The Meaning of Jeremiah 38:19 Explained

Jeremiah 38:19

KJV: And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.

YLT: And the king Zedekiah saith unto Jeremiah, 'I am fearing the Jews who have fallen unto the Chaldeans, lest they give me into their hand, and they have insulted me.'

Darby: And king Zedekiah said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that have deserted to the Chaldeans, lest they give me over into their hand, and they mock me.

ASV: And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen away to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Zedekiah  the king  said  unto Jeremiah,  I am afraid  of the Jews  that are fallen  to the Chaldeans,  lest they deliver  me into their hand,  and they mock  me. 

What does Jeremiah 38:19 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Zedekiah admitted that he feared the Jews who had already surrendered. He feared that if he surrendered, the Babylonians would turn him over to those Jews, and they would torture him.

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 38:19 mean?

And said the king Zedekiah to Jeremiah I am afraid of the Jews who have defected to the Chaldeans lest they deliver me into their hand and they abuse me -
וַיֹּ֛אמֶר הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ צִדְקִיָּ֖הוּ אֶֽל־ יִרְמְיָ֑הוּ אֲנִ֧י דֹאֵ֣ג אֶת־ הַיְּהוּדִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר נָֽפְלוּ֙ אֶל־ הַכַּשְׂדִּ֔ים פֶּֽן־ יִתְּנ֥וּ אֹתִ֛י בְּיָדָ֖ם וְהִתְעַלְּלוּ־ בִֽי פ

וַיֹּ֛אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
צִדְקִיָּ֖הוּ  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.
יִרְמְיָ֑הוּ  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.
דֹאֵ֣ג  am  afraid 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: דָּאַג  
Sense: to fear, be anxious, be concerned, be afraid, be careful.
הַיְּהוּדִ֗ים  the  Jews 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: יְהוּדִי  
Sense: Jew.
נָֽפְלוּ֙  have  defected 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
הַכַּשְׂדִּ֔ים  the  Chaldeans 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: כַּשְׂדִּים  
Sense: a territory in lower Mesopotamia bordering on the Persian Gulf.
פֶּֽן־  lest 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: פֶּן  
Sense: lest, not, beware lest adv.
יִתְּנ֥וּ  they  deliver 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
אֹתִ֛י  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.
בְּיָדָ֖ם  into  their  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
וְהִתְעַלְּלוּ־  and  they  abuse 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָלַל 
Sense: to act severely, deal with severely, make a fool of someone.
בִֽי  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation