The Meaning of Jeremiah 35:15 Explained

Jeremiah 35:15

KJV: I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto me.

YLT: And I send unto you all My servants the prophets, rising early and sending, saying: Turn back, I pray you, each from his evil way, and amend your doings, yea, ye do not walk after other gods, to serve them, and dwell ye on the ground that I have given to you and to your fathers; and ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto Me.

Darby: And I have sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them; and ye shall dwell in the land that I have given to you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your ear nor hearkened unto me.

ASV: I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto me.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

I have sent  also unto you all my servants  the prophets,  rising up early  and sending  [them], saying,  Return  ye now every man  from his evil  way,  and amend  your doings,  and go  not after  other  gods  to serve  them, and ye shall dwell in  the land  which I have given  to you and to your fathers:  but ye have not inclined  your ear,  nor hearkened  unto me. 

What does Jeremiah 35:15 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord had also sent His servants the prophets to His people-again and again-urging them to repent, to change their thoughts and actions, and to stop worshipping idols. If they did, they could continue to dwell in the land the Lord had given their forefathers. But the people had refused to listen.

Context Summary

Jeremiah 35:1-19 - A Lesson From The Rechabites
Among the refugees from the neighboring country who sought asylum within the walls of Jerusalem, was a group of Arabs, known as Rechabites. Probably they encamped in one of the open spaces. They clung tenaciously to the regulations promulgated by Jonadab some three hundred years before. See Judges 1:16; 2 Kings 10:15; 1 Chronicles 2:55. They drank no wine, did not cultivate the ground, and lived in tents. We do well not to touch alcohol; not to strike our roots two deeply into this world, where we are pilgrims and strangers; and to cultivate the pilgrim spirit, which looks for and travels toward the city that hath foundations. Israel had not been as true to the divine precepts as the Rechabites to those of their founder. Therefore the Chosen People would be dispossessed and scattered; while the Rechabites have preserved their independence to the present day. Obedience is the only source of permanence. "He that doeth the will of God abideth forever." [source]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 35

1  By the obedience of the Rechabites,
12  Jeremiah condemns the disobedience of the Jews
18  God blesses the Rechabites for their obedience

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 35:15 mean?

And I have sent to you - all My servants the prophets rising up early and sending [them] saying Turn now everyone from his way evil and amend your doings and not do go after gods other to serve them then you will dwell in the land which I have given you and your fathers' but not you have inclined - your ear nor obeyed Me
וָאֶשְׁלַ֣ח אֲלֵיכֶ֣ם אֶת־ כָּל־ עֲבָדַ֣י הַנְּבִאִ֣ים ׀ הַשְׁכֵּ֣ים וְשָׁלֹ֣חַ ׀ לֵאמֹ֡ר שֻׁבוּ־ נָ֡א אִישׁ֩ מִדַּרְכּ֨וֹ הָרָעָ֜ה וְהֵיטִ֣יבוּ מַֽעַלְלֵיכֶ֗ם וְאַל־ תֵּ֨לְכ֜וּ אַחֲרֵ֨י אֱלֹהִ֤ים אֲחֵרִים֙ לְעָבְדָ֔ם וּשְׁבוּ֙ אֶל־ הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־ נָתַ֥תִּי לָכֶ֖ם וְלַאֲבֹֽתֵיכֶ֑ם וְלֹ֤א הִטִּיתֶם֙ אֶֽת־ אָזְנְכֶ֔ם וְלֹ֥א שְׁמַעְתֶּ֖ם אֵלָֽי

וָאֶשְׁלַ֣ח  And  I  have  sent 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
אֲלֵיכֶ֣ם  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second 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.
עֲבָדַ֣י  My  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
הַנְּבִאִ֣ים ׀  the  prophets 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: נָבִיא  
Sense: spokesman, speaker, prophet.
הַשְׁכֵּ֣ים  rising  up  early 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Infinitive absolute
Root: שָׁכַם  
Sense: to rise or start early.
וְשָׁלֹ֣חַ ׀  and  sending  [them] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
לֵאמֹ֡ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
שֻׁבוּ־  Turn 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
נָ֡א  now 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
אִישׁ֩  everyone 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
מִדַּרְכּ֨וֹ  from  his  way 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, common singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
הָרָעָ֜ה  evil 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
וְהֵיטִ֣יבוּ  and  amend 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: יָטַב  
Sense: to be good, be pleasing, be well, be glad.
מַֽעַלְלֵיכֶ֗ם  your  doings 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: מַעֲלִיל 
Sense: deed, practice.
וְאַל־  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: אַל  
Sense: not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference).
תֵּ֨לְכ֜וּ  do  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
אַחֲרֵ֨י  after 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
אֱלֹהִ֤ים  gods 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אֲחֵרִים֙  other 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: אַחֵר  
Sense: another, other, following.
לְעָבְדָ֔ם  to  serve  them 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine plural
Root: עָבַד  
Sense: to work, serve.
וּשְׁבוּ֙  then  you  will  dwell 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲדָמָה 
Sense: ground, land.
נָתַ֥תִּי  I  have  given 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
וְלַאֲבֹֽתֵיכֶ֑ם  and  your  fathers' 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
וְלֹ֤א  but  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
הִטִּיתֶם֙  you  have  inclined 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: נָטָה 
Sense: to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow.
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.
אָזְנְכֶ֔ם  your  ear 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אֹזֶן  
Sense: ear, as part of the body.
וְלֹ֥א  nor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
שְׁמַעְתֶּ֖ם  obeyed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
אֵלָֽי  Me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).