The Meaning of Jeremiah 8:16 Explained

Jeremiah 8:16

KJV: The snorting of his horses was heard from Dan: the whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones; for they are come, and have devoured the land, and all that is in it; the city, and those that dwell therein.

YLT: From Dan hath been heard the snorting of his horses, From the voice of the neighings of his mighty ones, Trembled hath all the land, And they come in and consume the land and its fulness, The city and the inhabitants in it.

Darby: The snorting of his horses is heard from Dan: the whole land trembleth at the sound of the neighing of his steeds, and they come, and devour the land, and all it contains, the city and those that dwell therein.

ASV: The snorting of his horses is heard from Dan: at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones the whole land trembleth; for they are come, and have devoured the land and all that is in it; the city and those that dwell therein.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The snorting  of his horses  was heard  from Dan:  the whole land  trembled  at the sound  of the neighing  of his strong ones;  for they are come,  and have devoured  the land,  and all  that is in it; the city,  and those that dwell  therein. 

What does Jeremiah 8:16 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The invader could be heard approaching from the north (like a horde of Tolkienian Orks). The people living at Daniel , Israel"s northernmost city, heard the army coming first. The whole earth shook because of the number and strength of the advancing army. This army"s objective was to consume everything in the land, including Jerusalem and its citizens.

Context Summary

Jeremiah 8:4-22 - False Promises Of Peace
This chapter is filled with denunciation of the unreasonable and infatuated obstinacy of Israel. As the horse rushes madly to the fight, so were the people set on evil. The very birds that were sensitive to the laws of migration, and obeyed the call of the sunnier clime, were more impressible than the Chosen People. God often calls us out of the stormy winter blasts to lands of sunny fellowship, but we will not heed. From Jeremiah 5:10 onward we have a description of the desolation about to visit the land. Notwithstanding the promises of false prophets, the invader overran the country and the exiled people might readily begin to question why such a fate had befallen them. To this there was but one answer. Their sin had cut them off from God's protecting care. Is not this the reason why harvests pass and summers end, and the years roll on, and still you are not saved? There is balm for your wounds, and a physician for your healing, but you do not avail yourselves of them; and God's love is powerless, however greatly He desires to help you, until you return. The father would do anything for the prodigal, but He has no chance so long as the prodigal remains in the far-land. [source]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 8

1  The calamity of the Jews, both dead and alive
4  He upbraids their foolish and shameless impenitency
13  He shows their grievous judgment;
18  and bewails their desperate estate

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 8:16 mean?

from Dan was heard the snorting of His horses at the sound of the neighing of His mighty ones trembled the whole land for they have come and devoured the land and all that is in it the city and those who dwell in it -
מִדָּ֤ן נִשְׁמַע֙ נַחְרַ֣ת סוּסָ֗יו מִקּוֹל֙ מִצְהֲל֣וֹת אַבִּירָ֔יו רָעֲשָׁ֖ה כָּל־ הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיָּב֗וֹאוּ וַיֹּֽאכְלוּ֙ אֶ֣רֶץ וּמְלוֹאָ֔הּ עִ֖יר וְיֹ֥שְׁבֵי בָֽהּ ס

מִדָּ֤ן  from  Dan 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּן 
Sense: the 5th son of Jacob, the st of Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid.
נִשְׁמַע֙  was  heard 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
נַחְרַ֣ת  the  snorting 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: נַחַר 
Sense: snorting.
סוּסָ֗יו  of  His  horses 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: סוּס 
Sense: swallow, swift.
מִקּוֹל֙  at  the  sound 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
מִצְהֲל֣וֹת  of  the  neighing 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: מִצְהָלֹות  
Sense: neighing.
אַבִּירָ֔יו  of  His  mighty  ones 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אַבִּיר  
Sense: mighty, valiant.
רָעֲשָׁ֖ה  trembled 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: רָעַשׁ 
Sense: to quake, shake.
כָּל־  the  whole 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הָאָ֑רֶץ  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וַיָּב֗וֹאוּ  for  they  have  come 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
וַיֹּֽאכְלוּ֙  and  devoured 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
אֶ֣רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וּמְלוֹאָ֔הּ  and  all  that  is  in  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: מְלֹא  
Sense: fullness, that which fills.
עִ֖יר  the  city 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
וְיֹ֥שְׁבֵי  and  those  who  dwell 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
בָֽהּ  in  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation