Jeremiah 50:9

Jeremiah 50:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For, lo, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the north country: and they shall set themselves in array against her; from thence she shall be taken: their arrows shall be as of a mighty expert man; none shall return in vain.
• New International Version (NIV)For I will stir up and bring against Babylon an alliance of great nations from the land of the north. They will take up their positions against her, and from the north she will be captured. Their arrows will be like skilled warriors who do not return empty-handed.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For behold, I am stirring up and bringing against Babylon a gathering of great nations, from the north country. And they shall array themselves against her. From there she shall be taken. Their arrows are like a skilled warrior who does not return empty-handed.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For behold, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon An assembly of great nations from the north country, And they shall array themselves against her; From there she shall be captured. Their arrows shall be like those of an expert warrior; None shall return in vain.

Context of Jeremiah 50:9

7Whoever found them devoured them. Their adversaries said, “We’re not guilty; instead, they have sinned against the Lord, their righteous grazing land, the hope of their ancestors, the Lord.” 8Escape from Babylon; depart from the Chaldeans’ land. Be like the rams that lead the flock. For I will soon stir up and bring against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the north country. They will line up in battle formation against her; from there she will be captured. Their arrows will be like a skilled warrior who does not return empty-handed. 10The Chaldeans will become plunder; all Babylon’s plunderers will be fully satisfied. This is the Lord’s declaration. 11Because you rejoice, because you celebrate — you who plundered my inheritance — because you frolic like a young cow treading grain and neigh like stallions,

Jeremiah 50:9 word by word

כִּ֣י הִנֵּ֣ה אָנֹכִ֡י מֵעִיר֩ וּמַעֲלֶ֨ה עַל־בָּבֶ֜ל קְהַל־גּוֹיִ֤ם גְּדֹלִים֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ צָפ֔וֹן וְעָ֣רְכוּ לָ֔הּ מִשָּׁ֖ם תִּלָּכֵ֑ד חִצָּיו֙ כְּגִבּ֣וֹר מַשְׁכִּ֔יל לֹ֥א יָשׁ֖וּב רֵיקָֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• For, lo, I will raiseעוּר‛ûr · to rouseH5782
• and cause to come upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: establishH5927
• against Babylonבָּבֶ֫ל, בָּבֶלbâbel · BabylonH894
• an assemblyקָהָלqâhâl · assemblyH6951
• of greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• nationsגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
• from the northצָפוֹןtsâphôn tsâphôn · northH6828
• countryאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• and they shall set themselves in arrayעָרַךְ‛ârak · to arrangeH6186
• against her; from thence she shall be takenלָכַדlâkad · to captureH3920
• their arrowsחֵץchêts · arrowH2671
• as of a mightyגִּבּוֹרgibbôr gibbôr · mighty manH1368
• expert manשָׁכֹלshâkôl · be bereavedH7921
• expert manשָׂכַלώâkal · be prudentH7919
• none shall returnשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• in vainרֵיקָםrêyqâm · emptilyH7387

Cross-references for Jeremiah 50:9

• Jeremiah 50:3For a nation from the north will attack her; it will make her land desolate. No one will be living in it — both people and animals will escape.
• Jeremiah 15:14Then I will make you serve your enemies in a land you do not know, for my anger will kindle a fire that will burn against you.
• Jeremiah 51:1This is what the Lord says: I am about to rouse the spirit of a destroyer against Babylon and against the population of Leb-qamai.
• Ezra 1:1In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken through Jeremiah, the Lord roused the spirit of King Cyrus to issue a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom and to put it in writing:
• Isaiah 13:2Lift up a banner on a barren mountain. Call out to them. Signal with your hand, and they will go through the gates of the nobles.
• Isaiah 21:2A troubling vision is declared to me: “The treacherous one acts treacherously, and the destroyer destroys. Advance, Elam! Lay siege, you Medes! I will put an end to all the groaning.”
• Isaiah 41:25“I have stirred up one from the north, and he has come, one from the east who invokes my name. He will march over rulers as if they were mud, like a potter who treads the clay.
• Isaiah 45:1The Lord says this to Cyrus, his anointed, whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him and disarm kings, to open doors before him, and even city gates will not be shut:
• Jeremiah 50:14Line up in battle formation around Babylon, all you archers! Shoot at her! Do not spare an arrow, for she has sinned against the Lord.
• 2 Samuel 1:22Jonathan’s bow never retreated, Saul’s sword never returned unstained, from the blood of the slain, from the flesh of the mighty.
• Isaiah 13:18Their bows will cut young men to pieces. They will have no compassion on offspring; they will not look with pity on children.

Commentaries on Jeremiah 50:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9An assembly of great nations - The army of Cyrus was composed of Medes, Persians, Armenians, Caducians, Sacae, etc. Though all these did not come from the north; yet they were arranged under the Medes, who did come from the north, in reference to Babylon. Their arrows - They are such expert archers, that they shall never miss their mark.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9I will raise - Or, stir up. An assembly of great nations - The Medo-Persian empire was as much an aggregate of discordant nations as that of Babylon. From thence - From the north, i. e., by the great nations coming thence. Return in vain - A proverbial expression for ill success (compare Isaiah 55:11). Here the skillful warrior returns not empty.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-20Verses 8-20 The desolation that shall be brought upon Babylon is set forth in a variety of expressions. The cause of this destruction is the wrath of the Lord. Babylon shall be wholly desolated; for she hath sinned against the Lord. Sin makes men a mark for the arrows of God's judgments. The mercy promised to the Israel of God, shall not only accompany, but arise from the destruction of Babylon. These sheep shall be gathered from the deserts, and put…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8-9The Lord told the Israelites to leave when he commanded a large army from many nations, including Persia and its allies, to attack Babylon in 539 BC.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. from thence--that is, from the north country. expert--literally, "prosperous." Besides "might," "expertness" is needed, that an arrow may do execution. The Margin has a different Hebrew reading; "destroying," literally, "bereaving, childless-making" (Jr 15:7). The Septuagint and Syriac support English Version. In vain--without killing him at whom it was aimed (2Sa 1:22).Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• Babylon
• Babylon, Babylonia, Babylonian
• North country
• Archer
• Desolation
• Isaiah
• Jeremiah (2)

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