The Meaning of Jeremiah 2:26 Explained

Jeremiah 2:26

KJV: As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets,

YLT: As the shame of a thief when he is found, So put to shame have been the house of Israel, They, their kings, their heads, And their priests, and their prophets,

Darby: As a thief is ashamed when he is found, so shall the house of Israel be ashamed they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets --

ASV: As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

As the thief  is ashamed  when he is found,  so is the house  of Israel  ashamed;  they, their kings,  their princes,  and their priests,  and their prophets, 

What does Jeremiah 2:26 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Yahweh had uncovered Israel"s sins and had shamed her, as when someone exposes a thief. "The house of Israel" probably refers to all of Israel collectively, not just the10 northern tribes. [1] All her leaders were objects of shame because they led the people in apostasy (cf. Jeremiah 2:8).

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 2

1  God having shown his former kindness,
5  expostulates with the people on their causeless and unexampled revolt
14  They are the causes of their own calamities
18  The sins and idolatries of Judah
35  Her confidence is rejected

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 2:26 mean?

As is ashamed the thief when he is found out so is ashamed the house of Israel they and their kings and their princes and their priests and their prophets
כְּבֹ֤שֶׁת גַּנָּב֙ כִּ֣י יִמָּצֵ֔א כֵּ֥ן הֹבִ֖ישׁוּ בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל הֵ֤מָּה מַלְכֵיהֶם֙ שָֽׂרֵיהֶ֔ם וְכֹהֲנֵיהֶ֖ם וּנְבִיאֵיהֶֽם

כְּבֹ֤שֶׁת  As  is  ashamed 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בֹּשֶׁת  
Sense: shame.
גַּנָּב֙  the  thief 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: גַּנָּב  
Sense: thief.
יִמָּצֵ֔א  he  is  found  out 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.
כֵּ֥ן  so 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
הֹבִ֖ישׁוּ  is  ashamed 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: בֹּושׁ 
Sense: to put to shame, be ashamed, be disconcerted, be disappointed.
בֵּ֣ית  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
מַלְכֵיהֶם֙  and  their  kings 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
שָֽׂרֵיהֶ֔ם  and  their  princes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: סָרַר 
Sense: prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.
וְכֹהֲנֵיהֶ֖ם  and  their  priests 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
וּנְבִיאֵיהֶֽם  and  their  prophets 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: נָבִיא  
Sense: spokesman, speaker, prophet.