The Meaning of Jeremiah 21:7 Explained

Jeremiah 21:7

KJV: And afterward, saith the LORD, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life: and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy.

YLT: And after this -- an affirmation of Jehovah, I give Zedekiah king of Judah, And his servants, and the people, And those left in this city, From the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, Into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, And into the hand of their enemies, And into the hand of those seeking their life, And he hath smitten them by the mouth of the sword, He hath no pity on them, Nor doth he spare, nor hath he mercy.

Darby: And afterwards, saith Jehovah, I will give Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life, and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword: he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy.

ASV: And afterward, saith Jehovah, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, even such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life: and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And afterward,  saith  the LORD,  I will deliver  Zedekiah  king  of Judah,  and his servants,  and the people,  and such as are left  in this city  from the pestilence,  from the sword,  and from the famine,  into the hand  of Nebuchadrezzar  king  of Babylon,  and into the hand  of their enemies,  and into the hand  of those that seek  their life:  and he shall smite  them with the edge  of the sword;  he shall not spare  them, neither have pity,  nor have mercy. 

What does Jeremiah 21:7 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Nebuchadnezzar would also slay King Zedekiah, his servants, and the people who survived the war and its accompanying horrors. The Babylonian king would show no mercy or compassion. Zedekiah did indeed die in Babylon, some time after the Babylonians killed his sons as he watched, and then blinded him ( Jeremiah 34:4; Jeremiah 52:11; 2 Kings 25:6-7; Ezekiel 12:13).
Jeremiah directed this second oracle against the people of Jerusalem.

Context Summary

Jeremiah 21:1-14 - The Folly Of Idolatry
Jeremiah 10:1-10
We are here introduced into an idol-factory. Contrasted with the manufactured idols is the majesty of our God. There is none like Him. His name is great in might; He is the King of the nations, the true and living God, and the everlasting King! Christian, fear not or be dismayed when enemies plot against you. It is a vain device that they frame. To hide in God is a sure defence from all that man can do for our hurt. O thou true and living Savior, in thy wounds harried and faithful souls become strong and brave again.
Jeremiah 10:19-25
The prophet now bids the people prepare for their captivity. Their city would be as when a shepherd removed his slight and insubstantial tent, leaving no trace. But Jeremiah's soul is lacerated and torn with the message he must needs announce. Are we called to be shepherds? Let us see to it that we seek the Lord; so only shall our flocks not be scattered, Jeremiah 10:21. Are we in perplexity as to our path in life? It is not for us to direct ourselves, but to look up for God's sure guidance, which will be given to the soul that waits for it, Jeremiah 10:23. Are we being corrected? Let us be patient; it is only when we endure without complaining that our trial works out the highest good, and God will not give us more than we can bear, Jeremiah 10:24. [source]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 21

1  Zedikiah sends to Jeremiah to enquire the event of Nebuchadnezzar's war
3  Jeremiah foretells a hard siege and miserable captivity
8  He counsels the people to fall to the Chaldeans;
11  and upbraids the King's house

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 21:7 mean?

And afterward says Yahweh I will deliver - Zedekiah king of Judah and his servants the people such as are left in city this from the pestilence and the sword and the famine into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life and he shall strike them with the edge of the sword not He shall spare them or have pity mercy
וְאַחֲרֵי־ כֵ֣ן נְאֻם־ יְהוָ֡ה אֶתֵּ֣ן אֶת־ צִדְקִיָּ֣הוּ מֶֽלֶךְ־ יְהוּדָ֣ה וְאֶת־ עֲבָדָ֣יו ׀ הָעָ֡ם הַנִּשְׁאָרִים֩ בָּעִ֨יר הַזֹּ֜את מִן־ הַדֶּ֣בֶר ׀ מִן־ הַחֶ֣רֶב וּמִן־ הָרָעָ֗ב בְּיַד֙ נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֣ר בָּבֶ֔ל וּבְיַד֙ אֹֽיְבֵיהֶ֔ם וּבְיַ֖ד מְבַקְשֵׁ֣י נַפְשָׁ֑ם וְהִכָּ֣ם לְפִי־ חֶ֔רֶב לֹֽא־ יָח֣וּס עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם וְלֹ֥א יַחְמֹ֖ל יְרַחֵֽם

כֵ֣ן  afterward 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
נְאֻם־  says 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נְאֻם  
Sense: (Qal) utterance, declaration (of prophet).
יְהוָ֡ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֶתֵּ֣ן  I  will  deliver 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
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.
צִדְקִיָּ֣הוּ  Zedekiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: צִדְקִיָּה 
Sense: the last king of Judah renamed from ‘Mattaniah’ by Nebuchadnezzar; son of Josiah by wife Hamutal; placed on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar when he carried his nephew Jehoiakim in captivity.
מֶֽלֶךְ־  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
יְהוּדָ֣ה  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
עֲבָדָ֣יו ׀  his  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
הָעָ֡ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
הַנִּשְׁאָרִים֩  such  as  are  left 
Parse: Article, Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: שָׁאַר  
Sense: to remain, be left over, be left behind.
בָּעִ֨יר  in  city 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
הַזֹּ֜את  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
הַדֶּ֣בֶר ׀  the  pestilence 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דֶּבֶר 
Sense: pestilence, plague.
הַחֶ֣רֶב  the  sword 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
הָרָעָ֗ב  the  famine 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: רָעָב  
Sense: famine, hunger.
בְּיַד֙  into  the  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֣ר  of  Nebuchadnezzar 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר 
Sense: the great king of Babylon who captured Jerusalem and carried Judah captive.
בָּבֶ֔ל  of  Babylon 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בָּבֶל  
Sense: Babel or Babylon, the ancient site and/or capital of Babylonia (modern Hillah) situated on the Euphrates.
וּבְיַד֙  and  into  the  hand 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
אֹֽיְבֵיהֶ֔ם  of  their  enemies 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.
וּבְיַ֖ד  and  into  the  hand 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
מְבַקְשֵׁ֣י  of  those  who  seek 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: בָּקַשׁ  
Sense: to seek, require, desire, exact, request.
נַפְשָׁ֑ם  their  life 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
וְהִכָּ֣ם  and  he  shall  strike  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
לְפִי־  with  the  edge 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
חֶ֔רֶב  of  the  sword 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
יָח֣וּס  He  shall  spare 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חוּס  
Sense: (Qal) to pity, have compassion, spare, look upon with compassion.
יַחְמֹ֖ל  have  pity 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָמַל 
Sense: (Qal) to spare, pity, have compassion on.
יְרַחֵֽם  mercy 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָחַם  
Sense: to love, love deeply, have mercy, be compassionate, have tender affection, have compassion.