The Meaning of Jeremiah 38:2 Explained

Jeremiah 38:2

KJV: Thus saith the LORD, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live.

YLT: 'Thus said Jehovah: He who is remaining in this city dieth, by sword, by famine, and by pestilence, and he who is going forth unto the Chaldeans liveth, and his soul hath been to him for a prey, and he liveth.

Darby: Thus saith Jehovah: He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence; but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; and he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live.

ASV: Thus saith Jehovah, He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence; but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey, and he shall live.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Thus saith  the LORD,  He that remaineth  in this city  shall die  by the sword,  by the famine,  and by the pestilence:  but he that goeth forth  to the Chaldeans  shall live;  for he shall have his life  for a prey,  and shall live  {08675;02425:08804}. 

What does Jeremiah 38:2 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 38

1  Jeremiah, by a false suggestion, is put into the dungeon of Malchiah
7  Ebed-Melech, by suit, gets him some enlargement
14  Upon secret conference, he counsels the king by yielding to save his life
24  By the king's instructions he conceals the conference from the princes

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 38:2 mean?

thus says Yahweh He who remains in city this shall die by the sword by famine and by pestilence but he who goes over to the Chaldeans - shall live and shall be to him his life as a prize and he shall live -
כֹּה֮ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָה֒ הַיֹּשֵׁב֙ בָּעִ֣יר הַזֹּ֔את יָמ֕וּת בַּחֶ֖רֶב בָּרָעָ֣ב וּבַדָּ֑בֶר וְהַיֹּצֵ֤א אֶל־ הַכַּשְׂדִּים֙ [יחיה] (וְחָיָ֔ה) וְהָיְתָה־ לּ֥וֹ נַפְשׁ֛וֹ לְשָׁלָ֖ל וָחָֽי ס

כֹּה֮  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
אָמַ֣ר  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָה֒  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
הַיֹּשֵׁב֙  He  who  remains 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
בָּעִ֣יר  in  city 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
הַזֹּ֔את  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
יָמ֕וּת  shall  die 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
בַּחֶ֖רֶב  by  the  sword 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
בָּרָעָ֣ב  by  famine 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: רָעָב  
Sense: famine, hunger.
וּבַדָּ֑בֶר  and  by  pestilence 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דֶּבֶר 
Sense: pestilence, plague.
וְהַיֹּצֵ֤א  but  he  who  goes  over 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
הַכַּשְׂדִּים֙  the  Chaldeans 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: כַּשְׂדִּים  
Sense: a territory in lower Mesopotamia bordering on the Persian Gulf.
[יחיה]  - 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
(וְחָיָ֔ה)  shall  live 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָיָה  
Sense: to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live for ever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health.
וְהָיְתָה־  and  shall  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לּ֥וֹ  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
נַפְשׁ֛וֹ  his  life 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
לְשָׁלָ֖ל  as  a  prize 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁלָל  
Sense: prey, plunder, spoil, booty.
וָחָֽי  and  he  shall  live 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָיָה  
Sense: to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live for ever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation