English Standard Version
Jeremiah 6:23
23They 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!"
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.”
- 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.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)They are armed with bows and spears. They are cruel and show no mercy. They sound like a roaring sea as they ride forward on horses. They are coming in battle formation, planning to destroy you, beautiful Jerusalem.”
Context of Jeremiah 6:23
21Therefore thus says the Lord: 'Behold, I will lay before this people stumbling blocks against which they shall stumble; fathers and sons together, neighbor and friend shall perish.'" 22Thus says the Lord: "Behold, a people is coming from the north country, a great nation is stirring from the farthest parts of the earth. 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!" 24We have heard the report of it; our hands fall helpless; anguish has taken hold of us, pain as of a woman in labor. 25Go not out into the field, nor walk on the road, for the enemy has a sword; terror is on every side.
Read all of Jeremiah 6Jeremiah 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 tomb; they are all mighty warriors.
- Jeremiah 50:42They lay hold of bow and spear; they are cruel and have no mercy. The sound of them is like the roaring of the sea; they ride on horses, arrayed as a man for battle against you, O daughter of Babylon!
- 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.
- Ezekiel 23:22Therefore, O Oholibah, thus says the Lord God: "Behold, I will stir up against you your lovers from whom you turned in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side:
- Habakkuk 1:6For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, who march through the breadth of the earth, to seize dwellings not their own.
- Jeremiah 30:14All your lovers have forgotten you; they care nothing for you; for I have dealt you the blow of an enemy, the punishment of a merciless foe, because your guilt is great, because your sins are flagrant.
- Isaiah 19:4and I will give over the Egyptians into the hand of a hard master, and a fierce king will rule over them, declares the Lord God of hosts.
- Jeremiah 4:13Behold, he comes up like clouds; his chariots like the whirlwind; his horses are swifter than eagles— woe to us, for we are ruined!
- Isaiah 5:26He will raise a signal for nations far away, and whistle for them from the ends of the earth; and behold, quickly, speedily they come!
- Luke 21:25"And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of 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
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries