The Meaning of Jeremiah 39:12 Explained

Jeremiah 39:12

KJV: Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee.

YLT: 'Take him, and place thine eyes upon him, and do no evil thing to him, but as he speaketh unto thee, so do with him.'

Darby: Take him, and keep an eye upon him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee.

ASV: Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Take  him, and look well  to him, and do  him no harm;  but do  unto him even as he shall say  unto thee. 

What does Jeremiah 39:12 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 39

1  Jerusalem is taken
4  Zedekiah is made blind and sent to Babylon
8  The city laid in ruins,
9  and the people captivated
11  Nebuchadrezzar's charge for the good usage of Jeremiah
15  God's promise to Ebed Melech

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 39:12 mean?

take him and look after him and no do him not harm but [saying] as just he says to you even do to him
קָחֶ֗נּוּ וְעֵינֶ֙יךָ֙ שִׂ֣ים עָלָ֔יו וְאַל־ תַּ֥עַשׂ ל֖וֹ מְא֣וּמָה רָּ֑ע כִּ֗י [אם] כַּֽאֲשֶׁר֙ יְדַבֵּ֣ר אֵלֶ֔יךָ כֵּ֖ן עֲשֵׂ֥ה עִמּֽוֹ

קָחֶ֗נּוּ  take  him 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
שִׂ֣ים  look 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
עָלָ֔יו  after  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
וְאַל־  and  no 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: אַל  
Sense: not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference).
רָּ֑ע  harm 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
[אם]  [saying] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
כַּֽאֲשֶׁר֙  as  just 
Parse: Preposition-k, Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יְדַבֵּ֣ר  he  says 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
אֵלֶ֔יךָ  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
כֵּ֖ן  even 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
עִמּֽוֹ  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.