The Meaning of Jeremiah 37:18 Explained

Jeremiah 37:18

KJV: Moreover Jeremiah said unto king Zedekiah, What have I offended against thee, or against thy servants, or against this people, that ye have put me in prison?

YLT: And Jeremiah saith unto the king Zedekiah, 'What have I sinned against thee, and against thy servants, and against this people, that ye have given me unto a prison-house?

Darby: And Jeremiah said unto king Zedekiah, What have I offended against thee, or against thy servants, or against this people, that ye have put me in the prison?

ASV: Moreover Jeremiah said unto king Zedekiah, Wherein have I sinned against thee, or against thy servants, or against this people, that ye have put me in prison?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Moreover Jeremiah  said  unto king  Zedekiah,  What have I offended  against thee, or against thy servants,  or against this people,  that ye have put  me in prison? 

What does Jeremiah 37:18 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 37

1  The Egyptians having raised the siege of the Chaldeans,
3  king Zedekiah sends to Jeremiah to pray for the people
6  Jeremiah prophesies the Chaldeans' certain return and victory
11  He is taken for a fugitive, beaten, and put in prison
16  He assures Zedekiah of the captivity
18  Entreating for his liberty, he obtains some favor

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 37:18 mean?

Moreover said Jeremiah to King Zedekiah what offense have I committed against you and against your servants or against people this that you have put me in prison prison
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ אֶל־ הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ צִדְקִיָּ֑הוּ מֶה֩ חָטָ֨אתִֽי לְךָ֤ וְלַעֲבָדֶ֙יךָ֙ וְלָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה כִּֽי־ נְתַתֶּ֥ם אוֹתִ֖י אֶל־ בֵּ֥ית ؟ הַכֶּֽלֶא

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  Moreover  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ  Jeremiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִרְמְיָה 
Sense: the major prophet, son of Hilkiah of the priestly family in Anathoth; author of the prophetic book bearing his name.
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ  King 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
צִדְקִיָּ֑הוּ  Zedekiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: צִדְקִיָּה 
Sense: the last king of Judah renamed from ‘Mattaniah’ by Nebuchadnezzar; son of Josiah by wife Hamutal; placed on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar when he carried his nephew Jehoiakim in captivity.
חָטָ֨אתִֽי  offense  have  I  committed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: חָטָא 
Sense: to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness.
לְךָ֤  against  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
וְלַעֲבָדֶ֙יךָ֙  and  against  your  servants 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
וְלָעָ֣ם  or  against  people 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
הַזֶּ֔ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
כִּֽי־  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
נְתַתֶּ֥ם  you  have  put 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
אוֹתִ֖י  me 
Parse: Direct object marker, first person common singular
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
בֵּ֥ית  prison 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
؟ הַכֶּֽלֶא  prison 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֶּלֶא  
Sense: imprisonment, confinement, restraint.