The Meaning of Jeremiah 14:9 Explained

Jeremiah 14:9

KJV: Why shouldest thou be as a man astonied, as a mighty man that cannot save? yet thou, O LORD, art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name; leave us not.

YLT: Why art Thou as one dumb? As a mighty one not able to save? And Thou art in our midst, O Jehovah, And Thy name over us is called, leave us not.

Darby: Why wilt thou be as a man astonished, as a mighty man that cannot save? Yet thou, Jehovah, art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name: leave us not.

ASV: Why shouldest thou be as a man affrighted, as a mighty man that cannot save? yet thou, O Jehovah, art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name; leave us not.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Why shouldest thou be as a man  astonied,  as a mighty man  [that] cannot  save?  yet thou, O LORD,  [art] in the midst  of us, and we are called  by thy name;  leave  us not. 

What does Jeremiah 14:9 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The prophet wondered why God was behaving like someone who, upon witnessing a catastrophe, was so dismayed that he just stood there with his mouth open and did nothing to help. God"s lack of aid was especially surprising since He dwelt among His people and they were His chosen people. Jeremiah besought Yahweh not to forsake them.
"There could hardly be a stronger set of pleas than those that the prophet pours out here: not only the reproaches of Jeremiah 14:8-9 a but the positive considerations that surround them, which are a model for any prayer of penitence." [1]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 14

1  The grievous famine,
7  causes Jeremiah to pray
10  The Lord will not be entreated for the people
13  false prophets are no excuse for them
17  Jeremiah is moved to complain for them

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 14:9 mean?

Why should You be like a man astonished Like a mighty one [who] cannot - save and yet You [are] in our midst Yahweh and by Your name we are called not do leave us -
לָ֤מָּה תִֽהְיֶה֙ כְּאִ֣ישׁ נִדְהָ֔ם כְּגִבּ֖וֹר לֹא־ יוּכַ֣ל ؟ לְהוֹשִׁ֑יעַ וְאַתָּ֧ה בְקִרְבֵּ֣נוּ יְהוָ֗ה וְשִׁמְךָ֛ עָלֵ֥ינוּ נִקְרָ֖א אַל־ תַּנִּחֵֽנוּ ס

לָ֤מָּה  Why 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
תִֽהְיֶה֙  should  You  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
כְּאִ֣ישׁ  like  a  man 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
נִדְהָ֔ם  astonished 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: דָּהַם  
Sense: to astonish, astound.
כְּגִבּ֖וֹר  Like  a  mighty  one 
Parse: Preposition-k, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גִּבֹּור  
Sense: strong, mighty.
לֹא־  [who]  cannot 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יוּכַ֣ל  - 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָכֹל  
Sense: to prevail, overcome, endure, have power, be able.
؟ לְהוֹשִׁ֑יעַ  save 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: יָשַׁע 
Sense: to save, be saved, be delivered.
וְאַתָּ֧ה  and  yet  You  [are] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
בְקִרְבֵּ֣נוּ  in  our  midst 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common plural
Root: קֶרֶב  
Sense: midst, among, inner part, middle.
יְהוָ֗ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וְשִׁמְךָ֛  and  by  Your  name 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
נִקְרָ֖א  are  called 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
תַּנִּחֵֽנוּ  do  leave  us 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine singular, first person common plural
Root: מֻנָּח  
Sense: to rest.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation