָה, singular]. It is written in a general sense [as a collective]; the qere, "were" [הָיוּ, plural], is in a specific/individuated sense.
"Their shepherds led them astray." Their kings were the cause of their loss, and they [the kings] led them astray, in that they [the people] walked on the evil path.
"Mountains, shovavim." It is written with a yod and read with a vav, and the letters alef, he, vav, and yod are interchangeable; its meaning is that of expulsion and sending away. And likewise, [the word] shovavim — according to the opinion of Rabbi Yonah — its interpretation is: to the mountains they drove them and sent them away. And there is another way to interpret it: they broke them and crushed them, in their going into exile from mountain to mountain and from mountain to hill. And likewise, shovavim carries the meaning of breaking and crushing; and so too "ve-shovavtikha" and "ve-shisa'tikha."
Metzudat David
"Lost sheep." This is the statement of the prophet in the name of the Lord who said: "Behold, until now My people were like lost sheep from the flock, for their leaders led them astray on a misleading path and abandoned them to walk according to the ways of their hearts, to ascend the mountains"—meaning they turned away from the path of the Lord and their leaders led them to walk in an evil way.
"From a mountain." And therefore they went from mountain to hill and forgot the place of their encampment; and he means to say: therefore they went into exile upon the mountains and were driven out from their land.
Metzudat Zion
התעום. From the language of תועה (wandering/straying):
"שובבום" – its meaning is the paths of the heart, as in "Why has she turned aside?" (above, ch. 8).
"Rivtzam" (their resting place). The meaning is a place of lying down to rest, as it is said, "He crouched and lay down as a lion" (Genesis 49:9).
Malbim
"Flock" (the words of God): "My people were like lost sheep in the wilderness, which were ownerless; and what was the cause of this? Because their shepherds caused them to stray and led them up onto the mountains, and the mountains led them further astray." And the meaning is that initially they served idolatry in their own land, and thereby they went from the mountain to the hill beneath the mountain, and thereby they forgot their former resting place. And the meaning is that subsequently they served idolatry in the lands of their enemies.
All that found them have devoured them; And their adversaries said: ‘We are not guilty’; Because they have sinned against Hashem, the habitation of justice, Even Hashem, the hope of their fathers.
verse value 3650
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 67 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 3650 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "all·act or place of going out or forth" (כׇּל־מוֹצְאֵיהֶ֣ם, 9 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "all·act or place of going out or forth" (כׇּל־מוֹצְאֵיהֶ֣ם), "they·ate·them" (אֲכָל֔וּם), "and·their·adversaries" (וְצָרֵיהֶ֥ם). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "they·said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'we·will·offend', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 8 words. Full calculation: כׇּל־מוֹצְאֵיהֶ֣ם [all·act or place of going out or forth] (242) + אֲכָל֔וּם [they·ate·them] (97) + וְצָרֵיהֶ֥ם [and·their·adversaries] (351) + אָמְר֖וּ [they·said] (247) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + נֶאְשָׁ֑ם [we·will·offend] (391) + תַּ֗חַת [because] (808) + אֲשֶׁ֨ר [that] (501) + חָטְא֤וּ [sinned] (24) + לַֽיהֹוָה֙ [to·Hashem] (56) + נְוֵה־צֶ֔דֶק [habitation·of·justice] (255) + וּמִקְוֵ֥ה [and·the·hope·of] (157) + אֲבוֹתֵיהֶ֖ם [their·fathers] (464) + יְהֹוָֽה [Hashem] (26) = 3650.
Rashi
"And the Hope of their fathers." [Targum Yonatan:] "the hope of their fathers":
Radak
"All ... and their adversaries." [Meaning] that they cause them (Israel) trouble:
They said: "We are not guilty. We bear no guilt for having done them harm because of their sin." And this is what the prophet says to them: "Why has all this trouble come upon them?"
A dwelling of righteousness. For they had a dwelling of righteousness and a habitation of truth when they did His will.
"And their hope is the Lord." Likewise, He was the hope of their fathers, for they trusted in Him and looked forward to Him; He was their hope, in whom they found their expectation.
Metzudat David
"All who find them." This means that they were like stray, ownerless livestock, so that anyone who found them could eat them.
"And their foes." The enemies said, “Let there be no guilt upon us for what we eat them, because they sinned against the Lord, who is the Pasture and Hope of all righteousness, and who is the hope of their fathers, and who filled their expectations, and whose name is the Lord, indicating that He rules over all. Since they sinned against Him, they are deserving of destruction, and we shall not be held guilty concerning them.”
Metzudat Zion
And their enemies. Their foes:
"נאשם" – from the words "אשמה" (guilt) and "עון" (iniquity).
Tachat. Because of:
Naveh. The meaning is dwelling-place; and "mikveh" is from the language of "tikvah" (hope) and "tochelet" (expectation).
Malbim
"All" [i.e., all who found them] — and by this they became ownerless, until all who found them ate them for their own benefit; and their enemies, who destroyed them out of hatred, not for any benefit of their own at all, said: 'We are not held guilty for this, for they deserved destruction because they sinned against the Lord.' For in this they sinned in two respects: (1) that He was a pasture of righteousness — the pasture is proper to flocks, and in God's pasture, righteousness dwelt there; (2) and there dwelt the Lord, who is the hope of their fathers. That is to say, they abandoned righteousness between man and his fellow, and [abandoned] the Lord, God of their fathers, in matters between man and God.
Flee out of the midst of Babylon, And go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, And be as the he-goats before the flocks.
verse value 2363
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 45 letters. The shortest word is "shake" (נֻ֚דוּ, 3 letters) and the longest is "as·he-goats" (כְּעַתּוּדִ֖ים, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "as·he-goats" (כְּעַתּוּדִ֖ים), "to·face·of·flock" (לִפְנֵי־צֹֽאן). The root יצא appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·be·you" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah); "and·from·the·land·of" (root ארץ, 245x in Jeremiah); "to·face·of·flock" (root פנים, 126x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'go·out', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 3 words. Full calculation: נֻ֚דוּ [shake] (60) + מִתּ֣וֹךְ [from·midst·of] (466) + בָּבֶ֔ל [Babylon] (34) + וּמֵאֶ֥רֶץ [and·from·the·land·of] (337) + כַּשְׂדִּ֖ים [Chaldea] (374) + (יצאו) [they·went·out] (107) + צֵ֑אוּ [go·out] (97) + וִֽהְי֕וּ [and·be·you] (27) + כְּעַתּוּדִ֖ים [as·he-goats] (550) + לִפְנֵי־צֹֽאן [to·face·of·flock] (311) = 2363.
Rashi
"Flee from the midst of Babylon." From now on, go forth from there:
"Like he-goats before the flock." The way of he-goats is to walk before the herd, at the head of the goats:
Radak
"Flee" [נָדוּ]. He said, addressing Israel: "Flee from within Babylon."
"They shall go forth" [יצאו]. The ketiv is phrased not in direct address [third person], and the qere, "go forth" [צאו], is phrased in direct address [imperative, second person]; the meaning is the same.
"And you shall be like he-goats before the flock." You shall be, upon your going out, like the he-goats that go before the flock; so too shall you be without fear and without dread. And the Targum [Yonatan renders]: "And you shall be like nobles at the head of the people."
Metzudat David
"Flee." And from now on, flee from within Babylonia.
“Like the he-goats.” Hurry to depart from there, like the he-goats that go ahead of the rest of the flock. This implies: even if many remain in Babylonia, you who are returning should hurry to go.
Metzudat Zion
Nudu. From the word *nedidah* (wandering):
“כעתודים” – these are the male goats.
Malbim
“Depart,” the Lord says to His flock, “depart from the royal city of Babylon, for Babylon will be overturned; and afterward, go forth from the entirety of the land of the Chaldeans. And even though you have no shepherds to lead you, be like the he-goats that go before the flock, and the flock follows after them. They are the leaders who went before them, namely Ezra, Nehemiah, and the heads of the exile.”
For, lo, I will stir up and cause to come up against Babylon An assembly of great nations from the north country; And they shall set themselves in array against her, From thence she shall be taken; Their arrows shall be as of a mighty man that makes childless; None shall return in vain.
verse value 4229
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 81 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "assembly·nations" (קְהַל־גּוֹיִ֤ם, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·unfaithful or treacherous act" (וּמַעֲלֶ֨ה), "assembly·nations" (קְהַל־גּוֹיִ֤ם), "and·they·shall·arrange" (וְעָ֣רְכוּ). 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah); "from·land·of" (root ארץ, 245x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'will·be·captured', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 6 words.
Rashi
"And they shall draw up [their ranks] against her." [Targum Yonatan:] "and they shall arrange battle against her":
Radak
"For behold... 'and they shall array against her, from there she shall be captured.'" In the place where they array for battle, from there they shall capture her; they will not need to go to another place.
"His arrows are like [those of] a skillful warrior." The arrows of this assembly that will go up against Babylon will be like the arrows of a skillful warrior that do not return empty when shot, so that he is not killed; so will the arrows of all who fight against Babylon be. "Maskil" [skillful] is a transitive verb: the warrior is skillful in his killing [of the enemy], but if he is killed, [his nation] is bereaved.
Metzudat David
From the land of the north: These are Media and Persia.
"And they shall draw up their lines against her." They shall array war against her, and from the very place where they array war against her, it shall be captured; they shall not need to go from place to place.
"Their arrows." [The arrows] of that congregation shall be like a mighty, skilled warrior who kills men and does not return empty-handed without having slain someone; so shall be all the arrows of that congregation.
Metzudat Zion
He arouses. The word denotes the concept of awakening:
Qahal. A gathering of people:
And they arrayed themselves. The matter of the ordering of the battle:
"Mashkil." [It is] from the language of "shakol" (bereave) and "harag" (slay), meaning "destroy," as in: "and you have bereaved your nation" (Ezekiel 36:13).
"He shall not return empty." He uses a parable of a person who sends someone to do a task, who sometimes returns empty-handed; so too, "it shall not return to Me empty" (Isaiah 55:11).
Malbim
"For" — now it details specifically how Babylon fell: A. "For I am rousing" — through Divine providence; B. "a multitude of great nations" — great nations from the land of the north; C. "to march against her" — and from there she shall be captured, meaning they will conquer the wall from the northern side; D. "His arrows are like a skilled warrior" — the enemy's arrows will be as if they possess intelligence, and will come of their own accord to the target, and they will not return empty-handed, like a warrior who has intelligence. (And according to the text that spells "maskil" with the shin dotted on the right, the explanation is that they will be like a warrior who, when he finds no one to kill, kills small children and bereaves the father, so that he does not return empty-handed.)
And Chaldea shall be a spoil; All that spoil her shall be satisfied, says Hashem.
verse value 2120
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 33 letters. The shortest word is "to·spoil" (לְשָׁלָ֑ל, 4 letters) and the longest is "all·who·plunder·her" (כׇּל־שֹׁלְלֶ֥יהָ, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "all·who·plunder·her" (כׇּל־שֹׁלְלֶ֥יהָ). The root שלל appears 2 times in this verse. 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah); "Chaldea" (root כשדים, 32x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·spoil', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְהָיְתָ֥ה [and·it·shall·be] (426) + כַשְׂדִּ֖ים [Chaldea] (374) + לְשָׁלָ֑ל [to·spoil] (390) + כׇּל־שֹׁלְלֶ֥יהָ [all·who·plunder·her] (425) + יִשְׂבָּ֖עוּ [shall·be·sated] (388) + נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה [says·Hashem] (117) = 2120.
Radak
"And Chaldea shall become [spoil]." Explanation: the land of the Chaldeans; and so did Targum Yonatan translate: "אֲרַע כַּשְׂדָּאֵי" [the land of the Chaldeans]. Or the explanation is: the community of the Chaldeans.
Metzudat David
"They shall be sated." This means that they will plunder much spoil from it.
Metzudat Zion
To the spoil. A term for plunder/spoil:
Malbim
"And it shall be" – He further informs, (5) that after they defeat Babylon, then the Chaldeans, the inhabitants of the land, will no longer fight, but will be like spoil left over after the war; and (6) that it will not be like a conqueror of the land after many battles, who would hide all that belongs to them or lose it so that it not come into the hands of the enemy, for all her plunderers will be satiated, for they will find more than enough.
Now it will make known the time when this will be: that this will be at the time when you, the plunderers of My inheritance, rejoice with heart and exult in deed — at the time (when Belshazzar made a feast and rejoiced with the vessels of the Holy Temple, which he had plundered from Israel) — at the time that you shall be like a heifer gamboling from threshing, so you shall grow fat from abundance of good. Then at that time, your mother shall be ashamed, namely the land that gave birth to you, for the end of the great nations that this mother gave birth to, namely the nations that dwelled in the land — their end will be that it shall remain there a desert, a wasteland, and a dry place.
Because you are glad, because you rejoice, O you that plunder My heritage, Because you gambol as a heifer at grass, And neigh as strong horses;
verse value 6876
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 70 letters. Verse gematria: 6876 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·you·will·neigh" (וְתִצְהֲל֖וּ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 30: for, for, for. 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "you·will·rejoice" ((תשמחי)), "you·will·rejoice" (תִשְׂמְחוּ֙), "you·will·exult" (תַעַלְז֔וּ). The root כי appears 3 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·inheritance', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 8 words.
Rashi
"Those who plunder My inheritance." [I.e.,] those who despoil My inheritance:
"For you become fat." A term denoting fatness:
Like a heifer treading. [I.e.,] the one that treads upon the grain and eats constantly:
Radak
"For you rejoice" [תשמחי]. It is written with a yod and read with a vav; likewise "you exult" [תעלזי], "you grow fat" [תפושי], and "you neigh/shout" [ותצהלי] are written with a yod and read with a vav. The ketiv, being the feminine [singular] form, addresses Babylon in a general way; and the qere, being the plural form, addresses the inhabitants of Babylon specifically. He said: "You who plundered My inheritance, you were joyful and exultant when you destroyed My land, and you grew fat and increased on the goodness of My land, like a fattened heifer; and you were boisterous and joyful like mighty steeds when you won the battle. Yet you did not defeat My people through your own strength, but rather because of My wrath that was upon them."
“Tefoshu.” The matter of “rabuy” (multiplicity/abundance) means the abundance of the flesh and its health, as it is said: “And you shall go out and frisk about like well-fed calves.”
“Like a heifer [feeding] on grass [k’egla dasha].” Like a heifer that is always grazing on grass, so that it is fat and healthy of flesh. And “dasha” [grass] is written with an aleph, functioning as an adjective in place of the feminine heh [ending], with the root aleph omitted — or alternatively, the heh fell away, and the qamats is the sign of its having fallen away. And likewise [the word] that goes out from before the ruler; and its pattern is “dasha” on the pattern of “male’ah” (full) or “dasha” on the pattern of “chochmah” (wise). And in some manuscripts it is written with a heh, and its meaning is from the sense of threshing (dayish). And he explained: “like a heifer that is dashah [treading in the threshing],” meaning it eats all day long from the threshing, unlike a heifer that is plowing, which does not eat. And Jonathan translated: “for you shall run like calves of the stall [fattening pen].”
Metzudat David
"When you rejoice." That which you rejoice: until now you have been plundering My inheritance.
"For you stamped." For then you were thriving and abundant in the good of My land, like a heifer that treads [grain] and eats from the threshing.
"And you neighed like steeds." They shall raise a great voice of joy, like the strong horses that raise a voice of joy.
Metzudat Zion
"Rejoice." The matter of joy:
"Shosai" [those who plunder me]. A term for plunder/spoil, as in "and those who hate us have plundered for themselves" (Psalms 44:11).
"Tifoshu." A term for increase; that is to say, increase of flesh, as in "you shall grow fat like calves of the stall" (Malachi 3:20). "Dasha." From the language of threshing, and the aleph comes in place of a heh.
"And they shall exult." The meaning is the raising of the voice in joy, as in "they shout for joy from the sea" (Isaiah 24).
As mighty [steeds]. Strong horses; and so too, "from the gallopings, the gallopings of his mighty steeds" (Judges 5:22).
Your mother shall be sore ashamed, She that bore you shall be confounded; Behold, the hindermost of the nations Shall be a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert.
verse value 2634
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 46 letters. The shortest word is "very" (מְאֹ֔ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "she·who·bore·you" (יוֹלַדְתְּכֶ֑ם, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "your·mother" (אִמְּכֶם֙), "was·ashamed" (חָפְרָ֖ה), "she·who·bore·you" (יוֹלַדְתְּכֶ֑ם). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "they" (root הן, 130x in Jeremiah); "nations" (root גוי, 81x in Jeremiah); "your·mother" (root אם, 36x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'she·who·bore·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 6 words. Full calculation: בּ֤וֹשָׁה [put·to·shame] (313) + אִמְּכֶם֙ [your·mother] (101) + מְאֹ֔ד [very] (45) + חָפְרָ֖ה [was·ashamed] (293) + יוֹלַדְתְּכֶ֑ם [she·who·bore·you] (510) + הִנֵּה֙ [they] (60) + אַחֲרִ֣ית [end·of] (619) + גּוֹיִ֔ם [nations] (59) + מִדְבָּ֖ר [wilderness] (246) + צִיָּ֥ה [dryness] (105) + וַעֲרָבָֽה [and·arabah] (283) = 2634.
Rashi
Your mother. Your gathering-place [i.e., your metropolis]:
"End." You are the Chaldeans: if your beginning was great, your end will be a desert.
Radak
“Your mother shall be greatly ashamed.” From the joy with which you rejoiced when you were plundering My inheritance, you shall now be ashamed when others come and plunder you. And the meaning of “your mother” and “she who bore you” is your congregation and your assembly. Likewise, “Contend with your mother.” And Jonathan rendered “your mother” as “your congregation,” and he rendered “she who bore you” as “your province.”
"Behold the end of the nations." "The end of the nations" refers to the kingdom of Babylonia; their ultimate fate is that their land will become a desert, for they will be slain, and their land will remain desolate and barren, like a desert.
Metzudat David
Shame upon your mother. But from now on, shame upon your mother, Babylon, who gave birth to children for terror.
"She who bore you shall be disgraced." The matter is repeated in different words.
“Behold the end of the nations.” This means: the shame will be because, behold, the end of the Chaldeans—her children—will be lacking in good fortune, like a parched desert and a barren land. And the repetition of words in synonymous terms is like “land of dust” (Daniel 12).
Metzudat Zion
Chafrah [she was ashamed]. A term of shame:
Tsiyah. Desolation:
"And the steppe." Its meaning is like "desert" [wilderness]:
Because of the wrath of Hashem it shall not be inhabited, But it shall be wholly desolate; Every one that goes by Babylon Shall be appalled and hiss at all her plagues.
verse value 3988
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 53 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "upon·all·her·wounds" (עַל־כׇּל־מַכּוֹתֶֽיהָ, 10 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "from·wrath" (מִקֶּ֤צֶף), "upon·all·her·wounds" (עַל־כׇּל־מַכּוֹתֶֽיהָ). The root שמם appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah); "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'her·them', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 6 words. Full calculation: מִקֶּ֤צֶף [from·wrath] (310) + יְהֹוָה֙ [Hashem] (26) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + תֵשֵׁ֔ב [be·inhabited] (702) + וְהָיְתָ֥ה [and·it·shall·be] (426) + שְׁמָמָ֖ה [devastation] (385) + כֻּלָּ֑הּ [her·them] (55) + כֹּ֚ל [all] (50) + עֹבֵ֣ר [crossing] (272) + עַל־בָּבֶ֔ל [against·Babylon] (134) + יִשֹּׁ֥ם [shall·be·appalled] (350) + וְיִשְׁרֹ֖ק [and·will·hiss] (616) + עַל־כׇּל־מַכּוֹתֶֽיהָ [upon·all·her·wounds] (631) = 3988.
Radak
“From the anger of the Lord.” “From the anger” — meaning the anger with which He was angry against her. And Jonathan rendered: “Because Babylon provoked wrath before the Lord.”
“She shall not be inhabited.” That is to say, people shall not dwell in it. And it speaks of the city as if speaking of its inhabitants. Likewise, “the city that goes out a thousand” means people who go out from it.
“And it shall be a desolate waste.” This means that no settlement shall remain in the entire city. As for Babylon, Darius and Cyrus resettled it, and to this day it is not the same Babylon as it was previously, for that one was destroyed, and they built another city in that same valley, and they also called it Babylon.
Metzudat David
“From the anger of the Lord.” Because the Lord was angry against Babylon, therefore it shall no longer be inhabited, and everyone who passes by it shall be astonished and hiss.
Metzudat Zion
Yashum. The matter of astonishment:
"And he shall whistle." This is the sound produced with the lips rounded, and it is customary to make it upon the loss of something of importance.
Malbim
"From the wrath [of the Lord]" – and she will be even worse than the wilderness in three respects: 1. The wilderness is desolate by nature, whereas this one will lie uninhabited because of the wrath of the Lord; 2. In the wilderness, one can find places that are not desolate, whereas this one will be entirely desolate; 3. No one is astonished at the desolation of the wilderness, but regarding this one, everyone who passes by Babylon will be appalled and will hiss.
Set yourselves in array against Babylon round about, All you that bend the bow, Shoot at her, spare no arrows; For she has sinned against Hashem.
verse value 2407
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 51 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "not·spare" (אַֽל־תַּחְמְל֖וּ, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "not·spare" (אַֽל־תַּחְמְל֖וּ), "to·arrow" (אֶל־חֵ֑ץ), "sinned" (חָטָֽאָה). The root איל appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "not·spare" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·arrow', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 3 words. Full calculation: עִרְכ֨וּ [order] (296) + עַל־בָּבֶ֤ל [against·Babylon] (134) + סָבִיב֙ [around] (74) + כׇּל־דֹּ֣רְכֵי [all·way] (284) + קֶ֔שֶׁת [bow] (800) + יְד֣וּ [hand] (20) + אֵלֶ֔יהָ [to·her] (46) + אַֽל־תַּחְמְל֖וּ [not·spare] (515) + אֶל־חֵ֑ץ [to·arrow] (129) + כִּ֥י [for] (30) + לַיהֹוָ֖ה [to·Hashem] (56) + חָטָֽאָה [sinned] (23) = 2407.
Rashi
"Shoot at her." They cast stones at her, as in: "and they cast a stone at me" (Lamentations 3:53).
Radak
“Erkho.” Its meaning is: arrange for battle [draw up in battle array].
"Shoot at her." [Meaning:] cast [something] at her. And [this is confirmed] from the heavy conjugation [i.e., the form] "to cast down the horns of the nations" — that is to say, cast the arrows or the stones.
“Do not spare the arrow.” The word “el” (אל) functions like “al” (על), and there are many such instances. The verse means: Do not spare the arrows, and do not say, “Perhaps we will shoot it and not strike a person,” for it will not return empty, as stated above: “for every arrow that you shoot will kill a person,” for she [Babylon] has sinned against the Lord.
Metzudat David
"Array [yourselves] against Babylon." From every side, array [yourselves] for war against Babylon:
"Shoot at her." Cast arrows at her:
“Do not spare.” Do not withhold the arrow, saying, “Perhaps it will not strike a person and will go to waste.”
"For she has sinned against the Lord." Therefore, you will succeed against her, and all the arrows that you shoot there will kill men.
Metzudat Zion
Dorkei. The way to tread with the foot on the bow, to draw it well, to shoot far:
"Shoot." The meaning is casting, as in, "to cast down the horns of the nations" (Zechariah 2:4):
Malbim
"Array yourselves" (now he will explain the nature of the conquest): "Array yourselves against Babylon all around, you who all draw the bow." He adds, "Shoot at her" [יְדוּ, played on as related to יָד, 'hand'], meaning: Do not shoot the arrows by means of the bow; rather, throw them with your hand, for even by hand you will hit the target. And he adds, "Do not spare an arrow," lest you fear that you would be shooting the arrow in vain — for she has sinned against the Lord, and surely the arrow will reach her.
Shout against her round about, she has submitted herself; Her buttresses are fallen, her walls are thrown down; For it is the vengeance of Hashem, take vengeance upon her; As she has done, do to her.
verse value 6007
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 83 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֥ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּי֩, 2 letters) and the longest is "her·buttresses" (אׇשְׁיוֹתֶ֔יהָ, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "shout" (הָרִ֨יעוּ), "her·hand" (יָדָ֔הּ), "her·buttresses" (אׇשְׁיוֹתֶ֔יהָ). The root נקם appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "as" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'her·walls', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 9 words.
Rashi
"And she stretched out her hand." This is like a person who lacks strength and extends his hand to everyone he sees, to beg for mercy and assistance. Similarly, [it says of] Egypt, "they gave a hand" (ibid. [Lamentations], chapter 5) — [meaning:] we extended a hand to Egypt, to seek help from them.
"ashyoteha" [her foundations]: The strength of its foundations. And similarly, "va'ushaya yachitu" (Ezra 4:12). And in the language of the Mishnah, such as: "these are the ones who sew for reinforcement [la'ushin]." And similarly, "vehit'oshshu" [means] "vehitchazku" (be strengthened and fortified).
As she did. To the city of the Lord:
Radak
“Shout around it.” Explanation: In order to terrify them, as they did at Jericho.
“נתנה ידה” – that is, she surrendered herself to the enemies, because she could not withstand them or stand against them.
“Nafalu ashvitiha.” The aleph is pronounced with a chataf qamats, and the meaning is “its foundations”; and so too in Aramaic, “v’osha yemitu” [the foundations shall totter]. As for the words “as she did” [later in the verse] — the meaning is that she (Babylon) destroyed the walls of Jerusalem.
Metzudat David
“Shout.” To terrify the people, shout around it.
“She has given her hand” – Just as a person who has fallen extends his hand to someone nearby to help him and lift him up, so too, "[we] gave a hand to Egypt" (Lamentations 5).
“Her foundations have fallen.” The foundations of the city's walls have fallen.
"For vengeance." Because it is the vengeance of the Lord, therefore take vengeance upon her; and just as she did to Israel, so shall you do to her.
Metzudat Zion
"Shout." From the language of "teruah" [a blast/cry] and the sounding of a voice:
"Her foundations." The meaning is foundations, as in, "the foundations of Kir-hareseth" (Isaiah 15):
Malbim
"Shout around her," as a sign that the wall had been captured, for she had already surrendered and ceased to fight; and "her foundations have fallen," meaning that the foundations of the wall had already collapsed, just as occurred with the wall of Jericho; by this means her walls were destroyed automatically, for "it is the vengeance of the Lord — take vengeance on her!" A. "The vengeance of the Lord" refers to the vengeance for what they did in destroying the Temple and profaning His Name. B. "As she did, so do to her," for she too destroyed many nations.
Cut off the sower from Babylon, And him that handles the sickle in the time of harvest; For fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, And they shall flee every one to his own land.
verse value 4554
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 63 letters. Verse gematria: 4554 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "sickle" (מַגָּ֖ל, 3 letters) and the longest is "dove" (הַיּוֹנָ֔ה, 5 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "he·who·sows" (זוֹרֵ֙עַ֙), "and·catching" (וְתֹפֵ֥שׂ), "sickle" (מַגָּ֖ל). The root איש appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·with" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah); "to·his·land" (root ארץ, 245x in Jeremiah); "man" (root איש, 153x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'harvest', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 9 words.
Rashi
"Cut off the sower." [Targum Yonatan renders:] "Destroy the king of Babylon, and seize the sword at the time of slaughter."
Radak
“Karetu zore’a” [Cut off the sower] – After it shall become desolate, a person shall not sow in it, nor shall he reap. And Jonathan translated it by way of a metaphor: “The king shall issue a command from Babylon, and they shall seize the sword at the time of slaughter.”
"Because of the sword of the oppressor." We explained it, for its meaning is 'the one who wrongs [others],' as in "and I will feed those who wrong you" and "and My princes shall no longer wrong My people." And Targum Yonatan renders it: "From before the sword of hatred, which is like intoxicating wine" — they rendered the matter as one of wine.
“Each man shall turn to his own people.” This teaches that since the exiles in Babylonia were from many different nations, each one should return to his own people.
Metzudat David
"Cut off." This means that one will no longer find in Babylonia anyone sowing fields or holding a sickle at the time of harvest, for it will become a desolation, and no one will sow there.
“Because of the oppressive sword.” This refers to the sword of the enemy who is cruel and coerces [the people] to plunder their bodies and their property. On account of this, the hired workers, the tillers of the soil, will turn away from there and flee, each to his people and to his land from which he came.
Metzudat Zion
And he grasps. The matter of holding:
Sickle. It is the sickle, and it is a tool made for reaping with it. And similarly, “they sent forth the sickle” (Joel 4:13).
"The oppressing [sword]." From the language of oppression/deceit, and its meaning is the robbery of body and property. And likewise, "the oppressing city" (Zephaniah 3):
They shall turn aside. The matter of "turning aside":
Malbim
"Cut down the sower from Babylonia," meaning, do not leave in her [any] as vinedressers or plowmen, and he adds that not even one holding a sickle at the time of harvest shall be found, for even that which has already been sown will find no one to reap it. And since until now the foreigners there were their farmers and reapers of their fields, he says that now each man shall turn to his own people, and they shall join together and flee, each to his own land.
Israel is a scattered sheep, The lions have driven him away; First the king of Assyria has devoured him, And last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon has broken his bones.
verse value 4201
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 67 letters. Notable word values: "and·this" (וְזֶ֤ה) = 18, chai, 'life'. The shortest word is "lamb" (שֶׂ֧ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "Nebuchadrezzar" (נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֖ר, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 90: king, king. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "lamb" (שֶׂ֧ה), "scattered" (פְזוּרָ֛ה), "have·driven·away" (הִדִּ֑יחוּ). The root מלך appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king" (root מלך, 253x in Jeremiah); "and·this" (root זה, 123x in Jeremiah); "Israel" (root ישראל, 110x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'have·driven·away', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 10 words.
Rashi
"The first one devoured him." For he [the king of Assyria] exiled the ten tribes.
"He crunched his bones." [Meaning:] he ground his bones, for he finished off the remnant, Judah and Benjamin. "Crunched his bones" is 'deshoser' in Old French.
Radak
"A scattered sheep, Israel; lions have driven her away." Explanation: "Have driven her away" means they drove her out, and "lions" is an allegory for the kings of the nations who exiled them from their land.
"The first was devoured by the king of Assyria." This means that his flesh was consumed, leaving only the bones. This refers to the king of Assyria, who exiled Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh; afterward, the rest of the tribes were exiled, leaving only Judah and Benjamin.
"And this last one crunched his bones." The explanation is that he broke his bones until nothing remained of him. This is Nebuchadnezzar, who exiled Judah and Benjamin, who destroyed Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah.
Metzudat David
"A scattered sheep is Israel." Behold, Israel was like a scattered and separated sheep, driven away from its flock by lions, which chased it out of its flock; so too were they driven out of their land.
The first. The first one who banished [Israel] ate its flesh; that was the King of Assyria, who exiled the Ten Tribes.
And this is the last one. This is the last one who banished [Israel]; he broke its bones, and he is Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, who exiled Judah and Benjamin.
Metzudat Zion
"Scattered." The meaning is dispersal:
They removed. From the language of "pushing away" (d'chiah):
"His bones." This means: he broke his bones. And its parallel is, "and it shall uproot all my produce" (Job 31:12), which means that it shall uproot the root:
Malbim
"A scattered ewe" – the verse’s measure is: "Lions have driven away a scattered ewe." Israel is the scattered ewe whom they drove from its place. The first lion devoured it, consuming the flesh, and this is the king of Assyria. And this last lion broke and crushed its bones, and this is the king of Babylon.
Therefore thus says Hashem of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, As I have punished the king of Assyria.
verse value 4009
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 66 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֤ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "therefore" (לָכֵ֗ן, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·to·his·land" (וְאֶל־אַרְצ֑וֹ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 121: to·king, to·king. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·to·his·land" (וְאֶל־אַרְצ֑וֹ). The root פקד appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "thus·said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "as" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·to·his·land', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 4 words.
Radak
"Therefore ... to." [The word] 'el' here functions like 'al' [i.e., it means 'against'].
Metzudat David
"I will visit." I will watch to bring recompense upon Babylon, etc.
Metzudat Zion
"Pokeid." The matter of providence in bringing evil:
Malbim
Therefore, thus says the Lord: Behold, I will visit [punishment] upon him, just as I visited [punishment] upon Assyria, so will I visit [punishment] upon the king of Babylon.
And I will bring Israel back to his pasture, And he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan, And his soul shall be satisfied upon the hills of Ephraim and in Gilead.
verse value 4569
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 56 letters. The shortest word is "and·evil" (וְרָעָ֥ה, 4 letters) and the longest is "Israel" (אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·I·will·bring·back" (וְשֹׁבַבְתִּ֤י), "to·his·habitation" (אֶל־נָוֵ֔הוּ), "and·Bashan" (וְהַבָּשָׁ֑ן). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·his·habitation" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah); "and·I·will·bring·back" (root שוב, 106x in Jeremiah); "his·soul" (root נפש, 61x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·Bashan', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְשֹׁבַבְתִּ֤י [and·I·will·bring·back] (720) + אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ [Israel] (942) + אֶל־נָוֵ֔הוּ [to·his·habitation] (98) + וְרָעָ֥ה [and·evil] (281) + הַכַּרְמֶ֖ל [Carmel] (295) + וְהַבָּשָׁ֑ן [and·Bashan] (363) + וּבְהַ֥ר [and·in·mountain·of] (213) + אֶפְרַ֛יִם [Ephraim] (331) + וְהַגִּלְעָ֖ד [and·Gilead] (118) + תִּשְׂבַּ֥ע [is·satisfied] (772) + נַפְשֽׁוֹ [his·soul] (436) = 4569.
Rashi
“And he grazed in Carmel.” This is the language of grazing.
Radak
“And I will restore.” I will return him to his pasture after I have visited upon his enemies.
"And he shall pasture." Since the verse compared them to a lamb, it says "and he shall pasture," and alludes to these places, which are a land of pasture. This verse and the one following it refer to the return from the Babylonian exile, or perhaps to the future; and the latter is the correct interpretation, for just as He visited upon the king of Assyria and the king of Babylon, so too will He visit upon all who oppress Israel, as it is stated, "And I will visit upon all his oppressors."
Metzudat David
"And I will return them." This means that there will yet come a time, in the days of the Messiah, when I will restore them to their pasture, and they will graze in the pastures of Carmel and Bashan, which are places of rich grazing. And since He compared them to a lamb, He used the verb form that is used in reference to a lamb.
“His soul shall be satisfied.” From the abundance of pasture that is found there.
Metzudat Zion
"and I will return them." From the language of restoration:
Navehu. His dwelling place:
And He will pasture. From the language of pasture:
Carmel. So it is called: a place of fields and vineyards.
Malbim
"And I will restore the flock to its pasture," which is the place where the sheep graze; and there it shall graze [in] Carmel and Bashan, for there is the pasture of the flock; and even on Mount Ephraim his soul shall be satisfied with a satisfaction that is sufficient and more than enough.
In those days, and in that time, says Hashem, The iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none, And the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found; For I will pardon them whom I leave as a remnant.
verse value 5031
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 80 letters. Verse gematria: 5031 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "says·Hashem" (נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֗ה, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 30: Judah, for. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "will·be·sought" (יְבֻקַּ֞שׁ), "perversity" (אֶת־עֲוֺ֤ן), "and·sins·of" (וְאֶת־חַטֹּ֥את). 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "to·whom" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·will·be·found', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 4 words.
Radak
"In those days." This verse proves that the future era will be as stated above: "For I will forgive their iniquity and their sin I will remember no more," and as it says, "For they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them." Yet, how many transgressors and sinners there were in the Second Temple period and afterward in this exile!
"Which I shall leave remaining." And this, too, proves that it is for the future, as it is stated, "And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and he who remains in Jerusalem shall be called holy," and it is said, "The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity," etc.
Metzudat David
"Yevukash." Even if it is sought, it will not be found.
"To those whom I shall leave behind." To those of them whom I shall leave remaining, I will forgive their iniquity, for they shall be purified through the hardship of the servitude, and they shall go their way.
Malbim
"In those days they shall seek the iniquity of Israel, but it shall not be found; and the sins of Judah, but they shall not be found." Israel refers to the Ten Tribes, who served idolatry, which is termed "iniquity" (avon), indicating a distortion of intellect and denial of faith. This will not exist at all in reality, for the evil inclination toward idolatry will be abolished. And [they shall seek] the sins of Judah; Judah did not deny the Lord, but they had sins stemming from lust, which are termed "sins" (chatta'ot). Although this will exist in reality in the world, nevertheless, they shall not be found, for [God says], "I will forgive those whom I leave behind, those whom I leave from the exile; I will forgive their sins." Therefore, they shall not be found.
Go up against the land of Merathaim, even against it, And against the inhabitants of Pekod; Waste and utterly destroy after them, says Hashem, And do according to all that I have commanded you.
verse value 4199
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 67 letters. Verse gematria: 4199 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "go·up" (עֲלֵ֣ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·against·inhabitants·of" (וְאֶל־יוֹשְׁבֵ֖י, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "Merathaim" (מְרָתַ֙יִם֙), "and·against·inhabitants·of" (וְאֶל־יוֹשְׁבֵ֖י), "Pekod" (פְּק֑וֹד). 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "on" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Pekod', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 8 words. Full calculation: עַל־הָאָ֤רֶץ [upon·earth] (396) + מְרָתַ֙יִם֙ [Merathaim] (690) + עֲלֵ֣ה [go·up] (105) + עָלֶ֔יהָ [on] (115) + וְאֶל־יוֹשְׁבֵ֖י [and·against·inhabitants·of] (365) + פְּק֑וֹד [Pekod] (190) + חֲרֹ֨ב [be·waste] (210) + וְהַחֲרֵ֤ם [and·utterly·destroy] (259) + אַחֲרֵיהֶם֙ [after·them] (264) + נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֔ה [says·Hashem] (117) + וַעֲשֵׂ֕ה [and·do] (381) + כְּכֹ֖ל [as·them] (70) + אֲשֶׁ֥ר [that] (501) + צִוִּיתִֽיךָ [I·commanded·you] (536) = 4199.
Rashi
MERATHAIM. For you have rebelled against Me and angered Me.
"Pekod." The name of a country. And similarly, "Pekod, Shoa, and Koa" (Ezekiel 23:23). The Targum [renders them as] the names of countries.
"And do according to all that I have commanded you." You, O Cyrus, are mentioned by the prophet Isaiah (45):
Radak
"Against the land of Merathaim." He called the kingdom of Babylon "Merathaim," a term of rebellion (meri); and so did Jonathan render it: "Upon the land of the rebellious people."
"Go up against her." He said this in reference to Darius.
"And to the inhabitants of Pekod." It also alludes to "Pekod," meaning that the time has come to reckon their iniquity. And Jonathan did not translate it thus, for in his opinion, "Pekod" is the name of a city in Babylonia, as it is written: "Pekod, and Shoa, and Koa."
"Slay, and devote to destruction, after them." "Slay" is a command from the term "sword" (cherev), meaning, "slay with the sword." And likewise "and devote to destruction" is like "and he devoted all the souls to destruction." And the explanation of "after them" is: those who flee, pursue them with the sword, as it is said, "And I will draw the sword after them," and "And I will send the sword after you." And Yonatan interpreted "after them" as "and their remnant," meaning "with the sword I will kill their remnant," referring to their children, who are the remnant of the people and their aftermath. And so too Targum Yonatan [renders]: "And concerning the inhabitants of Pekod, who are killed by the sword, their remnant shall be utterly consumed."
Metzudat David
“Against the land of Merathaim.” He returns to his earlier words. He said to the one who would destroy Babylon: 'Go up to war against the land that rebelled and transgressed against all the nations — that is Babylon.'
"And against the inhabitants of Pekod." This is the name of a city among the cities of Babylon, as it is stated: "Pekod, Shoa, and Koa" (Ezekiel 23:23). Alternatively, it refers to Babylon itself, and it is called by this name because the time has come to visit and remember its iniquity.
"Charuv [Lay waste]." You shall lay her waste; and as for the fugitives, pursue after them and destroy them completely.
"And you shall do, etc." He returns to urge him.
Metzudat Zion
Merathaim. From the language of "meri" and "mered," meaning rebellion and revolt.
Charub. From the language of destruction and the ban. It signifies the matter of destruction, like “all the soul He devoted to destruction” (Joshua 10:40).
Malbim
"Concerning the land of Merathaim" — you are nothing but Merathaim (double rebellion) and meri (rebellion). "Against the land of Babylon, go up against her" — [that is,] you, Merathaim, go up against the inhabitants of Pekod, who are the Chaldeans, against whom I will reckon their iniquity (as it is stated, "Behold, I will visit [punishment] upon the king of Babylon"). And "do" — that is to say: you, Merathaim, do as I have commanded you, to destroy and annihilate all.
Hark! battle is in the land, And great destruction.
verse value 1103
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 20 letters. The shortest word is "voice" (ק֥וֹל, 3 letters) and the longest is "battle" (מִלְחָמָ֖ה, 5 letters). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·the·land" (root ארץ, 245x in Jeremiah); "voice" (root קול, 81x in Jeremiah); "great" (root גדול, 48x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·land', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: ק֥וֹל [voice] (136) + מִלְחָמָ֖ה [battle] (123) + בָּאָ֑רֶץ [in·the·land] (293) + וְשֶׁ֖בֶר [and·destruction] (508) + גָּדֽוֹל [great] (43) = 1103.
Radak
Voice. It is clear:
Metzudat David
"In the land." It is heard in the land of Babylonia:
Malbim
“The voice of war in the land of Babylon,” and immediately the voice of great breaking was heard, that Babylon was broken.
How is the hammer of the whole earth Cut asunder and broken! How is Babylon become A desolation among the nations!
verse value 2342
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 41 letters. The shortest word is "how?" (אֵ֤יךְ, 3 letters) and the longest is "all·the·earth" (כׇּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 31: how?, how?. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "was·cut" (נִגְדַּע֙), "and·was·broken" (וַיִּשָּׁבֵ֔ר), "forge hammer" (פַּטִּ֖ישׁ). The root איך appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "was" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah); "all·the·earth" (root ארץ, 245x in Jeremiah); "Babylon" (root בבל, 93x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'all·the·earth', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 5 words. Full calculation: אֵ֤יךְ [how?] (31) + נִגְדַּע֙ [was·cut] (127) + וַיִּשָּׁבֵ֔ר [and·was·broken] (518) + פַּטִּ֖ישׁ [forge hammer] (399) + כׇּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ [all·the·earth] (346) + אֵ֣יךְ [how?] (31) + הָיְתָ֧ה [was] (420) + לְשַׁמָּ֛ה [to·astonishment] (375) + בָּבֶ֖ל [Babylon] (34) + בַּגּוֹיִֽם [among·the·nations] (61) = 2342.
Rashi
“Hammer of the whole earth.” For it was smashing and grinding everything.
Radak
"How is it hewn down... the hammer of the whole earth!" For he was like the hammer that breaks and shatters, and now he himself was broken — how did this happen?
Metzudat David
"How is it cut down?" How was Babylon cut off — which used to shatter and smash the whole earth, like a hammer that shatters a rock?
"leshammah." It was a matter of astonishment among all the idolaters; they would marvel at its destruction.
Metzudat Zion
"Nigda." The matter of cutting down, like [the verse] "sycamores have been cut down" (Isaiah 9).
Patish. It is the mallet, as it says, "like a hammer that shatters a rock" (above, 23):
"A desolation." [Meaning] astonishment:
Malbim
How, according to this, will he be astonished: 1. Regarding the voice of war, how was the hammer of the entire land broken and shattered? Was not Babylon like a hammer that shatters rock, since it scattered all the nations into fragments? And how did they unite again for war? Where is the hammer that shattered their union? And concerning the great breaking, he asks: 2. How did Babylon become a desolation among the nations, after there were always many and mighty nations assisting her?
I have laid a snare for you, and you are also taken, O Babylon, And you were not aware; You are found, and also caught, Because you have striven against Hashem.
verse value 5315
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 53 letters. The shortest word is "to·you" (לָ֤ךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·also·you·are·captured" (וְגַם־נִלְכַּדְתְּ֙, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "I·lured" (יָקֹ֨שְׁתִּי), "and·also·you·are·captured" (וְגַם־נִלְכַּדְתְּ֙), "you·were·found" (נִמְצֵאת֙). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·knew', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 5 words. Full calculation: יָקֹ֨שְׁתִּי [I·lured] (820) + לָ֤ךְ [to·you] (50) + וְגַם־נִלְכַּדְתְּ֙ [and·also·you·are·captured] (553) + בָּבֶ֔ל [Babylon] (34) + וְאַ֖תְּ [and] (407) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + יָדָ֑עַתְּ [you·knew] (484) + נִמְצֵאת֙ [you·were·found] (581) + וְגַם־נִתְפַּ֔שְׂתְּ [and·also·you·are·caught] (1279) + כִּ֥י [for] (30) + בַיהֹוָ֖ה [in·Hashem] (28) + הִתְגָּרִֽית [you·have·striven] (1018) = 5315.
Rashi
"I have set snares for you." The term "snares" (mukesh) denotes a trap:
Radak
"I have set a trap for you." I have placed a snare for you, in which you were caught.
You are found, and moreover, you are seized. Had you known beforehand that it would come upon you, perhaps you would have fled; but now, since you did not know, and the evil came upon you suddenly, you are found in your place and seized. And the Targum renders: "Your debts were demanded, [and] they were found."
"התגרית" – The sense is "התערב הריב" (becoming entangled in the dispute), as in "ואל תתגר בם מלחמה" (and do not engage them in battle).
Metzudat David
"I have set a snare for you." I prepared a trap for you, and you were also caught in it, and you did not know how to guard yourself against it, for it came suddenly.
"You have contended." You made strife and war with the Lord, for you slaughtered His people and did not show mercy.
Metzudat Zion
"I have snared [you]." From the term "mokesh," meaning a snare:
You are seized. The matter refers to a firm grasp:
"Hitgarit." From the language of "tigar" and "milchamah," meaning strife and war, as in "Do not contend with them" (Deuteronomy 2:5).
Malbim
"I have set a snare for you," in response to the first question, I answer: "I gave you a snare, and by means of it you were caught in the snare." And in response to the second question, He answers: "You were found, and also you were seized," meaning that after you were already in the snare, you were found there, and moreover, they seized you. And all of this occurred because you quarreled with the Lord. And by this, the Lord opened His treasury, for the war they fought against you was with the vessels of the Lord's wrath. (And whereas they opened the treasury and took the Lord's vessels to the feast—which is hinted at in the statement, "Because you quarreled with the Lord"—He also opened His treasury and brought out His vessels, which are the vessels of His wrath.) For the work belongs to the Lord; this work is attributed to the Lord, who destroyed it. And you, the enemies, came to her at the end—at the conclusion and completion of the work that the Lord will then perform, then you shall come. (For through the angel's writing, Belshazzar was killed, and afterward the armies of Media and Persia came.) "Open her granaries"—you have nothing to do but to plunder the spoil. That is, open the storehouses of grain that are placed in the trough where the oxen are fattened (meaning: take their wealth). "Pile her up like heaps"—meaning those who piled up and raised the grain in the troughs like heaps, heaps of grain. Open them. And afterward, "devote her to destruction," so that no remnant remains.
Hashem has opened His armoury, And has brought forth the weapons of His indignation; For it is a work that the Lord Hashem of hosts Has to do in the land of the Chaldeans.
verse value 3344
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 61 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "openinged" (פָּתַ֤ח, 3 letters) and the longest is "treasure" (אֶת־א֣וֹצָר֔וֹ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 26: Hashem, Hashem. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "treasure" (אֶת־א֣וֹצָר֔וֹ), "for·occupation" (כִּֽי־מְלָאכָ֣ה). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "for·occupation" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "in·land·of" (root ארץ, 245x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·indignation', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 7 words. Full calculation: פָּתַ֤ח [openinged] (488) + יְהֹוָה֙ [Hashem] (26) + אֶת־א֣וֹצָר֔וֹ [treasure] (704) + וַיּוֹצֵ֖א [and·brought·out] (113) + אֶת־כְּלֵ֣י [the·weapons·of] (461) + זַעְמ֑וֹ [his·indignation] (123) + כִּֽי־מְלָאכָ֣ה [for·occupation] (126) + הִ֗יא [she] (16) + לַאדֹנָ֧י [to·my·lord] (95) + יֱהֹוִ֛ה [Hashem] (26) + צְבָא֖וֹת [hosts] (499) + בְּאֶ֥רֶץ [in·land·of] (293) + כַּשְׂדִּֽים [Chaldea] (374) = 3344.
Radak
"Patach [He opened]." By way of parable, that they should know and recognize that He is fighting against them.
Metzudat David
"The vessels of His wrath." These are Persia and Media; that is to say, the Omnipresent stirred up their hearts to come against Babylon to destroy it.
For it is a work for the Lord. The devastation of the land of the Chaldeans is a matter of the Lord’s mission:
Metzudat Zion
His treasury. From the language of treasury and hidden treasure:
His anger. The matter of anger and wrath:
"Work." The matter of agency. And similarly, "Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord deceitfully" (above, 48).
Come against her from every quarter, open her granaries, Cast her up as heaps, and destroy her utterly; Let nothing of her be left.
verse value 3085
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 50 letters. The shortest word is "from·end" (מִקֵּץ֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "as·heaps" (כְמֽוֹ־עֲרֵמִ֖ים, 8 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "come·against·her" (בֹּֽאוּ־לָ֤הּ), "open" (פִּתְח֣וּ), "her·granaries" (מַאֲבֻסֶ֔יהָ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "let·not·be·to·her" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah); "come·against·her" (root בוא, 211x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·utterly·destroy·her', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 2 words. Full calculation: בֹּֽאוּ־לָ֤הּ [come·against·her] (44) + מִקֵּץ֙ [from·end] (230) + פִּתְח֣וּ [open] (494) + מַאֲבֻסֶ֔יהָ [her·granaries] (118) + סׇלּ֥וּהָ [basket] (101) + כְמֽוֹ־עֲרֵמִ֖ים [as·heaps] (426) + וְהַחֲרִימ֑וּהָ [and·utterly·destroy·her] (280) + אַל־תְּהִי־לָ֖הּ [let·not·be·to·her] (481) + שְׁאֵרִֽית [rest] (911) = 3085.
Rashi
"Come to her from the extremity." They began with her from the outskirts of the city, so that she would not know and would be seized suddenly.
"Open her granaries." The Targum [renders it] "avulha," [meaning] her gates, but this has no parallel; and Menachem associated the term with the word "crib/trough" (avus).
"Pile her up." Thresh her.
"Like heaps [of grain]." Threshing floors.
Radak
"Come against her from every quarter." The Targum renders: "Go up against her from the side." And it is also possible to interpret "from every quarter" (mi-ketz) as: from the time that her end came, they came against her.
"Open her granaries." These are the places in which the grains and fruits will be stored. The matter of a "manger" concerns its owner, for it is a place where food for the animals is placed.
"Pile her up like heaps." They shall tread upon her on a highway, just as one treads upon heaps [of grain] to thresh them. And my lord and father, of blessed memory, explained that they made heap upon heap, like piles, from her spoil — for in his view, every usage of the term "maslah" (highway) implies the notion of raising up. And the Targum [renders]: "They consumed her wealth," just as they finish off a heap of grain.
Metzudat David
"Come to her from the edge." From the edge of the province, come to fight against her suddenly, before she can prepare for war.
"Open her granaries." To take the grain stored there.
“Saloh.” They trampled its inhabitants, just as one tramples on bundles of stalks to thresh them and extract the grain.
"And they devoted it to destruction." This means that its inhabitants perished and were completely destroyed.
Metzudat Zion
At the end of. From the end:
"From its granaries." Its meaning is the storehouse of grain, and it is from the term "evus be'alav" [his master's crib] (Isaiah 1:3), which is a place where animal feed is placed.
Sloah. The matter of "crushing" is similar to "You have trodden all who stray" (Psalms 119:118):
"Aremim." Bundles of stalks, as it is stated: "As your belly is a heap of wheat" (Song of Songs 7:3).
And destroy her! From the language of "herem" (devoted thing) and destruction:
Slay all her bullocks, let them go down to the slaughter; Woe to them! for their day is come, The time of their visitation.
verse value 2229
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 41 letters. The shortest word is "time" (עֵ֥ת, 2 letters) and the longest is "all·her·bullocks" (כׇּל־פָּרֶ֔יהָ, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "all·her·bullocks" (כׇּל־פָּרֶ֔יהָ), "for·comes" (כִּי־בָ֥א). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·them" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah); "their·day" (root יום, 133x in Jeremiah); "slaughter" (root חרב, 87x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·the·slaughter', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 6 words. Full calculation: חִרְבוּ֙ [slaughter] (216) + כׇּל־פָּרֶ֔יהָ [all·her·bullocks] (345) + יֵרְד֖וּ [went·down] (220) + לַטָּ֑בַח [to·the·slaughter] (49) + ה֣וֹי [ah!] (21) + עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם [upon·them] (155) + כִּי־בָ֥א [for·comes] (33) + יוֹמָ֖ם [their·day] (96) + עֵ֥ת [time] (470) + פְּקֻדָּתָֽם [their·reckoning] (624) = 2229.
Rashi
"All her bulls." Her princes/nobles, for such is the way of the prophets, to compare princes to mighty bulls and he-goats.
Radak
"Slay all her bulls." The matter is one of slaughter and the sword; "her bulls" is an allegory for the great and mighty ones, just as it says, "Bulls surrounded me," and likewise the Targum translates it as "gavraha" (her mighty men).
Metzudat David
"Put [them] to the sword": Kill [them] with the sword.
"All her bulls": These are the princes.
They descended to the slaughter. The matter is doubled in what is stated:
Woe to them! Woe to them, for the day of their recompense has come, the time when their sins are remembered.
Metzudat Zion
Put [them] to the sword. From the word "sword":
Pirya. This means "her nobles," as it is written: "And many bulls have surrounded me" (Psalms 22:13).
"Their doom." The matter is one of remembrance:
Malbim
They were destroyed; afterward, they were struck with the sword, all the bulls, and it was said concerning them: “Wail over them, for their day has come to be slaughtered, and the time of their visitation has come, the time to reckon their iniquity.”
Hark! they flee and escape out of the land of Babylon, To declare in Zion the vengeance of Hashem our God, The vengeance of His temple.
verse value 2826
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 55 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 2826 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "voice" (ק֥וֹל, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·refugees" (וּפְלֵטִ֖ים, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·refugees" (וּפְלֵטִ֖ים), "the·vengeance·of" (אֶת־נִקְמַת֙). The root נקם appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "from·land·of" (root ארץ, 245x in Jeremiah); "our·God" (root אלהים, 140x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Babylon', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 7 words. Full calculation: ק֥וֹל [voice] (136) + נָסִ֛ים [fleeing] (160) + וּפְלֵטִ֖ים [and·refugees] (175) + מֵאֶ֣רֶץ [from·land·of] (331) + בָּבֶ֑ל [Babylon] (34) + לְהַגִּ֣יד [to·tell] (52) + בְּצִיּ֗וֹן [in·Zion] (158) + אֶת־נִקְמַת֙ [the·vengeance·of] (991) + יְהֹוָ֣ה [Hashem] (26) + אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ [our·God] (102) + נִקְמַ֖ת [vengeance·of] (590) + הֵיכָלֽוֹ [his·temple] (71) = 2826.
Radak
"Voice of the fugitives." The fugitives and the escapees are Israel. Even though they did not need to flee, for Cyrus had proclaimed throughout his kingdom, "Whoever is among you of all his people, let his God be with him, and let him go up." Darius the king preceded Cyrus; he conquered Babylon and destroyed it. When his army came upon Babylon, some of Israel fled from within it and went to Zion, for they knew that it was the word of the Lord that Jeremiah had prophesied to them regarding the destruction of Babylon.
Metzudat David
"A voice of those fleeing": Behold, a voice is heard from the men of Israel who are fleeing from Babylon and are coming to tell in Zion of the vengeance of the Lord; and [the verse] goes on to further explain — the vengeance for His Temple — that He took vengeance from the hand of Babylon.
Metzudat Zion
And fugitives. [These are] those who flee:
Malbim
"A voice of fugitives," who will go to proclaim in Zion the vengeance of the Lord for what they desecrated of His honor, and the vengeance for His Temple, that they burned the Temple and desecrated the Temple vessels.
Call together the archers against Babylon, All them that bend the bow; Encamp against her round about, Let none thereof escape; Recompense her according to her work, According to all that she has done, do to her: For she has been arrogant against Hashem, Against the Holy One of Israel. .
verse value 5768
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 95 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֧י, 2 letters) and the longest is "let·not·be·to·her" (אַל־יְהִי־לָהּ֙, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 411: repay·to·her, do·to·her. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "favour" (חֲנ֧וּ), "let·not·be·to·her" (אַל־יְהִי־לָהּ֙), "escape" (פְּלֵיטָ֔ה). The root איל appears 2 times in this verse. 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·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 'do·to·her', dividing the verse into phrases of 16 and 5 words.
Rashi
"Summon against Babylon, archers." The term is like "Saul summoned the people" (1 Samuel 16) — [meaning] they cried out to assemble against Babylon: those who shoot with arrows, like "his archers surround me" (Job 16:13).
Radak
"Hearken." "Gather." For the gathering of the people by means of sounding a proclamation is expressed in the language of hearing; and likewise from the form with the dagesh: "and Saul mustered the people."
"Many." [This refers to] those who shoot arrows, just as it is written, "They embittered him, and shot [arrows at him]" (Genesis 49:23), and "his archers surrounded him" (cf. Job 16:13). And the Targum [renders it] "numerous," just as it is written, "Behold, the people of the land are now many" (Exodus 5:5).
"Let there be no escape for her." The word "for her" is read but not written; above it is written, "Let there be no remnant for her," and here it is "Let there be no escape for her." The mnemonic is Teshuf.
"Because she has acted insolently against the Lord." [The verb] is past tense, accented on the penultimate syllable; the meaning is defiance/insolence (zadon). And Targum [Yonatan renders]: "For against the people of the Lord you scorned; you spoke words that are not fitting before the Holy One of Israel."
Metzudat David
"Proclaim" [against Babylon]: Gather yourselves together against Babylon, the multitude of arrows [archers], all who tread the bow; encamp against her on every side, so that there may be no escape for her, lest anyone be able to flee.
"As all that she has done": [What she did was] to Israel; so, do to her [the same].
"She acted insolently": She acted wickedly toward the Lord.
Metzudat Zion
“Heshmi’u.” The matter of gathering and assembling is like “and Saul mustered the people” (1 Samuel 15). And this is because the assembly of the people comes about through the sounding of a voice.
"Many." [These are] archers who shoot with arrows, as it is said, "his archers surround him" (Job 15).
Zadah. From the word "zadon" (arrogance) and "resha" (wickedness).
Malbim
"Summon!" depicts that after Israel fled from the land of Babylon, He commands a second time that many peoples, and all who draw the bow, be gathered, and they shall encamp around her on every side so that there be no escape for her, that they should not leave anyone to flee further from the city. "You shall repay her according to her deed": the deed is the engagement, and the act is the completion of the matter; and "you shall repay her" means to pay her recompense according to the engagement in which she was engaged. And "do to her measure for measure, according to all that she did" — and it explains "you shall repay her according to her deed," for she was arrogant against the Lord: her engagement stemmed from the fact that she was arrogant against the Lord, denying His power. And "according to all that she did, do to her," for she was arrogant against the Holy One of Israel — the act itself was that they burned the Holy Temple and the holy city, which is an act against the Holy One of Israel; for by this name He is called, on account of the holiness of Israel and the holiness of the Holy [Place] and the Sanctuary that dwells within her.
Behold, I am against you, O you most arrogant, Says the Lord Hashem of hosts; For your day is come, The time that I will punish you.
verse value 2117
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 44 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֛י, 2 letters) and the longest is "says·Lord" (נְאֻם־אֲדֹנָ֥י, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "your·day" (יוֹמְךָ֖), "I·will·punish·you" (פְּקַדְתִּֽיךָ). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "went·in" (root בוא, 211x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'hosts', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: הִנְנִ֤י [they] (115) + אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ [against·you] (61) + זָד֔וֹן [pride] (67) + נְאֻם־אֲדֹנָ֥י [says·Lord] (156) + יֱהֹוִ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + צְבָא֑וֹת [hosts] (499) + כִּ֛י [for] (30) + בָּ֥א [went·in] (3) + יוֹמְךָ֖ [your·day] (76) + עֵ֥ת [time] (470) + פְּקַדְתִּֽיךָ [I·will·punish·you] (614) = 2117.
Radak
"Behold, I am toward you, O proud one." The word "zadon" is an adjective, like "zad" meaning haughty.
Metzudat David
Behold, I am against you, O arrogant one. You, Belshazzar, are a man of arrogance. Behold, I will wage war against you, for the day of the recompense of your reward has come, the time of the remembrance of your iniquity.
Malbim
"Behold, I am against you, O proud one": Now he begins to speak of the king's downfall, for your day has come, on account of the battle, in that the sun of your success has set; and the time of your reckoning has also come, on account of [My] providence over your sin.
And the most arrogant shall stumble and fall, And none shall raise him up; And I will kindle a fire in his cities, And it shall devour all that are round about him.
verse value 2584
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 48 letters. Notable word values: "to·him" (ל֖וֹ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "to·him" (ל֖וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "all·around·him" (כׇּל־סְבִיבֹתָֽיו, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 67: pride, and·nothing. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·will·stumble" (וְכָשַׁ֤ל), "am·establishing" (מֵקִ֑ים), "all·around·him" (כׇּל־סְבִיבֹתָֽיו). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·his·cities" (root עיר, 117x in Jeremiah); "and·nothing" (root אין, 88x in Jeremiah); "and·it·shall·consume" (root אכל, 44x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'am·establishing', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְכָשַׁ֤ל [and·will·stumble] (356) + זָדוֹן֙ [pride] (67) + וְנָפַ֔ל [and·will·fall] (166) + וְאֵ֥ין [and·nothing] (67) + ל֖וֹ [to·him] (36) + מֵקִ֑ים [am·establishing] (190) + וְהִצַּ֤תִּי [and·I·will·kindle] (511) + אֵשׁ֙ [fire] (301) + בְּעָרָ֔יו [in·his·cities] (288) + וְאָכְלָ֖ה [and·it·shall·consume] (62) + כׇּל־סְבִיבֹתָֽיו [all·around·him] (540) = 2584.
Radak
"And when the proud one stumbled and fell." This refers to the king of Babylonia, as the Targum likewise renders: "Behold, I have sent My wrath upon you, O wicked king."
Metzudat David
"And when the willful sinner shall stumble." Belshazzar shall be slain.
“And he shall have no place.” This means that no descendant of his shall reign in Babylonia.
“His surroundings.” The surroundings of his cities:
Metzudat Zion
And I will kindle. The meaning is of setting on fire and igniting, as it says, “and it kindled among the thickets of the forest” (Isaiah 9:17):
"and it shall eat up" – The term denotes burning, as in "devoured by fire" (ibid.).
Malbim
And the arrogant one will stumble, and thereby he will fall; and I will set fire to his cities, and from the cities it will consume all your surroundings—contrary to the customary manner of conquest through war, whereby they first conquer the surrounding areas and only afterward the cities of the kingdom.
Thus says Hashem of hosts: The children of Israel and the children of Judah are oppressed together; And all that took them captives hold them fast; They refuse to let them go.
verse value 3112
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 65 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "thus" (כֹּ֤ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·sons·of·Judah" (וּבְנֵי־יְהוּדָ֖ה, 9 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "oppression" (עֲשׁוּקִ֛ים), "and·all·who·captured·them" (וְכׇל־שֹֽׁבֵיהֶם֙), "let·them·go" (שַׁלְּחָֽם). The root בן appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "thus" (root כה, 88x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'together', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 5 words. Full calculation: כֹּ֤ה [thus] (25) + אָמַר֙ [said] (241) + יְהֹוָ֣ה [Hashem] (26) + צְבָא֔וֹת [hosts] (499) + עֲשׁוּקִ֛ים [oppression] (526) + בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל [sons·of·Israel] (603) + וּבְנֵי־יְהוּדָ֖ה [and·sons·of·Judah] (98) + יַחְדָּ֑ו [together] (28) + וְכׇל־שֹֽׁבֵיהֶם֙ [and·all·who·captured·them] (413) + הֶחֱזִ֣יקוּ [repaired] (136) + בָ֔ם [in·them] (42) + מֵאֲנ֖וּ [they·refuse] (97) + שַׁלְּחָֽם [let·them·go] (378) = 3112.
Radak
Thus says the Lord. It is clear:
Metzudat David
“Oppressed, etc.”: Together. This means that just as the Ten Tribes were oppressed by Assyria, so too were the House of Judah oppressed by the King of Babylon.
"And all their captors." Just as Assyria held them firmly and refused to release them freely, so too did Babylonia.
Metzudat Zion
"Oppressed." The matter of plunder and robbery:
"שוביהם" – from the word "שבי" (captivity), meaning the Chaldeans who took them into captivity.
“החזיקו” – “Achozu b’chazakah”: They held on firmly.
"Ma'anu." From the root of "mi'un" (refusal).
Malbim
Thus says the Lord: "Oppressed ones"—meaning, behold, according to the natural order it is altogether impossible for Israel to be redeemed, for it is impossible that some of them who are not in exile should ransom those who are captive, for the children of Israel and the children of Judah are oppressed together. It is not the case that some of the captors did not hold them as slaves, for all their captors held them; nor is it the case that they would subsequently send them away free, for they refused to send them away. But their Redeemer is strong, whose name is the Lord of Hosts, who rules over all the hosts; and He will surely plead their case, and from this pleading there emerges a general benefit: a) to quiet the land from its enemies; b) punishment for Babylon, and to trouble the inhabitants of Babylon. And through this pleading, "a sword is against the Chaldeans," says the Lord—this concerns the kingdom—"and against the inhabitants of Babylon," the royal city, "and against her officers and her wise men," who also dwell in Babylon.
Their Redeemer is strong, Hashem of hosts is His name; He will thoroughly plead their cause, That He may give rest to the earth, And disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon.
verse value 3939
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 61 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֤ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 3939 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "strong" (חָזָ֗ק, 3 letters) and the longest is "their·cause" (אֶת־רִיבָ֑ם, 6 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "their·redeemer" (גֹּאֲלָ֣ם), "contender" (יָרִ֖יב), "their·cause" (אֶת־רִיבָ֑ם). The root ריב appears 3 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "the·land" (root ארץ, 245x in Jeremiah); "dwelling" (root ישב, 147x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'their·cause', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 6 words. Full calculation: גֹּאֲלָ֣ם [their·redeemer] (74) + חָזָ֗ק [strong] (115) + יְהֹוָ֤ה [Hashem] (26) + צְבָאוֹת֙ [hosts] (499) + שְׁמ֔וֹ [his·name] (346) + רִ֥יב [strife] (212) + יָרִ֖יב [contender] (222) + אֶת־רִיבָ֑ם [their·cause] (653) + לְמַ֙עַן֙ [so·that] (190) + הִרְגִּ֣יעַ [to·give·rest] (288) + אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ [the·land] (697) + וְהִרְגִּ֖יז [and·tremble] (231) + לְיֹשְׁבֵ֥י [dwelling] (352) + בָבֶֽל [Babylon] (34) = 3939.
Rashi
“He has quieted the earth.” This teaches that when Babylon falls, there shall be rest and relief for all.
Radak
"Their Redeemer" – "He gave rest" and "He disturbed." Both are infinitives, and the heh in them takes a hirik, as [it does] in the past tense; and so they occur elsewhere, such as "protecting and rescuing," "passing over and delivering," [and] "until He destroyed them." And the meaning of "He gave rest" is a matter of repose and quiet, for through the turmoil that will come upon the inhabitants of Babylon there will be rest for the land, for the king of Babylon used to disturb the land and shake kingdoms. And the Targum renders "He gave rest" in the sense of the stilling of the sea, which it translates: "In order to break the wicked of the land, and to bring trembling upon all the inhabitants of Babylon."
Metzudat David
"Strong is He who redeemed them." Although their captors do not release them of their own free will, nevertheless, strong is He who redeemed them; He will contend their cause, destroy Babylon, and the exiles will go out free.
"In order to give rest" – in order that there be repose throughout the land, He will bring disquiet and terror upon the inhabitants of Babylon, and they will no longer continue to rule over the nations.
Metzudat Zion
To give rest. From the language of *margoa* (rest) and quiet:
And He made them tremble. The meaning is trembling and fear, as in "רִגְזוּ וְאַל תֶּחֱטָאוּ" ("Tremble, and do not sin") (Psalms 4:5).
A sword is upon the Chaldeans, says Hashem, And upon the inhabitants of Babylon, and upon her princes, and upon her wise men.
verse value 1866
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 42 letters. The shortest word is "sword" (חֶ֥רֶב, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·to·her·wise·men" (וְאֶל־חֲכָמֶֽיהָ, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "upon·Chaldea" (עַל־כַּשְׂדִּ֖ים), "and·to·her·princes" (וְאֶל־שָׂרֶ֖יהָ), "and·to·her·wise·men" (וְאֶל־חֲכָמֶֽיהָ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "and·upon·inhabitants·of" (root ישב, 147x in Jeremiah); "Babylon" (root בבל, 93x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'says·Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: חֶ֥רֶב [sword] (210) + עַל־כַּשְׂדִּ֖ים [upon·Chaldea] (474) + נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה [says·Hashem] (117) + וְאֶל־יֹשְׁבֵ֣י [and·upon·inhabitants·of] (359) + בָבֶ֔ל [Babylon] (34) + וְאֶל־שָׂרֶ֖יהָ [and·to·her·princes] (552) + וְאֶל־חֲכָמֶֽיהָ [and·to·her·wise·men] (120) = 1866.
Radak
“Sword upon the Chaldeans.” This is clear:
Metzudat David
“Sword upon the Chaldeans.” A sword shall come upon the Chaldeans.
A sword is upon the boasters, and they shall become fools; A sword is upon her mighty men, and they shall be dismayed.
verse value 1282
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "sword" (חֶ֥רֶב, 3 letters) and the longest is "upon·her·mighty·ones" (אֶל־גִּבּוֹרֶ֖יהָ, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 210: sword, sword. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "to·the·boasters" (אֶל־הַבַּדִּ֖ים), "and·they·will·become·foolish" (וְנֹאָ֑לוּ), "upon·her·mighty·ones" (אֶל־גִּבּוֹרֶ֖יהָ). The root חרב appears 2 times in this verse. 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·the·boasters" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah); "sword" (root חרב, 87x in Jeremiah); "upon·her·mighty·ones" (root גבור, 22x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·they·will·become·foolish', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: חֶ֥רֶב [sword] (210) + אֶל־הַבַּדִּ֖ים [to·the·boasters] (92) + וְנֹאָ֑לוּ [and·they·will·become·foolish] (93) + חֶ֥רֶב [sword] (210) + אֶל־גִּבּוֹרֶ֖יהָ [upon·her·mighty·ones] (257) + וָחָֽתּוּ [and·they·will·be·shattered] (420) = 1282.
Rashi
To the diviners. To her sorcerers:
"And they were made fools." Through their divinations. Similar to this is "who annuls the omens of diviners" (Isaiah 44). Likewise the Targum, because they fabricate and speak words of falsehood.
Radak
"Sword against the diviners, that they be made fools of." "The diviners" (ha-baddim) means the liars/deceivers, from "shall men be silenced by your empty talk?" (Job 11:3); they are the sorcerers. And now, when calamity comes upon them, they are made fools, and they know nothing, and their divinations avail them nothing.
"No'alu" – this refers to the concept of foolishness. Similarly, "the princes of Zoan have become fools" (Isaiah 19:13), and "we have acted foolishly" (Numbers 12:11). And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] rendered it in the Targum: "concerning their sorceries, and they shall be confounded."
Metzudat David
"To the diviners" – namely, the sorcerers who invent matters from their own hearts.
"And they are made fools." They will act foolishly in their counsel, and they will not know by what means they shall be saved.
Metzudat Zion
The diviners. The matter is invention of falsehood from the heart, as in "בַדֶּיךָ מְתִים יַחֲרִישׁוּ" ("Should your empty talk/fabrications silence men?") (Job 11:3). And it calls the diviners by this term, because their way is to fabricate falsehood from their hearts.
And they became fools. The meaning is folly, as in “the princes of Zoan became fools” (Isaiah 19:13):
And they were dismayed. And they were broken:
Malbim
"A sword against the baddim" [diviners]—the star-gazers; "and they shall be made fools," for they shall no longer be wise in their astrology; "and the mighty shall be dismayed."
A sword is upon their horses, and upon their chariots, And upon all the mingled people that are in the midst of her, And they shall become as women; A sword is upon her treasures, and they shall be robbed.
verse value 3384
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 60 letters. Verse gematria: 3384 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "sword" (חֶ֜רֶב, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·to·all·the·mixed·multitude" (וְאֶל־כׇּל־הָעֶ֛רֶב, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 210: sword, sword. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "to·his·horses" (אֶל־סוּסָ֣יו), "and·upon·his·chariot" (וְאֶל־רִכְבּ֗וֹ), "and·to·all·the·mixed·multitude" (וְאֶל־כׇּל־הָעֶ֛רֶב). The root חרב appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "to·his·horses" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah); "and·they·shall·be" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·women', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 3 words. Full calculation: חֶ֜רֶב [sword] (210) + אֶל־סוּסָ֣יו [to·his·horses] (173) + וְאֶל־רִכְבּ֗וֹ [and·upon·his·chariot] (265) + וְאֶל־כׇּל־הָעֶ֛רֶב [and·to·all·the·mixed·multitude] (364) + אֲשֶׁ֥ר [that] (501) + בְּתוֹכָ֖הּ [in·her·midst] (433) + וְהָי֣וּ [and·they·shall·be] (27) + לְנָשִׁ֑ים [to·women] (430) + חֶ֥רֶב [sword] (210) + אֶל־אוֹצְרֹתֶ֖יהָ [to·her·treasuries] (743) + וּבֻזָּֽזוּ [and·they·will·be·spoiled] (28) = 3384.
Rashi
"The mixed multitude." [Rendered by Targum as] 'sumkhavata'; 'garantie' in the vernacular.
Radak
"Sword, and upon all the mixed multitude (kol ha-erev)." Like "a mixed multitude" (erev rav), meaning foreign people who were in Babylon from several countries; or it may be a matter of merchandise/exchange, as in "and the merchants of your exchange" (ve-'orvei ma'aravekh) — meaning: against all the people of the exchange, that is, the merchants.
"And they shall become like women." Weak like women, so that they will not fight against their enemies.
"Sword upon her treasuries." It is possible to interpret this "sword" like [the verse] "for you have wielded your sword/tool upon it," which is the sword [i.e., tool] of building, demolition, and tearing down. And the Targum [Yonatan] states: "Those who kill with the sword shall come upon her treasure-house, and it shall be plundered."
Metzudat David
And to his chariots. A group of chariot-men:
"And to all the mixed multitude." The mixture of the nations who were dwelling in Babylonia.
“And they shall become like women.” They shall be weakened in strength, like women.
“Sword against her treasures.” Men of the sword will come against her treasures and plunder her.
Metzudat Zion
“The mixed multitude.” From the root meaning “mixture.”
“And they shall be plundered.” From the language of “despising” and “spoils.”
Malbim
A sword against his horses that are prepared for war:
A drought is upon her waters, and they shall be dried up; For it is a land of graven images, And they are mad upon things of horror.
verse value 1817
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 41 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·her·water" (אֶל־מֵימֶ֖יהָ, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "to·her·water" (אֶל־מֵימֶ֖יהָ), "and·they·will·be·dried·up" (וְיָבֵ֑שׁוּ), "graven·images" (פְּסִלִים֙). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "to·her·water" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah); "land" (root ארץ, 245x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·they·will·be·dried·up', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 6 words. Full calculation: חֹ֥רֶב [scorching·heat] (210) + אֶל־מֵימֶ֖יהָ [to·her·water] (136) + וְיָבֵ֑שׁוּ [and·they·will·be·dried·up] (324) + כִּ֣י [for] (30) + אֶ֤רֶץ [land] (291) + פְּסִלִים֙ [graven·images] (220) + הִ֔יא [she] (16) + וּבָאֵימִ֖ים [and·in·the·terrors] (109) + יִתְהֹלָֽלוּ [they·are·mad] (481) = 1817.
Rashi
"And by their dread images they are besotted." They shall go mad — another interpretation: 'poruvantaron' in the vernacular. And so Targum Yonatan [renders]: they boast in the gods of the giants that were theirs.
Radak
"Drought (ḥorev) against her waters, that they be dried up." [This is] from [the same root as] "the waters dried up" (charvu ha-mayim); since Babylon is abundant in waters, he said, by way of metaphor, that her waters would dry up, meaning that her goodness and wealth would be exhausted.
"For it is a land of idols." That is to say, because they trusted in their idols:
"And with terrors shall they be praised." The idols are called "terrors" because those who worship them fear them. And it says that they will become insane regarding them and their worship. And it is astonishing that Jonathan rendered "they shall be praised" as "they shall boast in their error," translating "they shall be praised" as a matter of praise. And according to what is found, the matter of "boasting" implies foolishness and stupidity, like "and he feigned madness in their hands" (1 Samuel 21:14) and "the chariots rage madly" (Nahum 2:5).
Metzudat David
"Drought." Since the Euphrates River flowed through Babylonia and watered their fields like the Nile in Egypt, therefore it says that a drought shall come upon its waters and they shall dry up.
For it is a land of idols. Many idols were made for idolatry:
"And with dread-images they act madly." They become foolish and crazed over their idolatry, and Scripture calls idolatry "terrors" because it brings terror upon its worshippers; and it is likewise called an "abomination," as it is stated: "which she had made an abomination for the Asherah" (1 Kings 15).
Metzudat Zion
Chorav. The matter is one of dryness, as in "the waters dried up" (Genesis 8:13).
And in terrors. It is a designation (epithet) for the idols.
“They are maddened.” The term “hollalot” refers to foolishness and folly.
Malbim
"A sword against its waters" refers to the waters that surrounded the city for a siege. "For it is a land of idols" means: since they make, for their god [object of reverence], strange idols; and they boast and go mad over dreadful idols—images of strange beasts that inspire dread and terror.
Therefore the wild-cats with the jackals shall dwell there, And the ostriches shall dwell therein; and it shall be no more inhabited for ever, Neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation.
verse value 4258
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 61 letters. The shortest word is "in·her" (בָ֖הּ, 2 letters) and the longest is "with·jackals" (אֶת־אִיִּ֔ים, 6 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "wildcats" (צִיִּים֙), "with·jackals" (אֶת־אִיִּ֔ים), "and·not·it·will·be·inhabited" (וְלֹא־תֵשֵׁ֥ב). The root ישב appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah); "they·will·dwell" (root ישב, 147x in Jeremiah); "and·not·it·will·be·inhabited" (root שוב, 106x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'ostrich', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 7 words.
Rashi
"Wildcats and hyenas." 'Ye'ar'on,' 'tamon' in the vernacular — cat-like [creatures], kinds of animals that are found in ruins.
Radak
Therefore, ziyyim [wildcats]. Living creatures that dwell in the wilderness (ziyyah). And Jonathan renders it "tamvon." And some explain that they are the weasels (nemiyyot) mentioned in the words of our Rabbis of blessed memory, [in the discussion of] "so that the weasel (nemiyyah) does not pounce [in]" — martina in the vernacular [Old French].
Islands. Jonathan rendered it as "cats."
Metzudat David
"Therefore." Since they were so deeply attached to the worship of graven images, therefore it shall become a desolation, and there wildcats and hyenas shall dwell, whose way it is to inhabit ruins.
"And it shall not be settled." It shall not be inhabited again, forever.
“From generation to generation.” Until all the days of the generations are exhausted. And the matter is repeated in what is stated:
Metzudat Zion
“Tziyim” [and] “iyim.” Names of species of animals:
"Daughters of the ostrich." The name of a bird, the daughter of the ostrich:
Malbim
Therefore, wildcats shall dwell [there]; I will send there terrifying beasts, in the form of the dreadful beasts that they had as idols, and they shall dwell in the land; it shall not be inhabited forever.
As when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah And the neighbour cities thereof, says Hashem; So shall no man abide there, Neither shall any son of man dwell therein.
verse value 4141
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 62 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱלֹהִ֜ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "there" (שָׁם֙, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·inhabitant" (וְאֶת־שְׁכֵנֶ֖יהָ, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "Sodom" (אֶת־סְדֹ֧ם), "and·Gomorrah" (וְאֶת־עֲמֹרָ֛ה), "and·inhabitant" (וְאֶת־שְׁכֵנֶ֖יהָ). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "man" (root איש, 153x in Jeremiah); "not·shall·dwell" (root ישב, 147x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'says·Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: כְּמַהְפֵּכַ֨ת [overthrow] (565) + אֱלֹהִ֜ים [God] (86) + אֶת־סְדֹ֧ם [Sodom] (505) + וְאֶת־עֲמֹרָ֛ה [and·Gomorrah] (722) + וְאֶת־שְׁכֵנֶ֖יהָ [and·inhabitant] (792) + נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה [says·Hashem] (117) + לֹא־יֵשֵׁ֥ב [not·shall·dwell] (343) + שָׁם֙ [there] (340) + אִ֔ישׁ [man] (311) + וְלֹא־יָג֥וּר [and·not·he·will·sojourn] (256) + בָּ֖הּ [in·her] (7) + בֶּן־אָדָֽם [son·of·man] (97) = 4141.
Radak
Like the word "kemahpechat" (as in "overthrow of"). This is used for emphasis, and it is a noun construct relating to the agent, just as in the phrase "kemahpechat Sedom va-Amorah" (as the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah), where it is a noun construct relating to the object.
"And their neighbors." The neighbors of Sodom and the neighbors of Gomorrah, and they are Admah and Zeboiim and the others. And the Targum [renders]: "Removed is His word from them, just as the Lord removed Sodom and Gomorrah and its neighbor."
Metzudat David
Like the overturning. It shall be like the overturning that God overturned Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns:
"And he shall not dwell." This applies even to a temporary residence.
Behold, a people comes from the north, And a great nation, and many kings Shall be roused from the uttermost parts of the earth.
verse value 2162
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 43 letters. The shortest word is "people·of" (עַ֥ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "from·innermost·parts·of·land" (מִיַּרְכְּתֵי־אָֽרֶץ, 9 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "shall·be·roused" (יֵעֹ֖רוּ). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·kings" (root מלך, 253x in Jeremiah); "went·in" (root בוא, 211x in Jeremiah); "they" (root הן, 130x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'north', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 6 words. Full calculation: הִנֵּ֛ה [they] (60) + עַ֥ם [people·of] (110) + בָּ֖א [went·in] (3) + מִצָּפ֑וֹן [north] (266) + וְג֤וֹי [and·nation] (25) + גָּדוֹל֙ [great] (43) + וּמְלָכִ֣ים [and·kings] (146) + רַבִּ֔ים [many] (252) + יֵעֹ֖רוּ [shall·be·roused] (286) + מִיַּרְכְּתֵי־אָֽרֶץ [from·innermost·parts·of·land] (971) = 2162.
Radak
Behold, and many kings. Great and important ones, like the head of his household, and they are Darius and Cyrus. Or the explanation is that “many” refers to a number, for kings of other nations came with Darius, as it says below: “the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz.”
Metzudat David
"From the north." Media and Persia are to the north of Babylon, in the northeastern corner.
"Many." This means great ones, as in "and the king's nobles" (above, ch. 41).
"From the farthest parts of the earth." "From the farthest parts of the earth" means from a distance.
Metzudat Zion
Awaken. The language of awakening:
Malbim
"Behold, a nation is coming from the north": Just as this verse prophesied concerning the coming of the Chaldeans to the Land of Israel (above, chapter 6), so too will a nation come against them from the north, and through them a great nation and many kings from the ends of the earth will come to assist Media and Persia.
They lay hold on bow and spear, They are cruel, and have no compassion; Their voice is like the roaring sea, And they ride upon horses; Set in array, as a man for war, Against you, O daughter of Babylon.
verse value 3792
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 77 letters. The shortest word is "bow" (קֶ֣שֶׁת, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·upon·horses" (וְעַל־סוּסִ֖ים, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 238: cruel, they·will·mount·and·ride. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·javelin" (וְכִידֹ֞ן). 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah); "upon·you" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah); "as·man" (root איש, 153x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·will·mount·and·ride', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 5 words.
Radak
"Bow and javelin." As its Targum [renders it]: "Their bows and their shields." Explanation: "Javelin" [here] is an implement of defense [a shield]. But it is possible that it is a type of spear, as in: "He will laugh at the rushing of the javelin" (Job 41:21), "the blade of the spear and javelin" (Job 39:23).
“Arrayed like a man for battle.” Each one of them is equipped with every kind of weapon, just as a person who wishes to fight with his fellow prepares himself with every kind of weapon.
Metzudat David
“Like the sea when it roars.” Just as the sea roars when the wind storms upon it.
"Arrayed like a man." [They are] arrayed with weapons of war, like a mighty man who goes down to battle.
"Against you." This means: and they shall come upon you.
Metzudat Zion
And the kidon. It is like a spear.
They shall hold fast. They shall grasp:
Aruch. Arranged:
Malbim
"The bow and javelin they shall grasp in their battle," and upon horses they shall ride, for the horses are arrayed for battle like men.
The king of Babylon has heard the fame of them, And his hands wax feeble; Anguish has taken hold of him, And pain, as of a woman in travail.
verse value 2666
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 43 letters. Verse gematria: 2666 is divisible by 86, the value of Elohim. The shortest word is "heard" (שָׁמַ֧ע, 3 letters) and the longest is "has·seized·him" (הֶחֱזִיקַ֔תְהוּ, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·they·became·feeble" (וְרָפ֣וּ), "has·seized·him" (הֶחֱזִיקַ֔תְהוּ). The root שמע appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king·of·Babylon" (root מלך, 253x in Jeremiah); "heard" (root שמע, 184x in Jeremiah); "his·hands" (root יד, 98x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·hands', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words. Full calculation: שָׁמַ֧ע [heard] (410) + מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֛ל [king·of·Babylon] (124) + אֶת־שִׁמְעָ֖ם [report] (851) + וְרָפ֣וּ [and·they·became·feeble] (292) + יָדָ֑יו [his·hands] (30) + צָרָה֙ [trouble] (295) + הֶחֱזִיקַ֔תְהוּ [has·seized·him] (541) + חִ֖יל [strength] (48) + כַּיּוֹלֵדָֽה [like·a·woman·in·travail] (75) = 2666.
Radak
The king of Babylon heard. This is Belshazzar:
Metzudat David
"Their report." [I.e.,] the report of their might.
"And his hands were weakened." His hands became weak from fighting against them. "It gripped him." Distress seized him, and he had pangs like a woman in childbirth.
Metzudat Zion
"and his hands became slack." The word is an expression of slackness [weakness]:
“החזקתהו” – The matter of grasping:
Chayil. Trembling and shuddering:
Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the thickets of the Jordan Against the strong habitation; For I will suddenly make them run away from it, And whoso is chosen, him will I appoint over it; For who is like Me? and who will appoint Me a time? And who is that shepherd that will stand before Me?
verse value 4528
Insights
Verse structure: 25 words, 105 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "for·I·will·hasten" (כִּֽי־אַרְגִּ֤עָה, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 56: and·who, and·who. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "for·I·will·hasten" (כִּֽי־אַרְגִּ֤עָה), "I·will·make·them·run" (אֲרִיצֵם֙), "will·summon·Me" (יוֹעִדֶ֔נִּי). The root מי appears 3 times in this verse. 22 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "to·his·pasture" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·will·punish', dividing the verse into phrases of 15 and 10 words.
Rashi
"Behold, like a lion." Which ascends from the thicket of the Jordan — so shall the plunderer come against the secure pasture. Thus did Targum Yonatan render it: "Behold, a king with his army shall rise up against them like a lion that ascends from the heights of the Jordan." We learn from this that the thicket of the Jordan is a place of lions. And so, too, did Targum Yonatan render [it elsewhere]: "And how will you fare in the thicket of the Jordan, made to house the wild beasts, in the heights of the Jordan?"
"For in a moment." When I bring the moment:
"From above." From above it:
"And who will appoint me for war?"
Radak
“Behold, like a lion he shall ascend.” We explained this verse above in the prophecy concerning Edom, and we shall explain it further here: He said that the destroyer of Babylon shall ascend like a lion without fear, and he shall ascend from the pride of the Jordan. That is to say, he shall ascend and grow strong, just as waters grow strong when the Jordan is in its pride, full and overflowing its banks. The Jordan is mentioned because it is in the Land of Israel, and from the pride of Israel shall come evil upon them. That is to say, from the punishment of Israel shall come evil to Babylon, and Israel shall ascend to pride through the king who conquers Babylon.
"El naveh eitan" [Unto a mighty abode]. "El naveh" [means] a place [that is] mighty [eitan], and it is Babylon.
"For I will give them rest; I will hasten them away from it." This means: When I grant rest and quiet to Israel, I will drive them out from the land of Babylonia, where they are in exile. And "whoever is a warrior among them, I will appoint"—that is, whoever is fit for battle, I will appoint and assign him over Babylonia to wage war against it. The remainder of the verse is clear.
"Yoeidani." The nun is dagesh, as in the preceding verse.
Metzudat David
"Behold, like a lion." The enemy who comes against her will rise up with great strength, just as the lion rises from the thicket of the Jordan—from its lair—to the pasture of the strong, meaning to the dwelling of the shepherd who is fortified with flesh, for this is its strength and its good.
"For I will bring rest." For it is My desire to quiet and calm Israel, and I will hasten them out of the land of Babylon to return to their land; therefore I will command against her, through whomever I choose, to destroy them.
For who is like Me, that he could protest against My hand:
"And who will appoint a time for me?" — Who will set a designated time to fight against me?
"And who is this shepherd?" Who is the shepherd who will stand before Me to save his flock from My hand — meaning, who is the shepherd who will save his people from My hand? And the matter is repeated in what is stated:
Metzudat Zion
"From ga'on [pride]." The matter concerns haughtiness and exaltation; that is to say, the excellent plain adjacent to the Jordan, and there was the place of the lions. And so it is stated, "How can you do anything against the pride of the Jordan?" (above, 12).
"Naveh." The matter of a dwelling place:
Aitan. The meaning is strength, as in "Your dwelling place is firm" (Numbers 24:21).
Argiyah. From the word "margoa" (repose) and "hashket" (quietness):
Aritzem. The word is derived from the root meaning "running" and "speed of walking."
"I will appoint." I will command, as it is written: "and He commanded me" (Ezra 1:2).
יועידני. Its meaning is a fixed time, like "And if it were for judgment, who would set a time for me?" (Job 9:19).
Malbim
"Behold, like a lion, the king of Persia shall ascend." In a moment He hastened him from Babylon, and afterward he returned upon it with all the youths of the mighty warriors. And in this same language he prophesied concerning Edom above, 49:19-20; see there its explanation—that he prophesied concerning Babylon and concerning Edom, since both of them destroyed the sanctuaries of the Lord, in the same single style.
Therefore hear you the counsel of Hashem, That He has taken against Babylon, And His purposes, that He has purposed against the land of the Chaldeans: Surely the least of the flock shall drag them away, Surely their habitation shall be appalled at them.
verse value 5495
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 85 letters. The shortest word is "therefore" (לָכֵ֞ן, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·his·thoughts" (וּמַ֨חְשְׁבוֹתָ֔יו, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 501: that, that. The root אשר appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·counsel·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "to·Babylon" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Chaldea', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 8 words.
Rashi
"The young of the flock." Persia is the youngest of the sons of Japheth:
Radak
Therefore, "to Babylon." Just as "upon Babylon," and likewise "to the land of the Chaldeans" is like "upon."
"If the young ones of the flock do not drag them away." They are Israel, as explained above. And even though those who dragged away the Babylonians were not Israel themselves, but rather Medes and Persia, Israel was the cause of their being dragged away, and it is as if they themselves dragged them, for it was on account of Israel's punishment that the enemy came upon them, as it is stated: "The vengeance of the Lord our God, the vengeance of His Temple."
"If he does not make the pasture desolate over them." And above there is "his pasture," and there the matter is explained.
Metzudat David
"Therefore." Since there is no one to oppose him, and thus it shall stand, therefore hear, etc.
If not. This is a matter of an oath, meaning that the counsel is confirmed by an oath whereby the young of the flock will drag them from their land, and this refers to Persia, which is the youngest among the sons of Japheth, for our Sages of blessed memory stated that Tiras is Persia (Yoma 10a).
"If he does not set [it aside]." By the oath that he will make, that every pasture shall become a desolation:
“Upon them.” This means: before them, against their will.
Metzudat Zion
"Yisachavom." The matter involves dragging and pulling along the ground, as in "dragged and cast forth" (above, 22).
"Tze'irei." The meaning is smallness [i.e., the young ones]:
"Yashim." From the language of desolation:
At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth quakes, And the cry is heard among the nations.
verse value 2675
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 35 letters. The shortest word is "Babylon" (בָבֶ֔ל, 3 letters) and the longest is "was·caught" (נִתְפְּשָׂ֣ה, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "was·quaked" (נִרְעֲשָׁ֖ה), "and·cry" (וּזְעָקָ֖ה). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "earth" (root ארץ, 245x in Jeremiah); "is·heard" (root שמע, 184x in Jeremiah); "Babylon" (root בבל, 93x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'earth', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: מִקּוֹל֙ [from·the·voice·of] (176) + נִתְפְּשָׂ֣ה [was·caught] (835) + בָבֶ֔ל [Babylon] (34) + נִרְעֲשָׁ֖ה [was·quaked] (625) + הָאָ֑רֶץ [earth] (296) + וּזְעָקָ֖ה [and·cry] (188) + בַּגּוֹיִ֥ם [among·the·nations] (61) + נִשְׁמָֽע [is·heard] (460) = 2675.
Radak
"At the sound of Babylon's capture the earth quaked." [Meaning:] at the sound that Babylon was captured. And so did Targum Yonatan translate: "At the sound that Babylon was seized, the earth trembled."
"And a cry was heard among the nations." The explanation is: "And the voice of a cry, and the voice" that was mentioned stood in place of two [voices], and we needed this because "cry" is feminine and "was heard" is masculine; likewise, "such as it has not been" [contains] masculine and feminine. And even though "voice" was not mentioned, for the cry itself is the voice.
Metzudat David
"From the noise" — from the noise of the report that Babylon was captured, the earth shall quake, for they will fear lest what happened to them happen to them as well.
And a cry. The voice of the cry of Babylon will be heard among the nations:
Metzudat Zion
“Was captured.” The matter refers to capture and subjugation.
"נרעשה" – from the language of "רעש" (shaking/quaking) and "רעד" (trembling):
Radak
Metzudat David