The Meaning of Jeremiah 23:5 Explained

Jeremiah 23:5

KJV: Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.

YLT: Lo, days are coming -- an affirmation of Jehovah, And I have raised to David a righteous shoot, And a king hath reigned and acted wisely, And done judgment and righteousness in the earth.

Darby: Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, when I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, who shall reign as king, and act wisely, and shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land.

ASV: Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Behold, the days  come,  saith  the LORD,  that I will raise  unto David  a righteous  Branch,  and a King  shall reign  and prosper,  and shall execute  judgment  and justice  in the earth. 

What does Jeremiah 23:5 Mean?

Study Notes

Branch
.
branch
A name of Christ, used in fourfold way:
(1) "The Branch of Jehovah" ( Isaiah 4:2 ), that is, the "Immanuel" character of Christ Isaiah 7:14 to be fully manifested to restored and converted Israel after His return in divine glory Matthew 25:31 .
(2) the "Branch of David" Isaiah 11:1 ; Jeremiah 23:5 ; Jeremiah 33:15 that is, the Messiah, "of the seed of David according to the flesh" Romans 1:3 revealed in His earthly glory as King of kings, and Lord of lords;
(3) Jehovah's "Servant, the Branch" Zechariah 3:8 Messiah's humiliation and obedience unto death according to; Isaiah 52:13-15 ; Isaiah 53:1-12 ; Philippians 2:5-8 .
(4) the "man whose name is the Branch" Zechariah 6:12 ; Zechariah 6:13 that is His character as Son of man, the "last Adam," the "second Man" 1 Corinthians 15:45-47 reigning, as Priest-King, over the earth in the dominion given to and lost by the first Adam. Matthew is the Gospel of the "Branch of David"; Mark of "Jehovah's Servant, the Branch"; Luke of "the man whose name is the Branch"; John of "the Branch of Jehovah."

Verse Meaning

"Behold, the days are coming," introduces a message of hope for the future16 times in Jeremiah. [1] Yahweh also promised to raise up another Davidic King in the future (cf. Psalm 2; Psalm 44; Psalm 72; Psalm 89-110). He would be as a branch or sprout (Heb. semah) that springs up from an apparently dead stump, namely, the Davidic line of kings (cf. Jeremiah 33:15; 2 Samuel 23:5; Psalm 132:17; Isaiah 4:2; Isaiah 11:1; Zechariah 3:8; Zechariah 6:12). His characteristic virtues would be Wisdom of Solomon , justice, and righteousness, traits notably absent from the last of Judah"s kings (cf. Jeremiah 22:3). He would be a true shoot (Heb. semah saddiq), a "legitimate scion," of David"s line. [2] He would rule as a true King, not as a puppet like the last four kings of Judah. This is one of the few direct messianic references in Jeremiah (cf. Jeremiah 3:15-18; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Jeremiah 33:15-16).

Context Summary

Jeremiah 23:1-12 - Shepherds That Mislead God's Flock
It is God's purpose to care for His people through shepherds (pastors) who are responsible to Him. Jesus our Lord is the Branch into which we may be grafted. He is our King who saves us and clothes us with His own spotless righteousness. God finds us in Him, Philippians 3:9. Because He reigns, we are saved and dwell in safety. When we are brought into contact with false shepherds, whether the failure be in doctrine or example, let us ask for the broken heart of Jeremiah 23:9.
God is everywhere present; as the latter paragraph indicates, He is near at hand to overhear the blasphemy of those who deride religion, and to be a very present help in time of trouble. If He fills heaven and earth, can He not fill thy heart? If His Word is like fire, let it cleanse thee! If it is as a hammer, let it pulverize thy pride! Let those of us who essay to teach and preach, not steal our words from our neighbors, or utter our own, but receive them from the source of all truth.
Jeremiah 23:1-40 - Shepherds That Mislead God's Flock
It is God's purpose to care for His people through shepherds (pastors) who are responsible to Him. Jesus our Lord is the Branch into which we may be grafted. He is our King who saves us and clothes us with His own spotless righteousness. God finds us in Him, Philippians 3:9. Because He reigns, we are saved and dwell in safety. When we are brought into contact with false shepherds, whether the failure be in doctrine or example, let us ask for the broken heart of Jeremiah 23:9.
God is everywhere present; as the latter paragraph indicates, He is near at hand to overhear the blasphemy of those who deride religion, and to be a very present help in time of trouble. If He fills heaven and earth, can He not fill thy heart? If His Word is like fire, let it cleanse thee! If it is as a hammer, let it pulverize thy pride! Let those of us who essay to teach and preach, not steal our words from our neighbors, or utter our own, but receive them from the source of all truth. [source]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 23

1  He prophesies a restoration of the scattered flock
5  Christ shall rule and save them
9  Against false prophets;
33  and mockers of the true prophets

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 23:5 mean?

Behold the days are coming says Yahweh that I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness and shall reign a King and prosper and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth
הִנֵּ֨ה יָמִ֤ים בָּאִים֙ נְאֻם־ יְהוָ֔ה וַהֲקִמֹתִ֥י לְדָוִ֖ד צֶ֣מַח צַדִּ֑יק וּמָ֤לַךְ מֶ֙לֶךְ֙ וְהִשְׂכִּ֔יל וְעָשָׂ֛ה מִשְׁפָּ֥ט וּצְדָקָ֖ה בָּאָֽרֶץ

הִנֵּ֨ה  Behold 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
יָמִ֤ים  the  days 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
בָּאִים֙  are  coming 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
נְאֻם־  says 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נְאֻם  
Sense: (Qal) utterance, declaration (of prophet).
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וַהֲקִמֹתִ֥י  that  I  will  raise 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
לְדָוִ֖ד  to  David 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
צֶ֣מַח  a  Branch 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: צֶמַח  
Sense: sprout, growth, branch.
צַדִּ֑יק  of  righteousness 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: צַדִּיק  
Sense: just, lawful, righteous.
וּמָ֤לַךְ  and  shall  reign 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָלַךְ 
Sense: to be or become king or queen, reign.
מֶ֙לֶךְ֙  a  King 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
וְהִשְׂכִּ֔יל  and  prosper 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׂכַל 
Sense: to be prudent, be circumspect, wisely understand, prosper.
וְעָשָׂ֛ה  and  execute 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
מִשְׁפָּ֥ט  judgment 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁפָּט  
Sense: judgment, justice, ordinance.
וּצְדָקָ֖ה  and  righteousness 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: צְדָקָה  
Sense: justice, righteousness.
בָּאָֽרֶץ  in  the  earth 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.