Jeremiah 21:13

13 I am against you, you who live in the valley, like a rock of the plain, declares the LORD, and who say, "Who will come down to attack us? Who will breach our fortresses?"

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 House of Judah! This is what the LORD says:
12 House of David! The LORD proclaims: Begin each morning by administering justice, rescue those who have been robbed from their oppressor, or else my anger will spread like a wildfire, with no one to put it out, because of your evil deeds.
13 I am against you, you who live in the valley, like a rock of the plain, declares the LORD, and who say, "Who will come down to attack us? Who will breach our fortresses?"
14 I will punish you based on what you have done, declares the LORD. I will set your forests on fire; the flames will engulf everything around you.

Footnotes 1

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