The Meaning of Jeremiah 49:4 Explained

Jeremiah 49:4

KJV: Wherefore gloriest thou in the valleys, thy flowing valley, O backsliding daughter? that trusted in her treasures, saying, Who shall come unto me?

YLT: What -- dost thou boast thyself in valleys? Flowed hath thy valley, O backsliding daughter, Who is trusting in her treasures: Who doth come in unto me?

Darby: Wherefore gloriest thou in the valleys? Thy valley shall flow down, O backsliding daughter, that trusteth in her treasures, saying, Who shall come against me?

ASV: Wherefore gloriest thou in the valleys, thy flowing valley, O backsliding daughter? that trusted in her treasures,'saying , Who shall come unto me?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Wherefore gloriest  thou in the valleys,  thy flowing  valley,  O backsliding  daughter?  that trusted  in her treasures,  [saying], Who shall come  unto me? 

What does Jeremiah 49:4 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Ammon"s sins were her pride in her natural resources (cf. Jeremiah 48:26; Jeremiah 48:29; Jeremiah 48:42) and her material treasures that she had accumulated (cf. Jeremiah 48:7; 1 Timothy 6:17), and her false security (cf. Jeremiah 48:11). Steep valleys surrounded remote Ammon on three sides. The people of Ammon, personified as a daughter, were slipping away from their secure position, as the water in their valleys flowed away.

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 49:4 mean?

Why do you boast in the valleys flowing Your valley daughter backsliding who trusted in her treasures [saying] who will come against me
מַה־ תִּתְהַֽלְלִי֙ בָּֽעֲמָקִ֔ים זָ֣ב עִמְקֵ֔ךְ ؟ הַבַּ֖ת הַשּֽׁוֹבֵבָ֑ה הַבֹּֽטְחָה֙ בְּאֹ֣צְרֹתֶ֔יהָ מִ֖י יָב֥וֹא אֵלָֽי

מַה־  Why 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
תִּתְהַֽלְלִי֙  do  you  boast 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperfect, second person feminine singular
Root: הָלַל 
Sense: to shine.
בָּֽעֲמָקִ֔ים  in  the  valleys 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: עֵמֶק  
Sense: valley, vale, lowland, open country.
זָ֣ב  flowing 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: זוּב  
Sense: to flow, gush, issue, discharge.
עִמְקֵ֔ךְ  Your  valley 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: עֵמֶק  
Sense: valley, vale, lowland, open country.
؟ הַבַּ֖ת  daughter 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
הַשּֽׁוֹבֵבָ֑ה  backsliding 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: שֹׁובֵב  
Sense: backturning, apostate, backsliding.
הַבֹּֽטְחָה֙  who  trusted 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: בָּטוּחַ 
Sense: to trust.
בְּאֹ֣צְרֹתֶ֔יהָ  in  her  treasures 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: אֹוצָר  
Sense: treasure, storehouse.
מִ֖י  [saying]  who 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: מִי  
Sense: who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever.
יָב֥וֹא  will  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֵלָֽי  against  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).