Translators who are following the structure of Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch (see the introductory comments on verses 15-27) will put a heading before verse 18, possibly “The LORD speaks to [or, warns] King Jehoiachin.”

These two verses contain a message of warning to King Jehoiachin and his mother. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch identifies the king by name in its section heading, while Traduction œcuménique de la Bible provides a footnote that indicates both the name of the king and the function of the queen mother. Jehoiachin was the son and successor of Jehoiakim who died in 598 B.C. during the first siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonian army. Jehoiachin, who was only eighteen years old at the time, reigned only for three months before surrendering to the Babylonians. The queen mother may have exercised a great deal of influence over her son, but she also probably had an official position. For example, King Solomon’s mother sat on a throne to the right of the king (1Kgs 2.19), which probably showed that she had official status.

Take a lowly seat (Revised English Bible “Take a humble seat”) may have the more precise meaning of “come down from your throne” (see Good News Translation, New American Bible). Of course, many translators will say simply “sit in a humble place.”

Your beautiful crown has come down may be rendered “… has fallen off.” If crown is not known, translators can use an expression such as “royal headpiece” or “hat you wear as king.”

From your head in Revised Standard Version is based upon the Septuagint and other ancient translations, and is the preference of most modern translations. The Hebrew text has “your pillows” or “your headrests,” which may be interpreted as symbols of royal dignity (Hebrew Old Testament Text Project). However, this makes no sense in the context. Since the king and queen mother each has a crown and head, Good News Translation has used the plural form instead of the singular form of the text.

The Negeb (see also 17.26; 32.44; 33.13) was “southern Judah” (Good News Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Many translators do not state where it is, using just an expression like “the Negeb region.”

Shut up has the meaning of “under siege” (Good News Translation) here. Translators can also say “surrounded by enemies.”

None to open them indicates the impossibility of passing through enemy lines into the besieged cities; Good News Translation translates “no one can get through to them.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates the first half of verse 19 as “The cities in southern Judah are lost as far as you are concerned, and no one can give them back to you.”

All Judah is taken into exile, wholly taken into exile: The repetition of the Hebrew text may be done away with, as in Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch (“All Judah is taken away into exile!”) or Good News Translation (“All the people of Judah have been taken away into exile”). In languages that require an active sentence with an agent, translators can say “Enemies have taken all the people of Judah into exile.” For exile see the comments on “captivity” in 1.3.

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 .