The Meaning of Jeremiah 46:5 Explained

Jeremiah 46:5

KJV: Wherefore have I seen them dismayed and turned away back? and their mighty ones are beaten down, and are fled apace, and look not back: for fear was round about, saith the LORD.

YLT: Wherefore have I seen them dismayed -- They are turned backward, And their mighty ones are beaten down, And to a refuge they have fled, and not turned the face? Fear is round about -- an affirmation of Jehovah.

Darby: Why do I see them dismayed, turned away back? And their mighty ones are beaten down, and take to flight, and look not back? Terror is on every side, saith Jehovah.

ASV: Wherefore have I seen it? they are dismayed and are turned backward; and their mighty ones are beaten down, and are fled apace, and look not back: terror is on every side, saith Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Wherefore have I seen  them dismayed  [and] turned  away back?  and their mighty ones  are beaten down,  and are fled  apace,  and look not back:  [for] fear  [was] round about,  saith  the LORD. 

What does Jeremiah 46:5 Mean?

Verse Meaning

He soon expressed shock, however, at seeing the Egyptians terrified and retreating. "Terror on every side" may have been a proverbial curse formula (cf. Jeremiah 6:25; Jeremiah 20:3; Jeremiah 20:10; Psalm 31:13). [1]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 46

1  Jeremiah prophesies the overthrow of Pharaoh's army at Euphrates
13  and the conquest of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar
27  He comforts Jacob in his chastisement

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 46:5 mean?

Why have I seen them dismayed [and] turned back and their mighty ones are beaten down and speedily they have fled and not did look back [For] fear [was] all around says Yahweh
מַדּ֣וּעַ רָאִ֗יתִי הֵ֣מָּה חַתִּים֮ נְסֹגִ֣ים ؟ אָחוֹר֒ וְגִבּוֹרֵיהֶ֣ם יֻכַּ֔תּוּ וּמָנ֥וֹס נָ֖סוּ וְלֹ֣א הִפְנ֑וּ מָג֥וֹר מִסָּבִ֖יב נְאֻם־ יְהוָֽה

מַדּ֣וּעַ  Why 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: מַדּוּעַ  
Sense: why?, on what account?, wherefore?.
רָאִ֗יתִי  have  I  seen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
חַתִּים֮  dismayed 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: חַת 
Sense: fear, terror.
נְסֹגִ֣ים  [and]  turned 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: סוּג  
Sense: to move, go, turn back, move away, backslide.
؟ אָחוֹר֒  back 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָחֹור  
Sense: the back side, the rear.
וְגִבּוֹרֵיהֶ֣ם  and  their  mighty  ones 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: גִּבֹּור  
Sense: strong, mighty.
יֻכַּ֔תּוּ  are  beaten  down 
Parse: Verb, Hofal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: כָּתַת  
Sense: to beat, crush by beating, crush to pieces, crush fine.
וּמָנ֥וֹס  and  speedily 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָנׄוס  
Sense: flight, refuge, place of escape.
נָ֖סוּ  they  have  fled 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: נוּס  
Sense: to flee, escape.
וְלֹ֣א  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
הִפְנ֑וּ  did  look  back 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: פֹּונֶה 
Sense: to turn.
מָג֥וֹר  [For]  fear  [was] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָגֹור  
Sense: fear, terror.
מִסָּבִ֖יב  all  around 
Parse: Preposition-m, Adverb
Root: מוּסָב 
Sense: places round about, circuit, round about adv.
נְאֻם־  says 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נְאֻם  
Sense: (Qal) utterance, declaration (of prophet).
יְהוָֽה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.