The Meaning of Jeremiah 9:12 Explained

Jeremiah 9:12

KJV: Who is the wise man, that may understand this? and who is he to whom the mouth of the LORD hath spoken, that he may declare it, for what the land perisheth and is burned up like a wilderness, that none passeth through?

YLT: Who is the wise man? and he understandeth this, And he to whom the mouth of Jehovah spake? And he doth declare it, For what hath the land perished? It hath been burnt up as a wilderness, Without any passing through.

Darby: Who is a wise man, that he may understand this? and he to whom the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken, that he may declare it? Why is the land perished, burnt up like a wilderness, so that none passeth through?

ASV: Who is the wise man, that may understand this? and who is he to whom the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken, that he may declare it? wherefore is the land perished and burned up like a wilderness, so that none passeth through?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Who [is] the wise  man,  that may understand  this? and [who is he] to whom the mouth  of the LORD  hath spoken,  that he may declare  it, for what the land  perisheth  [and] is burned up  like a wilderness,  that none passeth through? 

What does Jeremiah 9:12 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Yahweh called for some wise person to step forward, someone who could explain the reason for the land"s coming desolate condition.

Context Summary

Jeremiah 9:1-16 - National Perversity
Jeremiah 9:1-6
Once the voice of joy and thanksgiving had been heard in Jerusalem, but now on every side there was bloodshed, and the patriot-prophet could only weep incessantly over the slain. A lodge in the wilderness seemed preferable to the most luxurious mansion in the city. Solitude would be better than association with the ungodly perpetrators of such crimes. Yet we must not go out of the fray so long as our Captain wants us to remain in it, in dependence upon him.
Jeremiah 9:7-16
What a magnificent description of the effect of God's judgments on the land! No bird, no beast, no lowing of cattle, but jackals gamboling over the ruins of Jerusalem. However fast we shut our doors and windows, death enters our homes. Neither palace nor cottage is exempted. There is no escape for young or old from the judgments of God, except in penitence and faith. The secret of national decay and overthrow is the same in all ages. The tree is rotten at the core before it falls beneath the hurricane. Let us turn to 1 Corinthians 1:18, which belongs to this chapter, and learn how little the wisdom and might of the world can avail us in the dread hour of universal desolation. Stand with the Crucified and glory in His Cross; be content to bear His reproach and shame, that you may become a son of the Resurrection, and be accounted worthy to escape those things that must come to pass, and at last stand, before Him. [source]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 9

1  Jeremiah laments the people for their manifold sins;
9  and for their judgment
12  Disobedience is the cause of their bitter calamity
17  He exhorts to mourn for their destruction;
23  and to trust not in themselves, but in God
25  He threatens both Jews and Gentiles

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 9:12 mean?

Who [is] the man wise and who may understand - this and [who is he] to whom has spoken the mouth of Yahweh unto that he may declare it why what does perish the land [and] burn up like a wilderness so that no one can pass through -
מִֽי־ הָאִ֤ישׁ הֶֽחָכָם֙ וְיָבֵ֣ן אֶת־ ؟ זֹ֔את וַאֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֧ר פִּֽי־ יְהוָ֛ה אֵלָ֖יו וְיַגִּדָ֑הּ עַל־ מָה֙ אָבְדָ֣ה הָאָ֔רֶץ נִצְּתָ֥ה כַמִּדְבָּ֖ר מִבְּלִ֖י ؟ עֹבֵֽר ס

מִֽי־  Who  [is] 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: מִי  
Sense: who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever.
הָאִ֤ישׁ  the  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
הֶֽחָכָם֙  wise 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: חָכָם  
Sense: wise, wise (man).
וְיָבֵ֣ן  and  who  may  understand 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Jussive, third person masculine singular
Root: בִּין  
Sense: to discern, understand, consider.
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.
؟ זֹ֔את  this 
Parse: Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
וַאֲשֶׁ֨ר  and  [who  is  he]  to  whom 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
דִּבֶּ֧ר  has  spoken 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
פִּֽי־  the  mouth 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
יְהוָ֛ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֵלָ֖יו  unto 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
וְיַגִּדָ֑הּ  that  he  may  declare  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
עַל־  why 
Parse: Preposition
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.
אָבְדָ֣ה  does  perish 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָבַד  
Sense: perish, vanish, go astray, be destroyed.
הָאָ֔רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
נִצְּתָ֥ה  [and]  burn  up 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָצַת  
Sense: to kindle, burn, set on fire.
כַמִּדְבָּ֖ר  like  a  wilderness 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
מִבְּלִ֖י  so  that  no  one 
Parse: Preposition-m, Adverb
Root: בְּלִי 
Sense: wearing out adv of negation.
؟ עֹבֵֽר  can  pass  through 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation