The Meaning of Jeremiah 48:41 Explained

Jeremiah 48:41

KJV: Kerioth is taken, and the strong holds are surprised, and the mighty men's hearts in Moab at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.

YLT: Captured have been the cities, And the strongholds are caught, And the heart of the mighty of Moab Hath been in that day as the heart of a distressed woman.

Darby: Kerijoth is taken, and the strongholds are seized, and at that day the heart of the mighty men of Moab shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.

ASV: Kerioth is taken, and the strongholds are seized, and the heart of the mighty men of Moab at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Kerioth  is taken,  and the strong holds  are surprised,  and the mighty men's  hearts  in Moab  at that day  shall be as the heart  of a woman  in her pangs. 

What does Jeremiah 48:41 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The hearts of even mighty men in the nation would fail, like the heart of a woman in labor, at the news that Kerieth, one of the strongest of Moab"s cities, and other strongholds, had fallen.

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 48:41 mean?

Is taken Kerioth and the strongholds are surprised and shall be the hearts of mighty men in Moab on day that Like the heart of a woman in birth pangs
נִלְכְּדָה֙ הַקְּרִיּ֔וֹת וְהַמְּצָד֖וֹת נִתְפָּ֑שָׂה וְֽ֠הָיָה לֵ֞ב גִּבּוֹרֵ֤י מוֹאָב֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא כְּלֵ֖ב אִשָּׁ֥ה מְצֵרָֽה

נִלְכְּדָה֙  Is  taken 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: לָכַד  
Sense: to capture, take, seize.
הַקְּרִיּ֔וֹת  Kerioth 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: קְרִיּׄות  
Sense: a town in the southern district of Judah.
וְהַמְּצָד֖וֹת  and  the  strongholds 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: מְצָד  
Sense: fort, stronghold, fastness.
נִתְפָּ֑שָׂה  are  surprised 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: תָּפַשׂ  
Sense: to catch, handle, lay hold, take hold of, seize, wield.
וְֽ֠הָיָה  and  shall  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לֵ֞ב  the  hearts 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
גִּבּוֹרֵ֤י  of  mighty  men 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural construct
Root: גִּבֹּור  
Sense: strong, mighty.
מוֹאָב֙  in  Moab 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מֹואָב 
Sense: a son of Lot by his eldest daughter.
בַּיּ֣וֹם  on  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַה֔וּא  that 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
כְּלֵ֖ב  Like  the  heart 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
אִשָּׁ֥ה  of  a  woman 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
מְצֵרָֽה  in  birth  pangs 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, feminine singular
Root: צָרַר 
Sense: to bind, be narrow, be in distress, make narrow, cause distress, besiege, be straitened, be bound.