Jeremiah 11:20
וַֽיהוָ֤ה צְבָאֹות֙ שֹׁפֵ֣ט צֶ֔דֶק בֹּחֵ֥ן כְּלָיֹ֖ות וָלֵ֑ב אֶרְאֶ֤ה נִקְמָֽתְךָ֙ מֵהֶ֔ם כִּ֥י אֵלֶ֖יךָ גִּלִּ֥יתִי אֶת־רִיבִֽי׃
1. Transliteration
Va’Adonai tsevāʾōt shōfēt tsedeq, bōḥēn kelāyōt vālev; ʾerʾeh niqmatkha mēhem, kī ʾēleykha gillîtî ʾet-rîvî.
2. Literal Translation
And YHWH of hosts, judging righteousness, testing kidneys and heart, I shall see Your vengeance from them, for to You I have uncovered my dispute.
3. Grammar Focus: Participles That Describe What YHWH Is Always Doing
This verse uses two powerful Hebrew participles:
שֹׁפֵט בֹּחֵן
שֹׁפֵט means “judging” or “one who judges.” It comes from the root שׁ־פ־ט, meaning “to judge, govern, decide.”
בֹּחֵן means “testing” or “examining.” It comes from the root בּ־ח־ן, meaning “to test, examine, prove.”
For beginners, a participle often feels like a descriptive action. It names someone by what they are doing. Here YHWH is presented as the One who judges rightly and examines what is hidden inside a person.
4. The Verse as a Courtroom Appeal
| Movement | Hebrew Phrase | What It Shows |
|---|---|---|
| The Judge is named | וַיהוָה צְבָאוֹת | The appeal is brought before YHWH of hosts. |
| His justice is described | שֹׁפֵט צֶדֶק | He judges with righteousness. |
| His examination is deep | בֹּחֵן כְּלָיוֹת וָלֵב | He tests the hidden inner person. |
| The prophet entrusts his case | גִּלִּיתִי אֶת־רִיבִי | He has uncovered his dispute before YHWH. |
5. Vocabulary Builder: Judgment, Testing, and the Inner Person
| Hebrew Word | Pronunciation | Core Root & Meaning | Ancient Concrete Insight |
|---|---|---|---|
| צְבָאוֹת | tsevaʾōt | From צָבָא, “host, army, organized force” | YHWH is described with the language of heavenly and earthly hosts under command. |
| שֹׁפֵט | shōfēt | Root שׁ־פ־ט, “judge, decide, govern” | A judge weighs a case and gives a right decision. |
| צֶדֶק | tsedeq | “righteousness, justice, what is right” | Something straight, right, and properly aligned with justice. |
| בֹּחֵן | bōḥēn | Root בּ־ח־ן, “test, examine, prove” | Like testing metal to know its quality, YHWH examines what is hidden. |
| כְּלָיוֹת | kelāyōt | “kidneys” | In Hebrew thought, the kidneys can picture deep inward feelings and hidden motives. |
| לֵב | lēv | “heart” | The inner center of thought, desire, decision, and intention. |
6. Syntax Insight: The Sentence Moves from God’s Character to the Prophet’s Case
The first half of the verse names what YHWH is like:
שֹׁפֵט צֶדֶק בֹּחֵן כְּלָיוֹת וָלֵב
Then the speaker turns to his own appeal:
אֶרְאֶה נִקְמָתְךָ מֵהֶם גִּלִּיתִי אֶת־רִיבִי
The structure is important. The prophet first confesses who YHWH is: righteous Judge and examiner of the inner person. Only then does he speak of his own dispute.
God’s character → human appeal → the dispute uncovered before YHWH
7. An Observation: “Kidneys and Heart”
The phrase כְּלָיוֹת וָלֵב literally means “kidneys and heart.”
To a modern reader, “kidneys” may sound unusual. But in Biblical Hebrew imagery, the inner organs can represent the hidden depths of a person: feelings, motives, desires, and inward thoughts.
So the verse does not merely say that YHWH sees outward actions. It says He tests the places no human judge can fully see.
8. Beginner Practice Activity: Match the Inner Image
Match each Hebrew phrase with its beginner-friendly meaning.
| Hebrew Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| שֹׁפֵט צֶדֶק | Righteous judge or hidden heart? |
| בֹּחֵן כְּלָיוֹת וָלֵב | Testing the inner person or speaking a dispute? |
| גִּלִּיתִי אֶת־רִיבִי | Uncovering my dispute or judging armies? |
Click to Reveal the Scribal Answer
Answer:
שֹׁפֵט צֶדֶק means “judging righteousness” or “righteous Judge.”
בֹּחֵן כְּלָיוֹת וָלֵב means “testing kidneys and heart,” that is, examining the hidden inner person.
גִּלִּיתִי אֶת־רִיבִי means “I have uncovered my dispute.”
The verse moves from YHWH’s righteous judgment to the prophet’s personal appeal.
Opening the Dispute Before the Righteous Judge
This verse is intense because it combines courtroom language with inner-person imagery. YHWH is not only a judge of visible actions. He is בֹּחֵן כְּלָיוֹת וָלֵב, the One who tests the kidneys and heart.
The prophet’s confidence rests on that truth. He can uncover his רִיב, his dispute or case, because the Judge sees beneath the surface.
For beginners, the verse shows how Biblical Hebrew uses concrete body language to speak about hidden motives. The “kidneys and heart” are not random details. They are the deep chambers of the person, and YHWH is the One who examines them with righteous judgment.
