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Jeremiah 25

ירמיהו פרק כ״ה

Section: נביאים · נביאים אחרונים | Book: Jeremiah | Chapter: 25 of 52 | Day: 238 of 742

Date: October 7, 2026

קלאוד על הנ״ך

Chapter 25 is the great watershed of Sefer Yirmiyahu, and it is dated with a precision the book rarely offers: the fourth year of Yehoyakim son of Yoshiyahu, which was the first year of Nevuchadretzar king of Bavel. This is the year the prophet has been dreading since his call. At Karkemish, in that same year, the Babylonian crown prince shattered the Egyptian army of Pharaoh Necho, and with that single battle the whole political map of the ancient Near East was redrawn. The “evil from the north” that Yirmiyahu saw as a boiling pot in chapter 1 now has a name, a throne, and an army. Rashi sees in the date something more than a chronological marker: this, he says, was the year in which the decree of exile was sealed, the year in which Israel was made to drink the cup of wrath described later in the chapter; and before the seal was set, God commanded the prophet to reprove the people one last time, in case they might yet repent. Radak takes up the familiar difficulty that the opening of Sefer Daniel speaks of Nevuchadnetzar coming to Jerusalem in the third year of Yehoyakim, and resolves it by distinguishing the years of Yehoyakim’s reign from the years of Nevuchadnetzar’s kingship, so that the fourth year of the one is the first of the other. The chapter thus stands at the precise moment when warning turns into verdict.

The first movement (verses 1-7) is a retrospective, almost an autobiography of failure. From the thirteenth year of Yoshiyahu to this day — these twenty-three years (זה שלש ועשרים שנה) — the word of the LORD has come to me, and I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking (אשכים ודבר), and you have not listened. Rashi and Radak both do the arithmetic: Yoshiyahu reigned thirty-one years, the prophet began in the thirteenth, leaving nineteen years under Yoshiyahu, and four more under Yehoyakim bring the total to twenty-three. The number matters because it measures the patience of God and the persistence of the prophet. Nor was Yirmiyahu alone; the LORD sent all His servants the prophets, rising early and sending, and the message was always the same and always for Israel’s own good: turn back each man from his evil way and you will dwell on the land that the LORD gave to you and your fathers from of old and for ever (למן עולם ועד עולם). The indictment ends on a note of bitter irony. The people provoked God with the work of their hands, and Metzudat David observes that this provocation turned out to be, in truth, to their own harm (לרע לכם). Idolatry is not merely an offense against heaven; it is an act of self-injury, and the whole tragedy of the book is that Israel keeps choosing it.

The second movement (verses 8-14) announces the sentence, and here the chapter introduces two of the most consequential ideas in the book. The first is the startling title given to the Babylonian king: Nevuchadretzar king of Bavel, My servant (עבדי). Metzudat David explains that he is called servant because he performs God’s mission in this matter; the conqueror is not an independent power but an instrument of divine judgment, whether he knows it or not. The second idea is the number seventy. The land will become a ruin and a desolation, and these nations will serve the king of Bavel seventy years (שבעים שנה); and when the seventy years are fulfilled, God will visit upon Bavel its own iniquity and make the land of the Chaldeans an everlasting desolation. Radak works carefully through the regnal years of Nevuchadnetzar, Evil-Merodach and Belshatzar to show how the seventy years are to be counted. This prophecy of seventy years would echo through Jewish history: Daniel, reading “in the books,” calculates from Yirmiyahu’s number the years of Jerusalem’s desolation, and the Talmud in Megillah records how Belshatzar and Achashverosh both miscounted the seventy years to their peril. Between the two ideas lies one of the most heartbreaking verses in the book, the silencing of ordinary life: the sound of joy and gladness, the voice of bridegroom and bride, the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp (קול רחים ואור נר). Rashi, following the Gemara in Sanhedrin, hears in the millstones the grinding of healing spices for a circumcision feast and in the lamp the light of a celebration; Metzudat David reads them more starkly, as the grain that will not be there to grind and the oil that will not be there to burn. Either way, the destruction is measured not in walls and towers but in the disappearance of weddings, brit milah feasts and evening light.

The third movement (verses 15-29) broadens the horizon from Yehudah to the whole world through the image of the cup of the wine of fury (כוס היין החמה). God places the cup in the prophet’s hand and commands him to make all the nations drink, so that they will reel and act like madmen because of the sword. Radak insists that all this took place in the vision of prophecy, not as a literal journey with a literal goblet; Metzudat David explains that the wine is a figure for God’s anger and the decree of punishment, which confuses the mind as strong wine does. Rashi adds that the drinking signifies that the decree will no longer be retracted by repentance. Then comes the list of those who must drink, a sweeping inventory of the ancient world: Jerusalem and the cities of Yehudah first, then Pharaoh and Egypt, the mixed peoples, Uz, the Philistine cities of Ashkelon, Azzah, Ekron and the remnant of Ashdod, Edom, Moav and Ammon, Tzor and Tzidon and the isles beyond the sea, Dedan, Tema and Buz, the Arabian tribes of the desert, Zimri, Elam and Madai, all the kingdoms of the north — and last of all, the king of Sheshach shall drink after them. Rashi and Radak both explain that Sheshach is Bavel written in the letter-exchange cipher known as At-Bash (א״ת ב״ש), in which the first letter of the alphabet stands for the last, the second for the second-to-last, and so on. The hammer of the nations is itself the final nail. And if any nation should refuse the cup, the answer is devastating in its logic: behold, on the city called by My name I begin to bring evil, and shall you go entirely unpunished? The same principle is voiced by Yechezkel, ‘begin from My Sanctuary’ (וממקדשי תחלו), which Chazal in Bava Kamma expand into the teaching that when retribution comes into the world it begins with the righteous; the nearness of Israel to God is not an exemption but a heightened accountability, and if the Sanctuary is not spared, no pagan capital can expect to be.

The final movement (verses 30-38) turns from prose to some of the most powerful poetry in Yirmiyahu. The LORD roars from on high (ה׳ ממרום ישאג), and from His holy habitation He gives forth His voice; He roars mightily over His own habitation, and shouts like the treaders of grapes (הידד כדרכים יענה) against all the inhabitants of the earth. Rashi reads the roaring over His habitation as God mourning over the destruction of His own house, and both Rashi and Radak explain the cry of hedad as the rhythmic shout of the workers treading grapes in the winepress to urge one another on. The image connects back to the cup of wine: the vintage has become a slaughter, and the juice of the press is the blood of the nations. Radak adds a telling reading of the lion who has left his covert in the closing verse: just as a young lion abandons his lair when he no longer finds prey there, so God abandoned His Sanctuary when He no longer found His will fulfilled there, and once He hid His face from it, it was destroyed. The shepherds — the kings and leaders — are summoned to howl and to roll in the dust, for the days of their slaughter have arrived and they will fall like a precious vessel. Rashi deflates their pride with a homely image: if you say we are important, there are many precious glass vessels that fall, shatter and are lost. There is no refuge for the shepherds and no escape for the lords of the flock; the peaceful pastures are silenced by the fierce anger of the LORD.

Taken as a whole, chapter 25 is a hinge on which the entire book turns. In the Hebrew arrangement it concludes the first great collection of Yirmiyahu’s prophecies — the words the prophet had been speaking for twenty-three years — and it points forward to the oracles against the nations gathered at the end of the book, to which the reference to all that is written in this book (verse 13) seems to allude; Rashi and Metzudat David both explain that phrase as referring to the prophecies against Bavel at the book’s end. Radak, in his comment on verse 32, even raises the possibility that the closing section refers not only to the destruction of the First Temple at the hands of Nevuchadnetzar but to the destruction of the Second, a sign of how far the chapter’s horizon was felt to extend. What unites the prose and the poetry is a single theological claim: the God of Israel is the God of all history. The nations imagine that their empires rise and fall by their own strength, but Bavel is only God’s servant for seventy years, and when its appointed time is fulfilled it too will drink from the same cup it poured for others. Yet the deepest sadness of the chapter lies in its opening lines. The cup, the sword and the roaring lion all might have been avoided; for twenty-three years the prophet rose early and spoke, and for twenty-three years the people would not hear.

פרק כ״ה · Chapter 25

פסוק א׳ · Verse 1

Hebrew:

הַדָּבָ֞ר אֲשֶׁר־הָיָ֤ה עַֽל־יִרְמְיָ֙הוּ֙ עַל־כׇּל־עַ֣ם יְהוּדָ֔ה בַּשָּׁנָה֙ הָֽרְבִעִ֔ית לִיהוֹיָקִ֥ים בֶּן־יֹאשִׁיָּ֖הוּ מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֑ה הִ֗יא הַשָּׁנָה֙ הָרִ֣אשֹׁנִ֔ית לִנְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֖ר מֶ֥לֶךְ בָּבֶֽל׃

English:

The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth year of King Jehoiakim son of Josiah of Judah, which was the first year of King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon.

The chapter is dated to the fourth year of Yehoyakim, the first year of Nevuchadretzar -- the year of Karkemish, when Bavel became master of the region. Rashi explains that this was the year the decree of exile was sealed, and that God first commanded one more rebuke in case they might repent. Radak reconciles the date with Daniel's 'third year of Yehoyakim' by distinguishing the two kings' reckonings.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
בשנה הרביעית. שנה שנתחתם גזר דינם שיגלו ושישתו כוס החמה כמו שאמור בענין קח את כוס וגו' וקודם גזר דין אמר לנביא להוכיחם אולי ישובו ולא יתחתם גזר דינם:
in the fourth year The year that their decree was sealed that they be exiled and that they drink the cup of wrath, as he says in this section (v. 15): "Take the cup, etc.," and before the decree He commanded the prophet to reprove them, perhaps they would repent, and their decree would not be sealed.

פסוק ב׳ · Verse 2

Hebrew:

אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֜ר יִרְמְיָ֤הוּ הַנָּבִיא֙ עַל־כׇּל־עַ֣ם יְהוּדָ֔ה וְאֶ֛ל כׇּל־יֹשְׁבֵ֥י יְרוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם לֵאמֹֽר׃

English:

This is what the prophet Jeremiah said to all the people of Judah and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem:

Yirmiyahu addresses the entire nation: all the people of Yehudah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Radak explains that 'the people of Yehudah' refers to those from the other towns who had come up to Jerusalem, so the prophet speaks to both the provincial population and the capital's residents. Metzudat David notes that 'al' here functions as 'el' -- the words are spoken to them, not merely about them.

פסוק ג׳ · Verse 3

Hebrew:

מִן־שְׁלֹ֣שׁ עֶשְׂרֵ֣ה שָׁנָ֡ה לְיֹאשִׁיָּ֣הוּ בֶן־אָמוֹן֩ מֶ֨לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֜ה וְעַ֣ד ׀ הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֗ה זֶ֚ה שָׁלֹ֤שׁ וְעֶשְׂרִים֙ שָׁנָ֔ה הָיָ֥ה דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה אֵלָ֑י וָאֲדַבֵּ֧ר אֲלֵיכֶ֛ם אַשְׁכֵּ֥ים וְדַבֵּ֖ר וְלֹ֥א שְׁמַעְתֶּֽם׃

English:

From the thirteenth year of King Josiah son of Amon of Judah, to this day—these twenty-three years—the word of GOD has come to me. I have spoken to you persistently, but you would not listen.

The prophet looks back over twenty-three years of ministry, from the thirteenth year of Yoshiyahu to the present, during which he rose early and spoke persistently yet was not heard. Rashi, Radak and Metzudat David all do the arithmetic: nineteen years under Yoshiyahu, who reigned thirty-one, plus four under Yehoyakim. Metzudat David stresses the contrast -- 'I was diligent to speak, but you did not listen.'
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
שלש ועשרים. יאשיהו מלך שלשים ואחת צא מהם שתים עשרה שנה נשארו תשע עשרה וארבע של בנו הרי שלש ועשרים: אשכים ודבר. ל' הווה הייתי משכים ומדבר תמיד:
twenty-three years Josiah reigned thirty-one years (II Kings 22:1). Subtract twelve years from them (Jer. 1:2). This leaves nineteen, and four of his son amount to twenty-three. arising early This is a present tense. I would arise early and speak constantly.

פסוק ד׳ · Verse 4

Hebrew:

וְשָׁלַח֩ יְהֹוָ֨ה אֲלֵיכֶ֜ם אֶֽת־כׇּל־עֲבָדָ֧יו הַנְּבִאִ֛ים הַשְׁכֵּ֥ם וְשָׁלֹ֖חַ וְלֹ֣א שְׁמַעְתֶּ֑ם וְלֹא־הִטִּיתֶ֥ם אֶֽת־אׇזְנְכֶ֖ם לִשְׁמֹֽעַ׃

English:

Moreover, GOD constantly sent all his servants the prophets to you, but you would not listen or incline your ears to hear

Yirmiyahu was not alone: God constantly sent all His servants the prophets, rising early and sending, yet the people neither listened nor inclined their ear. Metzudat David explains that the LORD sent other prophets as well, with great diligence, and that the doubled phrase of refusal simply reinforces the point. The failure is thus not of one messenger but of a whole generation's willingness to hear.

פסוק ה׳ · Verse 5

Hebrew:

לֵאמֹ֗ר שֽׁוּבוּ־נָ֞א אִ֣ישׁ מִדַּרְכּ֤וֹ הָרָעָה֙ וּמֵרֹ֣עַ מַעַלְלֵיכֶ֔ם וּשְׁבוּ֙ עַל־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר נָתַ֧ן יְהֹוָ֛ה לָכֶ֖ם וְלַאֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶ֑ם לְמִן־עוֹלָ֖ם וְעַד־עוֹלָֽם׃

English:

when they said, “Turn back, every one, from your evil ways and your wicked acts, that you may remain throughout the ages on the soil that GOD gave to you and your ancestors.

The message of all the prophets was the same and was entirely for Israel's benefit: turn from your evil ways and remain on the land given to your fathers. Metzudat David stresses that every prophecy was meant for their good. Radak explains 'from of old and for ever' as a grant made long ago to the ancestors that would remain with them and their children eternally -- if only they were willing.

פסוק ו׳ · Verse 6

Hebrew:

וְאַל־תֵּלְכ֗וּ אַֽחֲרֵי֙ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים לְעׇבְדָ֖ם וּלְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֺ֣ת לָהֶ֑ם וְלֹֽא־תַכְעִ֤יסוּ אוֹתִי֙ בְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יְדֵיכֶ֔ם וְלֹ֥א אָרַ֖ע לָכֶֽם׃

English:

Do not follow other gods, to serve them and worship them. Do not vex Me with what your own hands have made, and I will not bring disaster upon you.”

The prophets' warning centered on idolatry: do not follow other gods or provoke Me with the work of your hands, and I will do you no harm. Metzudat David identifies 'the work of your hands' as the idols they themselves fashioned. The promise is conditional and simple -- abandon the idols and God will not bring evil upon them.

פסוק ז׳ · Verse 7

Hebrew:

וְלֹא־שְׁמַעְתֶּ֥ם אֵלַ֖י נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה לְמַ֧עַן (הכעסוני) [הַכְעִיסֵ֛נִי] בְּמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יְדֵיכֶ֖ם לְרַ֥ע לָכֶֽם׃ {פ}

English:

But you would not listen to Me—declares GOD—but vexed Me with what your hands made, to your own hurt.

The people did not listen and instead provoked God with the work of their hands, to their own harm. Metzudat David observes that although the prophets' words were for their good, they refused, and the provocation proved truly harmful to themselves. Radak notes the ketiv-qeri variation and suggests that they worshipped idols not for any benefit but only to anger God.

פסוק ח׳ · Verse 8

Hebrew:

לָכֵ֕ן כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֖ר יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָא֑וֹת יַ֕עַן אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־שְׁמַעְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־דְּבָרָֽי׃

English:

Assuredly, thus said GOD of Hosts: Because you would not listen to My words,

פסוק ט׳ · Verse 9

Hebrew:

הִנְנִ֣י שֹׁלֵ֡חַ וְלָקַחְתִּי֩ אֶת־כׇּל־מִשְׁפְּח֨וֹת צָפ֜וֹן נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֗ה וְאֶל־נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֣ר מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל֮ עַבְדִּי֒ וַהֲבִ֨אֹתִ֜ים עַל־הָאָ֤רֶץ הַזֹּאת֙ וְעַל־יֹ֣שְׁבֶ֔יהָ וְעַ֛ל כׇּל־הַגּוֹיִ֥ם הָאֵ֖לֶּה סָבִ֑יב וְהַ֣חֲרַמְתִּ֔ים וְשַׂמְתִּים֙ לְשַׁמָּ֣ה וְלִשְׁרֵקָ֔ה וּלְחׇרְב֖וֹת עוֹלָֽם׃

English:

I am going to send for all the peoples of the north—declares GOD—and for My servant, King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon, and bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all those nations round about. I will exterminate them and make them a desolation, an object of hissing —ruins for all time.

God will summon all the families of the north and 'Nevuchadretzar king of Bavel, My servant' against the land and its neighbours, making them a desolation and a hissing. Metzudat David explains that the Babylonian is called 'My servant' because he carries out God's mission in this matter. Radak connects 'families of the north' to the language of chapter 1, where the prophet first saw the boiling pot from the north.

פסוק י׳ · Verse 10

Hebrew:

וְהַאֲבַדְתִּ֣י מֵהֶ֗ם ק֤וֹל שָׂשׂוֹן֙ וְק֣וֹל שִׂמְחָ֔ה ק֥וֹל חָתָ֖ן וְק֣וֹל כַּלָּ֑ה ק֥וֹל רֵחַ֖יִם וְא֥וֹר נֵֽר׃

English:

And I will banish from them the sound of mirth and gladness, the voice of bridegroom and bride, and the sound of the mill and the light of the lamp.

God will banish the sounds of ordinary joy: bride and groom, the millstones, the light of the lamp. Rashi, citing Sanhedrin, hears in the millstones the grinding of healing spices for a circumcision feast, and in the lamp a festive meal. Radak similarly speaks of spices ground for a joyous meal and many lamps lit at a feast, while Metzudat David reads it starkly: no grain to grind and no oil to burn.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
קול רחים. סימן הוא לסעודת ברית מילה על שם שטוחנין ושוחקין לה סממנין לרפואה: אור נר. סימן משתה כך שנינו בסנהדרין:
the sound of a mill That is an indication of a circumcision feast, since they would grind and crush ingredients for healing the wound. the light of a candle An indication of a feast. So we learned in Sanhedrin (32b).

פסוק י״א · Verse 11

Hebrew:

וְהָֽיְתָה֙ כׇּל־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את לְחׇרְבָּ֖ה לְשַׁמָּ֑ה וְעָ֨בְד֜וּ הַגּוֹיִ֥ם הָאֵ֛לֶּה אֶת־מֶ֥לֶךְ בָּבֶ֖ל שִׁבְעִ֥ים שָׁנָֽה׃

English:

This whole land shall be a desolate ruin. And those nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

The whole land will become a ruin and a desolation, and these nations will serve the king of Bavel for seventy years. This is the first appearance of the famous seventy years, the number Daniel would later calculate from and which the Talmud records Belshatzar and Achashverosh miscounting. Metzudat David identifies 'these nations' as the peoples surrounding the land of Israel.

פסוק י״ב · Verse 12

Hebrew:

וְהָיָ֣ה כִמְלֹ֣אות שִׁבְעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֡ה אֶפְקֹ֣ד עַל־מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶל֩ וְעַל־הַגּ֨וֹי הַה֧וּא נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֛ה אֶת־עֲוֺנָ֖ם וְעַל־אֶ֣רֶץ כַּשְׂדִּ֑ים וְשַׂמְתִּ֥י אֹת֖וֹ לְשִֽׁמְמ֥וֹת עוֹלָֽם׃

English:

When the seventy years are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation and the land of the Chaldeans for their sins—declares GOD—and I will make it a desolation for all time.

When the seventy years are fulfilled, God will visit upon the king of Bavel and the land of the Chaldeans their own iniquity and make it an everlasting desolation. Metzudat David explains 'I will punish' as 'I will remember their sin against them.' Radak carefully computes the seventy years through the reigns of Nevuchadnetzar, Evil-Merodach and Belshatzar, showing how the count reaches its end.

פסוק י״ג · Verse 13

Hebrew:

(והבאותי) [וְהֵֽבֵאתִי֙] עַל־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַהִ֔יא אֶת־כׇּל־דְּבָרַ֖י אֲשֶׁר־דִּבַּ֣רְתִּי עָלֶ֑יהָ אֵ֤ת כׇּל־הַכָּתוּב֙ בַּסֵּ֣פֶר הַזֶּ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־נִבָּ֥א יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ עַל־כׇּל־הַגּוֹיִֽם׃

English:

And I will bring upon that land all that I have decreed against it, all that is recorded in this book—that which Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations.

Everything God has spoken against Bavel -- all that is written in this book, which Yirmiyahu prophesied concerning the nations -- will be brought upon it. Rashi and Metzudat David both explain that 'this book' refers to the prophecies against Bavel at the end of Sefer Yirmiyahu. Radak reads the verse as a comparison: just as the nations suffer what is written, so will Bavel.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
את כל הכתוב. על בבל: בספר הזה. בסופו:
all that is written concerning Babylon. in this Book at its end.

פסוק י״ד · Verse 14

Hebrew:

כִּ֣י עָֽבְדוּ־בָ֤ם גַּם־הֵ֙מָּה֙ גּוֹיִ֣ם רַבִּ֔ים וּמְלָכִ֖ים גְּדוֹלִ֑ים וְשִׁלַּמְתִּ֥י לָהֶ֛ם כְּפׇעֳלָ֖ם וּכְמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יְדֵיהֶֽם׃ {פ}

English:

For they too shall be enslaved by many nations and great kings; and I will requite them according to their acts and according to their conduct.

Bavel, which enslaved many, will itself be enslaved by many nations and great kings, and be repaid according to its deeds. Rashi and Radak identify these conquerors as Madai and Paras. Radak and Metzudat David note that the past tense 'avdu' stands for the future -- a common prophetic usage expressing the certainty of what is to come -- and the principle is measure for measure.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
כי עבדו בם. כמו כי יעבדו בם בבני בבל: גם המה גוים רבים. מדי ופרס:
For... will enslave them Like 'For... shall enslave them,' i.e., shall enslave the people of Babylon. many nations...too Viz. Media and Persia.

פסוק ט״ו · Verse 15

Hebrew:

כִּ֣י כֹה֩ אָמַ֨ר יְהֹוָ֜ה אֱלֹהֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֵלַ֔י קַ֠ח אֶת־כּ֨וֹס הַיַּ֧יִן הַחֵמָ֛ה הַזֹּ֖את מִיָּדִ֑י וְהִשְׁקִיתָ֤ה אֹתוֹ֙ אֶת־כׇּל־הַגּוֹיִ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֧ר אָנֹכִ֛י שֹׁלֵ֥חַ אוֹתְךָ֖ אֲלֵיהֶֽם׃

English:

For thus said the ETERNAL, the God of Israel, to me: “Take from My hand this cup of wine—of wrath—and make all the nations to whom I send you drink of it.

God hands the prophet the 'cup of the wine of fury' and commands him to make all the nations drink. Metzudat David explains that God's anger and the decree of punishment are likened to wine that confuses the mind. Radak insists this all occurs in prophetic vision, and Rashi adds that making them drink means prophesying that the decree can no longer be retracted by repentance.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
כוס היין החימה. נבואת הפורענות: והשקיתה אותו. הנבא להם שלא תשוב עוד בשום תשובה:
cup of the wine of fury The prophecy of retribution and you shall give...to drink it Prophesy to them that it will no longer be retracted for any repentance.

פסוק ט״ז · Verse 16

Hebrew:

וְשָׁת֕וּ וְהִֽתְגֹּעֲשׁ֖וּ וְהִתְהֹלָ֑לוּ מִפְּנֵ֣י הַחֶ֔רֶב אֲשֶׁ֛ר אָנֹכִ֥י שֹׁלֵ֖חַ בֵּינֹתָֽם׃

English:

Let them drink and retch and act crazy, because of the sword that I am sending among them.”

The nations will drink, reel and act like madmen because of the sword God sends among them. Rashi cites Targum Yonatan's 'they shall be confused' and explains the second verb as madness. Metzudat David describes violent trembling and derangement out of terror of the sword, while Radak analyzes the unusual compound grammatical forms of both verbs.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
והתגעשו. וישתגעון: והתהללו. ל' הוללות ישתטו:
and reel to and fro Jonathan renders: and they shall be confused. and be like madmen an expression of madness, they shall be mad.

פסוק י״ז · Verse 17

Hebrew:

וָאֶקַּ֥ח אֶת־הַכּ֖וֹס מִיַּ֣ד יְהֹוָ֑ה וָֽאַשְׁקֶה֙ אֶת־כׇּל־הַגּוֹיִ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־שְׁלָחַ֥נִי יְהֹוָ֖ה אֲלֵיהֶֽם׃

English:

So I took the cup from GOD’s hand and gave drink to all the nations to whom GOD had sent me:

The prophet takes the cup from God's hand and makes the nations drink. Radak emphasizes again that the taking and giving to drink were all within the prophetic vision, not a literal journey. Metzudat David explains the act as meaning that Yirmiyahu received the prophecy and pronounced it upon the nations, so that his word itself becomes the instrument of their judgment.

פסוק י״ח · Verse 18

Hebrew:

אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלַ֙͏ִם֙ וְאֶת־עָרֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה וְאֶת־מְלָכֶ֖יהָ אֶת־שָׂרֶ֑יהָ לָתֵ֨ת אֹתָ֜ם לְחׇרְבָּ֧ה לְשַׁמָּ֛ה לִשְׁרֵקָ֥ה וְלִקְלָלָ֖ה כַּיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃

English:

Jerusalem and the towns of Judah, and its kings and officials, to make them a desolate ruin, an object of hissing and a curse —as is now the case;

Jerusalem and the cities of Yehudah drink first, together with its kings and princes, 'as it is this day.' Radak notes that Jerusalem was the first to suffer, since Nevuchadnetzar came against it in his first year, and identifies the kings as Yehoyakim, Yehoyachin and Tzidkiyahu. Rashi and Metzudat David explain 'as this day' as reflecting that Yirmiyahu wrote his book after the destruction.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
כיום הזה. כאשר הם היום לאחר החורבן כתב ירמיה ספרו:
as of this day As they are today. Jeremiah wrote his Book after the destruction.

פסוק י״ט · Verse 19

Hebrew:

אֶת־פַּרְעֹ֧ה מֶלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֛יִם וְאֶת־עֲבָדָ֥יו וְאֶת־שָׂרָ֖יו וְאֶת־כׇּל־עַמּֽוֹ׃

English:

Pharaoh king of Egypt, his courtiers, his officials, and all his people;

פסוק כ׳ · Verse 20

Hebrew:

וְאֵת֙ כׇּל־הָעֶ֔רֶב וְאֵ֕ת כׇּל־מַלְכֵ֖י אֶ֣רֶץ הָע֑וּץ וְאֵ֗ת כׇּל־מַלְכֵי֙ אֶ֣רֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וְאֶת־אַשְׁקְל֤וֹן וְאֶת־עַזָּה֙ וְאֶת־עֶקְר֔וֹן וְאֵ֖ת שְׁאֵרִ֥ית אַשְׁדּֽוֹד׃

English:

all the mixed peoples; all the kings of the land of Uz; all the kings of the land of the Philistines—Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and what is left of Ashdod;

The list continues with all the mixed peoples, the kings of Uz, and the Philistine cities of Ashkelon, Azzah, Ekron and the remnant of Ashdod. Rashi explains the 'erev' as Pharaoh's allies on whom he relied. Radak and Metzudat David describe a people gathered from many nations, and Radak explains why Gat is absent: David had already taken it from the Philistines.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
ואת כל הערב. כל סומכותא אשר ערבה פרעה ומשענתו עליהם לעזרה, הערב גרנטיא"ה בלעז:
And all the allies All the supports (סוּמְכְוָתָא) which are Pharaoh's guarantee, and he leans upon them for aid. the allies Garantie in French.

פסוק כ״א · Verse 21

Hebrew:

אֶת־אֱד֥וֹם וְאֶת־מוֹאָ֖ב וְאֶת־בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן׃

English:

Edom, Moab, and Ammon;

פסוק כ״ב · Verse 22

Hebrew:

וְאֵת֙ כׇּל־מַלְכֵי־צֹ֔ר וְאֵ֖ת כׇּל־מַלְכֵ֣י צִיד֑וֹן וְאֵת֙ מַלְכֵ֣י הָאִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּעֵ֥בֶר הַיָּֽם׃

English:

all the kings of Tyre and all the kings of Sidon, and all the kings of the coastland across the sea;

The kings of Tzor and Tzidon and the kings of the isles beyond the sea must also drink. Metzudat David explains 'the isle' as the cluster of islands at the edge of the sea. Rashi remarks that all the nations enumerated up to this point are neighbours of the land of Israel, while Radak notes a textual detail about the word 'kol' in accurate manuscripts.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
ואת מלכי האי. כל אלו שמנה עד כאן שכיני א"י הם:
and the kings of the isle All these that he counts (ֹשֶמוֹנֶה) until here are neighbors of Eretz Israel.

פסוק כ״ג · Verse 23

Hebrew:

וְאֶת־דְּדָ֤ן וְאֶת־תֵּימָא֙ וְאֶת־בּ֔וּז וְאֵ֖ת כׇּל־קְצוּצֵ֥י פֵאָֽה׃

English:

Dedan, Tema, and Buz, and all those who have their hair clipped;

Dedan, Tema, Buz and all the 'ketzutzei pe'ah' are added to the list. Radak and Metzudat David interpret the phrase as those dwelling at the furthest corners of the world, since pe'ah means an edge, citing Targum Yonatan. Rashi likewise renders it as those set apart at the end of that corner -- tribes on the remote desert fringes.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
קצוצי פאה. המוקצים בקצה אותה הרוח:
and all those separated in that corner those separated at the end of that corner.

פסוק כ״ד · Verse 24

Hebrew:

וְאֵ֖ת כׇּל־מַלְכֵ֣י עֲרָ֑ב וְאֵת֙ כׇּל־מַלְכֵ֣י הָעֶ֔רֶב הַשֹּׁכְנִ֖ים בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃

English:

all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mixed peoples who live in the desert;

All the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the mixed peoples who dwell in the desert are included. Rashi identifies them as Arabia and its allies. Radak explains that these are the tent-dwelling Arabians, and that 'the mixed peoples in the desert' are distinguished from the 'erev' mentioned earlier because these are nomads of the wilderness.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
מלכי ערב. ערביא: ואת כל מלכי הערב. סומכוותא של ערביים:
the kings of Arabia Heb. עֲרָב, Arabia. and all the kings of the allies The allies of the Arabs.

פסוק כ״ה · Verse 25

Hebrew:

וְאֵ֣ת ׀ כׇּל־מַלְכֵ֣י זִמְרִ֗י וְאֵת֙ כׇּל־מַלְכֵ֣י עֵילָ֔ם וְאֵ֖ת כׇּל־מַלְכֵ֥י מָדָֽי׃

English:

all the kings of Zimri and all the kings of Elam and all the kings of Media;

The list moves east to the kings of Zimri, Elam and Madai. Radak suggests that Zimri may be Zimran, one of the sons of Keturah listed in Bereishit. The inclusion of Elam and Madai carries the cup far beyond the land of Israel's immediate neighbours, and Madai will itself later be the instrument of Bavel's downfall.

פסוק כ״ו · Verse 26

Hebrew:

וְאֵ֣ת ׀ כׇּל־מַלְכֵ֣י הַצָּפ֗וֹן הַקְּרֹבִ֤ים וְהָרְחֹקִים֙ אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־אָחִ֔יו וְאֵת֙ כׇּל־הַמַּמְלְכ֣וֹת הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֣י הָאֲדָמָ֑ה וּמֶ֥לֶךְ שֵׁשַׁ֖ךְ יִשְׁתֶּ֥ה אַחֲרֵיהֶֽם׃

English:

all the kings of the north, whether far from or close to each other—all the royal lands that are on the earth. And last of all, the king of Sheshach shall drink.

All the kings of the north and all the kingdoms of the earth drink one after another, and last of all the king of Sheshach. Rashi, Radak and Metzudat David all explain that Sheshach is Bavel in the At-Bash cipher, exchanging first and last letters of the alphabet. Metzudat David stresses that Bavel will be struck last, after all the others -- the cup-bearer drinks the dregs.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
ששך. הוא בבל בא"ת ב"ש:
Sheshach That is 'Babylon' in א"תב"ש.

פסוק כ״ז · Verse 27

Hebrew:

וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֡ם {פ} כֹּה־אָמַר֩ יְהֹוָ֨ה צְבָא֜וֹת אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל שְׁת֤וּ וְשִׁכְרוּ֙ וּקְי֔וּ וְנִפְל֖וּ וְלֹ֣א תָק֑וּמוּ מִפְּנֵ֣י הַחֶ֔רֶב אֲשֶׁ֛ר אָנֹכִ֥י שֹׁלֵ֖חַ בֵּינֵיכֶֽם׃

English:

Say to them: “Thus said GOD of Hosts, the God of Israel: Drink and get drunk and vomit; fall and never rise again, because of the sword that I send among you.”

The nations are told to drink, become drunk and vomit, fall and never rise, because of the sword. Rashi likens them to one who drinks too much and vomits. Radak observes the terrible difference: a drunkard who vomits usually recovers his senses and rises, but these will fall and not rise again. Metzudat David interprets it as accepting the yoke of subjugation to the enemy.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
וקיו. כאדם ששותה יותר מדאי שמקיא: החרב. התגר של המלחמה:
and vomit Like a person who drinks too much, who vomits. the sword the strife of war.

פסוק כ״ח · Verse 28

Hebrew:

וְהָיָ֗ה כִּ֧י יְמָאֲנ֛וּ לָקַחַת־הַכּ֥וֹס מִיָּדְךָ֖ לִשְׁתּ֑וֹת וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֛ר יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת שָׁת֥וֹ תִשְׁתּֽוּ׃

English:

And if they refuse to take the cup from your hand and drink, say to them, “Thus said GOD of Hosts: You must drink!

If the nations refuse to take the cup, the prophet must tell them: you shall surely drink. Metzudat David explains that even if they strive with all their might to escape the punishment, they will be compelled to drink against their will. The decree of judgment is not an invitation that can be declined; resistance only confirms its certainty.

פסוק כ״ט · Verse 29

Hebrew:

כִּי֩ הִנֵּ֨ה בָעִ֜יר אֲשֶׁ֧ר נִֽקְרָא־שְׁמִ֣י עָלֶ֗יהָ אָֽנֹכִי֙ מֵחֵ֣ל לְהָרַ֔ע וְאַתֶּ֖ם הִנָּקֵ֣ה תִנָּק֑וּ לֹ֣א תִנָּק֔וּ כִּ֣י חֶ֗רֶב אֲנִ֤י קֹרֵא֙ עַל־כׇּל־יֹשְׁבֵ֣י הָאָ֔רֶץ נְאֻ֖ם יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃

English:

If I am bringing the punishment first on the city that bears My name, do you expect to go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for I am summoning the sword against all the inhabitants of the earth—declares GOD of Hosts.”

God reasons from the greater to the lesser: if He begins the evil with the city called by His name, shall the nations go unpunished? Metzudat David reads it as an incredulous question -- Jerusalem, called the city of the LORD, suffers first, so how could others be spared? Rashi glosses the rare word 'mechel' as beginning. Closeness to God brings accountability, not immunity.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
מחל. מתחיל:
commence מֵחֵל.

פסוק ל׳ · Verse 30

Hebrew:

וְאַתָּה֙ תִּנָּבֵ֣א אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם אֵ֥ת כׇּל־הַדְּבָרִ֖ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם יְהֹוָ֞ה מִמָּר֤וֹם יִשְׁאָג֙ וּמִמְּע֤וֹן קׇדְשׁוֹ֙ יִתֵּ֣ן קוֹל֔וֹ שָׁאֹ֤ג יִשְׁאַג֙ עַל־נָוֵ֔הוּ הֵידָד֙ כְּדֹרְכִ֣ים יַעֲנֶ֔ה אֶ֥ל כׇּל־יֹשְׁבֵ֖י הָאָֽרֶץ׃

English:

You are to prophesy all those things to them, and then say to them: GOD roars from on high, And bellows from the holy dwelling— Roaring aloud over the [earthly] abode And uttering shouts like the grape-treaders— Against all the dwellers on earth.

The poetic finale opens: the LORD roars from on high and shouts 'hedad' like the treaders of grapes against all the inhabitants of the earth. Rashi reads the roaring over His habitation as God mourning the destruction of His house. Rashi, Radak and Metzudat David all explain 'hedad' as the rhythmic shout of winepress workers, and Radak identifies 'His habitation' as the Beit HaMikdash.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
על נוהו. מתאבל על חורבן ביתו: הידד. ל' הוי שצועקין עושי מלאכה כבדה בקול רם לזרז זה את זה להתחזק ודורכי גתות רגילין בה: יענה. כל לשון ענייה צעקת קול רם היא:
over His habitation He mourns over the destruction of His house. "Hedad!" A cry of "Ha!" that those engaged in hard work cry out aloud to urge each other on to strengthen themselves, and those who tread the winepresses are accustomed to it. He shall call out Every expression of עֲנִיָה, is an expression of a cry with a loud voice.

פסוק ל״א · Verse 31

Hebrew:

בָּ֤א שָׁאוֹן֙ עַד־קְצֵ֣ה הָאָ֔רֶץ כִּ֣י רִ֤יב לַיהֹוָה֙ בַּגּוֹיִ֔ם נִשְׁפָּ֥ט ה֖וּא לְכׇל־בָּשָׂ֑ר הָרְשָׁעִ֛ים נְתָנָ֥ם לַחֶ֖רֶב נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה׃ {ס}         

English:

Tumult has reached the ends of the earth, For GOD has a case against the nations, And contends with all flesh— Delivering the wicked to the sword —declares GOD.

A tumult reaches the ends of the earth, for the LORD has a controversy with the nations and enters into judgment with all flesh. Rashi explains that He contends in judgment. Radak describes God as though entering into a lawsuit with them to punish their wickedness through Bavel, and Metzudat David explains that delivering the wicked to the sword is itself the argument that exposes their sin.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
נשפט. מתווכח בדין:
He contends He contends in judgment.

פסוק ל״ב · Verse 32

Hebrew:

כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת הִנֵּ֥ה רָעָ֛ה יֹצֵ֖את מִגּ֣וֹי אֶל־גּ֑וֹי וְסַ֣עַר גָּד֔וֹל יֵע֖וֹר מִיַּרְכְּתֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃

English:

Thus said GOD of Hosts: Disaster goes forth From nation to nation; A great storm is unleashed From the remotest parts of earth.

Evil goes forth from nation to nation, and a great storm rises from the ends of the earth. Rashi explains that God incites the nations one against another. Metzudat David identifies the storm as the tumult of war stirred up by Bavel. Radak raises the striking possibility that this closing section may refer beyond the first destruction to the destruction of the Second Temple.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
מגוי אל גוי. שאני מסכסכן זה בזה: מירכתי. כתרגומו מסיפי:
from nation to nation whom I incite against one another. from the ends as the Targum renders it: מִסְיָפֵי, from the ends of.

פסוק ל״ג · Verse 33

Hebrew:

וְהָי֞וּ חַֽלְלֵ֤י יְהֹוָה֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא מִקְצֵ֥ה הָאָ֖רֶץ וְעַד־קְצֵ֣ה הָאָ֑רֶץ לֹ֣א יִסָּפְד֗וּ וְלֹ֤א יֵאָֽסְפוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א יִקָּבֵ֔רוּ לְדֹ֛מֶן עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָ֖ה יִֽהְיֽוּ׃

English:

In that day, the earth shall be strewn with the slain of GOD from one end to the other. They shall not be mourned, or gathered and buried; they shall become dung upon the face of the earth.

On that day the slain of the LORD will lie from one end of the earth to the other, unmourned, ungathered and unburied, like dung upon the ground. Metzudat David explains that the dead will be so numerous that no one will be able to eulogize them or bring them to burial, so they will simply lie exposed -- the ultimate indignity in a culture that honoured the dead.

פסוק ל״ד · Verse 34

Hebrew:

הֵילִ֨ילוּ הָרֹעִ֜ים וְזַעֲק֗וּ וְהִֽתְפַּלְּשׁוּ֙ אַדִּירֵ֣י הַצֹּ֔אן כִּי־מָלְא֥וּ יְמֵיכֶ֖ם לִטְב֑וֹחַ וּתְפוֹצ֣וֹתִיכֶ֔ם וּנְפַלְתֶּ֖ם כִּכְלִ֥י חֶמְדָּֽה׃

English:

Howl, you shepherds, and yell, Strew [dust] on yourselves, you lords of the flock! For the day of your slaughter draws near. I will break you in pieces, And you shall fall like a precious vessel.

The shepherds and lords of the flock are called to howl and roll in the dust, for the days of their slaughter have come and they will fall like a precious vessel. Radak and Metzudat David identify the shepherds as kings and leaders. Rashi punctures their pride: many precious glass vessels fall and shatter. Metzudat David adds that a precious vessel's fall brings great loss and lasting disgrace.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
הילילו. ל' יללה: והתפלשו. התגיוגלו בעפר ווטרליי"ר בלע"ז: ותפוצותיכם. הרי זה מקרא קצר כלומ' ותפוצותיכם תקרבנה לבא: ככלי חמדה. כלומר אם תאמרו חשובים אנחנו הרבה יש כלי חמדה של זכוכית נופלים ומשתברים ואובדים:
Howl an expression of יְלָלָה, howling. and roll i.e., roll in the dust (se vautrer in French). and your scatterings This is a short verse; i.e., to say: and your scatterings shall come near. like a precious vessel That is to say: If you say, "We are important," there are many precious glass vessels that fall, break, and are lost.

פסוק ל״ה · Verse 35

Hebrew:

וְאָבַ֥ד מָנ֖וֹס מִן־הָרֹעִ֑ים וּפְלֵיטָ֖ה מֵאַדִּירֵ֥י הַצֹּֽאן׃

English:

Flight shall fail the shepherds, And escape, the lords of the flock.

There will be no flight for the shepherds and no escape for the lords of the flock. Metzudat David explains that they will be unable to flee from the enemy, and that the verb 've'avad' serves double duty, governing both flight and escape, so that no remnant survives even of the mighty. Those who led the flock astray will find no refuge.

פסוק ל״ו · Verse 36

Hebrew:

ק֚וֹל צַעֲקַ֣ת הָרֹעִ֔ים וִֽילְלַ֖ת אַדִּירֵ֣י הַצֹּ֑אן כִּֽי־שֹׁדֵ֥ד יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶת־מַרְעִיתָֽם׃

English:

Hark, the outcry of the shepherds, And the howls of the lords of the flock! For GOD is ravaging their pasture.

The cry of the shepherds and the wailing of the lords of the flock are heard, for the LORD is ravaging their pasture. Metzudat David emphasizes that the devastation comes by God's decree, and explains the pasture as a figure for Jerusalem. Radak interprets 'their pasture' as the flocks of the nations over which these kings rule as shepherds.

פסוק ל״ז · Verse 37

Hebrew:

וְנָדַ֖מּוּ נְא֣וֹת הַשָּׁל֑וֹם מִפְּנֵ֖י חֲר֥וֹן אַף־יְהֹוָֽה׃

English:

The peaceful meadows shall be wiped out By GOD’s fierce wrath.

The peaceful pastures are silenced because of the fierce anger of the LORD. Rashi and Radak explain 'nadamu' as destruction and cutting off, related to words for silence. Radak identifies the 'peaceful meadows' as a figure for the nations' cities and provinces, while Metzudat David explains that dwellings which once sat in tranquillity will lie in ruins through God's burning anger.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
ונדמו. ל' חורבה לשון הדימנו, ונדמה שם (לעיל ח):
shall be destroyed an expression of destruction, an expression related to 'has silenced us (הֲדִמָּנוּ).' 'and there let us sit in silence (וְנִדְּמָה).'

פסוק ל״ח · Verse 38

Hebrew:

עָזַ֥ב כַּכְּפִ֖יר סֻכּ֑וֹ כִּֽי־הָיְתָ֤ה אַרְצָם֙ לְשַׁמָּ֔ה מִפְּנֵי֙ חֲר֣וֹן הַיּוֹנָ֔ה וּמִפְּנֵ֖י חֲר֥וֹן אַפּֽוֹ׃ {פ}

English:

Like a lion [God] has gone forth from the lair; The land has become a desolation, Because of the oppressive wrath, Because of such fierce anger.

The chapter closes with a lion abandoning its covert, the land made desolate by the oppressor's wrath. Rashi reads it as the king going into exile like a young lion leaving its lair. Radak offers a poignant reading: as a lion leaves a lair where it finds no prey, so God abandoned His Sanctuary where He no longer found His will done. Metzudat David stresses that it came from God's anger, not by chance.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
עזב ככפיר וגו'. גלה מלכא מכרכיה ככפיר העוזב את סוכו: היונה. משתכרת ביין כן ת"י, דבר אחר לשון אונאה:
He has left his hut like a young lion The king has gone in exile from his city like a young lion that leaves his hut. because of the wrath of the oppressing sword drunk from wine. So did Jonathan translate. Another explanation: It is an expression of oppression (אוֹנָאָה).

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