The Meaning of Jeremiah 50:16 Explained

Jeremiah 50:16

KJV: Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land.

YLT: Cut off the sower from Babylon, And him handling the sickle in the time of harvest, Because of the oppressing sword, Each unto his people -- they turn, And each to his land -- they flee.

Darby: Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest. For fear of the oppressing sword let them turn every one to his people, and let them flee every one to his own land.

ASV: Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Cut off  the sower  from Babylon,  and him that handleth  the sickle  in the time  of harvest:  for fear  of the oppressing  sword  they shall turn  every one  to his people,  and they shall flee  every one  to his own land. 

What does Jeremiah 50:16 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The agricultural cycle would end, from sowing to reaping, because of the fighting of Babylon"s enemy. The enemy soldiers would return to their own lands when they finished their job.
"Cyrus, who unified the Medo-Persian Empire and then overwhelmed Babylon (ZPEB, 1:1054-56), was careful to spare the country; so the reference ( Jeremiah 50:16) must be to a later attack." [1]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 50

1  The judgment of Babylon and the redemption of Israel

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 50:16 mean?

Cut off the sower from Babylon and him who handles the sickle at time harvest for fear of sword the oppressing Everyone to his own people shall turn and everyone to his own land shall flee -
כִּרְת֤וּ זוֹרֵ֙עַ֙ מִבָּבֶ֔ל וְתֹפֵ֥שׂ מַגָּ֖ל בְּעֵ֣ת קָצִ֑יר מִפְּנֵי֙ חֶ֣רֶב הַיּוֹנָ֔ה אִ֤ישׁ אֶל־ עַמּוֹ֙ יִפְנ֔וּ וְאִ֥ישׁ לְאַרְצ֖וֹ יָנֻֽסוּ ס

כִּרְת֤וּ  Cut  off 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
זוֹרֵ֙עַ֙  the  sower 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: זָרַע  
Sense: to sow, scatter seed.
מִבָּבֶ֔ל  from  Babylon 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בָּבֶל  
Sense: Babel or Babylon, the ancient site and/or capital of Babylonia (modern Hillah) situated on the Euphrates.
וְתֹפֵ֥שׂ  and  him  who  handles 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct
Root: תָּפַשׂ  
Sense: to catch, handle, lay hold, take hold of, seize, wield.
מַגָּ֖ל  the  sickle 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַגָּל  
Sense: sickle.
בְּעֵ֣ת  at  time 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, common singular construct
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.
קָצִ֑יר  harvest 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קָצִיר 
Sense: harvest, harvesting.
מִפְּנֵי֙  for  fear 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
חֶ֣רֶב  of  sword 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
הַיּוֹנָ֔ה  the  oppressing 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: יׄונָה 
Sense: to oppress, suppress, treat violently, maltreat, vex, do wrong.
אִ֤ישׁ  Everyone 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
עַמּוֹ֙  his  own  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
יִפְנ֔וּ  shall  turn 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: פֹּונֶה 
Sense: to turn.
וְאִ֥ישׁ  and  everyone 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
לְאַרְצ֖וֹ  to  his  own  land 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
יָנֻֽסוּ  shall  flee 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נוּס  
Sense: to flee, escape.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation