Now: This indicates the beginning of a new section or discourse unit, and is not a time marker. In some languages a marker may not be necessary, as in Good News Translation, but in others, an expression such as “It happened” or “Now it came about” may be desirable.

Shephatiah is mentioned only here in Jeremiah. Several other persons of the same name are mentioned elsewhere in the Scriptures, but none of them are to be identified with this person.

Gedaliah the son of Pashhur is probably a son of the Pashhur who put Jeremiah in stocks (20.1-6).

Jucal is the same as Jehucal (38.3); although in Hebrew the name is spelled differently, it would be better to use a common spelling.

For Pashhur the son of Malchiah, see 21.1.

In translation it may be more natural to change the order of clauses in this verse by stating that Jeremiah was preaching to the people of Jerusalem, and these men heard him, and then to indicate what Jeremiah was saying.

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 .