The Meaning of Jeremiah 12:9 Explained

Jeremiah 12:9

KJV: Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird, the birds round about are against her; come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour.

YLT: A speckled fowl is Mine inheritance to Me? Is the fowl round about against her? Come, assemble, every beast of the field, Come ye for food.

Darby: My heritage is unto me as a speckled bird of prey; the birds of prey round about are against her. Go, assemble all the beasts of the field, bring them to devour.

ASV: Is my heritage unto me as a speckled bird of prey? are the birds of prey against her round about? go ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, bring them to devour.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Mine heritage  [is] unto me [as] a speckled  bird,  the birds  round about  [are] against her; come  ye, assemble  all the beasts  of the field,  come  to devour. 

What does Jeremiah 12:9 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Judah was like a different, colorful bird, among birds of prey that had gathered all around her to attack her. Another translation possibility, represented by the Septuagint, is that Jeremiah described Judah as a hyena"s lair, surrounded by birds of prey ready to peck up the scraps that the hyenas left. The Lord instructed His servants (the angels?) to assemble all the wild animals that surrounded Judah to come and devour this bird.

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 12

1  Jeremiah, complaining of the prosperity of the wicked, by faith sees their ruin
5  God admonishes him of his brothers' treachery against him;
7  and laments his heritage
14  He promises to the penitent return from captivity

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

[like] a vulture speckled My heritage [is] to Me the vultures [are] all around against her come assemble all the beasts of the field bring them for food
הַעַ֨יִט צָב֤וּעַ נַחֲלָתִי֙ לִ֔י הַעַ֖יִט סָבִ֣יב עָלֶ֑יהָ לְכ֗וּ אִסְפ֛וּ כָּל־ חַיַּ֥ת הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה הֵתָ֥יוּ לְאָכְלָֽה

הַעַ֨יִט  [like]  a  vulture 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַיִט  
Sense: bird of prey, a swooper.
צָב֤וּעַ  speckled 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: צָבוּעַ  
Sense: coloured, variegated, speckled.
נַחֲלָתִי֙  My  heritage  [is] 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: נַחֲלָה  
Sense: possession, property, inheritance, heritage.
לִ֔י  to  Me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
הַעַ֖יִט  the  vultures  [are] 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַיִט  
Sense: bird of prey, a swooper.
סָבִ֣יב  all  around 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מוּסָב 
Sense: places round about, circuit, round about adv.
עָלֶ֑יהָ  against  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine 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.
לְכ֗וּ  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
אִסְפ֛וּ  assemble 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: אָסַף 
Sense: to gather, receive, remove, gather in.
חַיַּ֥ת  the  beasts 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה  of  the  field 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂדֶה 
Sense: field, land.
הֵתָ֥יוּ  bring  them 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: אָתָה  
Sense: to come, arrive.
לְאָכְלָֽה  for  food 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אָכְלָה  
Sense: food.