[47] The form of the Heb. verbs implies the _certainty_ of the event. Hitzig supposes that ver. 6 simply explains the expression "land of peace" in ver. 5. At Anathoth the prophet was at home; if he "ran away" (reading בורח "fleest" for בוטח "art confident") there, what would he do, when he had gone forth as a "sheep among wolves" (St. Luke x. 3)? But I think it is much better to regard ver. 6 as explaining the _whole_ of ver. 5 in the manner suggested above. [48] Or perhaps rather the holy land itself, as Hitzig suggested: Hos. ix. 15. [49] Lit. "Is my domain vultures, hyenas, to me?" The dative expresses the interest of the speaker in the fact (dat. ethic.). The Heb. term צבוע only occurs here. It is the Arabic _dhabu`_, "hyena" (so Sept.). St. Jerome renders _avis discolor_. So the Targum: "a strewn" "sprinkled," or "spotted fowl". [50] The references to "birds of prey," "beasts of the field," and "spoilers" (ver. 12), are interpreted by the phrase "mine evil neighbours" (ver. 14); and this constitutes a link between vv. 7-14 and 14-17. [51] Such seems to be the best punctuation of the sentence. It involves the transfer of Athnach to אכלה. [52] So the LXX. This agrees better with the context than "So be ye ashamed of _your_ fruits." [53] As Hitzig has observed, only a people, or a king, or a national god, could be spoken of as a "neighbour" to the God of Israel. VIII. _THE FALL OF PRIDE._ JEREMIAH xiii. This discourse is a sort of appendix to the preceding; as is indicated by its abrupt and brief beginning with the words "Thus said Iahvah unto me," without the addition of any mark of time, or other determining circumstance. It predicts captivity, in retribution for the pride and ingratitude of the people; and thus suitably follows the closing section of the last address, which announces the coming deportation of Judah and her evil neighbours. The recurrence here (ver. 9) of the peculiar term rendered "swelling" or "pride" in our English versions (ch. xii. 5), points to the same conclusion. We may subdivide it thus: It presents us with (i) a symbolical action, or acted parable, with its moral and application (vv. 1-11); (ii) a parabolic saying and its interpretation, which leads up to a pathetic appeal for penitence (vv. 12-17); (iii) a message to the sovereigns (vv. 18, 19); and (iv) a closing apostrophe to Jerusalem--the gay and guilty capital, so soon to be made desolate for her abounding sins (vv. 20-27).