The Meaning of Jeremiah 47:3 Explained

Jeremiah 47:3

KJV: At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong horses, at the rushing of his chariots, and at the rumbling of his wheels, the fathers shall not look back to their children for feebleness of hands;

YLT: From the sound of the stamping of the hoofs of his mighty ones, From the rushing of his chariot, the noise of his wheels, Fathers have not turned unto sons, From feebleness of hands,

Darby: at the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his steeds, at the rushing of his chariots, at the rumbling of his wheels: fathers shall not look back for their children, from feebleness of hands;

ASV: At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong ones, at the rushing of his chariots, at the rumbling of his wheels, the fathers look not back to their children for feebleness of hands;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

At the noise  of the stamping  of the hoofs  of his strong  [horses], at the rushing  of his chariots,  [and at] the rumbling  of his wheels,  the fathers  shall not look back  to [their] children  for feebleness  of hands; 

What does Jeremiah 47:3 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The invading horses and chariots would so terrorize the people that parents would not even think to protect their children. They would be too concerned with finding safety for themselves in the panic.

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 47

1  The destruction of the Philistines

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 47:3 mean?

At the noise of the stamping hooves of his mighty [horses] at the rushing of his chariots [At] the rumbling of his wheels not will look back the fathers for [their] children Lacking courage
מִקּ֗וֹל שַֽׁעֲטַת֙ פַּרְס֣וֹת אַבִּירָ֔יו מֵרַ֣עַשׁ לְרִכְבּ֔וֹ הֲמ֖וֹן גַּלְגִּלָּ֑יו לֹֽא־ הִפְנ֤וּ אָבוֹת֙ אֶל־ בָּנִ֔ים מֵֽרִפְי֖וֹן יָדָֽיִם

מִקּ֗וֹל  At  the  noise 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
שַֽׁעֲטַת֙  of  the  stamping 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: שְׁעָטָה  
Sense: stamping (of hoofs), crushing noise.
פַּרְס֣וֹת  hooves 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: פַּרְסָה  
Sense: hoof.
אַבִּירָ֔יו  of  his  mighty  [horses] 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אַבִּיר  
Sense: mighty, valiant.
מֵרַ֣עַשׁ  at  the  rushing 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רַעַשׁ  
Sense: quaking, rattling, shaking.
לְרִכְבּ֔וֹ  of  his  chariots 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רֶכֶב  
Sense: a team, chariot, chariotry, mill-stone, riders.
הֲמ֖וֹן  [At]  the  rumbling 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: הָמֹון 
Sense: (Qal) murmur, roar, crowd, abundance, tumult, sound.
גַּלְגִּלָּ֑יו  of  his  wheels 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: גַּלְגַּל 
Sense: wheel, whirl, whirlwind, whirling.
הִפְנ֤וּ  will  look  back 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: פֹּונֶה 
Sense: to turn.
אָבוֹת֙  the  fathers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
בָּנִ֔ים  [their]  children 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
מֵֽרִפְי֖וֹן  Lacking 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רָפָה 
Sense: sinking.
יָדָֽיִם  courage 
Parse: Noun, fd
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.