The Meaning of Jeremiah 44:12 Explained

Jeremiah 44:12

KJV: And I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed, and fall in the land of Egypt; they shall even be consumed by the sword and by the famine: they shall die, from the least even unto the greatest, by the sword and by the famine: and they shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach.

YLT: and I have taken the remnant of Judah, who have set their faces to enter the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they have all been consumed in the land of Egypt; they fall by sword, by famine they are consumed, from the least even unto the greatest, by sword and by famine they die, and they have been for an execration, for an astonishment, and for a reviling, and for a reproach.

Darby: And I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their faces to enter into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed: in the land of Egypt shall they fall; they shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, from the least even unto the greatest; they shall die by the sword and by the famine, and they shall be an execration, an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach.

ASV: And I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed; in the land of Egypt shall they fall; they shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine; they shall die, from the least even unto the greatest, by the sword and by the famine; and they shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And I will take  the remnant  of Judah,  that have set  their faces  to go  into the land  of Egypt  to sojourn  there, and they shall all be consumed,  [and] fall  in the land  of Egypt;  they shall [even] be consumed  by the sword  [and] by the famine:  they shall die,  from the least  even unto the greatest,  by the sword  and by the famine:  and they shall be an execration,  [and] an astonishment,  and a curse,  and a reproach. 

What does Jeremiah 44:12 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 44

1  Jeremiah expresses the desolation of Judah for their idolatry
11  He prophesies the destruction of those who commit idolatry in Egypt
15  The obstinacy of the Jews
20  For which Jeremiah threatens them
29  and for a sign prophesies the destruction of Egypt

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 44:12 mean?

And I will take - the remnant of Judah who have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to dwell there and they shall be consumed all in the land of Egypt [and] fall by the sword [and] by famine They shall be consumed from the least and to the greatest and by famine they shall die and they shall be an oath an astonishment and a curse and a reproach
וְלָקַחְתִּ֞י אֶת־ שְׁאֵרִ֣ית יְהוּדָ֗ה אֲשֶׁר־ שָׂ֨מוּ פְנֵיהֶ֜ם לָב֣וֹא אֶֽרֶץ־ מִצְרַיִם֮ לָג֣וּר שָׁם֒ וְתַ֨מּוּ כֹ֜ל בְּאֶ֧רֶץ מִצְרַ֣יִם יִפֹּ֗לוּ בַּחֶ֤רֶב בָּֽרָעָב֙ יִתַּ֔מּוּ מִקָּטֹן֙ וְעַד־ גָּד֔וֹל וּבָרָעָ֖ב יָמֻ֑תוּ וְהָיוּ֙ לְאָלָ֣ה לְשַׁמָּ֔ה וְלִקְלָלָ֖ה וּלְחֶרְפָּֽה

וְלָקַחְתִּ֞י  And  I  will  take 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
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.
שְׁאֵרִ֣ית  the  remnant 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: שְׁאֵרִית  
Sense: rest, residue, remainder, remnant.
יְהוּדָ֗ה  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
שָׂ֨מוּ  have  set 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
פְנֵיהֶ֜ם  their  faces 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
לָב֣וֹא  to  go  into 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֶֽרֶץ־  the  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
מִצְרַיִם֮  of  Egypt 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
לָג֣וּר  to  dwell 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: גּוּר 
Sense: to sojourn, abide, dwell in, dwell with, remain, inhabit, be a stranger, be continuing, surely.
וְתַ֨מּוּ  and  they  shall  be  consumed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: תָּמַם  
Sense: to be complete, be finished, be at an end.
בְּאֶ֧רֶץ  in  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
מִצְרַ֣יִם  of  Egypt 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
יִפֹּ֗לוּ  [and]  fall 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
בַּחֶ֤רֶב  by  the  sword 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
בָּֽרָעָב֙  [and]  by  famine 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: רָעָב  
Sense: famine, hunger.
יִתַּ֔מּוּ  They  shall  be  consumed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: תָּמַם  
Sense: to be complete, be finished, be at an end.
מִקָּטֹן֙  from  the  least 
Parse: Preposition-m, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: קָטָן 
Sense: young, small, insignificant, unimportant.
וְעַד־  and  to 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
גָּד֔וֹל  the  greatest 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
וּבָרָעָ֖ב  and  by  famine 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: רָעָב  
Sense: famine, hunger.
יָמֻ֑תוּ  they  shall  die 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
וְהָיוּ֙  and  they  shall  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לְאָלָ֣ה  an  oath 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אָלָה  
Sense: oath.
לְשַׁמָּ֔ה  an  astonishment 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שַׁמָּה  
Sense: waste, horror, appalment.
וְלִקְלָלָ֖ה  and  a  curse 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: קְלָלָה  
Sense: curse, vilification, execration.
וּלְחֶרְפָּֽה  and  a  reproach 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרְפָּה  
Sense: reproach, scorn.