The Meaning of Jeremiah 46:21 Explained

Jeremiah 46:21

KJV: Also her hired men are in the midst of her like fatted bullocks; for they also are turned back, and are fled away together: they did not stand, because the day of their calamity was come upon them, and the time of their visitation.

YLT: Even her hired ones in her midst are as calves of the stall, For even they have turned, They have fled together, they have not stood, For the day of their calamity hath come on them, The time of their inspection.

Darby: Also her hired men in the midst of her are like fatted bullocks; for they also have turned back, they have fled away together, they did not stand; for the day of their calamity is come upon them, the time of their visitation.

ASV: Also her hired men in the midst of her are like calves of the stall; for they also are turned back, they are fled away together, they did not stand: for the day of their calamity is come upon them, the time of their visitation.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Also her hired men  [are] in the midst  of her like fatted  bullocks;  for they also are turned back,  [and] are fled away  together:  they did not stand,  because the day  of their calamity  was come  upon them, [and] the time  of their visitation. 

What does Jeremiah 46:21 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The mercenary soldiers that the Egyptians hired to help them would turn and run from the enemy like fat, pampered calves. They would die like sacrificial animals, because the Lord would punish them, too.
"The mercenaries mentioned were Ionians and Carians whom [1] Psammeticus had hired, and had been retained by his successors." [2]

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 46:21 mean?

Also her mercenaries are in her midst like bulls fat for also they are turned back they have fled away together not they did stand for the day of their calamity had come upon them the time of their punishment
גַּם־ שְׂכִרֶ֤יהָ בְקִרְבָּהּ֙ כְּעֶגְלֵ֣י מַרְבֵּ֔ק כִּֽי־ גַם־ הֵ֧מָּה הִפְנ֛וּ נָ֥סוּ יַחְדָּ֖יו לֹ֣א עָמָ֑דוּ כִּ֣י י֥וֹם אֵידָ֛ם בָּ֥א עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם עֵ֥ת פְּקֻדָּתָֽם

גַּם־  Also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
שְׂכִרֶ֤יהָ  her  mercenaries  are 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׂכִיר  
Sense: hired.
בְקִרְבָּהּ֙  in  her  midst 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: קֶרֶב  
Sense: midst, among, inner part, middle.
כְּעֶגְלֵ֣י  like  bulls 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: עֵגֶל  
Sense: calf, bull-calf.
מַרְבֵּ֔ק  fat 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַרְבֵּק  
Sense: stall (of animals).
גַם־  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
הִפְנ֛וּ  are  turned  back 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: פֹּונֶה 
Sense: to turn.
נָ֥סוּ  they  have  fled  away 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: נוּס  
Sense: to flee, escape.
יַחְדָּ֖יו  together 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יַחַד 
Sense: union, unitedness adv.
עָמָ֑דוּ  they  did  stand 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
י֥וֹם  the  day 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
אֵידָ֛ם  of  their  calamity 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אֵיד  
Sense: distress, burden, calamity.
בָּ֥א  had  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם  upon  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.
עֵ֥ת  the  time 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.
פְּקֻדָּתָֽם  of  their  punishment 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: פְּקֻדָּה  
Sense: oversight, care, custody, mustering, visitation, store.