This verse uses two figures that illustrate the thoroughness of God’s judgment on Edom. People who pick grapes leave some on the vine, and thieves do not take everything they find in a house. However, the LORD’s destruction of Edom will be absolute and complete.

Good News Translation and others transform the rhetorical questions into a statement. Good News Translation says “When men pick grapes, they leave a few on the vines, and when robbers come at night, they take only what they want.” For grapes see “vine” in 2.21.

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 .