The Meaning of Jeremiah 37:17 Explained

Jeremiah 37:17

KJV: Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took him out: and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any word from the LORD? And Jeremiah said, There is: for, said he, thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.

YLT: and the king Zedekiah sendeth, and taketh him, and the king asketh him in his house in secret, and saith, 'Is there a word from Jehovah?' And Jeremiah saith, 'There is,' and he saith, 'Into the hand of the king of Babylon thou art given.'

Darby: king Zedekiah sent and took him out. And the king asked of him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any word from Jehovah? And Jeremiah said, There is; and he said, Thou shalt be given into the hand of the king of Babylon.

ASV: Then Zedekiah the king sent, and fetched him: and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any word from Jehovah? And Jeremiah said, There is. He said also, Thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then Zedekiah  the king  sent,  and took him out:  and the king  asked  him secretly  in his house,  and said,  Is there [any] word  from the LORD?  And Jeremiah  said,  There is:  for, said  he, thou shalt be delivered  into the hand  of the king  of Babylon. 

What does Jeremiah 37:17 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Zedekiah secretly sent for Jeremiah and brought him into the palace. The king feared his nobles who were "hawks" militarily and hostile to Jeremiah. Zedekiah asked the prophet if the Lord had given him any message in response to his previous praying ( Jeremiah 37:3). Jeremiah replied that he did have a message from the Lord: that the king would become a prisoner of Nebuchadnezzar. The king was really the one bound in this situation, and the prisoner was the truly free man. [1]

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 37:17 mean?

Then sent the king Zedekiah and took him [out] and asked him in his house secretly and said is there [any] word from Yahweh Jeremiah there is and he said into the hand of the king of Babylon You shall be delivered -
וַיִּשְׁלַח֩ הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ צִדְקִיָּ֜הוּ וַיִּקָּחֵ֗הוּ וַיִּשְׁאָלֵ֨הוּ בְּבֵיתוֹ֙ בַּסֵּ֔תֶר וַיֹּ֕אמֶר הֲיֵ֥שׁ דָּבָ֖ר מֵאֵ֣ת ؟ יְהוָ֑ה יִרְמְיָ֙הוּ֙ יֵ֔שׁ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר בְּיַ֥ד מֶֽלֶךְ־ בָּבֶ֖ל תִּנָּתֵֽן ס

וַיִּשְׁלַח֩  Then  sent 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
צִדְקִיָּ֜הוּ  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.
וַיִּקָּחֵ֗הוּ  and  took  him  [out] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
וַיִּשְׁאָלֵ֨הוּ  and  asked  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁאַל 
Sense: to ask, enquire, borrow, beg.
בְּבֵיתוֹ֙  in  his  house 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
בַּסֵּ֔תֶר  secretly 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סֵתֶר 
Sense: covering, shelter, hiding place, secrecy.
וַיֹּ֕אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הֲיֵ֥שׁ  is  there 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יֵשׁ  
Sense: being, existence, substance, there is or are.
דָּבָ֖ר  [any]  word 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
؟ יְהוָ֑ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
יִרְמְיָ֙הוּ֙  Jeremiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִרְמְיָה 
Sense: the major prophet, son of Hilkiah of the priestly family in Anathoth; author of the prophetic book bearing his name.
יֵ֔שׁ  there  is 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יֵשׁ  
Sense: being, existence, substance, there is or are.
וַיֹּ֕אמֶר  and  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
בְּיַ֥ד  into  the  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
מֶֽלֶךְ־  of  the  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.
תִּנָּתֵֽן  You  shall  be  delivered 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation