Jeremiah 38:9

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

"My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They have thrown him into a cistern, where he will die from hunger, since there is no longer any bread in the city."

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

אֲדֹנִ֣י הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ הֵרֵ֜עוּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֤ים הָאֵ֙לֶּה֙ אֵ֣ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֤ר עָשׂוּ֙ לְיִרְמְיָ֣הוּ הַנָּבִ֔יא אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־הִשְׁלִ֖יכוּ אֶל־הַבּ֑וֹר וַיָּ֤מָת תַּחְתָּיו֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י הָֽרָעָ֔ב כִּ֣י אֵ֥ין הַלֶּ֛חֶם ע֖וֹד בָּעִֽיר׃

Transliteration

My-ʾăḏōnî the-meleḵ, hērēʿû the-ʾănāšîm the-ʾēlleh ʾēt all-ʾăšer ʿāśû to-Yirməyāhû the-nāḇîʾ, ʾēt that-ʾăšer-hišlîḵû him into-the-bôr, and-wə-yāmāt taḥtāyw from-mippənê the-hārāʿāḇ for-kî ʾên the-leḥem ʿôḏ in-the-ʿîr

Grammar Details

• *ʾăḏōnî*: noun, masculine singular construct + 1st common singular suffix - my lord
• *meleḵ*: noun, masculine singular - king
• *hērēʿû*: hiphil perfect, 3rd common plural - they have done evil
• *ʾănāšîm*: noun, masculine plural - men
• *ʾēlleh*: demonstrative pronoun, common plural - these
• *ʾēt*: direct object marker
• *ʾăšer*: relative particle - that/which
• *ʿāśû*: qal perfect, 3rd common plural - they have done
• *Yirməyāhû*: proper noun, masculine singular - Jeremiah
• *nāḇîʾ*: noun, masculine singular - prophet
• *hišlîḵû*: hiphil perfect, 3rd common plural - they have thrown
• *bôr*: noun, masculine singular - pit/cistern
• *wə-yāmāt*: waw-consecutive + qal imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - and he will die
• *taḥtāyw*: preposition + 3rd masculine singular suffix - under him/in his place
• *mippənê*: preposition + construct form - from before/because of
• *hārāʿāḇ*: article + noun, masculine singular - the famine
• *kî*: conjunction - for/because
• *ʾên*: particle of negation - there is no
• *leḥem*: noun, masculine singular - bread/food
• *ʿôḏ*: adverb - still/yet/anymore
• *ʿîr*: noun, feminine singular - city

Word Meanings

• *hērēʿû*: they have done evil/acted wickedly
• *ʿāśû*: they have done/made/performed
• *hišlîḵû*: they have thrown/cast/hurled
• *wə-yāmāt*: and he will die/is about to die
• *taḥtāyw*: in his place/where he is
• *mippənê*: because of/due to
• *hārāʿāḇ*: the famine/hunger
• *leḥem*: bread/food/sustenance
• *ʿôḏ*: still/anymore/longer

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to emiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is likely to die from hunger in the place where he is, for there is no more bread in the city.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die in the place where he is, because of the famine; for there is no more bread in the city.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  My lorde the kynge, where as these men medle with Ieremy the prophet, they do him wronge: Namely, in that they haue put him in preson, there to dye of honger, for there is no more bred in the cite.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  My lorde the King, these men haue done euill in all that they haue done to Ieremiah the Prophet, whom they haue cast into the dungeon, and he dyeth for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the citie.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  My Lorde the kyng, where as these men meddle with Ieremie the prophete, they do hym wrong namely in that they haue put hym in prison, there to dye for hunger: for there is no more bread in the citie.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for [there is] no more bread in the city.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is likely to die in the place where he is, because of the famine; for there is no more bread in the city.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  `My lord, O king, these men have done evil `in' all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the pit, and he dieth in his place because of the famine, for there is no more bread in the city.'

• American Standard Version (1901)

  My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die in the place where he is, because of the famine; for there is no more bread in the city.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die in the place where he is, because of the famine; for there is no more bread in the city.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  My lord the king, these men have done evil in all they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have put into the water-hole; and he will come to his death in the place where he is through need of food: for there is no more bread in the town.

• World English Bible (2000)

  My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is likely to die in the place where he is, because of the famine; for there is no more bread in the city.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  “Your royal Majesty, those men have been very wicked in all that they have done to the prophet Jeremiah. They have thrown him into a cistern and he is sure to die of starvation there because there is no food left in the city.”

Referenced Verses

• Jer 52:6 : 6 By the fourth month, on the ninth day, the famine in the city had become so severe that there was no more food for the people of the land.
• Esth 7:4-6 : 4 For my people and I have been sold to be destroyed, killed, and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as slaves, I would have remained silent, because no harm to the king would justify disturbing him in this way." 5 King Ahasuerus asked Queen Esther, "Who is he, and where is the one who has dared to do this?" 6 Esther said, "The adversary and enemy is this vile Haman." Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen.
• Job 31:34 : 34 because I so feared the crowd and the contempt of clans terrified me that I kept silent and would not go outside—
• Prov 24:11-12 : 11 Rescue those being taken to death and hold back those stumbling toward slaughter, if you can. 12 If you say, 'We did not know about this,' won't the one who examines hearts perceive it? Won't the one who guards your soul know? He will repay everyone according to their deeds.
• Prov 31:8-9 : 8 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. 9 Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.
• Jer 37:21-38:6 : 21 So King Zedekiah commanded that Jeremiah be placed in the courtyard of the guard and given a loaf of bread daily from the bakers' street until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard. 1 Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchiah heard the words Jeremiah was speaking to all the people: 2 This is what the LORD says: Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine, or plague. But whoever goes out to the Chaldeans will live; they will escape with their life and survive. 3 This is what the LORD says: This city will surely be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it. 4 The officials said to the king, "This man must be put to death, because he is discouraging the soldiers who remain in the city and all the people by speaking these words to them. He is not seeking the welfare of this people, but only their harm." 5 King Zedekiah replied, "He is in your hands. The king can do nothing to oppose you." 6 So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah by ropes. There was no water in the cistern, only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud.