The Meaning of Jeremiah 2:36 Explained

Jeremiah 2:36

KJV: Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way? thou also shalt be ashamed of Egypt, as thou wast ashamed of Assyria.

YLT: What? thou art very vile to repeat thy way, Even of Egypt thou art ashamed, As thou hast been ashamed of Asshur,

Darby: Why dost thou gad about so much, and change thy way? Thou shalt also be brought to shame by Egypt, as thou wast brought to shame by Assyria.

ASV: Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way? thou shalt be ashamed of Egypt also, as thou wast ashamed of Assyria.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Why gaddest thou about  so much  to change  thy way?  thou also shalt be ashamed  of Egypt,  as thou wast ashamed  of Assyria. 

What does Jeremiah 2:36 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Israel was wrong to change her ways-from following the Lord faithfully, to pursuing idols-so often. The Lord would bring the hopes of the Proverbs -Egyptian party to nothing. He had already used Assyria, which other Judeans trusted in, to overrun and take captive the Northern Kingdom (in722 B.C.).

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 2:36 mean?

Why do you gad about so much to change - your way Also of Egypt you shall be ashamed as you were ashamed of Assyria
מַה־ תֵּזְלִ֥י מְאֹ֖ד לְשַׁנּ֣וֹת אֶת־ ؟ דַּרְכֵּ֑ךְ גַּ֤ם מִמִּצְרַ֙יִם֙ תֵּב֔וֹשִׁי כַּאֲשֶׁר־ בֹּ֖שְׁתְּ מֵאַשּֽׁוּר

מַה־  Why 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
תֵּזְלִ֥י  do  you  gad  about 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person feminine singular
Root: אָזַל  
Sense: to go, to go away, to go about.
מְאֹ֖ד  so  much 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מְאֹד  
Sense: exceedingly, much subst.
לְשַׁנּ֣וֹת  to  change 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: to repeat, do again, change, alter.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
؟ דַּרְכֵּ֑ךְ  your  way 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
גַּ֤ם  Also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
מִמִּצְרַ֙יִם֙  of  Egypt 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
תֵּב֔וֹשִׁי  you  shall  be  ashamed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person feminine singular
Root: בֹּושׁ 
Sense: to put to shame, be ashamed, be disconcerted, be disappointed.
בֹּ֖שְׁתְּ  you  were  ashamed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person feminine singular
Root: בֹּושׁ 
Sense: to put to shame, be ashamed, be disconcerted, be disappointed.
מֵאַשּֽׁוּר  of  Assyria 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַשּׁוּר  
Sense: the second son of Shem, eponymous ancestor of the Assyrians.