English Standard Version
Jeremiah 50:9
9For 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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)For I am raising up an army of great nations from the north. They will join forces to attack Babylon, and she will be captured. The enemies’ arrows will go straight to the mark; they will not miss!
Context of Jeremiah 50:9
7All who found them have devoured them, and their enemies have said, 'We are not guilty, for they have sinned against the Lord, their habitation of righteousness, the Lord, the hope of their fathers.' 8"Flee from the midst of Babylon, and go out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as male goats before the flock. 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. 10Chaldea shall be plundered; all who plunder her shall be sated, declares the Lord. 11"Though you rejoice, though you exult, O plunderers of my heritage, though you frolic like a heifer in the pasture, and neigh like stallions,
Read all of Jeremiah 50Jeremiah 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 50:3"For out of the north a nation has come up against her, which shall make her land a desolation, and none shall dwell in it; both man and beast shall flee away.
- Jeremiah 15:14I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know, for in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn forever."
- Jeremiah 51:1Thus says the Lord: "Behold, I will stir up the spirit of a destroyer against Babylon, against the inhabitants of Leb-kamai,
- Ezra 1:1In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:
- Isaiah 13:2On a bare hill raise a signal; cry aloud to them; wave the hand for them to enter the gates of the nobles.
- Isaiah 21:2A stern vision is told to me; the traitor betrays, and the destroyer destroys. Go up, O Elam; lay siege, O Media; all the sighing she has caused I bring to an end.
- Isaiah 41:25I stirred up one from the north, and he has come, from the rising of the sun, and he shall call upon my name; he shall trample on rulers as on mortar, as the potter treads clay.
- Isaiah 45:1Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed:
- Jeremiah 50:14Set yourselves in array against Babylon all around, all you who bend the bow; shoot at her, spare no arrows, for she has sinned against the Lord.
- 2 Samuel 1:22"From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty.
- Isaiah 13:18Their bows will slaughter the young men; they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb; their eyes will not pity 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
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries