The Meaning of Jeremiah 51:14 Explained

Jeremiah 51:14

KJV: The LORD of hosts hath sworn by himself, saying, Surely I will fill thee with men, as with caterpillers; and they shall lift up a shout against thee.

YLT: Sworn hath Jehovah of Hosts by Himself, That, Surely I have filled thee with men as the cankerworm, And they have cried against thee -- shouting.

Darby: Jehovah of hosts hath sworn by himself, I will assuredly fill thee with men, as with caterpillars; and they shall raise a shout against thee.

ASV: Jehovah of hosts hath sworn by himself,'saying , Surely I will fill thee with men, as with the canker-worm; and they shall lift up a shout against thee.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The LORD  of hosts  hath sworn  by himself,  [saying], Surely I will fill  thee with men,  as with caterpillers;  and they shall lift up  a shout  against thee. 

What does Jeremiah 51:14 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Almighty Yahweh swore by Himself, the highest authority, that He would send invaders on Babylon, as thick and devastating as a locust plague, who would shout in victory over their foe.

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 51

1  The severe judgment of God against Babylon, in revenge of Israel
59  Jeremiah delivers the book of this prophecy to Seraiah, to be cast into Euphrates,
64  in token of the perpetual sinking of Babylon

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 51:14 mean?

Has sworn Yahweh of hosts by Himself surely surely I will fill you with men as with locusts and they shall lift up against you a shout -
נִשְׁבַּ֛ע יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת בְּנַפְשׁ֑וֹ כִּ֣י אִם־ מִלֵּאתִ֤יךְ אָדָם֙ כַּיֶּ֔לֶק וְעָנ֥וּ עָלַ֖יִךְ הֵידָֽד ס

נִשְׁבַּ֛ע  Has  sworn 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁבַע  
Sense: to swear, adjure.
יְהוָ֥ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
צְבָא֖וֹת  of  hosts 
Parse: Noun, common plural
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
בְּנַפְשׁ֑וֹ  by  Himself 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
כִּ֣י  surely 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
אִם־  surely 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
מִלֵּאתִ֤יךְ  I  will  fill  you 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, first person common singular, second person feminine singular
Root: מָלֵא 
Sense: to fill, be full.
אָדָם֙  with  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
כַּיֶּ֔לֶק  as  with  locusts 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יֶלֶק  
Sense: young locust (early stage of development).
וְעָנ֥וּ  and  they  shall  lift  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: לְעַנּׄות 
Sense: to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout.
עָלַ֖יִךְ  against  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הֵידָֽד  a  shout 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: הֵידָד  
Sense: a shout, cheer, shouting.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation