The Meaning of Jeremiah 38:20 Explained

Jeremiah 38:20

KJV: But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the LORD, which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live.

YLT: And Jeremiah saith, 'They do not give thee up; hearken, I pray thee, to the voice of Jehovah, to that which I am speaking unto thee, and it is well for thee, and thy soul doth live.

Darby: And Jeremiah said, They shall not give thee over. Hearken, I beseech thee, unto the voice of Jehovah, in that which I speak unto thee; so shall it be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live.

ASV: But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of Jehovah, in that which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well with thee, and thy soul shall live.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But Jeremiah  said,  They shall not deliver  [thee]. Obey,  I beseech thee, the voice  of the LORD,  which I speak  unto thee: so it shall be well  unto thee, and thy soul  shall live. 

What does Jeremiah 38:20 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Jeremiah assured him that what he feared would not happen if he surrendered. He also urged the king to obey the Lord and surrender, so that things would go well with 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 38:20 mean?

But said Jeremiah not they shall deliver [you] obey please the voice of Yahweh which I speak to you so it shall be well with you and shall live your soul
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ לֹ֣א יִתֵּ֑נוּ שְֽׁמַֽע־ נָ֣א ׀ בְּק֣וֹל יְהוָ֗ה לַאֲשֶׁ֤ר אֲנִי֙ דֹּבֵ֣ר אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְיִ֥יטַב לְךָ֖ וּתְחִ֥י נַפְשֶֽׁךָ

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר  But  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ  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.
יִתֵּ֑נוּ  they  shall  deliver  [you] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
שְֽׁמַֽע־  obey 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
נָ֣א ׀  please 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
בְּק֣וֹל  the  voice 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
יְהוָ֗ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
דֹּבֵ֣ר  speak 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
אֵלֶ֔יךָ  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
וְיִ֥יטַב  so  it  shall  be  well 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָטַב  
Sense: to be good, be pleasing, be well, be glad.
לְךָ֖  with  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
וּתְחִ֥י  and  shall  live 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Jussive, third person feminine singular
Root: חָיָה  
Sense: to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live for ever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health.
נַפְשֶֽׁךָ  your  soul 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.