The Meaning of Jeremiah 15:12 Explained

Jeremiah 15:12

KJV: Shall iron break the northern iron and the steel?

YLT: Doth one break iron -- northern iron, and brass?

Darby: Will iron break? iron from the north? and bronze?

ASV: Can one break iron, even iron from the north, and brass?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Shall iron  break  the northern  iron  and the steel? 

What does Jeremiah 15:12 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The enemy from the north would be impossible to defeat, as strong as iron or bronze. What Jeremiah had been preaching would indeed come to pass.

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 15

1  The utter rejection and manifold judgments of the people
10  Jeremiah, complaining of their spite, receives a promise for himself;
12  and a threatening for them
15  He prays;
19  and receives a gracious promise

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 15:12 mean?

Can anyone break iron iron the northern and the bronze
הֲיָרֹ֨עַ בַּרְזֶ֧ל ׀ בַּרְזֶ֛ל מִצָּפ֖וֹן ؟ וּנְחֹֽשֶׁת

הֲיָרֹ֨עַ  Can  anyone  break 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מֵרֵעַ 
Sense: to be bad, be evil.
בַּרְזֶ֧ל ׀  iron 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּרְזֶל  
Sense: iron.
בַּרְזֶ֛ל  iron 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּרְזֶל  
Sense: iron.
מִצָּפ֖וֹן  the  northern 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular
Root: צָפֹון  
Sense: north (of direction), northward.
؟ וּנְחֹֽשֶׁת  and  the  bronze 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: נְחֹשֶׁת 
Sense: copper, bronze.