Jeremiah 21:13

13 Lo! I do to thee, dwelleress of the firm valley, and plain, saith the Lord, [ye] which say, Who shall smite us, and who shall enter into our houses? (Lo! I am against thee, O dwelleress of the firm valley, and O rock of the plain, saith the Lord, Yea, ye who say, Who shall strike us, and who shall enter into our houses?)

Jeremiah 21:13 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 21:13

Behold, I [am] against thee
Or, "behold, I unto thee" {s}; to be supplied either thus, "behold, I say unto thee" F20; what follows; and therefore take notice of it, attend unto it: or, "behold, I come unto thee" F21; who bid defiance to all their enemies to come near them, as in the latter part of the verse. The Targum is,

``lo, I send my fury against thee;''
and the phrase denotes the Lord's opposition to them; his setting himself against them, and coming out unto them in his great wrath: O inhabitant of the valley, [and] rock of the plain, saith the Lord;
a description of Jerusalem; between the lower and higher part of which lay a valley, called Tyropaeon, which divided the two hills, on which the city was built F23; yea, the whole city was on high, on a rock, and around it a valley or plain; and because it was built upon a rock, and fortified with hills and mountains, the inhabitants of it thought themselves safe and secure, and even impregnable; hence it follows: which say, who shall come down against us? who shall enter into our
habitations?
who of our neighbours dare to make a descent upon us? or are so weak and foolish as to attempt to break through our fortifications, natural and artificial, and enter into our houses, and take away our persons, and spoil us of our goods? we defy them.
FOOTNOTES:

F19 (Kyla ynnh) "ecce ego ad te", Munster, Montanus.
F20 "Ecce tibi dico", Strigelius; so Luther.
F21 "Ecce ad te venio", Pagninus; so Kimchi.
F23 Joseph. de Bello Jud. l. 5. c. 4. sect. 1.

Jeremiah 21:13 In-Context

11 And thou shall say to the house of the king of Judah, the house of David, Hear ye the word of the Lord. (And thou shall say to the house of the king of Judah, Ye house of David, hear ye the word of the Lord.)
12 The Lord saith these things, Deem ye early doom, and deliver ye him that is oppressed by violence from the hand of the false challenger; lest peradventure mine indignation go out as fire, and be kindled, and none be that quench, for the malice of your studies. (The Lord saith these things, Early judge ye judgement, and rescue ye him who is oppressed with violence from the hand of the oppressor; lest perhaps my indignation go out like a fire, and be kindled, and there is no one who can quench it, for the malice of your deeds.)
13 Lo! I do to thee, dwelleress of the firm valley, and plain, saith the Lord, [ye] which say, Who shall smite us, and who shall enter into our houses? (Lo! I am against thee, O dwelleress of the firm valley, and O rock of the plain, saith the Lord, Yea, ye who say, Who shall strike us, and who shall enter into our houses?)
14 And I shall visit on you by the fruit of your studies, saith the Lord; and I shall kindle fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things in the compass thereof. (And I shall punish you for the fruit of your deeds, saith the Lord; and I shall kindle a fire in the forest there, and it shall devour everything all around it.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.