The Meaning of Jeremiah 47:2 Explained

Jeremiah 47:2

KJV: Thus saith the LORD; Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land, and all that is therein; the city, and them that dwell therein: then the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl.

YLT: 'Thus said Jehovah: Lo, waters are coming up from the north, And have been for an overflowing stream, And they overflow the land and its fulness, The city, and the inhabitants in it, And men have cried out, And howled hath every inhabitant of the land.

Darby: Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall become an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land, and all that is therein; the city, and them that dwell therein: and the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl,

ASV: Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall become an overflowing stream, and shall overflow the land and all that is therein, the city and them that dwell therein; and the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall wail.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Thus saith  the LORD;  Behold, waters  rise up  out of the north,  and shall be an overflowing  flood,  and shall overflow  the land,  and all that is therein;  the city,  and them that dwell  therein: then the men  shall cry,  and all the inhabitants  of the land  shall howl. 

What does Jeremiah 47:2 Mean?

Verse Meaning

An invader from the north would sweep in like a flood and overwhelm the land and Gaza. Everyone would bewail this situation. After the battle of Carchemish in605 B.C, the likely invader would have been Babylon, but this oracle may date from before that battle.

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 47

1  The destruction of the Philistines

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 47:2 mean?

Thus says Yahweh behold waters rise out of the north and shall be flood an overflowing and they shall overflow the land and all that is in it the city and those who dwell within and shall cry the men and shall wail All the inhabitants of the land
כֹּ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה הִנֵּה־ מַ֜יִם עֹלִ֤ים מִצָּפוֹן֙ וְהָיוּ֙ לְנַ֣חַל שׁוֹטֵ֔ף וְיִשְׁטְפוּ֙ אֶ֣רֶץ וּמְלוֹאָ֔הּ עִ֖יר וְיֹ֣שְׁבֵי בָ֑הּ וְזָֽעֲקוּ֙ הָֽאָדָ֔ם וְהֵילִ֕ל כֹּ֖ל יוֹשֵׁ֥ב הָאָֽרֶץ

כֹּ֣ה ׀  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.
יְהוָ֗ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
הִנֵּה־  behold 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
מַ֜יִם  waters 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
עֹלִ֤ים  rise 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
מִצָּפוֹן֙  out  of  the  north 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular
Root: צָפֹון  
Sense: north (of direction), northward.
וְהָיוּ֙  and  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.
לְנַ֣חַל  flood 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נַחַל 
Sense: torrent, valley, wadi, torrent-valley.
שׁוֹטֵ֔ף  an  overflowing 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁטַף  
Sense: to wash, rinse, overflow, engulf, rinse or wash off.
וְיִשְׁטְפוּ֙  and  they  shall  overflow 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁטַף  
Sense: to wash, rinse, overflow, engulf, rinse or wash off.
אֶ֣רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וּמְלוֹאָ֔הּ  and  all  that  is  in  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: מְלֹא  
Sense: fullness, that which fills.
עִ֖יר  the  city 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
וְיֹ֣שְׁבֵי  and  those  who  dwell 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
בָ֑הּ  within 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
וְזָֽעֲקוּ֙  and  shall  cry 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: זָעַק  
Sense: to cry, cry out, call, call for help.
הָֽאָדָ֔ם  the  men 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
וְהֵילִ֕ל  and  shall  wail 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָלַל  
Sense: (Hiphil) to howl, wail, make a howling.
יוֹשֵׁ֥ב  the  inhabitants 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
הָאָֽרֶץ  of  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.