In verses 3-4, Jeremiah indicates that repentance is more than an external confession. It involves a complete change of heart and mind, as is illustrated by the metaphors of planting (verse 3) and circumcision (verse 4).

To the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem may be more simply expressed as “to the people of Judah and Jerusalem” (Good News Translation). Note that men refers to all the people, not just the males. It should also be clear that those living in Jerusalem are also people of Judah. An alternative for this phrase is “to the citizens of Jerusalem and the other people of Judah.”

The Hebrew word translated as fallow ground in the text refers to land that either has not been farmed for a while or has never been plowed at all. In either case, plowing would be necessary before anything could be planted. Revised English Bible follows the text closely: “Break up your ground that lies unploughed.” Others will find Good News Translation more natural: “Plow up your unplowed fields.” Translators may have an expression such as “dig up new fields to prepare them for planting crops” or “prepare new fields for planting seed.”

In many languages sow will require an object, as in “sow crops,” “sow seeds,” or possibly “plant crops.”

Thorns may have to be “thorn bushes” or “thorny plants.”

Break up … among thorns states what people in many parts of the world know, that ground may be properly planted only when the thorns and weeds have been removed. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “Plow the entire field so that you do not plant among thorns!” Luther 1984 says “Make a fresh plowing and do not plant among thorns!” Some translators make it explicit that the passage is probably not referring literally to plowing land, but to preparing their hearts for the LORD. The New Living Translation (New Living Translation) has “Plow up the hard ground of your hearts! Do not waste your good seed among thorns.” Bassa in Liberia translates “Prepare your hard hearts like a person prepares a garden spot. Do not plant among thorns.”

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 .