Jeremiah 6:23

Jeremiah 6:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, set in array as men for war against thee, O daughter of Zion.
• New International Version (NIV)They are armed with bow and spear; they are cruel and show no mercy. They sound like the roaring sea as they ride on their horses; they come like men in battle formation to attack you, Daughter Zion.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)They lay hold on bow and javelin; they are cruel and have no mercy; the sound of them is like the roaring sea; they ride on horses, set in array as a man for battle, against you, O daughter of Zion!"
• New King James Version (NKJV)They will lay hold on bow and spear; They are cruel and have no mercy; Their voice roars like the sea; And they ride on horses, As men of war set in array against you, O daughter of Zion.”

Context of Jeremiah 6:23

21Therefore, this is what the Lord says: I am going to place stumbling blocks before these people; fathers and sons together will stumble over them; friends and neighbors will also perish. 22This is what the Lord says: Look, an army is coming from a northern land; a great nation will be stirred up from the remote regions of the earth. They 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 Zion. 24We have heard about it, and our hands have become weak. Distress has seized us — pain, like a woman in labor. 25Don’t go out to the fields; don’t walk on the road. For the enemy has a sword; terror is on every side.

Jeremiah 6:23 word by word

קֶ֣שֶׁת וְכִיד֞וֹן יַחֲזִ֗יקוּ אַכְזָרִ֥י הוּא֙ וְלֹ֣א יְרַחֵ֔מוּ קוֹלָם֙ כַּיָּ֣ם יֶהֱמֶ֔ה וְעַל־סוּסִ֖ים יִרְכָּ֑בוּ עָר֗וּךְ כְּאִישׁ֙ לַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה עָלַ֖יִךְ בַּת־צִיּֽוֹן׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• They shall lay holdחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: holdH2388
• on bowקֶ֫שֶׁתqesheth · bowH7198
• and spearכִּידוֹןkîydôn · javelinH3591
• cruelאַכְזָרִי'akzârîy · cruelH394
• and have no mercyרָחַםrâcham · to have compassionH7355
• their voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voice: soundH6963
• roarethהָמָהhâmâh · to roarH1993
• like the seaיָםyâm · seaH3220
• and they rideרָכַבrâkab · to rideH7392
• upon horsesסוּסsûs sûs · horseH5483
• set in arrayעָרַךְ‛ârak · to arrangeH6186
• as menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• for warמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
• against thee, O daughterבַּתbath · daughterH1323
• of Zionצִיּוֹןtsîyôn · ZionH6726

Cross-references for Jeremiah 6:23

• Jeremiah 5:16Their quiver is like an open grave; they are all warriors.
• Jeremiah 50:42They 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.
• 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.
• Ezekiel 23:22“Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Lord God says: I am going to incite your lovers against you, those you turned away from in disgust. I will bring them against you from every side:
• Habakkuk 1:6Look! I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter, impetuous nation that marches across the earth’s open spaces to seize territories not its own.
• Jeremiah 30:14All your lovers have forgotten you; they no longer look for you, for I have struck you as an enemy would, with the discipline of someone cruel, because of your enormous guilt and your innumerable sins.
• Isaiah 19:4I will hand over Egypt to harsh masters, and a strong king will rule it. This is the declaration of the Lord God of Armies.
• Jeremiah 4:13Look, he advances like clouds; his chariots are like a storm. His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us, for we are ruined!
• Isaiah 5:26He raises a signal flag for the distant nations and whistles for them from the ends of the earth. Look — how quickly and swiftly they come!
• Luke 21:25“Then there will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and there will be anguish on the earth among nations bewildered by the roaring of the sea and the waves.

Commentaries on Jeremiah 6:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23They shall lay hold on bow and spear - Still pointing out the Chaldeans: or according to Dahler, the Scythians, who had before their invasion of Palestine overrun many parts of Asia, and had spread consternation wherever their name was heard.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-30Verses 18-30 God rejects their outward services, as worthless to atone for their sins. Sacrifice and incense were to direct them to a Mediator; but when offered to purchase a license to go on in sin, they provoke God. The sins of God's professing people make them an easy prey to their enemies. They dare not show themselves. Saints may rejoice in hope of God's mercies, though they see them only in the promise: sinners must mourn for fear of God's…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 22-23The Lord reminded the people that the coming invasion was real. The soldiers had actual bows and spears (Isaiah 13:18). roars like the sea: The noise from thousands of soldiers with horses and chariots must have been terrifying (Isaiah 5:27–30).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2323. like the sea--(Is 5:30). as men for war--not that they were like warriors, for they were warriors; but "arrayed most perfectly as warriors" [Maurer].Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• the sea, the Great Sea, the western sea
• Cruel
• Mount
• Reprobate
• Wallow
• Armor; Arms
• Cruel; Cruelty
• Jeremiah (2)
• Sheshach

Commentaries on Jeremiah 6

• 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
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings