law

The Greek, Hebrew, and Ge’ez that is translated in English as “Law” or “law” is translated in Mairasi as oro nasinggiei or “prohibited things” (source: Enggavoter 2004), in Noongar with a capitalized form of the term for “words” (Warrinya) (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang), in Yucateco as “ordered-word” (for “commandment,” it is “spoken-word”) (source: Nida 1947, p. 198), and in Central Tarahumara it is “writing-command” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)

McKnight’s English translation (publ. 2023) has it as Covenant Code. He explains (p. 301): “The law of Moses was a covenantal arrangement by God with the people of Israel. This code of conduct expected of them was not the same as law in the Roman world or what law means to us today. It is a revelation of God’s will for God’s covenant people but requires ongoing interpretation and adjustments.”

In a 1922 translation into Chagatai, a precursor language of both Uzbek and Uighur, it is translated with the Arabic loan word shari’at (شريعت), originally meaning “(Islamic) law (Shari’a).” (Source: F. Erbay and F.N. Küçükballı in Acta Theologica 2025 45/2, p. 133ff. )

See also teaching / law (of God) (Japanese honorifics).

Translation commentary on Jeremiah 2:8

For priests see the comments at 1.1.

For Where is the LORD? see the comments at 2.6.

This verse mentions various groups of national and religious leaders who were unfaithful to the LORD. If those who handle the law are identified with the priests, then there are three groups in the list; otherwise, four groups of leaders are included. Some scholars believe those who handle the law to be a subdivision within the priesthood, people who later became the “scribes” of the Jewish religion. However, the more widely accepted viewpoint is that which equates those who handle the law with the priests. Thus Jerusalem Bible and New American Bible make this identification in a footnote, while Good News Translation and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch resolve the matter translationally: “Your priests did not want to know anything about me; when they gave instruction, they paid no attention to my Law” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Translators who want to retain the parallelism and yet show that the two expressions refer to the same people can say “Even though they handle the law, they did not know me.” The double indictment against the priests suggests the intensity of Jeremiah’s feelings against these persons who should have been the spiritual and moral leaders of the nation but in fact had misrepresented the LORD’s will for the people. For a similar judgment against the priests, see Hos 4.6.

Those who handle the law can be rendered as “the specialists of the law” (so Bible en français courant), “those who deal with the law” (so New International Version and New American Bible), or “those who are in possession of the divine law” (so Traduction œcuménique de la Bible).

Did not know me: See the comments concerning “I knew you” at 1.5.

As the Revised Standard Version footnote indicates, rulers is literally “shepherds.” But “shepherds” is frequently used in the Old Testament of earthly leaders, especially kings and royalty. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “The leaders of the people” and Good News Translation has “The rulers.” Traduction œcuménique de la Bible retains “shepherds” in the translation, accompanied by a footnote that “kings” are intended, as in Micah 5.5.

Transgressed represents a verb that is generally rendered “rebelled” (Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible).

The prophets prophesied by Baal has been clearly expressed by Good News Translation: “the prophets spoke in the name of Baal.” Some translators have said “God’s prophets spoke for Baal.” Such a rendering would even work in languages where “prophet” is normally translated “spokesperson for God”: “God’s spokesmen spoke in Baal’s name [or, spoke for Baal].” Baal (the name means “owner” or “lord”) was a Canaanite fertility god. It also occurs in the plural form, “Baals,” to refer to the numerous gods and idols the Canaanites worshiped. Translators should transliterate the word, whether in the singular form as a proper noun (as here) or in the plural. In some verses, which we will point out, “gods” will be appropriate. The accusation that the Israelite prophets had prophesied by Baal most likely describes the deteriorated situation of Israelite religion at the time. Jeremiah is probably accusing the Israelite prophets of doing something that they were not conscious of doing; that is, the prophets assumed that they were making their pronouncements in the name of the LORD, whereas in reality their messages reflected the intermingling of Canaanite religion with the worship of the LORD.

Went after things that do not profit is equivalent to “went after worthlessness” in verse 5. Here also the emphasis is upon the inability of the Canaanite deities to help those who worship or pray to them: “They all worship gods who cannot help” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). But note our comment on “gods” at 1.16. A note in La Bible Pléiade identifies things that do not profit as “idols.”

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 .