וַאֲמַרוּ רַבְרְבַיָא לְמַלְכָּא יִתְקְטֵיל כְּעַן גַבְרָא הָדֵין אֲרֵי עַל כֵּן הוּא מְרַשֵׁל יַת יְדֵי גַבְרֵי עָבְדֵי קְרָבָא דְאִשְׁתָּאֲרוּ בְּקַרְתָּא הָדָא וְיַת יְדֵי כָל עַמָא לְמֵלָלָא עִמְהוֹן כְּפִתְגָמַיָא הָאִלֵין אֲרֵי גַבְרָא הָדֵין לֵיתוֹהִי תָּבַע לִשְׁלָמָא לְעַמָא הָדֵין אֱלָהֵן לְבִישׁוּ:
And the nobles said to the king, “Let this man now be killed, for because of this he is weakening the hands of the men, the warriors who remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking with them according to these words. For this man seeks not the peace of this people, but their harm.”
Layered Rhetorical Commentary: The Accusation as Syntax
The call for the prophet’s death in Jeremiah 38:4 is not merely political—it’s grammatical warfare. Targum Jonathan renders this indictment with a syntactic clarity that preserves both urgency and accusation. The language is woven with direct object markers, deictic pronouns, and participial action verbs, emphasizing the rhetorical construction of guilt.
This article unpacks how the structure itself becomes the argument in the mouths of Yirmeyahu’s opponents.
1. Verbal Imperative with Future Force: יִתְקְטֵיל כְּעַן
- יִתְקְטֵיל — Ithpeʿel imperfect 3ms of קְטַל, passive/reflexive: “let him be killed.”
- כְּעַן — “now” (temporal adverb).
This structure functions as a jussive or soft imperative in Aramaic: “Let him be killed now.”
2. The Accusation Built from Object Markers
A striking feature of the verse is the repeated use of יַת, the direct object marker. This is used with abstract nouns, pronouns, and definite objects alike:
- יַת יְדֵי גַבְרֵי עָבְדֵי קְרָבָא — “the hands of the men, the warriors”
- יַת יְדֵי כָל עַמָא — “the hands of all the people”
The direct object particle יַת appears in parallel constructions, reinforcing both:
- The cumulative effect of the prophet’s speech.
- The specific objects impacted—the hands, metaphor for courage or strength.
Parsing the Parallel Object Chains
| Phrase | Function | Grammatical Feature |
|---|---|---|
| יַת יְדֵי גַבְרֵי עָבְדֵי קְרָבָא | Direct object of מְרַשֵׁל | Object chain with double construct: “hands of the men of war” |
| יַת יְדֵי כָל עַמָא | Second direct object | Expanded with quantifier: “hands of all the people” |
3. Participial Clause as Accusation: הוּא מְרַשֵׁל
- מְרַשֵׁל — Paʿel participle ms of רשל, “to weaken” or “discourage.”
Using the present participle creates an ongoing, habitual sense:
“He is actively weakening…”
4. Deictic and Demonstrative Nuance: גַבְרָא הָדֵין … פִתְגָמַיָא הָאִלֵין
This verse is rich in pointing language:
- גַבְרָא הָדֵין — “this man”
- פִתְגָמַיָא הָאִלֵין — “these words”
Such deictic markers do more than locate—they accuse. The repetition of הָדֵין and הָאִלֵין signals specificity and disdain. It’s not “a man” or “some words,” but this man and these corrupting utterances.
5. Syntax of Motivation: אֲרֵי … אֱלָהֵן
Two causal particles govern motivation:
- אֲרֵי — “because,” appears twice, marking explanatory transitions.
- אֱלָהֵן — adversative/conclusive: “but rather,” or “except”
This structure helps us track legal logic in the nobles’ reasoning:
- He weakens hands → אֲרֵי
- He does not seek peace → אֱלָהֵן → “but rather” destruction
When Syntax Weeps
This is not mere slander—it is grammatically engineered denouncement. The nobles’ argument is syntactically tight: the participle implies active guilt, the object markers emphasize impact, and the demonstratives isolate Yirmeyahu as a dangerous anomaly. In Targum Jonathan, the attack is not only on Jeremiah’s message, but on his grammar.
For it is through language that prophets speak. And in this verse, it is through language that they are condemned.
