The Meaning of Jeremiah 37:20 Explained

Jeremiah 37:20

KJV: Therefore hear now, I pray thee, O my lord the king: let my supplication, I pray thee, be accepted before thee; that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.

YLT: And now, hearken, I pray thee, my lord, O king, let my supplication fall, I pray thee, before thee, and cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, that I die not there.'

Darby: And now hear, I pray thee, my lord, O king: let my supplication, I pray thee, come before thee; and cause me not to return into the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.

ASV: And now hear, I pray thee, O my lord the king: let my supplication, I pray thee, be presented before thee, that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Therefore hear  now, I pray thee, O my lord  the king:  let my supplication,  I pray thee, be accepted  before  thee; that thou cause me not to return  to the house  of Jonathan  the scribe,  lest I die  there. 

What does Jeremiah 37:20 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Jeremiah begged the king not to send him back to prison because he would die there.

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 37

1  The Egyptians having raised the siege of the Chaldeans,
3  king Zedekiah sends to Jeremiah to pray for the people
6  Jeremiah prophesies the Chaldeans' certain return and victory
11  He is taken for a fugitive, beaten, and put in prison
16  He assures Zedekiah of the captivity
18  Entreating for his liberty, he obtains some favor

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 37:20 mean?

therefore now hear please my lord the king let be accepted my petition before you and not do make me return to the house of Jonathan the scribe and lest I die there
וְעַתָּ֕ה שְֽׁמַֽע־ נָ֖א אֲדֹנִ֣י הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ תִּפָּל־ תְחִנָּתִי֙ לְפָנֶ֔יךָ וְאַל־ תְּשִׁבֵ֗נִי בֵּ֚ית יְהוֹנָתָ֣ן הַסֹּפֵ֔ר וְלֹ֥א אָמ֖וּת שָֽׁם

וְעַתָּ֕ה  therefore  now 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
שְֽׁמַֽע־  hear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
נָ֖א  please 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
אֲדֹנִ֣י  my  lord 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָדֹון  
Sense: firm, strong, lord, master.
הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
תִּפָּל־  let  be  accepted 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect Jussive, third person feminine singular
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
תְחִנָּתִי֙  my  petition 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: תְּחִנָּה  
Sense: favour, supplication, supplication for favour.
לְפָנֶ֔יךָ  before  you 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
וְאַל־  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: אַל  
Sense: not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference).
תְּשִׁבֵ֗נִי  do  make  me  return 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
בֵּ֚ית  to  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יְהוֹנָתָ֣ן  of  Jonathan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹונָתָן  
Sense: a son of king Saul and a friend of David.
הַסֹּפֵ֔ר  the  scribe 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סָפַר 
Sense: to count, recount, relate.
וְלֹ֥א  and  lest 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
אָמ֖וּת  I  die 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.