The Meaning of Jeremiah 6:24 Explained

Jeremiah 6:24

KJV: We have heard the fame thereof: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, and pain, as of a woman in travail.

YLT: 'We have heard its sound, feeble have been our hands, Distress hath seized us, pain as of a travailing woman.

Darby: We have heard the report thereof: our hands are grown feeble; anguish hath taken hold of us, pain as of a woman that travaileth.

ASV: We have heard the report thereof; our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, and pangs as of a woman in travail.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

We have heard  the fame  thereof: our hands  wax feeble:  anguish  hath taken hold  of us, [and] pain,  as of a woman in travail. 

What does Jeremiah 6:24 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Jeremiah responded that the news of this invasion had made the people physically weak, mentally anxious, and extremely distressed (cf. Jeremiah 4:31). This is a proleptic (anticipatory) description of their reaction when it would happen.

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 6

1  The enemies sent against Judah,
4  encourage themselves
6  God sets them on work because of their sins
9  The prophet laments the judgments of God because of their sins
18  He proclaims God's wrath
26  He calls the people to mourn for the judgment on their sins

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 6:24 mean?

We have heard - the report of it grow feeble Our hands Anguish has taken hold of us Pain as of a woman in labor
שָׁמַ֥עְנוּ אֶת־ שָׁמְע֖וֹ רָפ֣וּ יָדֵ֑ינוּ צָרָה֙ הֶחֱזִיקַ֔תְנוּ חִ֖יל כַּיּוֹלֵדָֽה

שָׁמַ֥עְנוּ  We  have  heard 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
שָׁמְע֖וֹ  the  report  of  it 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שֹׁמַע  
Sense: report, rumour, news, fame.
רָפ֣וּ  grow  feeble 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: רָפָה  
Sense: to sink, relax, sink down, let drop, be disheartened.
יָדֵ֑ינוּ  Our  hands 
Parse: Noun, fdc, first person common plural
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
צָרָה֙  Anguish 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: צָרָה 
Sense: straits, distress, trouble.
הֶחֱזִיקַ֔תְנוּ  has  taken  hold  of  us 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person feminine singular, first person common plural
Root: חָזַק  
Sense: to strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous, be firm, grow firm, be resolute, be sore.
חִ֖יל  Pain 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חִיל 
Sense: pain, agony, sorrow, a writhing, anguish.
כַּיּוֹלֵדָֽה  as  of  a  woman  in  labor 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: יָלַד 
Sense: to bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail.