The Meaning of Jeremiah 46:23 Explained

Jeremiah 46:23

KJV: They shall cut down her forest, saith the LORD, though it cannot be searched; because they are more than the grasshoppers, and are innumerable.

YLT: They have cut down her forest, An affirmation of Jehovah -- for it is not searched, For they have been more than the grasshopper, And they have no numbering.

Darby: They shall cut down her forest, saith Jehovah, though it be impenetrable; for they are more than the locusts, and are innumerable.

ASV: They shall cut down her forest, saith Jehovah, though it cannot be searched; because they are more than the locusts, and are innumerable.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

They shall cut down  her forest,  saith  the LORD,  though it cannot be searched;  because they are more  than the grasshoppers,  and [are] innumerable. 

What does Jeremiah 46:23 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The innumerable enemy soldiers would cut down all the trees to use in their warfare against the Egyptians. Their coming would resemble an invasion of locusts.

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 46

1  Jeremiah prophesies the overthrow of Pharaoh's army at Euphrates
13  and the conquest of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar
27  He comforts Jacob in his chastisement

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 46:23 mean?

They shall cut down her forest says Yahweh Though cannot it be searched because they [are] more numerous than grasshoppers and like innumerable
כָּרְת֤וּ יַעְרָהּ֙ נְאֻם־ יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֖י לֹ֣א יֵֽחָקֵ֑ר כִּ֤י רַבּוּ֙ מֵֽאַרְבֶּ֔ה וְאֵ֥ין לָהֶ֖ם מִסְפָּֽר

כָּרְת֤וּ  They  shall  cut  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
יַעְרָהּ֙  her  forest 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: יַעַר 
Sense: forest, wood, thicket, wooded height.
נְאֻם־  says 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נְאֻם  
Sense: (Qal) utterance, declaration (of prophet).
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
כִּ֖י  Though 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
לֹ֣א  cannot 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יֵֽחָקֵ֑ר  it  be  searched 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָקַר  
Sense: to search, search for, search out, examine, investigate.
כִּ֤י  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
רַבּוּ֙  they  [are]  more  numerous 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: רָבַב  
Sense: to be or become many, be or become much, be or become great.
מֵֽאַרְבֶּ֔ה  than  grasshoppers 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַרְבֶּה  
Sense: a kind of locust, locust swarm (coll).
לָהֶ֖ם  like 
Parse: Preposition-l, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
מִסְפָּֽר  innumerable 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִסְפָּר  
Sense: number, tale.