Baruch 2:13 is a plea for God's mercy and a recognition of Israel's weakened and vulnerable state. Let's break down the meaning:
"Let your wrath turn from us": This is a direct request for God to stop being angry with them. The people acknowledge they have done wrong and deserve punishment, but they are asking for a change in God's disposition towards them, hoping for forgiveness and a lifting of the consequences of their sins.
"for we are but a few left": This highlights the reduced number of Israelites. The exile and scattering have diminished their population significantly. They are a remnant, a small group compared to what they once were. This emphasizes their vulnerability and desperation.
"among the heathen, where you have scattered us": This points out that the remaining Israelites are dispersed and living among other nations (the "heathen"). God is acknowledged as the one who scattered them, implying that this exile is a direct consequence of their disobedience and God's judgment. This also highlights their assimilation to and lack of authority over the "heathen" nations.
In Summary:
The verse is a prayer for God to cease punishing Israel. It's based on the argument that the Israelites are already a small, scattered, and vulnerable remnant among foreign nations, a consequence of God's own act of scattering them. They are pleading for mercy, suggesting that further punishment would be excessive and could lead to their complete annihilation and assimilation. It's an appeal based on their diminished state and recognition of God's power over them. They're appealing to God's compassion, suggesting they are contrite and have suffered enough.
Baruch 2:13 is a plea for God's mercy and a recognition of Israel's weakened and vulnerable state. Let's break down the meaning:
"Let your wrath turn from us": This is a direct request for God to stop being angry with them. The people acknowledge they have done wrong and deserve punishment, but they are asking for a change in God's disposition towards them, hoping for forgiveness and a lifting of the consequences of their sins.
"for we are but a few left": This highlights the reduced number of Israelites. The exile and scattering have diminished their population significantly. They are a remnant, a small group compared to what they once were. This emphasizes their vulnerability and desperation.
"among the heathen, where you have scattered us": This points out that the remaining Israelites are dispersed and living among other nations (the "heathen"). God is acknowledged as the one who scattered them, implying that this exile is a direct consequence of their disobedience and God's judgment. This also highlights their assimilation to and lack of authority over the "heathen" nations.
In Summary:
The verse is a prayer for God to cease punishing Israel. It's based on the argument that the Israelites are already a small, scattered, and vulnerable remnant among foreign nations, a consequence of God's own act of scattering them. They are pleading for mercy, suggesting that further punishment would be excessive and could lead to their complete annihilation and assimilation. It's an appeal based on their diminished state and recognition of God's power over them. They're appealing to God's compassion, suggesting they are contrite and have suffered enough.