The Meaning of Jeremiah 17:16 Explained

Jeremiah 17:16

KJV: As for me, I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee: neither have I desired the woeful day; thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was right before thee.

YLT: And I hastened not from feeding after Thee, And the desperate day I have not desired, Thou -- Thou hast known, The produce of my lips, before Thy face it hath been,

Darby: But as for me, I have not hastened from being a shepherd in following thee, neither have I desired the fatal day, thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was before thy face.

ASV: As for me, I have not hastened from being a shepherd after thee; neither have I desired the woeful day; thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was before thy face.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

As for me, I have not hastened  from [being] a pastor  to follow  thee: neither have I desired  the woeful  day;  thou knowest:  that which came out  of my lips  was [right] before  thee. 

What does Jeremiah 17:16 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Jeremiah vindicated himself by citing three things. He knew that the Lord understood that he was not eager to escape his calling (most of the time), he did not enjoy announcing judgment, and his messages had not come from his own mind but from the Lord (cf. 2 Peter 1:21).

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 17

1  The captivity of Judah for her sin
5  Trust in man is cursed;
7  in God is blessed
9  The deceitful heart cannot deceive God
12  The salvation of God
15  The prophet complains of the mockers of his prophecy
19  He is sent to renew the covenant in hallowing the Sabbath

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 17:16 mean?

And I not have hurried away from [being] a shepherd [who] follows You and the day woeful nor have I desired You know what came [out] of my lips before You it was right there
וַאֲנִ֞י לֹא־ אַ֣צְתִּי ׀ מֵרֹעֶ֣ה אַחֲרֶ֗יךָ וְי֥וֹם אָנ֛וּשׁ לֹ֥א הִתְאַוֵּ֖יתִי אַתָּ֣ה יָדָ֑עְתָּ מוֹצָ֣א שְׂפָתַ֔י נֹ֥כַח פָּנֶ֖יךָ הָיָֽה

וַאֲנִ֞י  And  I 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אֲנִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
אַ֣צְתִּי ׀  have  hurried  away 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: אוּץ  
Sense: to press, be pressed, make haste, urge, be narrow.
מֵרֹעֶ֣ה  from  [being]  a  shepherd 
Parse: Preposition-m, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: רָעָה 
Sense: to pasture, tend, graze, feed.
אַחֲרֶ֗יךָ  [who]  follows  You 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
וְי֥וֹם  and  the  day 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
אָנ֛וּשׁ  woeful 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine singular
Root: אָנוּשׁ 
Sense: to be weak, sick, frail.
לֹ֥א  nor 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
הִתְאַוֵּ֖יתִי  have  I  desired 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: אָוָה  
Sense: desire, incline, covet, wait longingly, wish, sigh, want, be greedy, prefer.
יָדָ֑עְתָּ  know 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
מוֹצָ֣א  what  came 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֹוצָא  
Sense: act or place of going out or forth, issue, export, source, spring.
שְׂפָתַ֔י  [out]  of  my  lips 
Parse: Noun, fdc, first person common singular
Root: שָׂפָה  
Sense: lip, language, speech, shore, bank, brink, brim, side, edge, border, binding.
נֹ֥כַח  before 
Parse: Preposition
Root: נׄכַח  
Sense: be in front of adv.
הָיָֽה  it  was  right  there 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.