Jeremiah 8:3

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.

📖 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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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 And in those days men will seek death and will not find it, and will desire to die, and death will flee from them.
• Job 7:15-16 : 15 so that my soul chooses strangling, and death rather than my life. 16 I loathe it; I would not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are vanity.
• Jer 23:3 : 3 And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their folds, and they shall be fruitful and increase.
• Jer 23:8 : 8 But, 'The LORD lives, who brought up and led the descendants of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries where I had driven them.' And they shall dwell in their own land.
• Jer 29:14 : 14 And I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD; and I will bring you back to the place from which I caused you to be carried away captive.
• Deut 30:1 : 1 And it shall come to pass, when all these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you shall call them to mind among all the nations, where the LORD your God has driven you,
• Deut 30:4 : 4 If any of yours are driven out to the farthest parts of heaven, from there will the LORD your God gather you, and from there will he bring you:
• Dan 9:7 : 7 O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us belongs confusion of face, as it is this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those near and those far off, through all the countries where You have driven them, because of their trespass which they have trespassed against You.
• Jonah 4:3 : 3 Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beg you, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.
• Rev 6:16 : 16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
• Jer 20:14-18 : 14 Cursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bore me be blessed. 15 Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man child is born to you; making him very glad. 16 And let that man be as the cities which the LORD overthrew, and did not repent: and let him hear the cry in the morning, and the shouting at noontime; 17 Because he did not slay me from the womb; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb always great with me. 18 Why did I come forth out of the womb to see labor and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?
• 1 Kgs 19:4 : 4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree, and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am not better than my ancestors.
• Job 3:20-22 : 20 Why is light given to him who is in misery, and life to the bitter in soul; 21 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 can find the grave?
• Jer 29:28 : 28 For he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, 'This captivity is long; build houses and dwell in them, and plant gardens and eat their fruit.'
• Jer 32:36-37 : 36 And now therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city, of which you say, It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence; 37 Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, where I have driven them in my anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again to this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely:
• Jer 40:12 : 12 Even all the Jews returned out of all places where they were driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, to Mizpah, and gathered wine and summer fruits in great abundance.