The Meaning of Jeremiah 44:27 Explained

Jeremiah 44:27

KJV: Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them.

YLT: Lo, I am watching over them for evil, and not for good, and consumed have been all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt, by sword and by famine, till their consumption.

Darby: Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good; and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them.

ASV: Behold, I watch over them for evil, and not for good; and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Behold, I will watch  over them for evil,  and not for good:  and all the men  of Judah  that [are] in the land  of Egypt  shall be consumed  by the sword  and by the famine,  until there be an end  of them. 

What does Jeremiah 44:27 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 44

1  Jeremiah expresses the desolation of Judah for their idolatry
11  He prophesies the destruction of those who commit idolatry in Egypt
15  The obstinacy of the Jews
20  For which Jeremiah threatens them
29  and for a sign prophesies the destruction of Egypt

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 44:27 mean?

behold I will watch over them for adversity and not for good and shall be consumed all the men of Judah who [are] in the land of Egypt by the sword and by famine until there is an end to them
הִנְנִ֨י שֹׁקֵ֧ד עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם לְרָעָ֖ה וְלֹ֣א לְטוֹבָ֑ה וְתַמּוּ֩ כָל־ אִ֨ישׁ יְהוּדָ֜ה אֲשֶׁ֧ר בְּאֶֽרֶץ־ מִצְרַ֛יִם בַּחֶ֥רֶב וּבָרָעָ֖ב עַד־ כְּלוֹתָֽם

הִנְנִ֨י  behold  I 
Parse: Interjection, first person common singular
Root: הֵן  
Sense: behold, lo, though hypothetical part.
שֹׁקֵ֧ד  will  watch 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁקַד 
Sense: to wake, watch, awake, be alert.
עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם  over  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
לְרָעָ֖ה  for  adversity 
Parse: Preposition-l, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
וְלֹ֣א  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
לְטוֹבָ֑ה  for  good 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
וְתַמּוּ֩  and  shall  be  consumed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: תָּמַם  
Sense: to be complete, be finished, be at an end.
אִ֨ישׁ  the  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
יְהוּדָ֜ה  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
אֲשֶׁ֧ר  who  [are] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בְּאֶֽרֶץ־  in  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
מִצְרַ֛יִם  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”.
בַּחֶ֥רֶב  by  the  sword 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
וּבָרָעָ֖ב  and  by  famine 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: רָעָב  
Sense: famine, hunger.
עַד־  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
כְּלוֹתָֽם  there  is  an  end  to  them 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine plural
Root: כָּלָה  
Sense: to accomplish, cease, consume, determine, end, fail, finish, be complete, be accomplished, be ended, be at an end, be finished, be spent.