Jeremiah 50:12

Authorized King James Version

Your mother shall be sore confounded; she that bare you shall be ashamed: behold, the hindermost of the nations shall be a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert.

Word-by-Word Analysis
#1
בּ֤וֹשָׁה
confounded
properly, to pale, i.e., by implication to be ashamed; also (by implication) to be disappointed or delayed
#2
אִמְּכֶם֙
Your mother
a mother (as the bond of the family); in a wide sense (both literally and figuratively [like father])
#3
מְאֹ֔ד
shall be sore
properly, vehemence, i.e., (with or without preposition) vehemently; by implication, wholly, speedily, etc. (often with other words as an intensive or
#4
חָפְרָ֖ה
you shall be ashamed
to blush; figuratively, to be ashamed, disappointed; causatively, to shame, reproach
#5
יֽוֹלַדְתְּכֶ֑ם
she that bare
to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineage
#6
הִנֵּה֙
lo!
#7
אַחֲרִ֣ית
behold the hindermost
the last or end, hence, the future; also posterity
#8
גּוֹיִ֔ם
of the nations
a foreign nation; hence, a gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts
#9
מִדְבָּ֖ר
shall be a wilderness
a pasture (i.e., open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert
#10
צִיָּ֥ה
a dry land
aridity; concretely, a desert
#11
וַעֲרָבָֽה׃
and a desert
a desert; especially (with the article prefix) the (generally) sterile valley of the jordan and its continuation to the red sea

Analysis

The salvation theme here intersects with the metanarrative of redemption running from Genesis to Revelation. Biblical theology recognizes this as part of a unified storyline from the promise in Genesis 3:15 to its fulfillment in Christ. The phrase emphasizing covenant community contributes to our systematic understanding of Christian doctrine and connects to the broader scriptural witness about God's saving work from the Exodus to the cross.

Historical Context

The literary and historical milieu of the literary conventions and historical circumstances of biblical literature shapes this text's meaning. The historical development of salvation within the theological tradition of Jeremiah Understanding the ancient worldview that shaped the author's theological expression helps modern readers appreciate why the author emphasizes covenant community in this particular way.

Questions for Reflection

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