Jeremiah 8:3

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

Death will be preferred to life by all the survivors who remain from this evil family, in all the places where I have driven them, declares the LORD of Hosts.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וְנִבְחַ֥ר מָ֙וֶת֙ מֵֽחַיִּ֔ים לְכֹ֗ל הַשְּׁאֵרִית֙ הַנִּשְׁאָרִ֔ים מִן־הַמִּשְׁפָּחָ֥ה הָֽרָעָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את בְּכָל־הַמְּקֹמ֤וֹת הַנִּשְׁאָרִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הִדַּחְתִּ֣ים שָׁ֔ם נְאֻ֖ם יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃

Transliteration

And-shall be nibḥar māwet from-ḥayyîm to-kōl the-šᵊʾērît the-niš'ārîm from-the-mišpāḥāh the-rāʿāh the-zōʾt, in-all-the-mᵊqōmôt the-niš'ārîm which I hiddaḥtîm there, nᵊʾum YHWH ṣᵊbāʾôt.

Grammar Details

• *nibḥar*: niphal perfect 3rd person masculine singular - will be chosen
• *māwet*: noun - death
• *ḥayyîm*: plural noun - life
• *kōl*: construct state - all of
• *šᵊʾērît*: noun with definite article - the remnant/remainder
• *niš'ārîm*: niphal participle masculine plural with definite article - the ones remaining/left
• *mišpāḥāh*: noun with definite article - the family/clan
• *rāʿāh*: adjective feminine singular with definite article - the evil/wicked
• *zōʾt*: feminine demonstrative pronoun with definite article - this
• *mᵊqōmôt*: plural noun with definite article - the places
• *hiddaḥtîm*: hiphil perfect 1st person singular with 3rd person masculine plural suffix - I have driven/banished them
• *nᵊʾum*: construct state - utterance/declaration of
• *YHWH*: divine name
• *ṣᵊbāʾôt*: plural noun - hosts/armies

Word Meanings

• *nibḥar*: chosen/selected/preferred
• *māwet*: death/dying
• *ḥayyîm*: life/living
• *šᵊʾērît*: remnant/remainder/survivors
• *niš'ārîm*: remaining/surviving/left over
• *mišpāḥāh*: family/clan/kindred
• *rāʿāh*: evil/wicked/harmful
• *mᵊqōmôt*: places/locations/sites
• *hiddaḥtîm*: driven/banished/scattered them
• *ṣᵊbāʾôt*: hosts/armies/celestial bodies

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family, which remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith the LORD of hosts.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the remnant of those that remain of this evil family, who remain in all the places where I have driven them, says the LORD of hosts.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family, which remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith the LORD of hosts.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And death{H4194} shall be chosen{H977} rather than life{H2416} by all the residue{H7611} that remain{H7604} of this evil{H7451} family,{H4940} that remain{H7604} in all the places{H4725} whither I have driven{H5080} them, saith{H5002} Jehovah{H3068} of hosts.{H6635}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And death{H4194} shall be chosen{H977}{(H8738)} rather than life{H2416} by all the residue{H7611} of them that remain{H7604}{(H8737)} of this evil{H7451} family{H4940}, which remain{H7604}{(H8737)} in all the places{H4725} whither I have driven{H5080}{(H8689)} them, saith{H5002}{(H8803)} the LORD{H3068} of hosts{H6635}.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  And all they that remayne of this wicked generacion, shal desyre rather to dye the to lyue: where so euer they remayne, & where as I scatre them, saieth the LORDE of hoostes.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  And death shall bee desired rather then life of all the residue that remaineth of this wicked familie, which remaine in all the places where I haue scattered them, sayeth the Lorde of hostes.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And all they that remaine of this wicked generation, shal desire rather to die then to liue, whersoeuer they remaine, and where as I scatter them, saith the Lorde of hoastes.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family, which remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith the LORD of hosts.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  Death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue that remain of this evil family, that remain in all the places where I have driven them, says Yahweh of Hosts.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And chosen is death rather than life By all the remnant who are left of this evil family, In all the remaining places, whither I have driven them, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue that remain of this evil family, that remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith Jehovah of hosts.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue that remain of this evil family, that remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith Jehovah of hosts.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And death will be desired more than life by the rest of this evil family who are still living in all the places where I have sent them away, says the Lord of armies.

• World English Bible (2000)

  Death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue that remain of this evil family, that remain in all the places where I have driven them, says Yahweh of Armies.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  However, I will leave some of these wicked people alive and banish them to other places. But wherever these people who survive may go, they will wish they had died rather than lived,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

Referenced Verses

• Rev 9:6 : 6 In those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will desire to die, but death will flee from them.
• Job 7:15-16 : 15 I prefer strangling and death rather than this body of mine. 16 I despise my life; I would not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.
• Jer 23:3 : 3 Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock from all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and multiply.
• Jer 23:8 : 8 Instead, they will say, ‘As the LORD lives, who brought and led the descendants of the house of Israel out of the land of the north and from all the lands where He had banished them.’ Then they will dwell in their own land.
• Jer 29:14 : 14 I will be found by you—this is the LORD's declaration—and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you—this is the LORD's declaration. I will bring you back to the place from which I exiled you.
• Deut 30:1 : 1 When all these things come upon you—the blessing and the curse that I have set before you—and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God has driven you,
• Deut 30:4 : 4 Even if you are exiled to the ends of the heavens, the LORD your God will gather you from there, and He will bring you back from there.
• Dan 9:7 : 7 Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but shame covers our faces today—to the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where You have driven them because of their unfaithfulness to You.
• Jonah 4:3 : 3 Now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.
• Rev 6:16 : 16 And they said to the mountains and the rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!'
• Jer 20:14-18 : 14 Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother gave birth to me not be blessed. 15 Cursed be the man who brought my father the news, saying, 'A male child has been born to you,' and made him very glad. 16 May that man be like the cities the LORD overthrew without relenting. May he hear cries of distress in the morning and shouts of alarm at noon. 17 For he did not kill me in the womb, so my mother would have been my grave, and her womb forever pregnant. 18 Why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow and to end my days in shame?
• 1 Kgs 19:4 : 4 He went a day's journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom tree, sat under it, and prayed that he might die. 'Enough, LORD,' he said. 'Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.'
• Job 3:20-22 : 20 Why is light given to those in misery, and life to the bitter in soul? 21 To those who long for death, but it does not come, and dig for it more than for hidden treasures. 22 Who rejoice exceedingly and are glad when they find the grave.
• Jer 29:28 : 28 For he has sent us to Babylon saying, 'The exile will be long. Build houses and settle down, plant gardens and eat their produce.'
• Jer 32:36-37 : 36 Now therefore, this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says concerning this city about which you are saying, 'It has been handed over to the king of Babylon through sword, famine, and plague': 37 Behold, I will gather them from all the lands where I banished them in My anger, wrath, and great displeasure. I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety.
• Jer 40:12 : 12 all the Jews returned from all the places where they had been scattered. They came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and gathered an abundance of wine and summer fruit.