City translates a feminine pronoun, which Good News Translation, New American Bible, and New Jerusalem Bible render “Jerusalem.” Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, however, does not understand the pronoun to refer to the city, and has (literally) “It will be for me a joyous title [or, name],” meaning “I will bear the joyous name.”

A name of joy, a praise and a glory appears as “a source of joy, honor, and pride” in Good News Translation. For the first part of the verse, New Jerusalem Bible has “And, for me, Jerusalem will become a name of joy and praise and pride for all the nations on earth to see.” For praise see 13.11. The term rendered glory here is not the usual word rendered “glory”; it has the basic meaning of “ornament” or “decoration,” but it may also mean “glory” or “splendor.” Elsewhere in Jeremiah it is found in 13.11, 18 (Revised Standard Version “beautiful”), 20 (Revised Standard Version “beautiful”); 48.17 (Revised Standard Version “glorious”). It is a favorite term in the book of Isaiah. Good News Translation renders it as “pride,” but another way to render the meaning is “brings great honor to me.”

Before all the nations of the earth who shall hear: Jerusalem will have universal significance. The meaning is not that some nations will hear and others will not, but that all nations will hear (Good News Translation “and every nation in the world … when they hear”).

That I do … the prosperity I provide: The pronoun I (in both these occurrences) is emphatic in the Hebrew text.

For them; that is, “for the people of Jerusalem” (Good News Translation).

They shall fear and tremble: The verb fear is also used in 36.16 (Revised Standard Version “turned in fear”), 24 (Revised Standard Version “afraid”). The basic meaning of tremble is “shake,” but then it may mean “tremble” or “be upset.” Elsewhere it is used in Jeremiah only in 50.34, where a causative form is translated “give … unrest” by Revised Standard Version.

For prosperity see verse 6.

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 .