The Meaning of Jeremiah 42:1 Explained

Jeremiah 42:1

KJV: Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even unto the greatest, came near,

YLT: And they come nigh -- all the heads of the forces, and Johanan son of Kareah, and Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even unto the greatest --

Darby: And all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even to the greatest,

ASV: Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even unto the greatest, came near,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then all the captains  of the forces,  and Johanan  the son  of Kareah,  and Jezaniah  the son  of Hoshaiah,  and all the people  from the least  even unto the greatest,  came near, 

What does Jeremiah 42:1 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 42

1  Johanan desires Jeremiah to enquire of God, promising obedience to his will
7  Jeremiah assures him of safety in Judea;
13  and destruction in Egypt
19  He reproves their hypocrisy

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 42:1 mean?

And came near all the captains of the forces and Johanan son of Kareah Jezaniah of Hoshaiah and all the people from the least and to the greatest
וַֽיִּגְּשׁוּ֙ כָּל־ שָׂרֵ֣י הַחֲיָלִ֔ים וְיֽוֹחָנָן֙ בֶּן־ קָרֵ֔חַ וִֽיזַנְיָ֖ה הוֹשַֽׁעְיָ֑ה וְכָל־ הָעָ֖ם מִקָּטֹ֥ן וְעַד־ גָּדֽוֹל

וַֽיִּגְּשׁוּ֙  And  came  near 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָגַשׁ  
Sense: to draw near, approach.
שָׂרֵ֣י  the  captains 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: סָרַר 
Sense: prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.
הַחֲיָלִ֔ים  of  the  forces 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: חַיִל 
Sense: strength, might, efficiency, wealth, army.
וְיֽוֹחָנָן֙  and  Johanan 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄוחָנָן  
Sense: a priest during the high priesthood of Joiakim who returned with Zerubbabel.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
קָרֵ֔חַ  of  Kareah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: קָרֵחַ  
Sense: father of Johanan and Jonathan who supported Gedaliah’s authority and avenged his murder.
וִֽיזַנְיָ֖ה  Jezaniah 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְזַנְיָה 
Sense: son of Hoshaiah the Maachathite and one of the captains who escaped from Jerusalem during the last siege of the Babylonians; one of the first to return to Gedaliah at Mizpah where he took a prominent part after the assassination of Gedaliah.
הוֹשַֽׁעְיָ֑ה  of  Hoshaiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: הֹושַׁעְיָה  
Sense: a prince of Judah who assisted in the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem in the time of Nehemiah.
וְכָל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הָעָ֖ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
מִקָּטֹ֥ן  from  the  least 
Parse: Preposition-m, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: קָטָן 
Sense: young, small, insignificant, unimportant.
וְעַד־  and  to 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
גָּדֽוֹל  the  greatest 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.