The Meaning of Jeremiah 43:11 Explained

Jeremiah 43:11

KJV: And when he cometh, he shall smite the land of Egypt, and deliver such as are for death to death; and such as are for captivity to captivity; and such as are for the sword to the sword.

YLT: and he hath come, and smitten the land of Egypt -- those who are for death to death, and those who are for captivity to captivity, and those who are for the sword to the sword.

Darby: And he shall come and smite the land of Egypt: such as are for death to death, and such as are for captivity to captivity; and such as are for the sword to the sword.

ASV: And he shall come, and shall smite the land of Egypt; such as are for death'shall be given to death, and such as are for captivity to captivity, and such as are for the sword to the sword.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And when he cometh,  he shall smite  the land  of Egypt,  [and deliver] such [as are] for death  to death;  and such [as are] for captivity  to captivity;  and such [as are] for the sword  to the sword. 

What does Jeremiah 43:11 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Nebuchadnezzar would fight the Egyptians. Those whom the Lord appointed for death would die, those He appointed for captivity would go into captivity, and those He appointed for battle would participate in battle.
"The meaning of the parable ... is clear. Though the Judean refugees have buried themselves in populous Egypt, they will be discovered and feel, as their compatriots had done, the weight of Babylonian might." [1]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 43

1  Johanan, discrediting Jeremiah's prophecy, carries him and the rest in Egypt
8  Jeremiah prophesies by a type the conquest of Egypt by the Babylonians

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 43:11 mean?

- When he comes and he shall strike - the land of Egypt [and [deliver those appointed] for death to death and [those [appointed] for captivity to captivity for the sword to the sword
[ובאה] (וּבָ֕א) וְהִכָּ֖ה אֶת־ אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם אֲשֶׁ֧ר לַמָּ֣וֶת לַמָּ֗וֶת וַאֲשֶׁ֤ר לַשְּׁבִי֙ לַשֶּׁ֔בִי לַחֶ֖רֶב לֶחָֽרֶב

[ובאה]  - 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אֲבַדֹּו 
Sense: place of destruction, destruction, ruin, Abaddon.
(וּבָ֕א)  When  he  comes 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
וְהִכָּ֖ה  and  he  shall  strike 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
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.
אֶ֣רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
מִצְרָ֑יִם  of  Egypt 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
אֲשֶׁ֧ר  [and  [deliver  those  appointed] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
לַמָּ֣וֶת  for  death 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָוֶת  
Sense: death, dying, Death (personified), realm of the dead.
לַמָּ֗וֶת  to  death 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָוֶת  
Sense: death, dying, Death (personified), realm of the dead.
וַאֲשֶׁ֤ר  and  [those  [appointed] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
לַשְּׁבִי֙  for  captivity 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שְׁבִי 
Sense: captivity, captives.
לַשֶּׁ֔בִי  to  captivity 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שְׁבִי 
Sense: captivity, captives.
לַחֶ֖רֶב  for  the  sword 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
לֶחָֽרֶב  to  the  sword 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.