The Meaning of Jeremiah 44:7 Explained

Jeremiah 44:7

KJV: Therefore now thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; Wherefore commit ye this great evil against your souls, to cut off from you man and woman, child and suckling, out of Judah, to leave you none to remain;

YLT: 'And, now, thus said Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel: Why are ye doing great evil unto your own souls, to cut off to you man and woman, infant and suckling, from the midst of Judah, so as not to leave to you a remnant:

Darby: And now thus saith Jehovah the God of hosts, the God of Israel: Wherefore commit ye great evil against your souls, to cut off from you man and woman, infant and suckling, out of the midst of Judah, to leave you no remnant;

ASV: Therefore now thus saith Jehovah, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: Wherefore commit ye this great evil against your own souls, to cut off from you man and woman, infant and suckling, out of the midst of Judah, to leave you none remaining;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Therefore now thus saith  the LORD,  the God  of hosts,  the God  of Israel;  Wherefore commit  ye [this] great  evil  against your souls,  to cut off  from you man  and woman,  child  and suckling,  out  of Judah,  to leave  you none to remain; 

What does Jeremiah 44:7 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 44:7 mean?

Therefore now thus says Yahweh the God of hosts of Israel why you do commit [this] evil great against yourselves to cut off from you man and woman child and infant out of Judah none leaving to remain
וְעַתָּ֡ה כֹּֽה־ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָה֩ אֱלֹהֵ֨י צְבָא֜וֹת יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לָמָה֩ אַתֶּ֨ם עֹשִׂ֜ים רָעָ֤ה גְדוֹלָה֙ אֶל־ נַפְשֹׁ֣תֵכֶ֔ם לְהַכְרִ֨ית לָכֶ֧ם אִישׁ־ וְאִשָּׁ֛ה עוֹלֵ֥ל וְיוֹנֵ֖ק מִתּ֣וֹךְ יְהוּדָ֑ה לְבִלְתִּ֛י הוֹתִ֥יר לָכֶ֖ם שְׁאֵרִֽית

וְעַתָּ֡ה  Therefore  now 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
כֹּֽה־  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.
יְהוָה֩  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֵ֨י  the  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
צְבָא֜וֹת  of  hosts 
Parse: Noun, common plural
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
לָמָה֩  why 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
עֹשִׂ֜ים  do  commit 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
רָעָ֤ה  [this]  evil 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
גְדוֹלָה֙  great 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
אֶל־  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
נַפְשֹׁ֣תֵכֶ֔ם  yourselves 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
לְהַכְרִ֨ית  to  cut  off 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
לָכֶ֧ם  from  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
אִישׁ־  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
וְאִשָּׁ֛ה  and  woman 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
עוֹלֵ֥ל  child 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹולֵל 
Sense: child, boy.
וְיוֹנֵ֖ק  and  infant 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָנַק 
Sense: to suckle, nurse, suck.
מִתּ֣וֹךְ  out 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: תָּוֶךְ  
Sense: midst, middle.
יְהוּדָ֑ה  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
לְבִלְתִּ֛י  none 
Parse: Preposition-l
Root: בִּלְתִּי  
Sense: not, except adv.
הוֹתִ֥יר  leaving 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: יָתַר  
Sense: to be left over, remain, remain over, leave.
שְׁאֵרִֽית  remain 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שְׁאֵרִית  
Sense: rest, residue, remainder, remnant.