The Meaning of Jeremiah 37:1 Explained

Jeremiah 37:1

KJV: And king Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.

YLT: And reign doth king Zedekiah son of Josiah instead of Coniah son of Jehoiakim whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had caused to reign in the land of Judah,

Darby: And king Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon having made him king in the land of Judah.

ASV: And Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned as king, instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And king  Zedekiah  the son  of Josiah  reigned  instead of Coniah  the son  of Jehoiakim,  whom Nebuchadrezzar  king  of Babylon  made king  in the land  of Judah. 

What does Jeremiah 37:1 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Nebuchadnezzar, sovereign over Judah since Jehoiakim"s unsuccessful rebellion against him in598 B.C, set up Zedekiah, Jehoiakim"s brother, as Judah"s king in597 B.C. (cf. 2 Kings 24:17). Jehoiakim"s Song of Solomon , Jehoiachin (Coniah), had reigned for three months following his father"s deposition, but then Nebuchadnezzar deported him to Babylon ( 2 Kings 24:12). Jehoiachin was never the authorized king of Judah. Thus Jeremiah"s prophecy about Jehoiakim"s end had come to pass (cf. Jeremiah 36:30).

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 37

1  The Egyptians having raised the siege of the Chaldeans,
3  king Zedekiah sends to Jeremiah to pray for the people
6  Jeremiah prophesies the Chaldeans' certain return and victory
11  He is taken for a fugitive, beaten, and put in prison
16  He assures Zedekiah of the captivity
18  Entreating for his liberty, he obtains some favor

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 37:1 mean?

And reigned king Zedekiah son of Josiah instead of Coniah of Jehoiakim whom made king Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon in the land of Judah
וַיִּ֨מְלָךְ־ מֶ֔לֶךְ צִדְקִיָּ֖הוּ בֶּן־ יֹֽאשִׁיָּ֑הוּ תַּ֗חַת כָּנְיָ֙הוּ֙ יְה֣וֹיָקִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר הִמְלִ֛יךְ נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֥ר מֶֽלֶךְ־ בָּבֶ֖ל בְּאֶ֥רֶץ יְהוּדָֽה

וַיִּ֨מְלָךְ־  And  reigned 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָלַךְ 
Sense: to be or become king or queen, reign.
מֶ֔לֶךְ  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
צִדְקִיָּ֖הוּ  Zedekiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: צִדְקִיָּה 
Sense: the last king of Judah renamed from ‘Mattaniah’ by Nebuchadnezzar; son of Josiah by wife Hamutal; placed on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar when he carried his nephew Jehoiakim in captivity.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יֹֽאשִׁיָּ֑הוּ  of  Josiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄאשִׁיָּה 
Sense: son of Amon by Jedidah who succeeded his father to the throne of Judah and reigned for 3 years; his reign is noteworthy for the great revivals back to the worship of Jehovah which he led.
תַּ֗חַת  instead 
Parse: Preposition
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
כָּנְיָ֙הוּ֙  of  Coniah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: כָּנְיָהוּ  
Sense: another name for king Jehoiachin of Judah, the next to last king on the throne before the captivity.
יְה֣וֹיָקִ֔ים  of  Jehoiakim 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹויָקִים 
Sense: son of Josiah and the third from the last king of Judah; subject vassel of Nebuchadnezzar who reigned for years before he died a violent death either in combat or by the hands of his own subjects.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  whom 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
הִמְלִ֛יךְ  made  king 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָלַךְ 
Sense: to be or become king or queen, reign.
נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֥ר  Nebuchadnezzar 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר 
Sense: the great king of Babylon who captured Jerusalem and carried Judah captive.
מֶֽלֶךְ־  King 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
בָּבֶ֖ל  of  Babylon 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בָּבֶל  
Sense: Babel or Babylon, the ancient site and/or capital of Babylonia (modern Hillah) situated on the Euphrates.
בְּאֶ֥רֶץ  in  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
יְהוּדָֽה  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.