In Hebrew verses 8-9 are in the form of prose, which distinguishes them from verses 5-7 and verses 10-24. Some translators see these verses as an interruption. New Jerusalem Bible, for example, puts them in parentheses.

For says the LORD, see 1.8. Many translators move this expression to the beginning of the sentence. See Good News Translation.

The LORD of hosts: See 2.19.

I will break the yoke from off their neck, and I will burst their bonds: For the imagery of breaking a yoke and bursting bonds, see 2.20; 28.11. Here the image is of the LORD freeing the people from the power of Babylon where they are slaves. Their neck … their bonds represents the Greek and Old Latin versions; Hebrew has “your neck … your bonds.” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project concludes that the shift from “your” to “their” is an attempt to ease the reading of the Hebrew text and prefers “your.”

Strangers (see 5.19) is best understood as “foreigners” (Revised English Bible, Good News Translation).

The shift from “make a servant of him” (Hebrew) to make servants of them may be regarded as translational rather than textual, since “him” may be taken as a reference back to “Jacob” in verse 7, and so reflect a collective usage.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Jeremiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2003. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .