The Meaning of Jeremiah 48:27 Explained

Jeremiah 48:27

KJV: For was not Israel a derision unto thee? was he found among thieves? for since thou spakest of him, thou skippedst for joy.

YLT: And was not Israel the derision to thee? Among thieves was he found? For since thy words concerning him, Thou dost bemoan thyself.

Darby: For was not Israel a derision unto thee? Was he found among thieves, that as oft as thou didst speak of him, thou didst shake the head?

ASV: For was not Israel a derision unto thee? was he found among thieves? for as often as thou speakest of him, thou waggest the head.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For was not Israel  a derision  unto thee? was he found  among thieves?  for since  thou spakest  of him, thou skippedst  for joy. 

What does Jeremiah 48:27 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Moab would become just as much a laughingstock to other nations as Israel had been to Moab when the Assyrians destroyed the Northern Kingdom. The Moabites had held the Israelites in contempt ever since that defeat.

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 48

1  The judgment of Moab
7  for their pride
11  for their security
14  for their carnal confidence
26  and for their contempt of God and his people
47  The restoration of Moab

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 48:27 mean?

For not a derision was to you Israel Or among thieves - Was he found for whenever you speak of him You shake [your head in scorn]
וְאִ֣ם ׀ ל֣וֹא הַשְּׂחֹ֗ק הָיָ֤ה לְךָ֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אִם־ בְּגַנָּבִ֖ים [נמצאה] (נִמְצָ֑א) כִּֽי־ מִדֵּ֧י דְבָרֶ֥יךָ בּ֖וֹ תִּתְנוֹדָֽד

הַשְּׂחֹ֗ק  a  derision 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שְׂחֹוק  
Sense: laughter, laughing stock, mocking, derision.
לְךָ֙  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
בְּגַנָּבִ֖ים  among  thieves 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural
Root: בְּדֵי 
Sense: sufficiency, enough.
[נמצאה]  - 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
(נִמְצָ֑א)  Was  he  found 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.
מִדֵּ֧י  whenever 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בְּדֵי 
Sense: sufficiency, enough.
דְבָרֶ֥יךָ  you  speak 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
בּ֖וֹ  of  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
תִּתְנוֹדָֽד  You  shake  [your  head  in  scorn] 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: נוּד  
Sense: to shake, waver, wander, move to and fro, flutter, show grief, have compassion on.