Christian Standard Bible
Jeremiah 50:43
43The king of Babylon has heard about them; his hands have become weak. Distress has seized him — pain, like a woman in labor.
Jeremiah 50:43 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)The king of Babylon hath heard the report of them, and his hands waxed feeble: anguish took hold of him, and pangs as of a woman in travail.
- New International Version (NIV)The king of Babylon has heard reports about them, and his hands hang limp. Anguish has gripped him, pain like that of a woman in labor.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"The king of Babylon heard the report of them, and his hands fell helpless; anguish seized him, pain as of a woman in labor.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“The king of Babylon has heard the report about them, And his hands grow feeble; Anguish has taken hold of him, Pangs as of a woman in childbirth.
Context of Jeremiah 50:43
41Look! A people comes from the north. A great nation and many kings will be stirred up from the remote regions of the earth. 42They grasp bow and javelin. They are cruel and show no mercy. Their voice roars like the sea, and they ride on horses, lined up like men in battle formation against you, Daughter Babylon. The king of Babylon has heard about them; his hands have become weak. Distress has seized him — pain, like a woman in labor. 44“Look, it will be like a lion coming from the thickets of the Jordan to the watered grazing land. I will chase Babylon away from her land in a flash. I will appoint whoever is chosen for her. For who is like me? Who will issue me a summons? Who is the shepherd who can stand against me?” 45Therefore, hear the plans that the Lord has drawn up against Babylon and the strategies he has devised against the land of the Chaldeans: Certainly the flock’s little lambs will be dragged away; certainly the grazing land will be made desolate because of them.
Read all of Jeremiah 50Jeremiah 50:43 word by word
שָׁמַ֧ע מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֛ל אֶת־שִׁמְעָ֖ם וְרָפ֣וּ יָדָ֑יו צָרָה֙ הֶחֱזִיקַ֔תְהוּ חִ֖יל כַּיּוֹלֵדָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- The kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- of Babylonבָּבֶ֫ל, בָּבֶלbâbel · BabylonH894
- hath heardשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- the reportשֵׁ֫מַעshêma‛ · reportH8088
- of them, and his handsיָדyâd · handH3027
- waxed feebleרָפָהrâphâh · to slackenH7503
- anguishצָרָהtsârâh · distressH6869
- took holdחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: holdH2388
- pangsחִילchîyl chîylâh · agonyH2427
- as of a woman in travailיָלַדyâlad · to begetH3205
Cross-references for Jeremiah 50:43
- Jeremiah 51:31Messenger races to meet messenger, and herald to meet herald, to announce to the king of Babylon that his city has been captured from end to end.
- Isaiah 13:6Wail! For the day of the Lord is near. It will come as destruction from the Almighty.
- Isaiah 21:3Therefore I am filled with anguish. Pain grips me, like the pain of a woman in labor. I am too perplexed to hear, too dismayed to see.
- Daniel 5:5At that moment the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and began writing on the plaster of the king’s palace wall next to the lampstand. As the king watched the hand that was writing,
- Jeremiah 49:22Look! It will be like an eagle soaring upward, then swooping down and spreading its wings over Bozrah. In that day the hearts of Edom’s warriors will be like the heart of a woman with contractions.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 50:43
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 41-43Verses 41-43 An application to Babylon of the doom against Jerusalem Jeremiah 6:22-24. Jeremiah 50:41 The coasts of the earth - See the Jeremiah 6:22 note.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 33-46Verses 33-46 It is Israel's comfort in distress, that, though they are weak, their Redeemer is strong. This may be applied to believers, who complain of the dominion of sin and corruption, and of their own weakness and manifold infirmities. Their Redeemer is able to keep what they commit to him; and sin shall not have dominion over them. He will give them that rest which remains for the people of God. Also here is Babylon's sin, and their punishment. The…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 43The Babylonians would feel the same fear that their victims had felt (compare Jeremiah 6:22–23).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 41-4341-43. (Compare Jr 6:22-24). The very language used to describe the calamities which Babylon inflicted on Zion is that here employed to describe Babylon's own calamity inflicted by the Medes. Retribution in kind. kinds--the allies and satraps of the various provinces of the Medo-Persian empire: Armenia, Hyrcania, Lydia, &c. coasts--the remote parts.Read the comment
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Jeremiah 50
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
Christian Standard Bible — © 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Commentaries