The Meaning of Jeremiah 15:9 Explained

Jeremiah 15:9

KJV: She that hath borne seven languisheth: she hath given up the ghost; her sun is gone down while it was yet day: she hath been ashamed and confounded: and the residue of them will I deliver to the sword before their enemies, saith the LORD.

YLT: Languished hath the bearer of seven, She hath breathed out her spirit, Gone in hath her sun while yet day, It hath been ashamed and confounded, And their residue to the sword I give up before their enemies, An affirmation of Jehovah.

Darby: She that hath borne seven languisheth, she hath given up the ghost; her sun is gone down while it is yet day; she is put to shame and confounded. And the residue of them will I give up to the sword before their enemies, saith Jehovah.

ASV: She that hath borne seven languisheth; she hath given up the ghost; her sun is gone down while it was yet day; she hath been put to shame and confounded: and the residue of them will I deliver to the sword before their enemies, saith Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

She that hath borne  seven  languisheth:  she hath given up  the ghost;  her sun  is gone  down while [it was] yet day:  she hath been ashamed  and confounded:  and the residue  of them will I deliver  to the sword  before  their enemies,  saith  the LORD. 

What does Jeremiah 15:9 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The woman who had had a perfect family and complete happiness would become so sad that she would hardly be able to breathe (cf. 1 Samuel 2:5; Ruth 4:15). It would be as though the day of her rejoicing ended at noon. Her sunshine disappeared at noon with the death(s) of her son(s). She would have no heirs and comforters in her old age (cf. Jeremiah 14:3-4). It is possible that Jeremiah was personifying Jerusalem and or Judah as a widow, but a literal fulfillment is also probably in view (cf. Matthew 23:37-38; Luke 23:28-31).
The swords of the enemy would also devour many survivors of earlier invasions. This seems to indicate that at least one invasion of Jerusalem had already occurred when Jeremiah wrote this prophecy, probably the one in597 B.C. (cf. 2 Kings 24:10-17).
Deportations of Judahites to BabylonFirst deportation605 B.C.Second deportation597 B.C.Third deportation586 B.C.

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 15

1  The utter rejection and manifold judgments of the people
10  Jeremiah, complaining of their spite, receives a promise for himself;
12  and a threatening for them
15  He prays;
19  and receives a gracious promise

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 15:9 mean?

Languishes she who has borne seven she has breathed her last - has gone down Her sun while [it was] yet day she has been ashamed and confounded And the remnant of them to the sword I will deliver Before their enemies says Yahweh -
אֻמְלְלָ֞ה יֹלֶ֣דֶת הַשִּׁבְעָ֗ה נָפְחָ֥ה נַפְשָׁ֛הּ [באה] (בָּ֥א) שִׁמְשָׁ֛הּ בְּעֹ֥ד יוֹמָ֖ם בּ֣וֹשָׁה וְחָפֵ֑רָה וּשְׁאֵֽרִיתָ֗ם לַחֶ֧רֶב אֶתֵּ֛ן לִפְנֵ֥י אֹיְבֵיהֶ֖ם נְאֻם־ יְהוָֽה ס

אֻמְלְלָ֞ה  Languishes 
Parse: Verb, Pual, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָמַל 
Sense: to be weak, to droop, to languish, to be exhausted.
יֹלֶ֣דֶת  she  who  has  borne 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular construct
Root: יָלַד 
Sense: to bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail.
הַשִּׁבְעָ֗ה  seven 
Parse: Article, Number, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁבַע  
Sense: seven (cardinal number).
נָפְחָ֥ה  she  has  breathed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: נָפַח  
Sense: to breathe, blow, sniff at, seethe, give up or lose (life).
נַפְשָׁ֛הּ  her  last 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
[באה]  - 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
(בָּ֥א)  has  gone  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
שִׁמְשָׁ֛הּ  Her  sun 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: שֶׁמֶשׁ  
Sense: sun.
בְּעֹ֥ד  while  [it  was]  yet 
Parse: Preposition-b, Adverb
Root: עֹוד  
Sense: a going round, continuance adv.
יוֹמָ֖ם  day 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יׄומָם  
Sense: by day, in the daytime subst.
בּ֣וֹשָׁה  she  has  been  ashamed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: בֹּושׁ 
Sense: to put to shame, be ashamed, be disconcerted, be disappointed.
וְחָפֵ֑רָה  and  confounded 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: חָפַר  
Sense: to be ashamed, be confounded, be abashed, feel abashed.
וּשְׁאֵֽרִיתָ֗ם  And  the  remnant  of  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: שְׁאֵרִית  
Sense: rest, residue, remainder, remnant.
לַחֶ֧רֶב  to  the  sword 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
אֶתֵּ֛ן  I  will  deliver 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לִפְנֵ֥י  Before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
אֹיְבֵיהֶ֖ם  their  enemies 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.
נְאֻם־  says 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נְאֻם  
Sense: (Qal) utterance, declaration (of prophet).
יְהוָֽה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation