The Meaning of Jeremiah 49:3 Explained

Jeremiah 49:3

KJV: Howl, O Heshbon, for Ai is spoiled: cry, ye daughters of Rabbah, gird you with sackcloth; lament, and run to and fro by the hedges; for their king shall go into captivity, and his priests and his princes together.

YLT: Howl, Heshbon, for spoiled is Ai, Cry, daughters of Rabbah, gird on sackcloth, Lament, and go to and fro by the hedges, For Malcam into captivity doth go, His priests and his princes together.

Darby: Howl, Heshbon! for Ai is laid waste; cry, daughters of Rabbah, gird you with sackcloth, lament and run to and fro within the enclosures: for Malcam shall go into captivity, his priests and his princes together.

ASV: Wail, O Heshbon, for Ai is laid waste; cry, ye daughters of Rabbah, gird you with sackcloth: lament, and run to and fro among the fences; for Malcam shall go into captivity, his priests and his princes together.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Howl,  O Heshbon,  for Ai  is spoiled:  cry,  ye daughters  of Rabbah,  gird  you with sackcloth;  lament,  and run to and fro  by the hedges;  for their king  shall go  into captivity,  [and] his priests  and his princes  together. 

What does Jeremiah 49:3 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Ammonites, in their chief cities, would mourn over the destruction of their other towns. Heshbon was normally a Moabite city, but at certain periods the Ammonites occupied it. This "Ai" must have been an Ammonite town; it could not be the Ai near Bethel in Cisjordan. The enemy would take images of Malcam into captivity, along with the idol"s priests and the princes of the nation (cf. Jeremiah 46:25; Jeremiah 48:7). If we should translate "Malcam" in this verse, the meaning becomes: the enemy would take "their king" into captivity along with his priests and princes.

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 49:3 mean?

Wail Heshbon for is plundered Ai Cry you daughters of Rabbah Gird yourselves with sackcloth Lament and run to and fro by the walls Milcom into captivity shall go with his priests and his princes together
הֵילִ֨ילִי חֶשְׁבּ֜וֹן כִּ֣י ! שֻׁדְּדָה־ עַ֗י צְעַקְנָה֮ בְּנ֣וֹת רַבָּה֒ חֲגֹ֣רְנָה שַׂקִּ֔ים סְפֹ֕דְנָה וְהִתְשׁוֹטַ֖טְנָה בַּגְּדֵר֑וֹת מַלְכָּם֙ בַּגּוֹלָ֣ה יֵלֵ֔ךְ כֹּהֲנָ֥יו וְשָׂרָ֖יו יַחְדָּֽיו

הֵילִ֨ילִי  Wail 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: יָלַל  
Sense: (Hiphil) to howl, wail, make a howling.
חֶשְׁבּ֜וֹן  Heshbon 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶשְׁבֹּון  
Sense: the capital city of Sihon, king of the Amorites, located on the western border of the high plain and on the border line between the tribes of Reuben and Gad.
! שֻׁדְּדָה־  is  plundered 
Parse: Verb, Pual, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׁדַד  
Sense: to deal violently with, despoil, devastate, ruin, destroy, spoil.
עַ֗י  Ai 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עַי 
Sense: a city lying east of Bethel and beside Bethaven near Jericho and the 2nd city taken on the invasion of Canaan.
צְעַקְנָה֮  Cry 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, feminine plural
Root: צָעַק  
Sense: to cry, cry out, call, cry for help.
בְּנ֣וֹת  you  daughters 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
רַבָּה֒  of  Rabbah 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: רַבָּה  
Sense: the capital city of the Ammonites located east of the Jordan.
חֲגֹ֣רְנָה  Gird  yourselves 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, feminine plural
Root: חָגַר  
Sense: to gird, gird on, gird oneself, put on a belt.
שַׂקִּ֔ים  with  sackcloth 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: שַׂק  
Sense: mesh, sackcloth, sack, sacking.
סְפֹ֕דְנָה  Lament 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, feminine plural
Root: סָפַד  
Sense: to wail, lament, mourn.
וְהִתְשׁוֹטַ֖טְנָה  and  run  to  and  fro 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Imperative, feminine plural
Root: שׁוּט  
Sense: to go, go or rove about, go to and fro.
בַּגְּדֵר֑וֹת  by  the  walls 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: גְּדֵרָה 
Sense: wall, hedge.
מַלְכָּם֙  Milcom 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
בַּגּוֹלָ֣ה  into  captivity 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: גֹּולָה  
Sense: exiles, exile, captivity.
יֵלֵ֔ךְ  shall  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
כֹּהֲנָ֥יו  with  his  priests 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
וְשָׂרָ֖יו  and  his  princes 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: סָרַר 
Sense: prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.
יַחְדָּֽיו  together 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יַחַד 
Sense: union, unitedness adv.