Jeremiah 11:20

New English Translation

Footnotes

1. Jeremiah 11:20 tn The words “So I said” are not in the text but are implicit from the context. They are supplied in the translation for clarity to show the shift in address.
2. Jeremiah 11:20 tn Heb “Yahweh of Armies.”sn For the significance of the term see the notes at 2:19 and 7:3.
3. Jeremiah 11:20 tn Heb “Lord of armies, just judge, tester of kidneys and heart.” The sentence has been broken up to avoid a long and complex English sentence. The translation is more in keeping with contemporary English style. In Hebrew thought the “kidneys” were thought of as the seat of the emotions and passions, and the “heart” was viewed as the seat of intellect, conscience, and will. The “heart” and the “kidneys” were often used figuratively for the thoughts, emotions, motives, and drives believed to be seated in them.
4. Jeremiah 11:20 tn Heb “Let me see your retribution [i.e., see you exact retribution] from them because I reveal my cause [i.e., plea for justice] to you.”