The Meaning of Jeremiah 10:24 Explained

Jeremiah 10:24

KJV: O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.

YLT: Chastise me, O Jehovah, only in judgment, Not in Thine anger, lest Thou make me small.

Darby: Jehovah, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.

ASV: O Jehovah, correct me, but in measure: not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

O LORD,  correct  me, but with judgment;  not in thine anger,  lest thou bring me to nothing. 

What does Jeremiah 10:24 Mean?

Verse Meaning

He invited the Lord to correct him, to lead him in the proper way, but to do it with justice (without undue severity). If the Lord corrected him in anger, as the prophet (and his people) deserved, he would die. Jeremiah was probably speaking for his people, as well as for himself, in this prayer.

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 10

1  The unequal comparison of God and idols
17  The prophet exhorts to flee from the calamity to come
19  He laments the spoil of the tabernacle by foolish pastors
23  He makes an humble supplication

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 10:24 mean?

Correct me Yahweh but with justice Not in Your anger lest You bring me to nothing
יַסְּרֵ֥נִי יְהוָ֖ה אַךְ־ בְּמִשְׁפָּ֑ט אַל־ בְּאַפְּךָ֖ פֶּן־ תַּמְעִטֵֽנִי

יַסְּרֵ֥נִי  Correct  me 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperative, masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: יָסַר 
Sense: to chasten, discipline, instruct, admonish.
יְהוָ֖ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
בְּמִשְׁפָּ֑ט  with  justice 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁפָּט  
Sense: judgment, justice, ordinance.
בְּאַפְּךָ֖  in  Your  anger 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אַף 
Sense: nostril, nose, face.
פֶּן־  lest 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: פֶּן  
Sense: lest, not, beware lest adv.
תַּמְעִטֵֽנִי  You  bring  me  to  nothing 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: מָעַט  
Sense: to be or become small, be few, be diminished.