The Meaning of Jeremiah 26:18 Explained

Jeremiah 26:18

KJV: Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spake to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.

YLT: 'Micah the Morashtite hath been prophesying in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and he saith unto all the people of Judah, saying: Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: Zion is a plowed field, and Jerusalem is heaps, And the mountain of the house is for high places of a forest.

Darby: Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Zion shall be ploughed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.

ASV: Micah the Morashtite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; and he spake to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Zion shall be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Micah  the Morasthite  prophesied  in the days  of Hezekiah  king  of Judah,  and spake  to all the people  of Judah,  saying,  Thus saith  the LORD  of hosts;  Zion  shall be plowed  [like] a field,  and Jerusalem  shall become heaps,  and the mountain  of the house  as the high places  of a forest. 

What does Jeremiah 26:18 Mean?

Context Summary

Jeremiah 26:1-24 - 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 26

1  Jeremiah by promises and threats exhorts to repentance
8  He is therefore apprehended,
10  and arraigned
12  His apology
16  He is quit in judgment, by the example of Micah,
20  and of Urijah,
24  and by the care of Ahikam

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 26:18 mean?

Micah Micah of the Moreshethite will become prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah and spoke to all the people of Judah saying thus says Yahweh of hosts Zion [like] a field shall be plowed Jerusalem heaps of [ruins] shall become and the mountain of the temple Like the high places of the forest
[מיכיה] (מִיכָה֙) הַמּ֣וֹרַשְׁתִּ֔י הָיָ֣ה נִבָּ֔א בִּימֵ֖י חִזְקִיָּ֣הוּ מֶֽלֶךְ־ יְהוּדָ֑ה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֶל־ כָּל־ עַם֩ יְהוּדָ֨ה לֵאמֹ֜ר כֹּֽה־ אָמַ֣ר ׀ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֗וֹת צִיּ֞וֹן שָׂדֶ֤ה תֵֽחָרֵשׁ֙ וִירוּשָׁלַ֙יִם֙ עִיִּ֣ים תִּֽהְיֶ֔ה וְהַ֥ר הַבַּ֖יִת לְבָמ֥וֹת יָֽעַר

[מיכיה]  Micah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֵבוּס  
Sense: crib, manger, feeding trough.
(מִיכָה֙)  Micah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִיכָיָה  
Sense: the 6th in order of the minor prophets; a native of Moresheth, he prophesied during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah, and was contemporary with the prophets Hosea, Amos, and Isaiah.
הַמּ֣וֹרַשְׁתִּ֔י  of  the  Moreshethite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹורַשְׁתִּי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Moresheth.
הָיָ֣ה  will  become 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
נִבָּ֔א  prophesied 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: נָבָא  
Sense: to prophesy.
בִּימֵ֖י  in  the  days 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
חִזְקִיָּ֣הוּ  of  Hezekiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: חִזְקִיָּה 
Sense: 2th king of Judah, son of Ahaz and Abijah; a good king in that he served Jehovah and did away with idolatrous practices.
מֶֽלֶךְ־  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
יְהוּדָ֑ה  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  and  spoke 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
עַם֩  the  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
יְהוּדָ֨ה  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
לֵאמֹ֜ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
כֹּֽה־  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
אָמַ֣ר ׀  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
צְבָא֗וֹת  of  hosts 
Parse: Noun, common plural
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
צִיּ֞וֹן  Zion 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: צִיּׄון  
Sense: another name for Jerusalem especially in the prophetic books.
שָׂדֶ֤ה  [like]  a  field 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂדֶה 
Sense: field, land.
תֵֽחָרֵשׁ֙  shall  be  plowed 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: חָרַשׁ 
Sense: to cut in, plough, engrave, devise.
וִירוּשָׁלַ֙יִם֙  Jerusalem 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, 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.
עִיִּ֣ים  heaps  of  [ruins] 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: עִי  
Sense: ruin, heap of ruins.
תִּֽהְיֶ֔ה  shall  become 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
וְהַ֥ר  and  the  mountain 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
הַבַּ֖יִת  of  the  temple 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
לְבָמ֥וֹת  Like  the  high  places 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: בָּמָה  
Sense: high place, ridge, height, bamah (technical name for cultic platform).
יָֽעַר  of  the  forest 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַעַר 
Sense: forest, wood, thicket, wooded height.