“Then I broke
My second staff,
Union.
This annulled
The family ties
Between Judah and Israel.”
Zechariah broke the 2nd staff named unity to indicate that the family ties between northern Israel and southern Judah were broken. Perhaps, this was the final break between the northern Israelites or Samaritans and the southern Judeans of Judah. Sometime in the 4th century BCE, the northern Samaritans built a temple at Mount Gerizim that opposed worship in southern Jerusalem.
“They sow the wind.
But they shall reap
The whirlwind.
The standing grain
Has no heads.
It shall yield
No meal.
If it were to yield
Anything,
Foreigners
Would devour it.”
The northern Israelites were in a unique position. They would sow with the wind, but it suddenly would become a whirlwind. The planted grain would never mature in the field, since there would be no heads of grain. Therefore, there would be no harvesting of the grain for meals. Even if it yielded any grain, foreigners, and not them, would devour it, because of the invasion of the Assyrians.
“Though you play the prostitute,
O Israel!
Do not let Judah
Become guilty!
Do not enter
Into Gilgal!
Do not go up
To Beth-aven!
Do not swear!
‘As Yahweh lives.’”
Yahweh, via Hosea, told northern Israel that she had become a prostitute. Now he warned that the southern Judah kingdom should not become guilty. They should not go to Gilgal, that was just east of Jericho. Neither should they go to Beth-aven or Bethel, the place of worship of the northern Israelites. They should not swear by Yahweh.
“They shall eat,
But not be satisfied.
They shall play the prostitute,
But not multiply.
They have forsaken
Yahweh
To cherish prostitution.
Wine,
With new wine,
Takes away
Understanding.
My people consult
A piece of wood.
Their divining rod
Gives them oracles.
A spirit of prostitution
Has led them astray.
They have left
Their God
To play the prostitute.”
These northern Israelites would eat, but not be satisfied or full. They played the prostitute. They did not increase or multiply. They have cherished prostitution rather than Yahweh. All kinds of wine, new and old, take away understanding. Thus, the Israelite people consult with pieces of wood, the wooden idol gods. Their oracles or sayings come from their magical divining rods or sticks. This concept of prostitution has led them astray. They have left God to be prostitutes to other gods. Obviously, this was an allusion to the prostitution fertility rites and the fact that they were turning to other wooden idol gods, rather than being faithful to Yahweh.
“Concerning Damascus.
‘Hamath is confounded.
Arpad is confounded.
They have heard bad news.
They melt in fear.
They are troubled
Like the sea
That cannot be quiet.
Damascus has become feeble.
She turned to flee.
Panic seized her.
Anguish has taken hold of her.
Sorrows have taken hold of her,
As a woman in labor.
How the famous city is forsaken!
The joyful town!
Therefore her young men
Shall fall
In her squares.
All her soldiers
Shall be destroyed,
On that day.’
Says Yahweh of hosts!
‘I will kindle a fire
At the wall of Damascus.
It shall devour
The strongholds of Ben-hadad.’”
Damascus had been under the control of the Assyrians since around 740 BCE, before the fall of the northern Israelites to Assyria in 724 BCE. Now the Babylonians were taking over for the Assyrians. The two other cities mentioned with Damascus, were Hamath and Arpad. Hamath was in upper Syria with Arpad nearly a 100 miles further north. These northern towns were upset and troubled over the news about southern Damascus. They felt like they were on troubled waters and could not be quiet. Damascus itself was weak and in panic. This former joyful town saw people fleeing with panic. Once again they had become weak like women in labor. Their young men were dying in the squares since the soldiers had been killed. The soldiers also died. There was a huge fire that destroyed the walls and royal buildings of Ben-hadad. King Ben-hadad was a 9th century BCE king of Damascus who had some battles with King Asa of Judah and King Omri of Israel, in 1 Kings, chapter 20. However, there were 2 other kings with the same name, so that it clearly referred to the royal palaces or fortresses in Damascus. Once again there is no mention of a restoration for Damascus.
“‘Why do you boast
In your strength?
Your strength is ebbing.
O faithless daughter!
You trusted
In your treasures.
Saying,
‘Who will attack me?’
Says Yahweh
God of hosts.
‘I am going to bring terror
Upon you
From your neighbors.
You will be scattered,
Each headlong,
With no one
To gather the fugitives.’”
Yahweh, via Jeremiah, was clear. The Ammonites were going to suffer in terror. Why had they boasted about their strength, when they were actually losing strength. They had trusted in their treasures, thinking that no one would be able to attack them. Yahweh had other plans for them, although he also called them faithless daughters as if they were like the northern Israelites. They were going to be attacked by their neighbors, scattered headlong against each other. There would be no one left to gather all those who were fleeing Ammon.
“I going to bring
Recovery
With healing.
I will heal them.
I will reveal to them
Abundance of prosperity
With security.
I will restore
The fortunes of Judah,
The fortunes of Israel.
I will rebuild them
As they were at first.
I will cleanse them
From all the guilt
Of their sin
Against me.
I will forgive
All the guilt
Of their sin
With their rebellion
Against me.
This city shall be to me
A name of joy,
A praise,
As well as a glory
Before all the nations
Of the earth.
They shall hear
Of all the good
That I do for them.
They shall fear.
They shall tremble
Because of all the good,
As well as all the prosperity
I provide for it.”
Yahweh was going to heal Israel and Judah. He was going to help the city of Jerusalem to recover. They would have an abundance of prosperity and security in Jerusalem. Both the fortunes of the towns in Judah and among the northern Israelites would be rebuilt for them like it used to be. Yahweh was going to cleanse them from the guilt of all their sins against him. He was going to forgive their rebellion against him. Jerusalem would become a name of joy, praise, and glory for the whole world to see. Everyone would know about Jerusalem and the good that Yahweh had done for them. In fact, they would tremble and fear at all the good prosperity that he had provided for them. There were great days ahead.
“Indeed I heard
Ephraim pleading.
‘You disciplined me!
I took the discipline
Like an untrained calf.
Bring me back!
Let me come back!
You are Yahweh!
My God!
After I had turned away
I repented.
After I was discovered,
I struck my thigh.
I was ashamed.
I was dismayed.
Because I bore
The disgrace of my youth.’
‘Is Ephraim my dear son?
Is he the child I delight in?
As often as I speak
Against him,
I still remember him.
Therefore I am deeply moved
For him.
I will surely have mercy
On him.’
Says Yahweh.”
Here Jeremiah has Ephraim, the son of Joseph, whose territory was just north of Benjamin plead with Yahweh to let him return to the Promised Land. Samaria and Bethel were in this territory that was the capitol of the northern Israelites. Ephraim admitted that he needed discipline, like a young calf. He wanted to come back home. He had repented and struck his thigh, a sign of penance. He was ashamed and dismayed because of his disgraceful youth. Yahweh, on the other hand, seemed very happy to have him come back. Ephraim was his dear delightful child. Yahweh still remembered him, despite his diatribes against him. Yahweh was deeply moved and would have mercy on him. The northern Israelites can return to Israel.
“The word that came
To Jeremiah
From Yahweh.
‘Thus says Yahweh!
The God of Israel!
Write in a book
All the words
That I have spoken
To you!”
Yahweh told Jeremiah to write his oracles down in a book. Thus we have the book of Jeremiah, the prophet. These writings are a series of oracles addressed to those in captivity about a future return. Some of the early ones are even addressed to the Northern Israelites who were in Assyrian captivity from 721 BCE. This was to give consolation to the people in exile. Like the preceding chapter, this is a different numbered chapter in the Greek translation of the Septuagint, chapter 37, not chapter 30 as here.
“When King Sennacherib heard it,
He sent messengers
To King Hezekiah.
‘Thus shall you speak
To King Hezekiah of Judah.
Do not let your God,
On whom you rely,
Deceive you
By promising
That Jerusalem will not be given
Into the hand of the king of Assyria.
See!
You have heard
What the kings of Assyria
Have done to all lands,
Destroying them utterly.
Shall you be delivered?
Have the gods of the other nations delivered them?
My predecessors destroyed these nations,
Gozan,
Haran,
Rezeph,
Also the people of Eden
Who were in Telassar.
Where is the king of Hamath?
Where is the king of Arpad?
Where is the king of the city of Sepharvaim?
Where is the king of Hena?
Where is the king of Ivvah?’”
Once again, this is almost word for word from 2 Kings, chapter 19, almost repeating the speech of Rabshakeh in the preceding chapter. These messengers of King Sennacherib of Assyria were to present almost the same message. Do not rely on your God. See what has happened to those places that relied on their gods, since the various kings of Assyria have destroyed them. How have their gods defended them? He repeated what had happened to the kings of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah. Most of these towns were in Babylon or Syria. He also added the cities of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and Eden. Gozan was where the northern Israelites were sent in their captivity. Haran was in Mesopotamia, a town where Abraham had stopped. Rezeph was near Hamath. Eden in Telassar probably refers to some place in Mesopotamia, thus giving further credence to Mesopotamia as the original place of the Garden of Eden. At least at this time, nearly 2700 years ago, this place was called Eden, which might have also influenced the biblical writers.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 