The Meaning of Jeremiah 5:31 Explained

Jeremiah 5:31

KJV: The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?

YLT: The prophets have prophesied falsely, And the priests bear rule by their means, And My people have loved it so, And what do they at its latter end?

Darby: the prophets prophesy falsehood, and the priests rule by their means; and my people love to have it so. But what will ye do in the end thereof?

ASV: the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The prophets  prophesy  falsely,  and the priests  bear rule  by their means;  and my people  love  [to have it] so: and what will ye do  in the end  thereof? 

What does Jeremiah 5:31 Mean?

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 5:31 mean?

the prophets prophesy falsely and the priests rule by their [own] power and My people love [to have it] so but what will you do in the end
הַנְּבִיאִ֞ים נִבְּא֣וּ־ בַשֶּׁ֗קֶר וְהַכֹּהֲנִים֙ יִרְדּ֣וּ עַל־ יְדֵיהֶ֔ם וְעַמִּ֖י אָ֣הֲבוּ ! כֵ֑ן וּמַֽה־ תַּעֲשׂ֖וּ לְאַחֲרִיתָֽהּ

הַנְּבִיאִ֞ים  the  prophets 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: נָבִיא  
Sense: spokesman, speaker, prophet.
נִבְּא֣וּ־  prophesy 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: נָבָא  
Sense: to prophesy.
בַשֶּׁ֗קֶר  falsely 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁקֶר  
Sense: lie, deception, disappointment, falsehood.
וְהַכֹּהֲנִים֙  and  the  priests 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
יִרְדּ֣וּ  rule 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: רָדָה 
Sense: to rule, have dominion, dominate, tread down.
יְדֵיהֶ֔ם  their  [own]  power 
Parse: Noun, fdc, third person masculine plural
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
וְעַמִּ֖י  and  My  people 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
אָ֣הֲבוּ  love  [to  have  it] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: אָהַב  
Sense: to love.
! כֵ֑ן  so 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
וּמַֽה־  but  what 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
תַּעֲשׂ֖וּ  will  you  do 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לְאַחֲרִיתָֽהּ  in  the  end 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: אַחֲרִית  
Sense: after part, end.