The Meaning of Jeremiah 14:17 Explained

Jeremiah 14:17

KJV: Therefore thou shalt say this word unto them; Let mine eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease: for the virgin daughter of my people is broken with a great breach, with a very grievous blow.

YLT: And thou hast said unto them this word: Tears come down mine eyes night and day, And they do not cease, For, with a great breach, Broken hath been the virgin daughter of my people, A very grievous stroke.

Darby: And thou shalt say this word unto them: Let mine eyes run down with tears, night and day, and not cease; for the virgin daughter of my people is broken with a great breach, with a very grievous blow.

ASV: And thou shalt say this word unto them, Let mine eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease; for the virgin daughter of my people is broken with a great breach, with a very grievous wound.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Therefore thou shalt say  this word  unto them; Let mine eyes  run down  with tears  night  and day,  and let them not cease:  for the virgin  daughter  of my people  is broken  with a great  breach,  with a very  grievous  blow. 

What does Jeremiah 14:17 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Jeremiah was to tell the people that he had asked God to let him weep constantly because Judah, like a virgin daughter, had experienced a major tragedy. She had suffered a devastating assault and had incurred a severe injury.
The national defeat pictured in this lament was a serious one. It may have been the first Babylonian invasion of Judah in597 B.C, which resulted in severe destruction and exile for some Judeans.

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 14

1  The grievous famine,
7  causes Jeremiah to pray
10  The Lord will not be entreated for the people
13  false prophets are no excuse for them
17  Jeremiah is moved to complain for them

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 14:17 mean?

Therefore you shall say to them - word this let flow my eyes with tears night and day and not let them cease for with a stroke mighty Has been broken the virgin daughter of my people with a blow severe very
וְאָמַרְתָּ֤ אֲלֵיהֶם֙ אֶת־ הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה תֵּרַ֨דְנָה עֵינַ֥י דִּמְעָ֛ה לַ֥יְלָה וְיוֹמָ֖ם וְאַל־ תִּדְמֶ֑ינָה כִּי֩ שֶׁ֨בֶר גָּד֜וֹל נִשְׁבְּרָ֗ה בְּתוּלַת֙ בַּת־ עַמִּ֔י מַכָּ֖ה נַחְלָ֥ה מְאֹֽד

וְאָמַרְתָּ֤  Therefore  you  shall  say 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֲלֵיהֶם֙  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
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.
הַדָּבָ֣ר  word 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הַזֶּ֔ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
תֵּרַ֨דְנָה  let  flow 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
עֵינַ֥י  my  eyes 
Parse: Noun, cdc, first person common singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
דִּמְעָ֛ה  with  tears 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: דִּמְעָה  
Sense: tears.
לַ֥יְלָה  night 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לַיִל 
Sense: night.
וְיוֹמָ֖ם  and  day 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: יׄומָם  
Sense: by day, in the daytime subst.
וְאַל־  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: אַל  
Sense: not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference).
תִּדְמֶ֑ינָה  let  them  cease 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: דָּמָה 
Sense: to cease, cause to cease, cut off, destroy, perish.
שֶׁ֨בֶר  with  a  stroke 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁבוּר 
Sense: to break, break in pieces.
גָּד֜וֹל  mighty 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
נִשְׁבְּרָ֗ה  Has  been  broken 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: שֶׁבֶר 
Sense: breaking, fracture, crushing, breach, crash, ruin, shattering.
בְּתוּלַת֙  the  virgin 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בְּתוּלָה  
Sense: virgin.
בַּת־  daughter 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
עַמִּ֔י  of  my  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
מַכָּ֖ה  with  a  blow 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מַכָּה  
Sense: blow, wound, slaughter.
נַחְלָ֥ה  severe 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: חָלָה 
Sense: to be or become weak, be or become sick, be or become diseased, be or become grieved, be or become sorry.
מְאֹֽד  very 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מְאֹד  
Sense: exceedingly, much subst.