The Meaning of Jeremiah 5:14 Explained

Jeremiah 5:14

KJV: Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

YLT: Therefore, thus said Jehovah, God of Hosts, Because of your speaking this word, Lo, I am making My words in thy mouth become fire, And this people wood, and it hath devoured them.

Darby: Therefore thus saith Jehovah, the God of hosts: Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

ASV: Wherefore thus saith Jehovah, the God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Wherefore thus saith  the LORD  God  of hosts,  Because ye speak  this word,  behold, I will make  my words  in thy mouth  fire,  and this people  wood,  and it shall devour  them. 

What does Jeremiah 5:14 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Yahweh, the ultimate power and authority in the universe, promised to make the messages that He had put in Jeremiah"s mouth for the people like "fire," not just hot air. His words would consume them in the sense that they would result in the people"s destruction-if repentance did not follow.

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 5

1  The judgments of God upon the people, for their perverseness;
7  for their adultery;
10  for their impiety;
15  for their worship of idols;
19  for their contempt of God;
25  and for their great corruption in the civil state;
30  and ecclesiastical

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 5:14 mean?

Therefore thus says Yahweh God of hosts because you speak - word this behold I will make My words in your mouth fire and people this wood and it shall devour them
לָכֵ֗ן כֹּֽה־ אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י צְבָא֔וֹת יַ֚עַן דַּבֶּרְכֶ֔ם אֶת־ הַדָּבָ֖ר הַזֶּ֑ה הִנְנִ֣י נֹתֵן֩ דְּבָרַ֨י בְּפִ֜יךָ לְאֵ֗שׁ וְהָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֛ה עֵצִ֖ים וַאֲכָלָֽתַם

כֹּֽה־  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
אָמַ֤ר  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֵ֣י  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
צְבָא֔וֹת  of  hosts 
Parse: Noun, common plural
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
יַ֚עַן  because 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יַעַן  
Sense: because, therefore, because that, on account of prep.
דַּבֶּרְכֶ֔ם  you  speak 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct, second person masculine plural
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַדָּבָ֖ר  word 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הַזֶּ֑ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
הִנְנִ֣י  behold 
Parse: Interjection, first person common singular
Root: הֵן  
Sense: behold, lo, though hypothetical part.
נֹתֵן֩  I  will  make 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
דְּבָרַ֨י  My  words 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
בְּפִ֜יךָ  in  your  mouth 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
לְאֵ֗שׁ  fire 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
וְהָעָ֥ם  and  people 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
הַזֶּ֛ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
עֵצִ֖ים  wood 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
וַאֲכָלָֽתַם  and  it  shall  devour  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.