Biblical Hebrew Forum

[kenneth greifer <greifer AT hotmail.com>]

JEREMIAH 17:1 is usually translated something like "the sin of Judah is 
written with a pen of iron, by a stylus of diamond it is engraved on the 
tablet of their heart...."
 
JEREMIAH 17:9 is usually translated something like "the heart is deceitful 
(is crooked) more than everything, and it is very sick (weak). Who will know 
it?"
 
Then JEREMIAH 17:10 is usually translated something like "I the L-rd examine 
a heart, I try the reins (the mind) (kaf lamed yud vav tav), (and) to give to 
a man like (according to) his way, like the fruit of his deeds." I think this 
part has a mistake. "Reins and" sound funny.
 
I think the Hebrew letters might be divided a tiny bit differently. JEREMIAH 
17:10 might actually say "I the L-rd investigate a heart, examining 
(infinitive) a tool (kaf lamed yud) and a mark (tav vav), to give to a man 
like (according to) his way, and like the fruit of his deeds." The tool could 
be the pen or stylus used to write the mark, which could be the sin, on the 
tablet of the man's heart like JEREMIAH 17:1 describes.
 
Kenneth Greifer