Jeremiah 10:17

Exile After the Siege

17 Gather up your belongings[a] from the ground, you who live under siege.

Jeremiah 10:17 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 10:17

Gather up thy wares out of the land
Or thy merchandise, as the Targum; or thy substance, as the Septuagint; all valuable effects and goods that are movable, which might be carried from place to place. The meaning is, that the Jews would gather up their riches from the several parts of the land of Judea, and bring them to Jerusalem, a fortified place; or they would be in danger of falling into the hands of the enemy. Kimchi interprets the words as if spoken of Babylon, and directed to the Chaldeans, not to be elated with the captivity of Israel; and because the word (enk) signifies "to humble and subdue" he takes the sense to be,

``gather in or contract thine humiliation or subjection;''
that is, of other nations; refrain thyself, or cease from subduing kingdoms; that is now at an end, it shall be no more so; but the words manifestly respect the people of the Jews, as is clear from the next verse. O inhabitant of the fortress;
of the fortress of Zion, or the fortified city, Jerusalem. The Targum is,
``O thou that dwellest in the strong place, in the fortified cities.''
It may be rendered, "that dwellest in the siege" F25; in the besieged city, Jerusalem.
FOOTNOTES:

F25 (rwumb ytbvwy) "quae habitas in obsidione", V. L. Cocceius, Schmidt.

Jeremiah 10:17 In-Context

15 They are worthless, a work to be mocked. At the time of their punishment they will be destroyed.
16 Jacob's Portion is not like these because He is the One who formed all things. Israel is the tribe of His inheritance; the Lord of Hosts is His name.
17 Gather up your belongings from the ground, you who live under siege.
18 For this is what the Lord says: Look, I am slinging out the land's residents at this time and bringing them such distress that they will feel it.
19 Woe to me because of my brokenness- I am severely wounded! I exclaimed, "This is my intense suffering, but I must bear it."

Footnotes 1

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