Tag Archives: Jeremiah 42:22

In the Place You Desired: Double Infinitives, Conditional Certainty, and Exile Irony in Jeremiah 42:22

וְעַתָּה֙ יָדֹ֣עַ תֵּֽדְע֔וּ כִּ֗י בַּחֶ֛רֶב בָּרָעָ֥ב וּבַדֶּ֖בֶר תָּמ֑וּתוּ בַּמָּקֹום֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר חֲפַצְתֶּ֔ם לָבֹ֖וא לָג֥וּר שָֽׁם׃ Contextual Introduction Jeremiah 42:22 closes a divine warning against fleeing to Mitsrayim following the Babylonian conquest. After a long appeal through the prophet, YHWH makes clear that disobedience will bring fatal consequences. This verse affirms that death by the sword, famine, and plague awaits those who reject the prophetic word. Grammatically, the verse uses a forceful double infinitive, fronted adverbs, and ironic juxtaposition to reinforce the certainty of judgment in the very place they thought would be safe.… Learn Hebrew
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