The Meaning of Jeremiah 11:21 Explained

Jeremiah 11:21

KJV: Therefore thus saith the LORD of the men of Anathoth, that seek thy life, saying, Prophesy not in the name of the LORD, that thou die not by our hand:

YLT: Therefore, thus said Jehovah concerning the men of Anathoth, who are seeking thy life, saying: Do not prophesy in the name of Jehovah, And thou dost not die by our hands.

Darby: Therefore thus saith Jehovah concerning the men of Anathoth, that seek thy life, saying, Prophesy not in the name of Jehovah, that thou die not by our hand,

ASV: Therefore thus saith Jehovah concerning the men of Anathoth, that seek thy life, saying, Thou shalt not prophesy in the name of Jehovah, that thou die not by our hand;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Therefore thus saith  the LORD  of the men  of Anathoth,  that seek  thy life,  saying,  Prophesy  not in the name  of the LORD,  that thou die  not by our hand: 

What does Jeremiah 11:21 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Men from Jeremiah"s hometown had warned him to stop prophesying in Yahweh"s name or they would kill him.

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 11

1  Jeremiah proclaims God's covenant;
8  rebukes the peoples' disobeying thereof;
11  prophesies evils to come upon them;
18  and upon the men of Anathoth, for conspiring to kill him

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 11:21 mean?

Therefore thus says Yahweh concerning the men of Anathoth who seek - your life saying not do prophesy in the name of Yahweh and lest you die by our hand -
לָכֵ֗ן כֹּֽה־ אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ עַל־ אַנְשֵׁ֣י עֲנָת֔וֹת הַֽמְבַקְשִׁ֥ים אֶֽת־ נַפְשְׁךָ֖ לֵאמֹ֑ר לֹ֤א תִנָּבֵא֙ בְּשֵׁ֣ם יְהוָ֔ה וְלֹ֥א תָמ֖וּת בְּיָדֵֽנוּ ס

כֹּֽה־  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
אָמַ֤ר  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
עַל־  concerning 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
אַנְשֵׁ֣י  the  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
עֲנָת֔וֹת  of  Anathoth 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֲנָתֹות 
Sense: son of Becher and grandson of Benjamin.
הַֽמְבַקְשִׁ֥ים  who  seek 
Parse: Article, Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine plural
Root: בָּקַשׁ  
Sense: to seek, require, desire, exact, request.
אֶֽת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
נַפְשְׁךָ֖  your  life 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
לֵאמֹ֑ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
תִנָּבֵא֙  do  prophesy 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: נָבָא  
Sense: to prophesy.
בְּשֵׁ֣ם  in  the  name 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
יְהוָ֔ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וְלֹ֥א  and  lest 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
תָמ֖וּת  you  die 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
בְּיָדֵֽנוּ  by  our  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common plural
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
ס    - 
Parse: Punctuation