The Meaning of Jeremiah 41:18 Explained

Jeremiah 41:18

KJV: Because of the Chaldeans: for they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had slain Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon made governor in the land.

YLT: from the presence of the Chaldeans, for they have been afraid of them, for Ishmael son of Nethaniah had smitten Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land.

Darby: because of the Chaldeans; for they feared them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had smitten Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land.

ASV: because of the Chaldeans; for they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had slain Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon made governor over the land.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Because  of the Chaldeans:  for they were afraid  of them, because Ishmael  the son  of Nethaniah  had slain  Gedaliah  the son  of Ahikam,  whom the king  of Babylon  made governor  in the land. 

What does Jeremiah 41:18 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 41

1  Ishmael, treacherously killing Gedaliah and others,
7  purposes with the residue to flee unto the Ammonites
11  Johanan rescues the captives, and is minded to flee into Egypt

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 41:18 mean?

because of the Chaldeans for they were afraid of them because had murdered Ishmael son of Nethaniah - Gedaliah of Ahikam whom had made governor the king of Babylon in the land -
מִפְּנֵי֙ הַכַּשְׂדִּ֔ים כִּ֥י יָרְא֖וּ מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם כִּֽי־ הִכָּ֞ה יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל בֶּן־ נְתַנְיָ֗ה אֶת־ גְּדַלְיָ֙הוּ֙ אֲחִיקָ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־ הִפְקִ֥יד מֶֽלֶךְ־ בָּבֶ֖ל בָּאָֽרֶץ ס

מִפְּנֵי֙  because 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
הַכַּשְׂדִּ֔ים  of  the  Chaldeans 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: כַּשְׂדִּים  
Sense: a territory in lower Mesopotamia bordering on the Persian Gulf.
יָרְא֖וּ  they  were  afraid 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: יָרֵא 
Sense: to fear, revere, be afraid.
מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם  of  them 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
כִּֽי־  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
הִכָּ֞ה  had  murdered 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל  Ishmael 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׁמָעֵאל  
Sense: son of Abraham and Sarah’s handmaid Hagar and the progenitor of the Arabian peoples.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
נְתַנְיָ֗ה  of  Nethaniah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נְתַנְיָה 
Sense: son of Elishama of the royal family of Judah and father of Ishmael who murdered Gedaliah.
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.
גְּדַלְיָ֙הוּ֙  Gedaliah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: גְּדַלְיָה 
Sense: a son of Jeduthun in the time of David.
אֲחִיקָ֔ם  of  Ahikam 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲחִיקָם  
Sense: son of Shaphan, an officer in Josiah’s reign.
אֲשֶׁר־  whom 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
הִפְקִ֥יד  had  made  governor 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: פָּקַד 
Sense: to attend to, muster, number, reckon, visit, punish, appoint, look after, care for.
מֶֽלֶךְ־  the  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
בָּבֶ֖ל  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.
בָּאָֽרֶץ  in  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation