Thus said the LORD: See 2.2.

Flask: The word refers to a narrow-necked bottle, the name of which is derived from the verb meaning “make a gurgling sound,” describing what the water did when it came out of the bottle. Archaeological finds indicate that these bottles were from four to ten inches in height. It is described as a potter’s earthen flask. Many cultures will be familiar with pottery made this way, and translators can follow Good News Translation (“clay jar”) or New Revised Standard Version and New Jerusalem Bible (“earthenware jug”). If these are not known, translators can have a general term such as “small jar for [carrying] water.” In this context, however, the precise size and shape of the object are not really important. It would be better not to use a word for a flask made from something such as skins or a gourd since that would not show any relation to the previous chapter where a potter is mentioned.

Take can be “have them go with you” or “ask them to go with you.”

In Hebrew elders and senior are the same word. The elders would have been the recognized leaders of the Jewish community, while the senior priests (the phrase also occurs in 2Kgs 19.2) would have held a similar position among the priests. For priests see 1.1. Senior priests could be “leaders of the priests,” “the elders of the priests,” or, following Good News Translation, “older priests.”

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 .