Jeremiah 6:2: “I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate [woman].” KJV
Jeremiah 6:2: “I will destroy Daughter Zion, so beautiful and delicate. NIV
Good heavens, which translation is correct? One speaks in gentle loving terms calling the Daughter of Zion a beautiful and delicate woman and then a more modern translation talks of destroying the Daughter of Zion. How can two translations be so totally the opposite?
I looked at 21 different English translations and 9 says the daughter of Zion is beautiful and comely and 12 say let’s get her. There are something like 150 different English translations of the Bible and I am not about to go through all 150 and tally up the score. Let’s just say this is a super problem. Many commentators admit this is probably the most difficult verse in the book of Jeremiah to translate. So I fear what you will get from me is just another paraphrase, another opinion. I leave it to you to decide if God is calling the Daughter of Zion beautiful or getting ready to kill her off or just both.
The first thing we need to establish is just who are the daughters of Zion. The word daughter is obviously used metaphorically as it references both the male and female members of Zion. Zion could come from two root words Sade, Vav Hei which means to stand erect to be charged with a mission. Some feel the root word would be Sade Yod Hei which means to be dry, dusty and barren. Since Zion is always a reference to Israel I’m inclined to go with Sade Vav Hei as Israel has been charged with a mission to reveal to the world the nature and reality of God. This is why they are the chosen race. They had the mission to bring the messiah into the world. Zion is a term used in Scripture when God is expressing his love of Israel. It is a term of endearment for God. Sort of like a father calling his daughter Princess or his little Cup Cake. It always used when God is pictured as a father. It is only natural that the word daughter would be used to modify the word Zion, for to say daughter of Zion, you have the picture of a father doting on his little girl. She is purely daddy’s little girl and if any man comes along and touches his precious daughter, look out. Even if she is a naughty little girl nobody lays a hand on daddy’s girl. He will not think twice to give his life for his little princes. Now a son is just as loved by a father, but a father is not apt to be as gentle with a son as he would with a daughter. The father’s heart swells with pride when he sees his son get tackled by some giant on the football field and he gets up and knocks that giant on his kester in the next play. But if any one of those football players so much as touches his cheer leader daughter, look out for daddy.
So it is no wonder that the daughter of Zion is called comely or beautiful. The word in Hebrew is na’veh from the root word na’ah. Na’ah means to dwell or sit. It comes from an old Canaanite word used in the worship of Aphrodite. Once in a young woman’s life she must adorn herself and look as beautiful as she can and then she must sit at the feet of the goddess and wait for some man to come along who finds her truly beautiful to have, how can I put this delicately, his way with her. After that one time seduction she is free to live out her life without any obligations to the goddess. Although there was no rule against a woman performing her religious duty more than once and indeed many did. Then there were the poor souls who just did not have that cheerleader good looks and would sit on the chair for years waiting for some guy to have pity on her. Anyways this is how a word na’ah meaning to sit came into the Hebrew language meaning to be beautiful. It is a word applied to a young woman at the height of her beauty.
Then he calls her His delicate one. The word delicate is ‘anag which is a word used for a princess who is spoiled and pampered. She never had to work a day in her life, daddy had servants to see to her every need and want. Thus her skin remained soft and delicate free from the ravishes of the sun that most women experience from their peasant labor in the sun. Their skin soon became hard and leathery. But the ‘anag was the joy of the king’s court, everyone flaunted over her and went out of their way to be gentle with her for she could easily be bruised and heaven help the man who bruised this soft gentle creature, daddy was the king and daddy had a guy with a big ax wearing a pointed black hood just itching for the chance to test out the shape blade of his ax.
The whole point of this is that this verse is expressing one thing. Israel, like each one of us, are Daddy’s little girl that he spoils and pampers. That his heart is easily moved just by her silly little gestures, his heart is warmed by her gentle touches and warm wet kisses. Daddy may be a powerful man, a king perhaps, a world ruler, a Donald Trump that would heartless say “You’re fire,” will barely blink if he has to close down a factory and lay off a thousand people. But I watched Donald Trump around his daughter and that loud mouth, powerful, you can’t push me around bully is just putty in his Ivanka’s hands.
Picture yourself before God as Daddy’s little girl whose heart is melted by your presence, whose powerful position of ruling the universe is placed hold when you, Daddy’s little girl, says: “Daddy, I my cut my finger and it hurts, kiss it and make it better.” The universe is on hold as Daddy kiss your cut finger. And if anyone dares to lay a hand on Daddy’s little girl and puts a bruise on you, that bruiser had better run and hide because Daddy will come after him.’’
And if Daddy’s little girl is naughty and misbehaves what is He going to do to her? Will according to the NIV and 12 out of 21 one translation he is going to destroy her. To the nine remaining translations He is going to weep as he helpless watches His little girl get beaten by the bad man because her sins have tied Daddy’s hands. His hands may be tied because of her sin but once confession and repentance is made, His hands are untied and hoo boy, look out for daddy’s wrath especially after witnessing what the bad man did to his daughter.
So it is up to you to decide who is right, the KJV which pictures a doting father or the NIV which pictures a father who is going to destroy His little baby girl. You can guess my choice.
Recent Comments