The Meaning of Jeremiah 14:7 Explained

Jeremiah 14:7

KJV: O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name's sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee.

YLT: Surely our iniquities have testified against us, O Jehovah, work for Thy name's sake, For many have been our backslidings, Against Thee we have sinned.

Darby: Jehovah, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou act for thy name's sake; for our backslidings are many we have sinned against thee.

ASV: Though our iniquities testify against us, work thou for thy name's sake, O Jehovah; for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

O LORD,  though our iniquities  testify  against us, do  thou [it] for thy name's  sake: for our backslidings  are many;  we have sinned  against thee. 

What does Jeremiah 14:7 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Jeremiah voiced a prayer for his people. He admitted that their iniquities, apostasies, and sins had been great. These terms for sin are all words that indicate breach of covenant. But he pled for Yahweh to do something for the people for His own reputation"s sake, as a God of mercy, if not for theirs. Yet God is a God of justice as well as mercy.

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 14:7 mean?

Though our iniquities testify against us Yahweh do it for Your name's sake for are many our backslidings against You we have sinned
אִם־ עֲוֺנֵ֙ינוּ֙ עָ֣נוּ בָ֔נוּ יְהוָ֕ה עֲשֵׂ֖ה לְמַ֣עַן שְׁמֶ֑ךָ כִּֽי־ רַבּ֥וּ מְשׁוּבֹתֵ֖ינוּ לְךָ֥ חָטָֽאנוּ

אִם־  Though 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
עֲוֺנֵ֙ינוּ֙  our  iniquities 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct, first person common plural
Root: עָוֹן  
Sense: perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity.
עָ֣נוּ  testify 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: לְעַנּׄות 
Sense: to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout.
בָ֔נוּ  against  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
יְהוָ֕ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
עֲשֵׂ֖ה  do  it 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
שְׁמֶ֑ךָ  Your  name's  sake 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
רַבּ֥וּ  are  many 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: רָבַב  
Sense: to be or become many, be or become much, be or become great.
מְשׁוּבֹתֵ֖ינוּ  our  backslidings 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: מְשׁוּבָה  
Sense: turning away, turning back, apostasy, backsliding.
לְךָ֥  against  You 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
חָטָֽאנוּ  we  have  sinned 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: חָטָא 
Sense: to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness.