The Meaning of Jeremiah 8:1 Explained

Jeremiah 8:1

KJV: At that time, saith the LORD, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves:

YLT: At that time, an affirmation of Jehovah, They bring the bones of the kings of Judah, And the bones of its princes, And the bones of the priests, And the bones of the prophets, And the bones of inhabitants of Jerusalem, Out of their graves,

Darby: At that time, saith Jehovah, they shall bring forth the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves;

ASV: At that time, saith Jehovah, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

At that time,  saith  the LORD,  they shall bring out  the bones  of the kings  of Judah,  and the bones  of his princes,  and the bones  of the priests,  and the bones  of the prophets,  and the bones  of the inhabitants  of Jerusalem,  out of their graves: 

What does Jeremiah 8:1 Mean?

Verse Meaning

When the invasion from the north came (cf. Jeremiah 7:32-34), the Lord declared, the enemy soldiers would dig up the bodies of kings, princes, priests, prophets, and ordinary citizens (cf. Amos 2:1). Thus they would add insult to injury. The ancients believed that the spirits of unburied people would have no rest in the netherworld. [1] Some of the reason for exhuming these corpses may have been to plunder the graves of the dead, a practice that was common in the ancient Near East. [2]
"Even in modern times, the opening up of graves and the throwing about of the bones of the departed is practiced as a mark of extreme contempt. In recent wars in the Middle East such desecrations and insult were perpetrated." [1]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 8

1  The calamity of the Jews, both dead and alive
4  He upbraids their foolish and shameless impenitency
13  He shows their grievous judgment;
18  and bewails their desperate estate

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 8:1 mean?

At time that says Yahweh - they shall bring out - the bones of the kings of Judah and the bones of its princes of the priests and of the prophets and of the inhabitants of Jerusalem out of their graves
בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֣יא נְאֻם־ יְהוָ֡ה [ויציאו] (יוֹצִ֣יאוּ) אֶת־ עַצְמ֣וֹת מַלְכֵֽי־ יְהוּדָ֣ה וְאֶת־ עַצְמוֹת־ שָׂרָיו֩ הַכֹּהֲנִ֜ים וְאֵ֣ת ׀ הַנְּבִיאִ֗ים וְאֵ֛ת יוֹשְׁבֵֽי־ יְרוּשָׁלִָ֖ם מִקִּבְרֵיהֶֽם

בָּעֵ֣ת  At  time 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.
הַהִ֣יא  that 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person feminine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
נְאֻם־  says 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נְאֻם  
Sense: (Qal) utterance, declaration (of prophet).
יְהוָ֡ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
[ויציאו]  - 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural
(יוֹצִ֣יאוּ)  they  shall  bring  out 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
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.
עַצְמ֣וֹת  the  bones 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: עֶצֶם 
Sense: bone, essence, substance.
מַלְכֵֽי־  of  the  kings 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
יְהוּדָ֣ה  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
עַצְמוֹת־  the  bones 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: עֶצֶם 
Sense: bone, essence, substance.
שָׂרָיו֩  of  its  princes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: סָרַר 
Sense: prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.
הַכֹּהֲנִ֜ים  of  the  priests 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
הַנְּבִיאִ֗ים  of  the  prophets 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: נָבִיא  
Sense: spokesman, speaker, prophet.
יוֹשְׁבֵֽי־  of  the  inhabitants 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
יְרוּשָׁלִָ֖ם  of  Jerusalem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
מִקִּבְרֵיהֶֽם  out  of  their  graves 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: קֶבֶר  
Sense: grave, sepulchre, tomb.