Jeremiah 12:16

King James Version with Strong's Numbers

And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, The LORD liveth; as they taught my people to swear by Baal; then shall they be built in the midst of my people.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וְהָיָ֡ה אִם־לָמֹ֣ד יִלְמְדוּ֩ אֶת־דַּֽרְכֵ֨י עַמִּ֜י לְהִשָּׁבֵ֤עַ בִּשְׁמִי֙ חַי־יְהוָ֔ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר לִמְּדוּ֙ אֶת־עַמִּ֔י לְהִשָּׁבֵ֖עַ בַּבָּ֑עַל וְנִבְנ֖וּ בְּת֥וֹךְ עַמִּֽי׃

Transliteration

wə-hāyāh if-lāmōd they-yilmədû ʾet-darkê my-ʿammî to-hiššābēaʿ in-my-name life-YHWH as they-limmədû ʾet-my-ʿammî to-hiššābēaʿ by-babbāʿal wə-they-will-be-nibnû in-tôk my-ʿammî

Grammar Details

• *wə*: conjunction - and
• *hāyāh*: verb, Qal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular - it will be
• *lāmōd*: verb, Qal infinitive absolute - learning
• *yilmədû*: verb, Qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural - they will learn
• *ʾet*: direct object marker
• *darkê*: noun, masculine plural construct - ways of
• *ʿammî*: noun, masculine singular construct with 1st person singular suffix - my people
• *hiššābēaʿ*: verb, Niphal infinitive construct - to swear
• *YHWH*: divine name - LORD
• *limmədû*: verb, Piel perfect, 3rd person plural - they taught
• *babbāʿal*: noun, masculine singular with preposition and definite article - by Baal
• *nibnû*: verb, Niphal perfect, 3rd person plural - they will be built up
• *tôk*: noun, masculine singular construct - midst of

Word Meanings

• *lāmōd yilmədû*: surely learn/diligently learn
• *hiššābēaʿ*: to swear/to take oath
• *limmədû*: taught/instructed
• *nibnû*: be built up/be established/prosper

Referenced Verses

• Jer 4:2 : 2 And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.
• Josh 23:7 : 7 That ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them:
• Zeph 1:5 : 5 And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and that swear by the LORD, and that swear by Malcham;
• Zech 2:11 : 11 And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee.
• Rom 11:17 : 17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
• Rom 14:11 : 11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
• 1 Cor 3:9 : 9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
• Eph 2:19-22 : 19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
• 1 Pet 2:4-6 : 4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, 5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
• Jer 5:2 : 2 And though they say, The LORD liveth; surely they swear falsely.
• Deut 10:20-21 : 20 Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name. 21 He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen.
• Ps 106:35-36 : 35 But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works. 36 And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.
• Song 1:8 : 8 If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents.
• Isa 9:18-21 : 18 For wickedness burneth as the fire: it shall devour the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke. 19 Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts is the land darkened, and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire: no man shall spare his brother. 20 And he shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry; and he shall eat on the left hand, and they shall not be satisfied: they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm: 21 Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh: and they together shall be against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
• Isa 19:23-25 : 23 In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians. 24 In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land: 25 Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.
• Isa 45:23 : 23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
• Isa 49:6 : 6 And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.
• Isa 56:5-6 : 5 Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. 6 Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;
• Isa 65:16 : 16 That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes.
• Jer 3:17 : 17 At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.