The Meaning of Jeremiah 50:45 Explained

Jeremiah 50:45

KJV: Therefore hear ye the counsel of the LORD, that he hath taken against Babylon; and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the land of the Chaldeans: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out: surely he shall make their habitation desolate with them.

YLT: Therefore, hear ye the counsel of Jehovah, That He counselled concerning Babylon, And His devices that He hath devised Concerning the land of the Chaldeans; Drag them out do not little ones of the flock, Doth He not make desolate over them the habitation?

Darby: Therefore hear the counsel of Jehovah, which he hath taken against Babylon, and his purposes which he hath purposed against the land of the Chaldeans: The little ones of the flock shall certainly draw them away; he shall certainly make their habitation desolate for them.

ASV: Therefore hear ye the counsel of Jehovah, that he hath taken against Babylon; and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the land of the Chaldeans: Surely they shall drag them away, even the little ones of the flock; surely he shall make their habitation desolate over them.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Therefore hear  ye the counsel  of the LORD,  that he hath taken  against Babylon;  and his purposes,  that he hath purposed  against the land  of the Chaldeans:  Surely the least  of the flock  shall draw them out:  surely he shall make [their] habitation  desolate  with them. 

What does Jeremiah 50:45 Mean?

Verse Meaning

God"s plan for Babylon was that an enemy would carry the Chaldeans off like a lion dragging a little lamb. Yahweh would clear the pasture of Babylon of its inhabitants.

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 50

1  The judgment of Babylon and the redemption of Israel

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 50:45 mean?

Therefore hear the counsel of Yahweh that He has taken against Babylon and His purposes He has proposed the land of the Chaldeans surely not shall draw them out the least of the flock desolate with them He will make their dwelling place
לָכֵ֞ן שִׁמְע֣וּ עֲצַת־ יְהוָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר יָעַץ֙ אֶל־ בָּבֶ֔ל וּמַ֨חְשְׁבוֹתָ֔יו חָשַׁ֖ב אֶ֣רֶץ כַּשְׂדִּ֑ים אִם־ לֹ֤א יִסְחָבוּם֙ צְעִירֵ֣י הַצֹּ֔אן יַשִּׁ֛ים עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם נָוֶֽה

שִׁמְע֣וּ  hear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
עֲצַת־  the  counsel 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: עֵצָה 
Sense: counsel, advice, purpose.
יְהוָ֗ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֲשֶׁ֤ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יָעַץ֙  He  has  taken 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄועֵץ 
Sense: to advise, consult, give counsel, counsel, purpose, devise, plan.
אֶל־  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
בָּבֶ֔ל  Babylon 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בָּבֶל  
Sense: Babel or Babylon, the ancient site and/or capital of Babylonia (modern Hillah) situated on the Euphrates.
וּמַ֨חְשְׁבוֹתָ֔יו  and  His  purposes 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מַחֲשָׁבָה  
Sense: thought, device.
חָשַׁ֖ב  He  has  proposed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָשַׁב 
Sense: to think, plan, esteem, calculate, invent, make a judgment, imagine, count.
אֶ֣רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
כַּשְׂדִּ֑ים  of  the  Chaldeans 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: כַּשְׂדִּים  
Sense: a territory in lower Mesopotamia bordering on the Persian Gulf.
אִם־  surely 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
יִסְחָבוּם֙  shall  draw  them  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, third person masculine plural
Root: סָחַב  
Sense: (Qal) to drag.
צְעִירֵ֣י  the  least 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural construct
Root: צָעִיר  
Sense: little, insignificant, young.
הַצֹּ֔אן  of  the  flock 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: צֹאן  
Sense: small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks.
יַשִּׁ֛ים  desolate 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמֵם  
Sense: to be desolate, be appalled, stun, stupefy.
עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם  with  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
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.
נָוֶֽה  He  will  make  their  dwelling  place 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָוֶה 
Sense: abode, habitation, abode of shepherds or flocks, pasture.