The Meaning of Jeremiah 34:20 Explained

Jeremiah 34:20

KJV: I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life: and their dead bodies shall be for meat unto the fowls of the heaven, and to the beasts of the earth.

YLT: yea, I have given them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those seeking their soul, and their carcase hath been for food to the fowl of the heavens, and to the beast of the earth.

Darby: them will I give into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of them that seek their life; and their carcases shall be food for the fowl of the heavens and for the beasts of the earth.

ASV: I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life; and their dead bodies shall be for food unto the birds of the heavens, and to the beasts of the earth.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

I will even give  them into the hand  of their enemies,  and into the hand  of them that seek  their life:  and their dead bodies  shall be for meat  unto the fowls  of the heaven,  and to the beasts  of the earth. 

What does Jeremiah 34:20 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 34

1  Jeremiah prophesies the captivity of Zedekiah and the city
8  The princes and the people having dismissed their bond-servants,
11  contrary to the covenant of God, re-assume them
12  Jeremiah gives them and Zedekiah into the hands of their enemies

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 34:20 mean?

and I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life And shall be their dead bodies for meat for the birds of the heaven and the beasts of the earth
וְנָתַתִּ֤י אוֹתָם֙ בְּיַ֣ד אֹֽיְבֵיהֶ֔ם וּבְיַ֖ד מְבַקְשֵׁ֣י נַפְשָׁ֑ם וְהָיְתָ֤ה נִבְלָתָם֙ לְמַֽאֲכָ֔ל לְע֥וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וּלְבֶהֱמַ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ

וְנָתַתִּ֤י  and  I  will  give 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
בְּיַ֣ד  into  the  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
אֹֽיְבֵיהֶ֔ם  of  their  enemies 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.
וּבְיַ֖ד  and  into  the  hand 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
מְבַקְשֵׁ֣י  of  those  who  seek 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: בָּקַשׁ  
Sense: to seek, require, desire, exact, request.
נַפְשָׁ֑ם  their  life 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
וְהָיְתָ֤ה  And  shall  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
נִבְלָתָם֙  their  dead  bodies 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: נְבֵלָה  
Sense: carcass, corpse.
לְמַֽאֲכָ֔ל  for  meat 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַאֲכָל  
Sense: food, fruit, meat.
לְע֥וֹף  for  the  birds 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֹוף  
Sense: flying creatures, fowl, insects, birds.
הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם  of  the  heaven 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
וּלְבֶהֱמַ֥ת  and  the  beasts 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בְּהֵמָה  
Sense: beast, cattle, animal.
הָאָֽרֶץ  of  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.