The Meaning of Jeremiah 50:8 Explained

Jeremiah 50:8

KJV: Remove out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as the he goats before the flocks.

YLT: Move ye from the midst of Babylon, And from the land of the Chaldeans go out. And be as he-goats before a flock.

Darby: Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as the he-goats before the flock.

ASV: Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as the he-goats before the flocks.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Remove  out of the midst  of Babylon,  and go forth  {08675;03318:08799} out of the land  of the Chaldeans,  and be as the he goats  before  the flocks. 

What does Jeremiah 50:8 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord encouraged His people to leave Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans. They should step out like rams to lead the rest of the flock. People other than Israelites left Babylon after it fell, but this prediction probably points primarily to Israel"s leadership of other nations to Messiah in the future.

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 50

1  The judgment of Babylon and the redemption of Israel

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 50:8 mean?

Move from the midst of Babylon and of the land of the Chaldeans - go out and be like the rams before the flocks
נֻ֚דוּ מִתּ֣וֹךְ בָּבֶ֔ל וּמֵאֶ֥רֶץ כַּשְׂדִּ֖ים [יצאו] (צֵ֑אוּ) וִהְי֕וּ כְּעַתּוּדִ֖ים לִפְנֵי־ צֹֽאן

נֻ֚דוּ  Move 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: נוּד  
Sense: to shake, waver, wander, move to and fro, flutter, show grief, have compassion on.
מִתּ֣וֹךְ  from  the  midst 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: תָּוֶךְ  
Sense: midst, middle.
בָּבֶ֔ל  of  Babylon 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בָּבֶל  
Sense: Babel or Babylon, the ancient site and/or capital of Babylonia (modern Hillah) situated on the Euphrates.
וּמֵאֶ֥רֶץ  and  of  the  land 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
כַּשְׂדִּ֖ים  of  the  Chaldeans 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: כַּשְׂדִּים  
Sense: a territory in lower Mesopotamia bordering on the Persian Gulf.
[יצאו]  - 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
(צֵ֑אוּ)  go  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
וִהְי֕וּ  and  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
כְּעַתּוּדִ֖ים  like  the  rams 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine plural
Root: עַתּוּד  
Sense: ram, he-goat, chief one.
לִפְנֵי־  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
צֹֽאן  the  flocks 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: צֹאן  
Sense: small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks.