The Meaning of Jeremiah 49:19 Explained

Jeremiah 49:19

KJV: Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan against the habitation of the strong: but I will suddenly make him run away from her: and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me?

YLT: Lo, as a lion he cometh up, Because of the rising of the Jordan, Unto the enduring habitation, But I cause to rest, I cause him to run from off her, And who is chosen? concerning her I lay a charge, For who is like Me? and who conveneth Me? And who is this shepherd who standeth before Me?

Darby: Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of the Jordan against the strong habitation; for I will make them suddenly run away from it; and who is a chosen man whom I shall appoint over her? For who is like me? and who will assign me a time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me?

ASV: Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the pride of the Jordan against the strong habitation: for I will suddenly make them run away from it; and whoso is chosen, him will I appoint over it: for who is like me? and who will appoint me a time? and who is the shepherd that will stand before me?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Behold, he shall come up  like a lion  from the swelling  of Jordan  against the habitation  of the strong:  but I will suddenly  make him run away  from her: and who [is] a chosen  [man, that] I may appoint  over her? for who [is] like me? and who will appoint me the time?  and who [is] that shepherd  that will stand  before  me? 

What does Jeremiah 49:19 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Yahweh promised to invade Edom as a lion attacks a flock of sheep, a phenomenon well known in Edom. Lions repeatedly ventured out of the dense jungle foliage in the Arabah to attack sheep grazing on the pastures of that valley. Edom"s shepherd leaders would not be able to hold out against the Lord, but would run away (cf. Jeremiah 50:44-46). Then Yahweh would appoint over the nation whomever He chose to rule it, and no one would be able to challenge or overturn His sovereign authority.

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 49

1  The judgment of the Ammonites
6  Their restoration
7  The judgment of Edom
23  of Damascus
28  of Kedar
30  of Hazor
34  and of Elam
39  The restoration of Elam

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 49:19 mean?

Behold like a lion he shall come up from the floodplain of the Jordan Against the dwelling place of the enduring but I will suddenly make him run away from her and who [is] a chosen [man] over her [that] I may appoint for who [is] like Me and who will arraign Me and who [is] this shepherd who will withstand Me -
הִ֠נֵּה כְּאַרְיֵ֞ה יַעֲלֶ֨ה מִגְּא֣וֹן הַיַּרְדֵּן֮ אֶל־ נְוֵ֣ה אֵיתָן֒ כִּֽי־ אַרְגִּ֤יעָה אֲרִיצֶ֨נּוּ מֵֽעָלֶ֔יהָ וּמִ֥י בָח֖וּר אֵלֶ֣יהָ אֶפְקֹ֑ד כִּ֣י מִ֤י ؟ כָמ֙וֹנִי֙ וּמִ֣י יֹעִידֶ֔נִּי וּמִי־ זֶ֣ה רֹעֶ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַעֲמֹ֖ד לְפָנָֽי ס

הִ֠נֵּה  Behold 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
כְּאַרְיֵ֞ה  like  a  lion 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲרִי 
Sense: lion.
יַעֲלֶ֨ה  he  shall  come  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
מִגְּא֣וֹן  from  the  floodplain 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: גָּאֹון  
Sense: exaltation, majesty, pride.
הַיַּרְדֵּן֮  of  the  Jordan 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יַרְדֵּן  
Sense: the river of Palestine running from the roots of Anti-Lebanon to the Dead Sea a distance of approx 200 miles (320 km).
אֶל־  Against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
נְוֵ֣ה  the  dwelling  place 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נָוֶה 
Sense: abode, habitation, abode of shepherds or flocks, pasture.
אֵיתָן֒  of  the  enduring 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: אֵיתָן  
Sense: perpetual, constant, perennial, ever-flowing.
אַרְגִּ֤יעָה  I  will  suddenly 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect Cohortative, first person common singular
Root: רָגַע 
Sense: to act in an instant, stir up, disturb.
אֲרִיצֶ֨נּוּ  make  him  run  away 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect Cohortative if contextual, first person common singular, third person masculine singular
Root: רוּץ 
Sense: to run.
מֵֽעָלֶ֔יהָ  from  her 
Parse: Preposition-m, third person feminine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
וּמִ֥י  and  who  [is] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interrogative
Root: מִי  
Sense: who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever.
בָח֖וּר  a  chosen  [man] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine singular
Root: בָּחוּר 
Sense: youth, young man.
אֵלֶ֣יהָ  over  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
אֶפְקֹ֑ד  [that]  I  may  appoint 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: פָּקַד 
Sense: to attend to, muster, number, reckon, visit, punish, appoint, look after, care for.
מִ֤י  who  [is] 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: מִי  
Sense: who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever.
؟ כָמ֙וֹנִי֙  like  Me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: כְּמֹו  
Sense: like, as, the like of which conj.
וּמִ֣י  and  who 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interrogative
Root: מִי  
Sense: who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever.
יֹעִידֶ֔נִּי  will  arraign  Me 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: יָעַד  
Sense: to fix, appoint, assemble, meet, set, betroth.
וּמִי־  and  who  [is] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interrogative
Root: מִי  
Sense: who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever.
זֶ֣ה  this 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
רֹעֶ֔ה  shepherd 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: רָעָה 
Sense: to pasture, tend, graze, feed.
יַעֲמֹ֖ד  will  withstand 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
לְפָנָֽי  Me 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation