Jeremiah 14:3

King James Version with Strong's Numbers

And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters: they came to the pits, and found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וְאַדִּ֣רֵיהֶ֔ם שָׁלְח֥וּ *צעוריהם **צְעִירֵיהֶ֖ם לַמָּ֑יִם בָּ֣אוּ עַל־גֵּבִ֞ים לֹא־מָ֣צְאוּ מַ֗יִם שָׁ֤בוּ כְלֵיהֶם֙ רֵיקָ֔ם בֹּ֥שׁוּ וְהָכְלְמ֖וּ וְחָפ֥וּ רֹאשָֽׁם׃

Transliteration

wəʾaddîrêhem šālḥû ṣəʿîrêhem to-the-māyim bāʾû upon-gēḇîm not-māṣəʾû mayim šāḇû kəlêhem rêqām bōšû wəhāḵləmû wəḥāp̄û rōʾšām

Grammar Details

• *wəʾaddîrêhem*: noun, masculine plural with 3rd person masculine plural suffix with conjunction - and their nobles
• *šālḥû*: qal perfect, 3rd plural - they sent
• *ṣəʿîrêhem*: noun, masculine plural with 3rd person masculine plural suffix - their young ones/servants
• *māyim*: noun, masculine plural with preposition + definite article - for the water
• *bāʾû*: qal perfect, 3rd plural - they came
• *gēḇîm*: noun, masculine plural with preposition - to cisterns/pits
• *māṣəʾû*: qal perfect, 3rd plural with negative particle - they did not find
• *šāḇû*: qal perfect, 3rd plural - they returned
• *kəlêhem*: noun, masculine plural with 3rd person masculine plural suffix - their vessels
• *rêqām*: adverb - empty
• *bōšû*: qal perfect, 3rd plural - they were ashamed
• *wəhāḵləmû*: niphal perfect, 3rd plural with conjunction - and they were humiliated
• *wəḥāp̄û*: qal perfect, 3rd plural with conjunction - and they covered
• *rōʾšām*: noun, masculine singular with 3rd person masculine plural suffix - their head

Word Meanings

• *ʾaddîrêhem*: nobles/mighty ones/prominent people
• *ṣəʿîrêhem*: little ones/young ones/servants/inferiors
• *gēḇîm*: cisterns/pits/trenches/ditches
• *bōšû*: are ashamed/are disappointed/are confounded
• *hāḵləmû*: are humiliated/are put to shame/are disgraced
• *ḥāp̄û*: covered/veiled/hid

Referenced Verses

• 2 Sam 15:30 : 30 And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.
• 2 Kgs 18:31 : 31 Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me, and then eat ye every man of his own vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his cistern:
• Ps 40:14 : 14 Let them be ashamed{H8799)} and confounded{H8799)} together that seek{H8764)} after my soul to destroy{H8800)} it; let them be driven{H8735)} backward and put to shame{H8735)} that wish me evil.
• Jer 2:13 : 13 For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.
• Amos 4:8 : 8 So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.
• Jer 2:26-27 : 26 As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets, 27 Saying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us.
• Jer 14:4 : 4 Because the ground is chapt, for there was no rain in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads.
• Jer 20:11 : 11 But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.
• Joel 1:20 : 20 The beasts of the field cry also unto thee: for the rivers of waters are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness.
• Ps 109:29 : 29 Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle.
• Isa 45:16-17 : 16 They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols. 17 But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.
• Esth 6:12 : 12 And Mordecai came again to the king's gate. But Haman hasted to his house mourning, and having his head covered.
• Job 6:20 : 20 They were confounded because they had hoped; they came thither, and were ashamed.
• 2 Sam 19:4 : 4 But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!
• 1 Kgs 17:7 : 7 And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
• 1 Kgs 18:5-6 : 5 And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts. 6 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.