The Meaning of Jeremiah 42:16 Explained

Jeremiah 42:16

KJV: Then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die.

YLT: then it hath come to pass, the sword that ye are afraid of, doth there overtake you, in the land of Egypt; and the hunger, because of which ye are sorrowful, doth there cleave after you in Egypt, and there ye die.

Darby: then it shall come to pass, that the sword which ye fear shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye are afraid, shall follow hard after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die.

ASV: then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye fear, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt; and the famine, whereof ye are afraid, shall follow hard after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then it shall come to pass, [that] the sword,  which ye feared,  shall overtake  you there in the land  of Egypt,  and the famine,  whereof ye were afraid,  shall follow close  after  you there in Egypt;  and there ye shall die. 

What does Jeremiah 42:16 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 42

1  Johanan desires Jeremiah to enquire of God, promising obedience to his will
7  Jeremiah assures him of safety in Judea;
13  and destruction in Egypt
19  He reproves their hypocrisy

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 42:16 mean?

then it shall be [that] the sword which you feared from there shall overtake you in the land of Egypt and the famine of which you were afraid - shall follow close after you [in] Egypt and there you shall die
וְהָיְתָ֣ה הַחֶ֗רֶב אֲשֶׁ֤ר אַתֶּם֙ יְרֵאִ֣ים מִמֶּ֔נָּה שָׁ֛ם תַּשִּׂ֥יג אֶתְכֶ֖ם בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וְהָרָעָ֞ב אֲשֶׁר־ אַתֶּ֣ם ׀ דֹּאֲגִ֣ים מִמֶּ֗נּוּ יִדְבַּ֧ק אַחֲרֵיכֶ֛ם מִצְרַ֖יִם וְשָׁ֥ם תָּמֻֽתוּ

וְהָיְתָ֣ה  then  it  shall  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
הַחֶ֗רֶב  [that]  the  sword 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
יְרֵאִ֣ים  feared 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: יָרֵא 
Sense: to fear, revere, be afraid.
תַּשִּׂ֥יג  shall  overtake 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: מַשֶּׂגֶת 
Sense: to reach, overtake, take hold upon.
בְּאֶ֣רֶץ  in  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
מִצְרָ֑יִם  of  Egypt 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
וְהָרָעָ֞ב  and  the  famine 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: רָעָב  
Sense: famine, hunger.
אֲשֶׁר־  of  which 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
דֹּאֲגִ֣ים  were  afraid 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: דָּאַג  
Sense: to fear, be anxious, be concerned, be afraid, be careful.
מִמֶּ֗נּוּ    - 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
יִדְבַּ֧ק  shall  follow  close 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַק  
Sense: to cling, stick, stay close, cleave, keep close, stick to, stick with, follow closely, join to, overtake, catch.
אַחֲרֵיכֶ֛ם  after  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
מִצְרַ֖יִם  [in]  Egypt 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
וְשָׁ֥ם  and  there 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: שָׁם  
Sense: there, thither.
תָּמֻֽתוּ  you  shall  die 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.