The Meaning of Jeremiah 48:40 Explained

Jeremiah 48:40

KJV: For thus saith the LORD; Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread his wings over Moab.

YLT: For thus said Jehovah: Lo, as an eagle he doth flee, And hath spread his wings unto Moab.

Darby: For thus saith Jehovah: Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread forth his wings over Moab.

ASV: For thus saith Jehovah: Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread out his wings against Moab.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For thus saith  the LORD;  Behold, he shall fly  as an eagle,  and shall spread  his wings  over Moab. 

What does Jeremiah 48:40 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Yahweh affirmed that, like a swift eagle (or vulture), Moab"s destroyer would descend on her. This was a fit figure for Nebuchadnezzar (cf. Jeremiah 49:22; Deuteronomy 28:49).

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 48

1  The judgment of Moab
7  for their pride
11  for their security
14  for their carnal confidence
26  and for their contempt of God and his people
47  The restoration of Moab

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 48:40 mean?

For thus says Yahweh behold like an eagle one shall fly and spread his wings over Moab
כִּי־ כֹה֙ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה הִנֵּ֥ה כַנֶּ֖שֶׁר יִדְאֶ֑ה וּפָרַ֥שׂ כְּנָפָ֖יו אֶל־ מוֹאָֽב

כֹה֙  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.
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
הִנֵּ֥ה  behold 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
כַנֶּ֖שֶׁר  like  an  eagle 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נֶשֶׁר  
Sense: eagle, vulture, griffon-vulture.
יִדְאֶ֑ה  one  shall  fly 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּאָה  
Sense: to fly fast, fly swiftly, dart through the air.
וּפָרַ֥שׂ  and  spread 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: פָּרַשׂ  
Sense: to spread, spread out, stretch, break in pieces.
כְּנָפָ֖יו  his  wings 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּנָף  
Sense: wing, extremity, edge, winged, border, corner, shirt.
אֶל־  over 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
מוֹאָֽב  Moab 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מֹואָב 
Sense: a son of Lot by his eldest daughter.