The Meaning of Jeremiah 17:21 Explained

Jeremiah 17:21

KJV: Thus saith the LORD; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem;

YLT: Thus said Jehovah, Take ye heed to yourselves, And ye bear not a burden on the day of rest, Nor have ye brought it in by the gates of Jerusalem.

Darby: thus saith Jehovah: Take heed to your souls, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, and bring nothing in through the gates of Jerusalem;

ASV: Thus saith Jehovah, Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Thus saith  the LORD;  Take heed  to yourselves,  and bear  no burden  on the sabbath  day,  nor bring  [it] in by the gates  of Jerusalem; 

What does Jeremiah 17:21 Mean?

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 17:21 mean?

Thus says Yahweh take heed to yourselves and no bear burden on day the Sabbath nor bring [it] in by the gates of Jerusalem
כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה הִשָּׁמְר֖וּ בְּנַפְשֽׁוֹתֵיכֶ֑ם וְאַל־ תִּשְׂא֤וּ מַשָּׂא֙ בְּי֣וֹם הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת וַהֲבֵאתֶ֖ם בְּשַׁעֲרֵ֥י יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם

כֹּ֚ה  Thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
אָמַ֣ר  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
הִשָּׁמְר֖וּ  take  heed 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
בְּנַפְשֽׁוֹתֵיכֶ֑ם  to  yourselves 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
וְאַל־  and  no 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: אַל  
Sense: not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference).
תִּשְׂא֤וּ  bear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
מַשָּׂא֙  burden 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַשָּׂא 
Sense: load, bearing, tribute, burden, lifting.
בְּי֣וֹם  on  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת  the  Sabbath 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: שַׁבָּת  
Sense: Sabbath.
וַהֲבֵאתֶ֖ם  nor  bring  [it]  in 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
בְּשַׁעֲרֵ֥י  by  the  gates 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם  of  Jerusalem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.