The Meaning of Jeremiah 42:2 Explained

Jeremiah 42:2

KJV: And said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the LORD thy God, even for all this remnant; (for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us:)

YLT: and they say unto Jeremiah the prophet, 'Let, we pray thee, our supplication fall before thee, and pray for us unto Jehovah thy God, for all this remnant; for we have been left a few out of many, as thine eyes do see us;

Darby: came near and said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech thee, our supplication come before thee, and pray for us unto Jehovah thy God, for all this remnant (for we are left a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us);

ASV: and said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we pray thee, our supplication be presented before thee, and pray for us unto Jehovah thy God, even for all this remnant; for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And said  unto Jeremiah  the prophet,  Let, we beseech thee, our supplication  be accepted  before  thee, and pray  for us unto the LORD  thy God,  [even] for all this remnant;  (for we are left  [but] a few  of many,  as thine eyes  do behold  us:) 

What does Jeremiah 42:2 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 42:2 mean?

and said to Jeremiah the prophet let be acceptable please our petition to you and pray for us to Yahweh your God for all remnant this since we are left [but] a few of many as you can see -
וַיֹּאמְר֞וּ אֶֽל־ יִרְמְיָ֣הוּ הַנָּבִ֗יא תִּפָּל־ נָ֤א תְחִנָּתֵ֙נוּ֙ לְפָנֶ֔יךָ וְהִתְפַּלֵּ֤ל בַּעֲדֵ֙נוּ֙ אֶל־ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ בְּעַ֖ד כָּל־ הַשְּׁאֵרִ֣ית הַזֹּ֑את כִּֽי־ נִשְׁאַ֤רְנוּ מְעַט֙ מֵֽהַרְבֵּ֔ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר עֵינֶ֖יךָ רֹא֥וֹת אֹתָֽנוּ

וַיֹּאמְר֞וּ  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יִרְמְיָ֣הוּ  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.
הַנָּבִ֗יא  the  prophet 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָבִיא  
Sense: spokesman, speaker, prophet.
תִּפָּל־  let  be  acceptable 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect Jussive, third person feminine singular
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
נָ֤א  please 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
תְחִנָּתֵ֙נוּ֙  our  petition 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common plural
Root: תְּחִנָּה  
Sense: favour, supplication, supplication for favour.
לְפָנֶ֔יךָ  to  you 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
וְהִתְפַּלֵּ֤ל  and  pray 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: פָּלַל 
Sense: to intervene, interpose, pray.
בַּעֲדֵ֙נוּ֙  for  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
הַשְּׁאֵרִ֣ית  remnant 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שְׁאֵרִית  
Sense: rest, residue, remainder, remnant.
הַזֹּ֑את  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
כִּֽי־  since 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
נִשְׁאַ֤רְנוּ  we  are  left 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: שָׁאַר  
Sense: to remain, be left over, be left behind.
מְעַט֙  [but]  a  few 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: מְעַט  
Sense: littleness, few, a little, fewness.
מֵֽהַרְבֵּ֔ה  of  many 
Parse: Preposition-m, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive absolute
Root: הַרְבָּה 
Sense: be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous.
רֹא֥וֹת  can  see 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
אֹתָֽנוּ    - 
Parse: Direct object marker, first person common plural
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.