Jeremiah

Jeremiah 38:2–4

²“This is what the LORD says: Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine and plague, but whoever surrenders to the Chaldeans^b will live; he will retain his life like a spoil of war, and he will live. ³This is what the LORD says: This city will surely be delivered into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.”

⁴Then the officials said to the king, “This man ought to die, for he is discouraging the warriors who remain in this city, as well as all the people, by speaking such words to them; this man is not seeking the well-being of these people, but their ruin.”

Footnotes

b 38:2 That is, the Babylonians; also in verses 18, 19, and 23

Read all of Jeremiah 38

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Jeremiah 38:2

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
This is what	כֹּה֮	kōh	Adverb	H3541 thus, here
the LORD	יְהוָה֒	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
says	אָמַ֣ר	’ā·mar	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
Whoever stays	הַיֹּשֵׁב֙	hay·yō·šêḇ	Article; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H3427 sit, remain, dwell
in this	הַזֹּ֔את	haz·zōṯ	Article; Pronoun - feminine singular	H2063 this
city	בָּעִ֣יר	bā·‘îr	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H5892 excitement
will die	יָמ֕וּת	yā·mūṯ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H4191 die
by sword	בַּחֶ֖רֶב	ba·ḥe·reḇ	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H2719 sword
and famine	בָּרָעָ֣ב	bā·rā·‘āḇ	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H7458 famine, hunger
and plague	וּבַדָּ֑בֶר	ū·ḇad·dā·ḇer	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H1698 pestilence
but whoever surrenders	וְהַיֹּצֵ֤א	wə·hay·yō·ṣê	Conjunctive waw, Article; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H3318 go or come out
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
the Chaldeans	הַכַּשְׂדִּים֙	hak·kaś·dîm	Article; Noun - proper - masculine plural	H3778 Chaldean
will live	יִחְיֶה	yiḥ·yɛh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H2421 live
he will retain	וְהָיְתָה־	wə·hā·yə·ṯāh-	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
his life	נַפְשׁ֛וֹ	nap̄·šōw	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H5315 soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion
like a spoil of war	לְשָׁלָ֖ל	lə·šā·lāl	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular	H7998 prey, spoil, plunder, booty
and he will live	וָחָֽי׃ס	wā·ḥāy	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H2421 live

Jeremiah 38:3

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
This is what	כֹּ֖ה	kōh	Adverb	H3541 thus, here
the LORD	יְהוָ֑ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
says	אָמַ֣ר	’ā·mar	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
This	הַזֹּ֗את	haz·zōṯ	Article; Pronoun - feminine singular	H2063 this
city	הָעִ֣יר	hā·‘îr	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H5892 excitement
will surely be delivered	הִנָּתֹ֨ן	hin·nā·ṯōn	Verb - Nifal - Infinitive absolute	H5414 give, put, set
into the hands	בְּיַ֛ד	bə·yaḏ	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct	H3027 hand
of the army	חֵ֥יל	ḥêl	Noun - masculine singular construct	H2428 strength, efficiency, wealth, army
of the king	מֶֽלֶךְ־	me·leḵ-	Noun - masculine singular	H4428 king
of Babylon	בָּבֶ֖ל	bā·ḇel	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H894 Babel, Babylon
and he will capture it	וּלְכָדָֽהּ׃	ū·lə·ḵā·ḏāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular; third person feminine singular	H3920 capture, seize, take (by lot)

Jeremiah 38:4

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then the officials	הַשָּׂרִ֜ים	haś·śā·rîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H8269 chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince
said	וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ	way·yō·mə·rū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H559 utter, say
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
the king	הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ	ham·me·leḵ	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H4428 king
This	הַזֶּה֒	haz·zeh	Article; Pronoun - masculine singular	H2088 this, that
man	הָאִ֣ישׁ	hā·’îš	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H376 man
ought to die	י֣וּמַת	yū·maṯ	Verb - Hofal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H4191 die
for	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
he	הֽוּא־	hū-	Pronoun - third person masculine singular	H1931 he, she
is discouraging	מְרַפֵּ֡א	mə·rap·pê	Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular	H7503 sink, relax
the warriors	אַנְשֵׁ֨י	’an·šê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H582 man, mankind
who remain	הַֽנִּשְׁאָרִ֣ים׀	han·niš·’ā·rîm	Article; Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural	H7604 remain, be left over
in this	הַזֹּ֗את	haz·zōṯ	Article; Pronoun - feminine singular	H2063 this
city	בָּעִ֣יר	bā·‘îr	Preposition, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H5892 excitement
as well as all	כָל־	ḵāl	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
the people	הָעָ֔ם	hā·‘ām	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H5971 people
by speaking	לְדַבֵּ֣ר	lə·ḏab·bêr	Preposition; Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct	H1696 speak
such	הָאֵ֑לֶּה	hā·’êl·leh	Article; Pronoun - common plural	H428 these
words	כַּדְּבָרִ֖ים	kad·də·ḇā·rîm	Preposition, Article; Noun - masculine plural	H1697 speech, word
to them	אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם	’ă·lê·hem	Preposition; third person masculine plural	H413 motion to
this	הַזֶּ֗ה	haz·zeh	Article; Pronoun - masculine singular	H2088 this, that
man	הָאִ֣ישׁ	hā·’îš	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H376 man
is not	אֵינֶ֨נּוּ	’ê·nen·nū	Adverb; third person masculine singular	H369 nothing, nought
seeking	דֹרֵ֧שׁ	ḏō·rêš	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H1875 resort to, seek
the well-being	לְשָׁל֛וֹם	lə·šā·lō·wm	Preposition; Noun - masculine singular	H7965 completeness, soundness, welfare, peace
of these	הַזֶּ֖ה	haz·zeh	Article; Pronoun - masculine singular	H2088 this, that
people	לָעָ֥ם	lā·‘ām	Preposition-l, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H5971 people
but	כִּ֥י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
their ruin	לְרָעָֽה׃	lə·rā·‘āh	Preposition-l; Adjective - feminine singular	H7451 bad, evil

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Jeremiah 38:2 Jeremiah 39:18 · Jeremiah 34:17 · Jeremiah 45:5 · Ezekiel 14:21 · Jeremiah 42:17

Jeremiah 38:3 Jeremiah 21:10 · Jeremiah 32:3–5

Jeremiah 38:4 Jeremiah 26:11 · Acts 16:20 · Amos 7:10 · Jeremiah 29:7 · Nehemiah 6:9 · Exodus 5:4 · 1 Kings 21:20 · 1 Kings 18:17–18

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.