Poor (so also Revised English Bible, New International Version, Moffatt, New Jerusalem Bible) translates a Hebrew word that is used again in 39.10. A related noun form is used in 40.7; 52.15, 16. Jeremiah probably has in mind those persons who were poor, and because of their extreme poverty were both ignorant and helpless. Their lack of money deprived them of any political power, and it contributed toward their ignorance because they had to spend all their time scratching out a living. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “the simple people” and Good News Translation “the poor and ignorant.”
The verb translated have no sense appears again in 50.36, where it is translated “become fools”; elsewhere in the Old Testament it is found only in Num 12.11 and Isa 19.13. The root meaning is expressed by Good News Translation (“behave foolishly”) and New American Bible (“are foolish”), which is followed by New International Version. New Jerusalem Bible has “behave stupidly” and New English Bible “are stupid folk.” Moffatt has “mere ignorant folk.” Jeremiah is trying to make an excuse for the behavior of these people by saying “But these are poor, simple people without any sense.” In the context this foolishness results from the failure to know God’s law.
The way of the LORD is parallel to the law of their God. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates the two expressions as “what the Lord requires and what is right in his sight.” Good News Translation has two clauses, though in reality either one of them would adequately express the meaning of the Hebrew. Here again Hebrew prefers to accumulate terms that mean essentially the same thing for the sake of emphasis, whereas other languages may have different expectations.
Law is the same noun translated “justice” in 4.2; the plural form appears as “judgments” in 1.16. The primary meaning is that of a judicial decision, though the noun may also be used as a summary term for all that the LORD requires of his people.
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 .