The Meaning of Jeremiah 10:20 Explained

Jeremiah 10:20

KJV: My tabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth of me, and they are not: there is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains.

YLT: My tent hath been spoiled, And all my cords have been broken, My sons have gone out from me, and they are not, There is none stretching out any more my tent, And raising up my curtains.

Darby: My tent is despoiled, and all my cords are broken; my children are gone forth from me, and they are not; there is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains.

ASV: My tent is destroyed, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth from me, and they are not: there is none to spread my tent any more, and to set up my curtains.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

My tabernacle  is spoiled,  and all my cords  are broken:  my children  are gone forth  of me, and they [are] not: [there is] none to stretch forth  my tent  any more, and to set up  my curtains. 

What does Jeremiah 10:20 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Their homes lay in ruins, and there was no one to help them rebuild them. Jerusalem, as a pitiful tent-dwelling mother, had lost her home and her children.

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 10

1  The unequal comparison of God and idols
17  The prophet exhorts to flee from the calamity to come
19  He laments the spoil of the tabernacle by foolish pastors
23  He makes an humble supplication

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 10:20 mean?

My tent is plundered and all my cords are broken My children have gone from me and they [are] no [more] [There is] no one to pitch anymore my tent Or set up my curtains
אָהֳלִ֣י שֻׁדָּ֔ד וְכָל־ מֵיתָרַ֖י נִתָּ֑קוּ בָּנַ֤י יְצָאֻ֙נִי֙ וְאֵינָ֔ם אֵין־ נֹטֶ֥ה עוֹד֙ אָהֳלִ֔י וּמֵקִ֖ים יְרִיעוֹתָֽי

אָהֳלִ֣י  My  tent 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אֹהֶל  
Sense: tent.
שֻׁדָּ֔ד  is  plundered 
Parse: Verb, Pual, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁדַד  
Sense: to deal violently with, despoil, devastate, ruin, destroy, spoil.
וְכָל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
מֵיתָרַ֖י  my  cords 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: מֵיתָר  
Sense: cord, string.
נִתָּ֑קוּ  are  broken 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: נָתַק  
Sense: to pull or tear or draw off or away or apart, draw out, pluck up, break, li ft, root out.
בָּנַ֤י  My  children 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יְצָאֻ֙נִי֙  have  gone  from  me 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural, first person common singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
וְאֵינָ֔ם  and  they  [are]  no  [more] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, third person masculine plural
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
אֵין־  [There  is]  no  one 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
נֹטֶ֥ה  to  pitch 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: נָטָה 
Sense: to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow.
עוֹד֙  anymore 
Parse: Adverb
Root: עֹוד  
Sense: a going round, continuance adv.
אָהֳלִ֔י  my  tent 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אֹהֶל  
Sense: tent.
וּמֵקִ֖ים  Or  set  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
יְרִיעוֹתָֽי  my  curtains 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: יְרִיעָה  
Sense: curtain, drape.