The Meaning of Jeremiah 38:18 Explained

Jeremiah 38:18

KJV: But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon's princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.

YLT: And if thou dost not go forth unto the heads of the king of Babylon, then hath this city been given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they have burnt it with fire, and thou dost not escape from their hand.'

Darby: But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon's princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.

ASV: But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon's princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But if thou wilt not go forth  to the king  of Babylon's  princes,  then shall this city  be given  into the hand  of the Chaldeans,  and they shall burn  it with fire,  and thou shalt not escape out  of their hand. 

What does Jeremiah 38:18 Mean?

Verse Meaning

If Zedekiah did not surrender, the Chaldeans would capture the city and burn it, and the king would not escape.

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 38

1  Jeremiah, by a false suggestion, is put into the dungeon of Malchiah
7  Ebed-Melech, by suit, gets him some enlargement
14  Upon secret conference, he counsels the king by yielding to save his life
24  By the king's instructions he conceals the conference from the princes

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 38:18 mean?

but if not you do surrender to princes the king of Babylon then shall be given city this into the hand of the Chaldeans and they shall burn it with fire and you shall escape from their hand -
וְאִ֣ם לֹֽא־ תֵצֵ֗א אֶל־ שָׂרֵי֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ בָּבֶ֔ל וְנִתְּנָ֞ה הָעִ֤יר הַזֹּאת֙ בְּיַ֣ד הַכַּשְׂדִּ֔ים וּשְׂרָפ֖וּהָ בָּאֵ֑שׁ וְאַתָּ֖ה תִמָּלֵ֥ט מִיָּדָֽם ס

וְאִ֣ם  but  if 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
תֵצֵ֗א  you  do  surrender 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
שָׂרֵי֙  princes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: סָרַר 
Sense: prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.
מֶ֣לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
בָּבֶ֔ל  of  Babylon 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בָּבֶל  
Sense: Babel or Babylon, the ancient site and/or capital of Babylonia (modern Hillah) situated on the Euphrates.
וְנִתְּנָ֞ה  then  shall  be  given 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
הָעִ֤יר  city 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
הַזֹּאת֙  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
בְּיַ֣ד  into  the  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
הַכַּשְׂדִּ֔ים  of  the  Chaldeans 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: כַּשְׂדִּים  
Sense: a territory in lower Mesopotamia bordering on the Persian Gulf.
וּשְׂרָפ֖וּהָ  and  they  shall  burn  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׂרַף  
Sense: to burn.
בָּאֵ֑שׁ  with  fire 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
וְאַתָּ֖ה  and  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
תִמָּלֵ֥ט  shall  escape 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: מָלַט 
Sense: to slip away, escape, deliver, save, be delivered.
מִיָּדָֽם  from  their  hand 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation