The Benjamin Gate is in the north wall of the city; see 17.19.

Irijah is mentioned only here and in verse 14.

A sentry is a guard at a gate who prevents unauthorized people from entering or leaving. Translators can say, for example, “guard” or “guard at the gate.”

Seized: The same verb is used in the next verse also. Good News Translation renders it as “stopped” and “arrested”; New American Bible has “seized” and “kept in custody”; and Revised English Bible renders it as “arrested” and “under arrest.” The verb is used numerous times in Jeremiah. See 26.8, where Revised Standard Version has “laid hold of.”

As we have stated throughout this passage, Jeremiah is by now well enough known to readers to make it unnecessary to repeat the prophet.

Saying, “You are deserting to the Chaldeans”: Saying is rendered by many translators as “accusing.” For example, translators can say “accused him of trying to desert to the Babylonians” or “accused him by saying ‘You are deserting to the Babylonians.’ ” Since Jeremiah had announced the Babylonian’s certain victory, and many Judeans had already deserted to the enemy, it was only natural for Irijah to think that this was what Jeremiah was doing.

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 .