The Meaning of Jeremiah 52:8 Explained

Jeremiah 52:8

KJV: But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.

YLT: And the forces of the Chaldeans pursue after the king, and overtake Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho, and all his forces have been scattered from him,

Darby: And the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.

ASV: But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.

What is the context of Jeremiah 52:8?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But the army  of the Chaldeans  pursued  after  the king,  and overtook  Zedekiah  in the plains  of Jericho;  and all his army  was scattered  from him. 

What does Jeremiah 52:8 Mean?

Verse Meaning

However, the Chaldeans caught up with Zedekiah and his soldiers in the plains of Jericho, and the soldiers abandoned their king either deliberately or out of necessity ( Jeremiah 21:7; Jeremiah 32:4; Jeremiah 34:21; Jeremiah 37:17; Jeremiah 38:23; Lamentations 4:19-20).

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 52

1  Zedekiah rebels
4  Jerusalem is besieged and taken
8  Zedekiah's sons killed, and his own eyes put out,
12  Nebuzaradan burns and spoils the city
24  He carries away the captives
28  The number of Jews carried captive
31  Evil-Merodach advances Jehoiachin

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 52:8 mean?

But pursued the army of the Chaldeans after the king and they overtook - Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho and all his army was scattered from him
וַיִּרְדְּפ֤וּ חֵיל־ כַּשְׂדִּים֙ אַחֲרֵ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וַיַּשִּׂ֥יגוּ אֶת־ צִדְקִיָּ֖הוּ בְּעַֽרְבֹ֣ת יְרֵח֑וֹ וְכָל־ חֵיל֔וֹ נָפֹ֖צוּ מֵעָלָֽיו

וַיִּרְדְּפ֤וּ  But  pursued 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: רָדַף  
Sense: to be behind, follow after, pursue, persecute, run after.
חֵיל־  the  army 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: חַיִל 
Sense: strength, might, efficiency, wealth, army.
כַּשְׂדִּים֙  of  the  Chaldeans 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: כַּשְׂדִּים  
Sense: a territory in lower Mesopotamia bordering on the Persian Gulf.
אַחֲרֵ֣י  after 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
וַיַּשִּׂ֥יגוּ  and  they  overtook 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: מַשֶּׂגֶת 
Sense: to reach, overtake, take hold upon.
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.
צִדְקִיָּ֖הוּ  Zedekiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: צִדְקִיָּה 
Sense: the last king of Judah renamed from ‘Mattaniah’ by Nebuchadnezzar; son of Josiah by wife Hamutal; placed on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar when he carried his nephew Jehoiakim in captivity.
בְּעַֽרְבֹ֣ת  in  the  plains 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: עֲרָבָה  
Sense: desert plain, steppe, desert, wilderness.
יְרֵח֑וֹ  of  Jericho 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרִחֹו 
Sense: a city 5 miles (8 km) west of the Jordan and 7 miles (.
וְכָל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
חֵיל֔וֹ  his  army 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חַיִל 
Sense: strength, might, efficiency, wealth, army.
נָפֹ֖צוּ  was  scattered 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: פּוּץ 
Sense: to scatter, be dispersed, be scattered.
מֵעָלָֽיו  from  him 
Parse: Preposition-m, third person masculine singular
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.