The Meaning of Jeremiah 50:24 Explained

Jeremiah 50:24

KJV: I have laid a snare for thee, and thou art also taken, O Babylon, and thou wast not aware: thou art found, and also caught, because thou hast striven against the LORD.

YLT: I have laid a snare for thee, And also -- thou art captured, O Babylon, And thou -- thou hast known, Thou hast been found, and also art caught, For against Jehovah thou hast stirred thyself up.

Darby: I have laid a snare for thee, and thou, Babylon, art also taken, and thou wast not aware; thou art found, and also caught, for thou hast contended with Jehovah.

ASV: I have laid a snare for thee, and thou art also taken, O Babylon, and thou wast not aware: thou art found, and also caught, because thou hast striven against Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

I have laid a snare  for thee, and thou art also taken,  O Babylon,  and thou wast not aware:  thou art found,  and also caught,  because thou hast striven  against the LORD. 

What does Jeremiah 50:24 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord described Babylon as a wild animal snared in a trap, and as a thief caught unexpectedly-because she had conflicted with Him. Previously Babylon had ensnared other nations.
"The point is made elsewhere in the prophets that Yahweh may appoint a nation to fulfil [1] a purpose as his servant. But this does not absolve such a nation from the consequence of guilty acts or an insolent attitude [2]." [3]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 50

1  The judgment of Babylon and the redemption of Israel

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 50:24 mean?

I have laid a snare for you and indeed You have been trapped Babylon and you not were aware You have been found and also caught because against Yahweh you have contended
יָקֹ֨שְׁתִּי לָ֤ךְ וְגַם־ נִלְכַּדְתְּ֙ בָּבֶ֔ל וְאַ֖תְּ לֹ֣א יָדָ֑עַתְּ נִמְצֵאת֙ וְגַם־ נִתְפַּ֔שְׂתְּ כִּ֥י בַֽיהוָ֖ה הִתְגָּרִֽית

יָקֹ֨שְׁתִּי  I  have  laid  a  snare 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: יָקַשׁ  
Sense: to lure, entice, snare, lay a snare or lure, set a trap.
לָ֤ךְ  for  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular
וְגַם־  and  indeed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
נִלְכַּדְתְּ֙  You  have  been  trapped 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, second person feminine singular
Root: לָכַד  
Sense: to capture, take, seize.
בָּבֶ֔ל  Babylon 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בָּבֶל  
Sense: Babel or Babylon, the ancient site and/or capital of Babylonia (modern Hillah) situated on the Euphrates.
וְאַ֖תְּ  and  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, second person feminine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
יָדָ֑עַתְּ  were  aware 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person feminine singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
נִמְצֵאת֙  You  have  been  found 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, second person feminine singular
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.
וְגַם־  and  also 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
נִתְפַּ֔שְׂתְּ  caught 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, second person feminine singular
Root: תָּפַשׂ  
Sense: to catch, handle, lay hold, take hold of, seize, wield.
כִּ֥י  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
בַֽיהוָ֖ה  against  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
הִתְגָּרִֽית  you  have  contended 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Perfect, second person feminine singular
Root: גָּרָה  
Sense: to cause strife, stir up, contend, meddle, strive, be stirred up.