After Nebuchadrezzar … to Babylon: In Hebrew this verse begins with the portion of the sentence rendered by Revised Standard Version as the LORD showed me this vision …. Revised Standard Version, however, has placed the setting of the vision first. Good News Translation puts this material in parentheses after describing the vision. But in many languages a more natural way to say this is “King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia took from Jerusalem into captivity Jehoiakim’s son King Jehoichin of Judah, the leaders of Judah, the craftsmen and the skilled metalworkers. After that [had happened], the LORD showed me a vision.”
Nebuchadrezzar is “Nebuchadnezzar” in Good News Translation (see 21.2).
Jeconiah is “Jehoiachin” in Good News Translation (see 22.24, where Revised Standard Version has “Coniah”).
Princes is best taken with the more general meaning of “leaders” (Good News Translation) or “officers” (Revised English Bible), since these would not necessarily have been the sons of kings (see 1.18).
Craftsmen is rendered “artisans” by An American Translation, New American Bible, and New International Version. Elsewhere in Jeremiah the word is found in 10.3, 9; 29.2. In 10.3, however, it applies to woodworkers, whereas here it seems to be a general term. “Skilled workers” is one possibility.
The meaning of the word rendered smiths (Good News Translation, New American Bible “skilled workers”) is uncertain. The Septuagint has “prisoners,” with the addition “and the wealthy.” Revised English Bible has “smiths,” with the alternative “the harem.” Both Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible suggest persons similar to those in an army corps of engineers. The noun is used again in 29.2. Elsewhere in the Old Testament it is found in 2 Kgs 24.14, 16; it also occurs in Psa 142.7; Isa 24.22; 42.7, where Revised Standard Version renders “prison” or “dungeon.” One standard Hebrew dictionary gives the meaning as “builder of bulwarks and trenches,” while another has the meaning “metal-worker, fitter.” Most translators follow this second meaning, normally saying “metalworker.”
The LORD showed me this vision: Showed … this vision translates a single word in Hebrew, a verb that means “cause [someone] to see [something]” (see Good News Translation “The LORD showed me…”). Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch retains the idea of a vision, saying “The Lord showed me in a vision….” However, scholarly opinion is sharply divided, and no final judgment may be made whether Jeremiah is describing an actual experience or a vision. Luther 1984, New International Version, New American Bible, An American Translation, and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible have the equivalent of “showed me,” while New Jerusalem Bible and New Living Translation state plainly that it was a vision. Translators may say either “The LORD showed me” or “The LORD showed me a vision of.”
For Behold see 1.6.
Two baskets of figs placed before the temple of the LORD: The word rendered baskets is used of a deep, two-handled cooking pot (see 1Sam 2.14, where Revised Standard Version has “kettle”), but it is also used of a basket (2Kgs 10.7). In languages where baskets are unknown, translators can use a general term such as “container for fruit.” For figs see 5.17 and the discussion on the heading for this section. The baskets of figs were placed before the temple. This is a passive construction that does not indicate who placed them there. It may be more natural to say “There were two baskets of figs in front of the temple.”
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 .