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Jeremiah 21:3 — Word Study

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WLCוַיֹּ֥אמֶר יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם כֹּ֥ה תֹאמְרֻ֖ן אֶל־ צִדְקִיָּֽהוּ׃

BSABut JeremiahYirmᵉyâh [the prophet, whom Jehovah has appointed] answeredʼâmar You are to tellʼâmar [speak to, command] ZedekiahTsidqîyâh [Jehovah is righteous, the last king of Judah] thatkôh

Word
Listen & take awayJeremiah 21
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 3 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (tzid.ki.Ya.hu) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Jeremiah 21:3quick helps
In a sentenceJeremiah conveys God's message to Zedekiah amid a crisis.
Who is speakingJeremiah, the prophet appointed by Jehovah.
Where we areA moment of divine communication during a time of war.
The hard wordאֲלֵיהֶ֑ם
Take awayThe message is direct and urgent, meant for Zedekiah.
3 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectיִרְמְיָהוּ verbאָמַר The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Jeremiah 21:3

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — God's Message to Zedekiahgenerated

2“Please inquire of the LORD on our behalf, since Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is waging war against us. Perhaps the LORD will perform for us something like all His past wonders, so that Nebuchadnezzar will withdraw from us.”
3But Jeremiah answered, “You are to tell Zedekiah that
4this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will turn against you the weapons of war in your hands, with which you are fighting the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who besiege you outside the wall, and I will assemble their forces in the center of this city.
5And I Myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm, with anger, fury, and great wrath.

Jeremiah 21:3 presents a critical moment where Jeremiah is instructed to deliver a message to Zedekiah during a siege by Babylon. This verse highlights the role of the prophet as a mediator of God's word, emphasizing the urgency and significance of the communication in the context of impending danger, as seen in the surrounding verses.


Cross References


The Key Word אָמַר, vai.Yo.mergenerated

The Hebrew verb אָמַר (amar) means 'to say' or 'to utter,' with a broad range of uses including to command, promise, or even boast. Its parsing as a sequential imperfect third person masculine singular verb indicates that this is a continuing action, emphasizing the authority of Jeremiah's speech.

In this context, אָמַר is used to convey a direct command from God through Jeremiah to Zedekiah, underscoring the importance of the message being delivered.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses 'you are to tell' to convey the directive nature of the command.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb יֹּ֥אמֶר governs the main clause, indicating that Jeremiah is speaking. The structure includes a prepositional phrase indicating direction (אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם), followed by an adverbial phrase (כֹּ֥ה) that sets the manner of the speech.

The sentence structure emphasizes the command aspect, with the verb leading the sentence and the prepositional phrase clarifying the audience.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates אָמַר as εἶπεν (eipen), which also means 'he said.' This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, indicating a straightforward translation without interpretive additions.

The consistency in translation between the Hebrew and the Greek suggests a focus on the act of speaking rather than any additional nuances.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Jeremiah 21:3 tells us that Jeremiah is instructed to communicate a message to Zedekiah. This verse shows Jeremiah's role as a prophet delivering God's urgent command during a time of crisis.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What is the significance of Jeremiah speaking to Zedekiah?

Jeremiah's message to Zedekiah represents God's direct communication during a critical moment, emphasizing the importance of obedience to God's word.

Why is the message urgent?

The urgency stems from the siege by Babylon, where Zedekiah's decisions could lead to dire consequences for Judah.

What does the name Zedekiah mean?

Zedekiah means 'Jehovah is righteous,' reflecting his royal lineage and the expectations placed upon him as king.

How does this verse illustrate the role of a prophet?

This verse illustrates the prophet's role as a mediator of God's messages, conveying divine commands and guidance to leaders and the people.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways can I be more receptive to messages I believe God is communicating to me?
  2. How can I apply the urgency of Jeremiah's message in my own life?
  3. What does it mean for me to act as a messenger of God's word in my community?
  4. How do I respond when I feel God is calling me to speak to someone about an important issue?

The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it

Jerome cites this verse to illustrate God's command through Jeremiah, emphasizing the importance of the message to Zedekiah.

JeromeVers. 3 seqq. c. 347–420
And Jeremiah said to them: Thus shall you say to Zedekiah: Thus saith the Lord God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war (or the weapons of warfare) which are in your hands, wherewith you fight against the king of Babylon,
Early Church Fathers on Jeremiah 21 →

Commentators on this verse — 3 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Jeremiah 21:3 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Then said Jeremiah unto them,.... The two priests, Pashur and Zephaniah, after he had sought the Lord, and knew his mind and will: thus shall ye say to Zedekiah; by whom they were sent.

Read John Gill on Jeremiah 21 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Then said Jeremiah unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah: No JFB commentary on this verse.

Read Robert Jamieson on Jeremiah 21 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Jeremiah 21:3 Then said Jeremiah unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah:Ver. 3. Then said Jeremiah unto them.] He answereth them modestly, and without insultation; but freely and boldly, as a man of a heroic spirit, and the messenger of the King of kings.

Read John Trapp on Jeremiah 21 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

But Jeremiah answered, “You are to tell Zedekiah that

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Then Jeremiah said to them, “Tell Zedekiah:

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

But Jeremiah answered, “You are to tell Zedekiah that

NETBNew English Translation2006

Jeremiah answered them, “Tell Zedekiah

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

¶ Then said Jeremiah unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah:

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Then said Jeremiah unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah:

RVARevised Version, American1894

Then said Jeremiah unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah:

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Then said Jeremiah to them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah:

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Then said Ieremiah, Thus shall you say to Zedekiah,

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And Jeremiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah:

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And Jeremiah saith unto them, 'Thus do ye say unto Zedekiah,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And Jeremiah says to them, “Thus you say to Zedekiah,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Then said Jeremiah unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah:

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

So Jeremiah said to them, “This is what you must say to Zedekiah,

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And Jeremias said to them: Thus shall you say to Sedecias:

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

But Jeremiah replied, “Tell Zedekiah this:

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Then Jeremiah said to them, This is what you are to say to Zedekiah:

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

וַandclauseverbיֹּ֥אמֶרhe.saidsubjectיִרְמְיָ֖הוּJeremiahprepositional phrase · prepositionalאֲלֵיtoהֶ֑םthemclauseadverbialכֹּ֥הthusverb phrase · verbתֹאמְרֻ֖youןwill.sayprepositional phrase · prepositionalאֶלtoצִדְקִיָּֽהוּZedekiah

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree in their wording, with six out of seven words matching. The Septuagint's structure reflects its own syntax but conveys the same essential message as the Hebrew.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם כֹּ֥ה תֹאמְרֻ֖ן אֶל־ צִדְקִיָּֽהוּ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיֹּ֥אמֶרεἶπενאֲלֵיהֶ֑םιερεμιαςכֹּ֥הοὕτωςתֹאמְרֻ֖ןἐρεῖτεאֶל־πρὸςצִדְקִיָּֽהוּ׃σεδεκιαν

6 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Jeremiah 21:3אָמַרand he saidand he saidאָמַריִרְמְיָ֫הJeremiahJeremiahיִרְמְיָ֫האֶלto themto themאֶלכֹּהthusthusכֹּהאָמַרyou will sayou will say !אָמַראֶלtotoאֶלצִדְקִיָּ֫הוּZedekiahZedekiahצִדְקִיָּ֫הוּרוּםto exaltto exaltרוּםצֶ֫דֶקRighteousnRighteousnessצֶ֫דֶקהוּאhe/she/ithe/she/itהוּאיהוהYHWH/GodYHWH/Godיהוהיִרְמְיָ֫הJeremiahJeremiahיִרְמְיָ֫הכֹּהthusthusכֹּהפָּלַלto prayto prayפָּלַלמַטָּרָהguardhouseguardhouseמַטָּרָהבָּרוּךְBaruchBaruchבָּרוּךְאָדוֹןLordLordאָדוֹןיְהוּדָה(Baalah of(Baalah of)Judaיְהוּדָה
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Jeremiah 21:3

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

and he said Jeremiah to them thus you will say ! to Zedekiah
וַיֹּ֥אמֶרvai.Yo.mer and he said H559 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
5,309× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to say or speak, and it's used in many different ways in the Bible. It can mean to command, promise, or think, and it's translated in the KJV as 'answer', 'appoint', or 'command'.
Tyndale gloss
to say
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָמַר (amar) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to say' or 'to utter,' with a broad range of uses including to promise, command, or even boast. It appears in various forms, such as in the Qal (to say), Niphal (to be told), and Hiphil (to avow). The entries highlight its versatility in both spoken and internal contexts, though no specific verse is noted.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say

Qal

Say

Say in the heart (= think)

Promise

Command (esp. late)

Niph. be said, told

Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

Hithp. act proudly, boast

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H559 אָמַר utter, say .. Say

. Say in the heart (= think)

. Promise

. Command (esp. late)

. be said, told

. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

. act proudly, boast

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

559 'amar aw-mar'

a primitive root; to say (used with great

latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call,

certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment),

commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X

expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise,

publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X

suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech),

utter, X verily, X yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָמַר (a.mar) — to say.

1) to say, speak, utter

1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend

1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called

1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly

1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch

Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vqw3ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he said Jeremiah to them thus you will say ! to Zedekiah
יִרְמְיָ֖הוּyir.me.Ya.hu Jeremiah H3414 Noun proper masculine
147× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Jeremiah means whom Jehovah has appointed, a major prophet and author of the book of Jeremiah. He was the son of Hilkiah and a priest from Anathoth.
Amplified meaning
the prophet, whom Jehovah has appointed
Tyndale gloss
Jeremiah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יִרְמְיָ֫הוּ (Yirmyah) refers to Jeremiah, meaning 'whom Jehovah has appointed.' He is primarily known as a major prophet from a priestly family in Anathoth, authoring the book of Jeremiah. The name also applies to several other individuals, including a man from Libnah, a Gadite warrior, and priests during the time of Nehemiah. The entries suggest a diverse range of figures associated with this name.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יִרְמְיָ֫ה(וּ) 147 n.pr.m. (? י׳ looseneth, sc. the womb ?)

proph., son of Ḥilḳiah, of priestly family in ‛Anathôth

of Libnah, father of Josiah’s wife

Gadite, David’s time

Manassite

Benjamite

Gadite

priestly name

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3414 יִרְמְיָ֫ה(וּ) (? י׳ looseneth, sc. the womb ?) . proph., son of Ḥilḳiah, of priestly family in ‛Anathôth

. of Libnah, father of Josiah’s wife

. Gadite, David’s time

. Manassite

. Benjamite

. Gadite

. priestly name

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3414 Yirmyah yir-meh-yaw'

or Yirmyahuw {yir-meh-yaw'-hoo}; from 7311 and 3050; Jah will

rise; Jirmejah, the name of eight or nine

Israelites:--Jeremiah.

see HEBREW for 07311

see HEBREW for 03050

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יִרְמְיָ֫הוּ (yir.me.yah) — Jeremiah.

A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.23.31;

father of: Hamutal (H2537)

§ Jeremiah = "whom Jehovah has appointed"

1) the major prophet, son of Hilkiah of the priestly family in Anathoth; author of the prophetic book bearing his name

2) a man of Libnah and father of Hamutal the wife of king Josiah

3) a Gadite who joined David at Ziklag

4) a Manassehite, one of the mighty men of valour of the Transjordanic half tribe of Manasseh

5) a Gadite and warrior of David

6) a warrior of David

7) a priest who joined Nehemiah in the covenant ceremony

8) a priest also in the time of Nehemiah; maybe same as 7

9) father of Jaazaniah the Rechabites

יִרְמְיָ֫הוּ (yir.me.yah) — Jeremiah.

A man of the tribe of Manasseh living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.5.24

§ Jeremiah = "whom Jehovah has appointed"

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Jeremiah

Raised up or appointed by Jehovah. (1.) A Gadite who joined David in the wilderness (1 Chr. 12:10).

(2.) A Gadite warrior (1 Chr. 12:13).

(3.) A Benjamite slinger who joined David at Ziklag (1 Chr. 12:4).

(4.) One of the chiefs of the tribe of Manasseh on the east of Jordan (1 Chr. 5:24).

(5.) The father of Hamutal (2 Kings 23:31), the wife of Josiah.

(6.) One of the “greater prophets” of the Old Testament, son of Hilkiah (q.v.), a priest of Anathoth (Jer. 1:1; 32:6). He was called to the prophetical office when still young (1:6), in the thirteenth year of Josiah…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Seven other persons bearing the same name as the prophet are mentioned in the Old Testament:-- Jeremiah of Libnah, father of Hamutal wife of Josiah. (2 Kings 23:31) (B.C. before 632.) 2,3,4. Three warriors --two of the tribe of Gad-- in David’s army. (1 Chronicles 12:4,10,13) (B.C. 1061-53.) One of the "mighty men of valor" of the transjordanic half-tribe of Manasseh. (1 Chronicles 5:24) (B.C. 782.) A priest of high rank, head of the second or third of the twenty-one courses which are apparently enumerated in (Nehemiah 10:2-8; 12:1,12) (B.C. 446-410). The father of Jazaniah the Rechabite. (Jeremiah 35:3) (B.C. before…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

One of the chief prophets of the Old Testament, prophesied under Josiah, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah, and also after the captivity of the latter. He was born at Anathoth, of the race of the priests, and was destined of God to be a prophet, and consecrated for that object before his birth, Jer 1:1,5. At an early age he was called to act as a prophet, B. C. 628, in the thirteenth year of King Josiah. This good king no doubt cooperated with him to promote the reformation of the people; but the subsequent life of the prophet was full of afflictions and persecutions. Jehoiakim threw his prophetic roll into the fire, and sought his life. Zedekiah was kindly instructed by him, and warned of the woes impending over his guilty people, and of their seventy years’ captivity, but to no purpose. The fidelity of the prophet often endangered his life…

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

exaltation of the Lord

and he said Jeremiah to them thus you will say ! to Zedekiah
אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם'a.lei.Hem to them H413 Preposition · suffix
5,518× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means 'to' or 'toward', showing direction or movement. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, to indicate where someone is going. The KJV translates it in various ways, like 'about', 'according to', or 'against'.
Tyndale gloss
to(wards)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֶל (el) is primarily a preposition indicating motion towards or direction to a person or place. It can also imply entering a limit, presence at a location, or a hostile direction (against). Additionally, it may express concepts such as concerning, in addition to, or according to. The entries highlight its versatility in both physical and metaphorical contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph),

prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).of motion to or unto a person or place

Where the limit is actually entered, into

Of direction towards anything

Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

Of rule or standard according to (rare)

Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H413 אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), . of motion to or unto a person or place

. Where the limit is actually entered, into

. Of direction towards anything

. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

. Of rule or standard according to (rare)

. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

413 'el ale

(but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el});

a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but

occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or

among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after,

against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and,

by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of,

over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether,

with(-in).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶל (el) — to(wards).

1) to, toward, unto (of motion)

2) into (limit is actually entered)

2a) in among

3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion)

4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character)

5) in addition to, to

6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of

7) according to (rule or standard)

8) at, by, against (of one's presence)

9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HRd/Sp3mp — Preposition · suffix
HRd/Sp3mp
and he said Jeremiah to them thus you will say ! to Zedekiah
כֹּ֥הkoh thus H3541 Adverb
577× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means thus or in this manner. It can also indicate a location or time, such as here or now. The KJV translates it in various ways, including also, here, and so.
Tyndale gloss
thus
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כֹּה (koh) is a demonstrative adverb meaning 'thus' or 'here.' It can indicate manner, place, or time, covering usages like 'thus,' 'here,' and 'until now.' The word is built from a prefix meaning 'like' and a root related to 'to be.' There is an Aramaic equivalent, כָּה (kah), which also means 'thus.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כֹּה demonstr.adv. thus, here

of manner, thus

of place, here

of time, hitherto

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3541 כֹּה thus, here

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3541 koh ko

from the prefix k and 1931; properly, like this, i.e. by

implication, (of manner) thus (or so); also (of place) here

(or hither); or (of time) now:--also, here, + hitherto, like,

on the other side, so (and much), such, on that manner, (on)

this (manner, side, way, way and that way), + mean while,

yonder.

see HEBREW for 01931

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כֹּה (koh) — thus.

1) thus, here, in this manner

1a) thus, so

1b) here, here and there

1c) until now, until now...until then, meanwhile

Aramaic equivalent: kah (כָּה "thus" H3542)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adv — Adverb
HD
and he said Jeremiah to them thus you will say ! to Zedekiah
תֹאמְרֻ֖ןtom.Run you will say ! H559 Verb qal imperfect second person masculine plural · suffix
5,309× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to say or speak, and it's used in many different ways in the Bible. It can mean to command, promise, or think, and it's translated in the KJV as 'answer', 'appoint', or 'command'.
Amplified meaning
speak to, command
Tyndale gloss
to say
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָמַר (amar) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to say' or 'to utter,' with a broad range of uses including to promise, command, or even boast. It appears in various forms, such as in the Qal (to say), Niphal (to be told), and Hiphil (to avow). The entries highlight its versatility in both spoken and internal contexts, though no specific verse is noted.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say

Qal

Say

Say in the heart (= think)

Promise

Command (esp. late)

Niph. be said, told

Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

Hithp. act proudly, boast

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H559 אָמַר utter, say .. Say

. Say in the heart (= think)

. Promise

. Command (esp. late)

. be said, told

. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

. act proudly, boast

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

559 'amar aw-mar'

a primitive root; to say (used with great

latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call,

certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment),

commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X

expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise,

publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X

suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech),

utter, X verily, X yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָמַר (a.mar) — to say.

1) to say, speak, utter

1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend

1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called

1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly

1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch

Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-2mp | Suff — Verb qal imperfect second person masculine plural · suffix
HVqi2mp/Sn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he said Jeremiah to them thus you will say ! to Zedekiah
אֶל־'el- to H413 Preposition
5,518× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means 'to' or 'toward', showing direction or movement. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, to indicate where someone is going. The KJV translates it in various ways, like 'about', 'according to', or 'against'.
Tyndale gloss
to(wards)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֶל (el) is primarily a preposition indicating motion towards or direction to a person or place. It can also imply entering a limit, presence at a location, or a hostile direction (against). Additionally, it may express concepts such as concerning, in addition to, or according to. The entries highlight its versatility in both physical and metaphorical contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph),

prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).of motion to or unto a person or place

Where the limit is actually entered, into

Of direction towards anything

Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

Of rule or standard according to (rare)

Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H413 אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), . of motion to or unto a person or place

. Where the limit is actually entered, into

. Of direction towards anything

. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

. Of rule or standard according to (rare)

. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

413 'el ale

(but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el});

a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but

occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or

among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after,

against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and,

by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of,

over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether,

with(-in).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶל (el) — to(wards).

1) to, toward, unto (of motion)

2) into (limit is actually entered)

2a) in among

3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion)

4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character)

5) in addition to, to

6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of

7) according to (rule or standard)

8) at, by, against (of one's presence)

9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR — Preposition
HR
and he said Jeremiah to them thus you will say ! to Zedekiah
צִדְקִיָּֽהוּ׃tzid.ki.Ya.hu Zedekiah H6667 Noun proper masculine
63× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Zedekiah means Jehovah is righteous, the name of six Israelites including the last king of Judah, as seen in Jeremiah 36:12. He was renamed by Nebuchadnezzar and son of Josiah. Zedekiah was a significant figure in the Divided Monarchy period.
Amplified meaning
Jehovah is righteous, the last king of Judah
Tyndale gloss
Zedekiah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word צִדְקִיָּ֫הוּ (*Tsidqiyah*) means 'Jehovah is righteous' and refers primarily to Zedekiah, the last king of Judah. It is derived from words meaning 'right' and 'Jah' (God). The entries note various individuals named Zedekiah, including false prophets and a priest during Nehemiah's time. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings or references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

צִדְקִיָּ֫הוּ 66, צִדְקִיָּה 7 n.pr.m. (י׳ is righteousness)

last king of Judah

false prophets

prince; Jerem.’s time

priest, Nehem.’s time

son of Jehoiachin

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6667 צִדְקִיָּ֫הוּ, צִדְקִיָּה (י׳ is righteousness) . last king of Judah

. false prophets

. prince; Jerem.’s time

. priest, Nehem.’s time

. son of Jehoiachin

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6667 Tsidqiyah tsid-kee-yaw'

or Tsidqiyahuw {tsid-kee-yaw'-hoo}; from 6664 and 3050; right

of Jah; Tsidkijah, the name of six Israelites:--Zedekiah,

Zidkijah.

see HEBREW for 06664

see HEBREW for 03050

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

צִדְקִיָּ֫הוּ (tsid.qiy.yah) — Zedekiah.

A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ki.22.11;

son of: Chenaanah (H3668)

§ Zedekiah = "Jehovah is righteous"

1) the last king of Judah renamed from 'Mattaniah' by Nebuchadnezzar; son of Josiah by wife Hamutal; placed on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar when he carried his nephew Jehoiakim in captivity

2) false prophet at the court of king Ahab of the northern kingdom of Israel

3) son of Maaseiah, a false prophet in Babylon

4) son of Hananiah, one of the princes of Judah in the time of Jeremiah

5) a priest who sealed the covenant with Nehemiah

6) son of king Jehoiakim of Judah

צִדְקִיָּ֫הוּ (tsid.qiy.yah) — Zedekiah.

A king of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.24.17;

son of: Josiah (H2977) and Hamutal (H2537);

brother of: Jehoahaz (H3059H);

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Zedekiah

Righteousness of Jehovah. (1.) The last king of Judah. He was the third son of Josiah, and his mother’s name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah, and hence he was the brother of Jehoahaz (2 Kings 23:31; 24:17, 18). His original name was Mattaniah; but when Nebuchadnezzar placed him on the throne as the successor to Jehoiachin he changed his name to Zedekiah. The prophet Jeremiah was his counsellor, yet “he did evil in the sight of the Lord” (2 Kings 24:19, 20; Jer. 52:2, 3). He ascended the throne at the age of twenty-one years. The kingdom was at that time tributary to Nebuchadnezzar; but, despite the strong remonstrances of Jeremiah and others, as well as the example of Jehoiachin, he threw off the yoke…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(justice of Jehovah). The last king of Judah and Jerusalem. He was the son of Josiah by his wife Hamutal, and therefore own brother to Jehoahaz. (2 Kings 24:18) comp. 2Kin 23:31 His original name was Mattaniah, which was changed to Zedekiah by Nebuchadnezzar when he carried off his nephew Jehoiachim to Babylon and left him on the throne of Jerusalem. Zedekiah was but twenty-one years old when he was thus placed in charge of an impoverished kingdom, B.C. 597. His history is contained in a short sketch .of the events of his reign given in (2 Kings 24:17; 2 Kings 25:7) and, with some trifling variations in (Jeremiah 39:1-7; 62:1-11) together with the still shorter summary in…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

1. The twentieth and last king of Judah, son of Josiah and Hamutal, and uncle to Jeconiah his predecessor, 2Ki 24:17,19 Jer 52:1. When Nebuchadnezzar took Jerusalem, he carried Jeconiah to Babylon, with his wives, children, officers, and the best artificers in Judea, and put in his place his uncle Mattaniah, whose name he changed to Zedekiah, and made him promise with an oath that he would maintain fidelity to him. He was twenty-one years old when he began to reign at Jerusalem, and he reigned there eleven years. He did evil in the sight of the Lord, committing the same crimes as Jehoiakim, 2Ki 24:18-20 2Ch 36:11-13. Compare

Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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