Jeremiah 12

This short chapter has been full of thorns. I knew but had forgotten a synonym I could not resolve into two separate words since pluck is short of synonyms in English. And here was yet a third Hebrew stem wanting to use pluck. נתשׁ is a word that occurs 13 times in Jeremiah and also occurs once each in a number of other books.  At least that is how it looks in my data to date. In the Psalms, its sense seems to be blot out, but in Jeremiah, it seems also to have a more limited sense of pluck out. I decided pluck out was a reading into the text of unwarranted anger, and that the simple deport was adequate. I saw then that deport would fit in some if not all of the singular uses in other books.

One of the problems of beginning with poetry is that the poetic is glossed first. Possibly this was a simple word before it was used figuratively.

These questions slow me down... But when I resolve the conflict, something clicks into place perhaps just a little more snugly. In this case blot out is sometimes too strong and deport is more appropriate. Fortunately I was able rescue the gloss deport, by replacing my careless use of deportation for גלה with its dominant gloss, exile.

One just cannot paint every piece of the puzzle the same colour. But which colour goes with which piece? I am questioning every careless synonym. And I already had a compromise for pluck. I have not been able to fix that yet. What are the nuanced distinctions between נסח and קטף? The former is given the Latin evelli, and extirpate will do quite nicely. Though regrettably, it changes a psalm and so affects previously published books. O well, such must be the case.

Watch for unannounced changes in speaker. Where are they and who is speaking?

Jeremiah 12		Fn		Min	Max	Syll
צַדִּ֤יק אַתָּה֙ יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֥י אָרִ֖יב אֵלֶ֑יךָ אַ֤ךְ מִשְׁפָּטִים֙ אֲדַבֵּ֣ר אוֹתָ֔ךְ מַדּ֗וּעַ דֶּ֤רֶךְ רְשָׁעִים֙ צָלֵ֔חָה שָׁל֖וּ כָּל־בֹּ֥גְדֵי בָֽגֶד	1		A righteous one you are, Yahweh, but I will strive against you. Surely to judgment I will speak with you. Why does the way of the wicked thrive? They are all at ease, those treacherous in treachery.	3e	4C	12 27
נְטַעְתָּם֙ גַּם־שֹׁרָ֔שׁוּ יֵלְכ֖וּ גַּם־עָ֣שׂוּ פֶ֑רִי קָר֤וֹב אַתָּה֙ בְּפִיהֶ֔ם וְרָח֖וֹק מִכִּלְיוֹתֵיהֶֽם	2		You have planted them. They even take root. They proceed. They even are fruitful. You are near in their mouths, and distant from their vital centres.	3e	4C	14 15
וְאַתָּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ יְדַעְתָּ֔נִי תִּרְאֵ֕נִי וּבָחַנְתָּ֥ לִבִּ֖י אִתָּ֑ךְ הַתִּקֵם֙ כְּצֹ֣אן לְטִבְחָ֔ה וְהַקְדִּשֵׁ֖ם לְי֥וֹם הֲרֵגָֽה	3		But you Yahweh, you know me, you have seen me, and my heart is encamped with you. Detach them like a flock for slaughter, and sanctify them for the day of slaying.	3e	4C	20 17
עַד־מָתַי֙ תֶּאֱבַ֣ל הָאָ֔רֶץ וְעֵ֥שֶׂב כָּל־הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה יִיבָ֑שׁ מֵרָעַ֣ת יֹֽשְׁבֵי־בָ֗הּ סָפְתָ֤ה בְהֵמוֹת֙ וָע֔וֹף כִּ֣י אָמְר֔וּ לֹ֥א יִרְאֶ֖ה אֶת־אַחֲרִיתֵֽנוּ	4		How long will the land lament and the herb of every field dry up from the evil of her inhabitants? Snatched are the beasts and the fowl, for they say, He will not see our aftermath.	3e	4C	18 25
כִּ֣י אֶת־רַגְלִ֥ים ׀ רַ֙צְתָּה֙ וַיַּלְא֔וּךָ וְאֵ֥יךְ תְּתַֽחֲרֶ֖ה אֶת־הַסּוּסִ֑ים וּבְאֶ֤רֶץ שָׁלוֹם֙ אַתָּ֣ה בוֹטֵ֔חַ וְאֵ֥יךְ תַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה בִּגְא֥וֹן הַיַּרְדֵּֽן	5	B	If with those on foot you have raced, and they have fatigued you, then how you will be burned with the horses. And in the land of peace, you trust, then how will you do in the pride of the Jordan?	3e	4C	20 20
כִּ֧י גַם־אַחֶ֣יךָ וּבֵית־אָבִ֗יךָ גַּם־הֵ֙מָּה֙ בָּ֣גְדוּ בָ֔ךְ גַּם־הֵ֛מָּה קָרְא֥וּ אַחֲרֶ֖יךָ מָלֵ֑א אַל־תַּאֲמֵ֣ן בָּ֔ם כִּֽי־יְדַבְּר֥וּ אֵלֶ֖יךָ טוֹבֽוֹת	6	c	For even your kin and your father's house, even they themselves are treacherous with you, even they themselves have called after you a fullness. You will not believe them though they speak to you good things.	3c	4B	27 14
עָזַ֙בְתִּי֙ אֶת־בֵּיתִ֔י נָטַ֖שְׁתִּי אֶת־נַחֲלָתִ֑י נָתַ֛תִּי אֶת־יְדִד֥וּת נַפְשִׁ֖י בְּכַ֥ף אֹיְבֶֽיהָ	7		I have forsaken my house. I have abandoned my own inheritance. I have given the beloved of my integrity into the palm of my enemies.	3d	4A	14 14
הָיְתָה־לִּ֥י נַחֲלָתִ֖י כְּאַרְיֵ֣ה בַיָּ֑עַר נָתְנָ֥ה עָלַ֛י בְּקוֹלָ֖הּ עַל־כֵּ֥ן שְׂנֵאתִֽיהָ	8		My own inheritance has become for me like a lion in the forest. It has given its voice against me, so I have hated it.	3d	4B	13 13
הַעַ֨יִט צָב֤וּעַ נַחֲלָתִי֙ לִ֔י הַעַ֖יִט סָבִ֣יב עָלֶ֑יהָ לְכ֗וּ אִסְפ֛וּ כָּל־חַיַּ֥ת הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה הֵתָ֥יוּ לְאָכְלָֽה	9		The speckled bird of prey is my own inheritance for me. The bird of prey surrounding are upon her. Come gather, every living thing of the field, to devour her.	3d	4C	19 16
רֹעִ֤ים רַבִּים֙ שִֽׁחֲת֣וּ כַרְמִ֔י בֹּסְס֖וּ אֶת־חֶלְקָתִ֑י נָֽתְנ֛וּ אֶת־חֶלְקַ֥ת חֶמְדָּתִ֖י לְמִדְבַּ֥ר שְׁמָמָֽה	10		Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard. They have trodden down my share. They have consigned my attractive part as a desolate wilderness.	3d	4C	15 14
שָׂמָהּ֙ לִשְׁמָמָ֔ה אָבְלָ֥ה עָלַ֖י שְׁמֵמָ֑ה נָשַׁ֙מָּה֙ כָּל־הָאָ֔רֶץ כִּ֛י אֵ֥ין אִ֖ישׁ שָׂ֥ם עַל־לֵֽב	11		He set her as a desolation. She laments against me, desolate. Desolate is all the land, for there is no one to set it to heart.	3d	4A	12 13
עַֽל־כָּל־שְׁפָיִ֣ם בַּמִּדְבָּ֗ר בָּ֚אוּ שֹֽׁדְדִ֔ים כִּ֣י חֶ֤רֶב לַֽיהוָה֙ אֹֽכְלָ֔ה מִקְצֵה־אֶ֖רֶץ וְעַד־קְצֵ֣ה הָאָ֑רֶץ אֵ֥ין שָׁל֖וֹם לְכָל־בָּשָֽׂר	12		Over all protruding places in the wilderness, devastators go, for the sword of Yahweh has devoured from one extremity of land and to the other extremity of the land. There is no peace for any flesh.	3e	4C	30 7
זָרְע֤וּ חִטִּים֙ וְקֹצִ֣ים קָצָ֔רוּ נֶחְל֖וּ לֹ֣א יוֹעִ֑לוּ וּבֹ֙שׁוּ֙ מִתְּבוּאֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם מֵחֲר֖וֹן אַף־יְהוָֽה	13		They have sown wheat, but brambles they will reap. They have made themselves sick for no use, and they will be ashamed from your income, from the fierce anger of Yahweh.	3e	4C	16 14
כֹּ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה עַל־כָּל־שְׁכֵנַי֙ הָֽרָעִ֔ים הַנֹּֽגְעִים֙ בַּֽנַּחֲלָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־הִנְחַ֥לְתִּי אֶת־עַמִּ֖י אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל הִנְנִ֤י נֹֽתְשָׁם֙ מֵעַ֣ל אַדְמָתָ֔ם וְאֶת־בֵּ֥ית יְהוּדָ֖ה אֶתּ֥וֹשׁ מִתּוֹכָֽם	14	B	Thus says Yahweh, Over all my evil neighbours who have touched the inheritance that I have given as inheritance my people, Israel, note me well, I will deport them from their ground, but the house of Judah, I will deport from their midst.	3e	4C	32 20
וְהָיָ֗ה אַֽחֲרֵי֙ נָתְשִׁ֣י אוֹתָ֔ם אָשׁ֖וּב וְרִֽחַמְתִּ֑ים וַהֲשִׁבֹתִ֛ים אִ֥ישׁ לְנַחֲלָת֖וֹ וְאִ֥ישׁ לְאַרְצֽוֹ	15		And it will happen after I have deported them, I will return, and I will have compassion on them. And I will return them each to its inheritance, and each to its land.	3d	4B	16 16
וְהָיָ֡ה אִם־לָמֹ֣ד יִלְמְדוּ֩ אֶת־דַּֽרְכֵ֨י עַמִּ֜י לְהִשָּׁבֵ֤עַ בִּשְׁמִי֙ חַי־יְהוָ֔ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר לִמְּדוּ֙ אֶת־עַמִּ֔י לְהִשָּׁבֵ֖עַ בַּבָּ֑עַל וְנִבְנ֖וּ בְּת֥וֹךְ עַמִּֽי	16		And it will be that if they will be taught the ways of my people, to swear in my name, Yahweh lives, as they taught my people to swear in Baal, then they will be built in the midst of my people.	3e	4C	41 7
וְאִ֖ם לֹ֣א יִשְׁמָ֑עוּ וְנָ֨תַשְׁתִּ֜י אֶת־הַגּ֥וֹי הַה֛וּא נָת֥וֹשׁ וְאַבֵּ֖ד נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה	17		And if they do not hear, I will deport that nation, deport and eliminate, an oracle of Yahweh.	3d	4B	6 19