The Meaning of Jeremiah 29:18 Explained

Jeremiah 29:18

KJV: And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them:

YLT: And I have pursued after them with sword, with famine, and with pestilence, and have given them for a trembling to all kingdoms of the earth, for a curse and for an astonishment, and for a hissing, and for a reproach among all the nations whither I have driven them,

Darby: And I will pursue them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will give them over to be driven hither and thither into all the kingdoms of the earth, to be an execration, and an astonishment, and a hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I will drive them:

ASV: And I will pursue after them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be tossed to and fro among all the kingdoms of the earth, to be an execration, and an astonishment, and a hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And I will persecute  them  with the sword,  with the famine,  and with the pestilence,  and will deliver  them to be removed  to all the kingdoms  of the earth,  to be a curse,  and an astonishment,  and an hissing,  and a reproach,  among all the nations  whither I have driven  them: 

What does Jeremiah 29:18 Mean?

Context Summary

Jeremiah 29:1-32 - Shepherds That Mislead God's Flock
It is God's purpose to care for His people through shepherds (pastors) who are responsible to Him. Jesus our Lord is the Branch into which we may be grafted. He is our King who saves us and clothes us with His own spotless righteousness. God finds us in Him, Philippians 3:9. Because He reigns, we are saved and dwell in safety. When we are brought into contact with false shepherds, whether the failure be in doctrine or example, let us ask for the broken heart of Jeremiah 23:9.
God is everywhere present; as the latter paragraph indicates, He is near at hand to overhear the blasphemy of those who deride religion, and to be a very present help in time of trouble. If He fills heaven and earth, can He not fill thy heart? If His Word is like fire, let it cleanse thee! If it is as a hammer, let it pulverize thy pride! Let those of us who essay to teach and preach, not steal our words from our neighbors, or utter our own, but receive them from the source of all truth. [source]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 29

1  Jeremiah sends a letter to the captives in Babylon to be quiet there,
8  and not to believe the dreams of their prophets;
10  and that they shall return with grace after seventy years
15  He foretells the destruction of the rest for their disobedience
20  He shows the fearful end of Ahab and Zedekiah, two false prophets
24  Shemaiah writes a letter against Jeremiah
30  Jeremiah foretells his doom

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 29:18 mean?

And I will pursue them with the sword with famine and with pestilence and I will deliver them - to trouble among all the kingdoms of the earth to [be] an oath and an astonishment and a hissing and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them there
וְרָֽדַפְתִּי֙ אַֽחֲרֵיהֶ֔ם בַּחֶ֖רֶב בָּרָעָ֣ב וּבַדָּ֑בֶר וּנְתַתִּ֨ים [לזועה] (לְזַעֲוָ֜ה) לְכֹ֣ל ׀ מַמְלְכ֣וֹת הָאָ֗רֶץ לְאָלָ֤ה וּלְשַׁמָּה֙ וְלִשְׁרֵקָ֣ה וּלְחֶרְפָּ֔ה בְּכָל־ הַגּוֹיִ֖ם אֲשֶׁר־ הִדַּחְתִּ֥ים שָֽׁם

וְרָֽדַפְתִּי֙  And  I  will  pursue 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: רָדַף  
Sense: to be behind, follow after, pursue, persecute, run after.
בַּחֶ֖רֶב  with  the  sword 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
בָּרָעָ֣ב  with  famine 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: רָעָב  
Sense: famine, hunger.
וּבַדָּ֑בֶר  and  with  pestilence 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דֶּבֶר 
Sense: pestilence, plague.
וּנְתַתִּ֨ים  and  I  will  deliver  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular, third person masculine plural
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
[לזועה]  - 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
(לְזַעֲוָ֜ה)  to  trouble 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: זְוָעָה  
Sense: a horror, an object of terror, a trembling, an object of trembling.
לְכֹ֣ל ׀  among  all 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
מַמְלְכ֣וֹת  the  kingdoms 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: מַמְלָכָה  
Sense: kingdom, dominion, reign, sovereignty.
הָאָ֗רֶץ  of  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
לְאָלָ֤ה  to  [be]  an  oath 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אָלָה  
Sense: oath.
וּלְשַׁמָּה֙  and  an  astonishment 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שַׁמָּה  
Sense: waste, horror, appalment.
וְלִשְׁרֵקָ֣ה  and  a  hissing 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שְׂרֵקָה 
Sense: hissing, whistling.
וּלְחֶרְפָּ֔ה  and  a  reproach 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרְפָּה  
Sense: reproach, scorn.
בְּכָל־  among  all 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הַגּוֹיִ֖ם  the  nations 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
אֲשֶׁר־  where 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
הִדַּחְתִּ֥ים  I  have  driven  them 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, first person common singular, third person masculine plural
Root: נָדַח 
Sense: to impel, thrust, drive away, banish.