The Meaning of Jeremiah 49:1 Explained

Jeremiah 49:1

KJV: Concerning the Ammonites, thus saith the LORD; Hath Israel no sons? hath he no heir? why then doth their king inherit Gad, and his people dwell in his cities?

YLT: Concerning the sons of Ammon: 'Thus said Jehovah: Sons -- hath Israel none? heir -- hath he none? Wherefore hath Malcam possessed Gad? And his people in its cities have dwelt?

Darby: Concerning the children of Ammon. Thus saith Jehovah: Hath Israel no sons? hath he no heir? Why is Malcam heir of Gad, and his people dwell in the cities thereof?

ASV: Of the children of Ammon. Thus saith Jehovah: Hath Israel no sons? hath he no heir? why then doth Malcam possess Gad, and his people well in the cities thereof?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Concerning the Ammonites,  thus saith  the LORD;  Hath Israel  no sons?  hath he no heir?  why [then] doth their king  inherit  Gad,  and his people  dwell  in his cities? 

What does Jeremiah 49:1 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord asked why Malcam (lit. their king; also called Milcom or Molech, cf. Jeremiah 19:5; Deuteronomy 12:31), the god of the Ammonites, had (from the Ammonites" viewpoint) taken over territory that formerly belonged to the tribe of Gad. Was it that there were no descendants of the Gadites to maintain control of it? No, they had not gained it by default but by stealing it from the Israelites. The Assyrians under Tiglath-Pilesar III had removed the Israelites from Transjordan in734 B.C, and the Ammonites had moved into their territory then. It was the king of Ammon, not its do-nothing god, who had taken possession of Gad"s territory.

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 49

1  The judgment of the Ammonites
6  Their restoration
7  The judgment of Edom
23  of Damascus
28  of Kedar
30  of Hazor
34  and of Elam
39  The restoration of Elam

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 49:1 mean?

Against the Ammonites thus says Yahweh Has sons no Israel Has heir no he why [then] does inherit Milcom - Gad and his people in its cities dwell
؟ לִבְנֵ֣י עַמּ֗וֹן כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה הֲבָנִ֥ים אֵין֙ לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אִם־ ؟ יוֹרֵ֖שׁ אֵ֣ין ל֑וֹ מַדּ֗וּעַ יָרַ֤שׁ מַלְכָּם֙ אֶת־ גָּ֔ד וְעַמּ֖וֹ בְּעָרָ֥יו ؟ יָשָֽׁב

؟ לִבְנֵ֣י  Against 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
עַמּ֗וֹן  the  Ammonites 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַמֹּון  
Sense: a people dwelling in Transjordan descended from Lot through Ben-ammi.
כֹּ֚ה  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
אָמַ֣ר  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
הֲבָנִ֥ים  Has  sons 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אֵין֙  no 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  Israel 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
؟ יוֹרֵ֖שׁ  heir 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָרַשׁ  
Sense: to seize, dispossess, take possession off, inherit, disinherit, occupy, impoverish, be an heir.
אֵ֣ין  no 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
מַדּ֗וּעַ  why  [then] 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: מַדּוּעַ  
Sense: why?, on what account?, wherefore?.
יָרַ֤שׁ  does  inherit 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָרַשׁ  
Sense: to seize, dispossess, take possession off, inherit, disinherit, occupy, impoverish, be an heir.
מַלְכָּם֙  Milcom 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
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.
גָּ֔ד  Gad 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: גָּד  
Sense: seventh son of Jacob by Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid, and full brother of Asher.
וְעַמּ֖וֹ  and  his  people 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
בְּעָרָ֥יו  in  its  cities 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
؟ יָשָֽׁב  dwell 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.