The Meaning of Jeremiah 46:18 Explained

Jeremiah 46:18

KJV: As I live, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts, Surely as Tabor is among the mountains, and as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.

YLT: I live -- an affirmation of the King, Jehovah of Hosts is His name, Surely as Tabor is among mountains, And as Carmel by the sea -- he cometh in,

Darby: As I live, saith the King, whose name is Jehovah of hosts, surely as Tabor among the mountains, and as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.

ASV: As I live, saith the King, whose name is Jehovah of hosts, surely like Tabor among the mountains, and like Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

[As] I live,  saith  the King,  whose name  [is] the LORD  of hosts,  Surely as Tabor  [is] among the mountains,  and as Carmel  by the sea,  [so] shall he come. 

What does Jeremiah 46:18 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The true King, Yahweh of Hosts, promised that an enemy would come against Egypt, and it would be as imposing as a mountain. Mount Tabor, which stood1 ,800 feet tall and towered over the Jezreel Valley below, and Mount Carmel, which rose1 ,700 feet beside the Mediterranean Sea, were such mountains.

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 46

1  Jeremiah prophesies the overthrow of Pharaoh's army at Euphrates
13  and the conquest of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar
27  He comforts Jacob in his chastisement

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 46:18 mean?

[As] live I says the King Yahweh of hosts Whose name [is] surely as Tabor [is] among the mountains and as Carmel by the sea [so] he shall come
חַי־ אָ֙נִי֙ נְאֻם־ הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת שְׁמ֑וֹ כִּ֚י כְּתָב֣וֹר בֶּֽהָרִ֔ים וּכְכַרְמֶ֖ל בַּיָּ֥ם יָבֽוֹא

חַי־  [As]  live 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
נְאֻם־  says 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נְאֻם  
Sense: (Qal) utterance, declaration (of prophet).
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ  the  King 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
יְהוָ֥ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
צְבָא֖וֹת  of  hosts 
Parse: Noun, common plural
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
שְׁמ֑וֹ  Whose  name  [is] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
כִּ֚י  surely 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
כְּתָב֣וֹר  as  Tabor  [is] 
Parse: Preposition-k, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: תָּבֹור  
Sense: a mountain in the plain of Esdraelon rising abruptly and insulated except for a narrow ridge on the west connecting it to the hills of Nazareth.
בֶּֽהָרִ֔ים  among  the  mountains 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
וּכְכַרְמֶ֖ל  and  as  Carmel 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: כַּרְמֶל 
Sense: a mountain on the Mediterranean coast of northern Israel, just below Haifa.
בַּיָּ֥ם  by  the  sea 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
יָבֽוֹא  [so]  he  shall  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.