The Meaning of Jeremiah 43:9 Explained

Jeremiah 43:9

KJV: Take great stones in thine hand, and hide them in the clay in the brickkiln, which is at the entry of Pharaoh's house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah;

YLT: Take in thy hand great stones, and thou hast hidden them, in the clay, in the brick-kiln, that is at the opening of the house of Pharaoh in Tahpanhes, before the eyes of the men of Judah,

Darby: Take great stones in thy hand, and hide them in the clay in the brick-kiln, which is at the entry of Pharaoh's house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the Jews,

ASV: Take great stones in thy hand, and hide them in mortar in the brickwork, which is at the entry of Pharaoh's house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Take  great  stones  in thine hand,  and hide  them in the clay  in the brickkiln,  which [is] at the entry  of Pharaoh's  house  in Tahpanhes,  in the sight  of the men  of Judah; 

What does Jeremiah 43:9 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Yahweh instructed Jeremiah to perform another symbolic act (cf. Jeremiah 13:4-7; Jeremiah 19:1-13; Jeremiah 27:1 to Jeremiah 28:16; Ezekiel 4:1-12; Ezekiel 5:1-4; Ezekiel 12:3-6; Ezekiel 12:18; Ezekiel 37:15-17). He was to hide some large stones in the mortar of the brick courtyard, in front of an official government building or royal residence in Tahpanhes, while some of the Judahites watched. Pharaoh evidently had a royal residence in Tahpanhes, as well as one at Elephantine, an island in the Nile River on the southern frontier of Egypt near modern Aswan. [1] Perhaps the large stones symbolized the foundation of Nebuchadnezzar"s future throne ( Jeremiah 43:10), or the Jews over whom Nebuchadnezzar would rule.
"Sir Flinders Petrie, who excavated Tell Defenneh, found a large paved area which he believed to be the one referred to here. It was situated in front of what he identified as Pharaoh"s house, and was probably used as an unloading and storage area." [2]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 43

1  Johanan, discrediting Jeremiah's prophecy, carries him and the rest in Egypt
8  Jeremiah prophesies by a type the conquest of Egypt by the Babylonians

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 43:9 mean?

take in your hand stones large and hide them in the clay in the brick [courtyard] which [is] at the entrance to house of Pharaoh in Tahpanhes in the sight of the men of the Jews
קַ֣ח בְּיָדְךָ֞ אֲבָנִ֣ים גְּדֹל֗וֹת וּטְמַנְתָּ֤ם בַּמֶּ֙לֶט֙ בַּמַּלְבֵּ֔ן אֲשֶׁ֛ר בְּפֶ֥תַח בֵּית־ פַּרְעֹ֖ה בְּתַחְפַּנְחֵ֑ס לְעֵינֵ֖י אֲנָשִׁ֥ים יְהוּדִֽים

קַ֣ח  take 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
בְּיָדְךָ֞  in  your  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
אֲבָנִ֣ים  stones 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: אֶבֶן  
Sense: stone (large or small).
גְּדֹל֗וֹת  large 
Parse: Adjective, feminine plural
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
וּטְמַנְתָּ֤ם  and  hide  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: טָמַן  
Sense: to hide, conceal, bury.
בַּמֶּ֙לֶט֙  in  the  clay 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶט  
Sense: mortar, cement, clay (flooring).
בַּמַּלְבֵּ֔ן  in  the  brick  [courtyard] 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַלְבֵּן 
Sense: brick mold, brick kiln, quadrangle.
אֲשֶׁ֛ר  which  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בְּפֶ֥תַח  at  the  entrance  to 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פֶּתַח  
Sense: opening, doorway, entrance.
בֵּית־  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
פַּרְעֹ֖ה  of  Pharaoh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: פַּרְעֹה  
Sense: the common title of the king of Egypt.
בְּתַחְפַּנְחֵ֑ס  in  Tahpanhes 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: תַּחְפַּנְחֵס  
Sense: a city in Egypt; modern ‘Tel Defenneh’ or ‘Tel Defneh’ located approx 8 miles (29 km) east southeast from Tanis.
לְעֵינֵ֖י  in  the  sight 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, cdc
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
אֲנָשִׁ֥ים  of  the  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱנׄושׁ 
Sense: man, mortal man, person, mankind.
יְהוּדִֽים  of  the  Jews 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: יְהוּדִי  
Sense: Jew.