The Meaning of Jeremiah 49:23 Explained

Jeremiah 49:23

KJV: Concerning Damascus. Hamath is confounded, and Arpad: for they have heard evil tidings: they are fainthearted; there is sorrow on the sea; it cannot be quiet.

YLT: Concerning Damascus: Ashamed hath been Hamath and Arpad, For an evil report they have heard, They have been melted, in the sea is sorrow, To be quiet it is not able.

Darby: Concerning Damascus. Hamath is put to shame, and Arpad; for they have heard evil tidings, they are melted away: there is distress on the sea; it cannot be quiet.

ASV: Of Damascus. Hamath is confounded, and Arpad; for they have heard evil tidings, they are melted away: there is sorrow on the sea; it cannot be quiet.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Concerning Damascus.  Hamath  is confounded,  and Arpad:  for they have heard  evil  tidings:  they are fainthearted;  [there is] sorrow  on the sea;  it cannot  be quiet. 

What does Jeremiah 49:23 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Hamath, 110 miles north of Damascus, and Arpad, 95 miles north of Hamath, were allied city-states that would hear disheartening and shameful news. The sea may have been some local body of water or some local symbol that Jeremiah used as a figure of disquietude. [1] The lovely Pharpar River flowed through the city (cf. 2 Kings 5:12).

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 49:23 mean?

Against Damascus Are shamed Hamath and Arpad for news bad they have heard they are fainthearted on the sea [There is] trouble be quiet not it cannot
לְדַמֶּ֗שֶׂק בּ֤וֹשָֽׁה חֲמָת֙ וְאַרְפָּ֔ד כִּי־ שְׁמֻעָ֥ה רָעָ֛ה שָׁמְע֖וּ נָמֹ֑גוּ בַּיָּ֣ם דְּאָגָ֔ה הַשְׁקֵ֖ט לֹ֥א יוּכָֽל

לְדַמֶּ֗שֶׂק  Against  Damascus 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: דּוּמֶּשֶׂק 
Sense: an ancient trading city, capital of Syria, located in the plain east of Hermon, 30 (205 km) miles northeast of Jerusalem.
בּ֤וֹשָֽׁה  Are  shamed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: בֹּושׁ 
Sense: to put to shame, be ashamed, be disconcerted, be disappointed.
חֲמָת֙  Hamath 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֲמָת 
Sense: the principle city of upper Syria in the valley of the Orontes.
וְאַרְפָּ֔ד  and  Arpad 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַרְפָּד  
Sense: a city in northern Syria cited as an example of the Assyrian conquest.
שְׁמֻעָ֥ה  news 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שְׁמוּעָה  
Sense: report, news, rumour.
רָעָ֛ה  bad 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
שָׁמְע֖וּ  they  have  heard 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
נָמֹ֑גוּ  they  are  fainthearted 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: מוּג  
Sense: to melt, cause to melt.
בַּיָּ֣ם  on  the  sea 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
דְּאָגָ֔ה  [There  is]  trouble 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: דְּאָגָה  
Sense: anxiety, anxious care, care.
הַשְׁקֵ֖ט  be  quiet 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Infinitive absolute
Root: שָׁקַט  
Sense: to be quiet, be tranquil, be at peace, be quiet, rest, lie still, be undisturbed.
יוּכָֽל  it  cannot 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָכֹל  
Sense: to prevail, overcome, endure, have power, be able.