God’s Word Translation
Jeremiah 47:2
2This is what the Lord says: Water is rising in the north. It will become an overflowing river. It will overflow the land and everything in it, the cities and those who live in them. People will cry out and everyone who lives in the land will cry loudly.
Jeremiah 47:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Thus saith the Lord; Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land, and all that is therein; the city, and them that dwell therein: then the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl.
- New International Version (NIV)This is what the Lord says: “See how the waters are rising in the north; they will become an overflowing torrent. They will overflow the land and everything in it, the towns and those who live in them. The people will cry out; all who dwell in the land will wail
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Thus says the Lord: Behold, waters are rising out of the north, and shall become an overflowing torrent; they shall overflow the land and all that fills it, the city and those who dwell in it. Men shall cry out, and every inhabitant of the land shall wail.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Thus says the Lord: “Behold, waters rise out of the north, And shall be an overflowing flood; They shall overflow the land and all that is in it, The city and those who dwell within; Then the men shall cry, And all the inhabitants of the land shall wail.
Context of Jeremiah 47:2
1The Lord spoke this message to the prophet Jeremiah about the Philistines before Pharaoh defeated Gaza. This is what the Lord says: Water is rising in the north. It will become an overflowing river. It will overflow the land and everything in it, the cities and those who live in them. People will cry out and everyone who lives in the land will cry loudly. 3They will hear the sound of galloping war horses, the rattling of enemy chariots, and the rumbling of their wheels. Fathers who lack courage abandon their children. 4The time has come to destroy all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon any Philistine who might have escaped to get help. The Lord will destroy the Philistines and anyone who is left from the island of Crete.
Read all of Jeremiah 47Jeremiah 47:2 word by word
כֹּ֣ה׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה הִנֵּה־מַ֜יִם עֹלִ֤ים מִצָּפוֹן֙ וְהָיוּ֙ לְנַ֣חַל שׁוֹטֵ֔ף וְיִשְׁטְפוּ֙ אֶ֣רֶץ וּמְלוֹאָ֔הּ עִ֖יר וְיֹ֣שְׁבֵי בָ֑הּ וְזָֽעֲקוּ֙ הָֽאָדָ֔ם וְהֵילִ֕ל כֹּ֖ל יוֹשֵׁ֥ב הָאָֽרֶץ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thus saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- Behold, watersמַיmayim · waterH4325
- rise upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
- out of the northצָפוֹןtsâphôn tsâphôn · northH6828
- and shall be an overflowingשָׁטַףshâţaph · to overflowH7857
- floodנַ֫חַלnachal nachlâh nachălâh · torrent: riverH5158
- the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- and all that is thereinמְלֹאmelô' melô' melô · fullnessH4393
- the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- and them that dwellיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- therein: then the menאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- shall cryזָעַקzâ‛aq · to cry outH2199
- shall howlיָלַלyâlal · to wailH3213
Cross-references for Jeremiah 47:2
- Jeremiah 46:7Who is this, rising like the Nile River, like streams that flow swiftly?
- Isaiah 8:7That is why the Lord is going to bring against them the raging and powerful floodwaters of the Euphrates River— the king of Assyria with all his power. It will overflow all its channels and go over all its banks.
- Isaiah 28:17I will make justice a measuring line and righteousness a plumb line. Hail will sweep away your refuge of lies, and floodwaters will wash away your hiding place.
- Isaiah 59:19The people of the west will fear the name of the Lord. Those in the east will fear his glory. He will come like a rushing stream. The wind of the Lord pushes him.
- Daniel 11:22He will overwhelm large forces and defeat them, including the prince of the promise.
- Amos 9:5The Almighty Lord of Armies touches the earth. It quakes, and all who live on it mourn. All of it rises like the Nile and sinks like Egypt’s river.
- Nahum 1:8He will put an end to Nineveh with a devastating flood. He will pursue his enemies with darkness.
- Revelation 12:15The snake’s mouth poured out a river of water behind the woman in order to sweep her away.
- Revelation 17:1One of the seven angels who held the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of that notorious prostitute who sits on raging waters.
- Jeremiah 1:14Then the Lord said to me, “Disaster will be poured out from the north on all those who live in the land.
- Jeremiah 46:6“The infantry can’t flee. The warriors can’t escape. They stumble and fall in the north by the Euphrates River.
- Jeremiah 8:16The snorting of horses can be heard from Dan. The neighing of stallions makes the whole land tremble. They are coming to devour the land and everything in it, the city and its people.
- Psalms 24:1The earth and everything it contains are the Lord’s. The world and all who live in it are his.
- Psalms 50:12If I were hungry, I would not tell you, because the world and all that it contains are mine.
- Psalms 96:11Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad. Let the sea and everything in it roar like thunder.
- Psalms 98:7Let the sea, everything in it, the world, and those who live in it roar like thunder.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 47:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Waters rise up out of the north - Waters is a common prophetic image for a multitude of people. The north here, as in other places of this prophecy, means Chaldea.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Waters rise up - A metaphor for the assembling of an army (compare the marginal references). Out of the north - The Chaldaean army must cross the Euphrates at Carchemish. An overflowing flood - Or, “torrent.” To understand the metaphors of the Bible we must keep the natural phenomena of the country in mind. In Palestine rivers are torrents, dashing furiously along in the rainy seasons, and dry, or nearly so, in the summer. All that is therein - The…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2an overflowing torrent: This metaphor describes the Babylonian armies moving into the coastal area. This began in 609 BC and peaked in 605 BC (compare Jeremiah 1:11–14).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. waters--(Is 8:7). The Chaldeans from the north are compared to the overwhelming waters of their own Euphrates. The smiting of Gaza was to be only the prelude of a greater disaster to the Philistines. Nebuzara-dan was left by Nebuchadnezzar, after he had taken Jerusalem, to subdue the rest of the adjoining cities and country.Read the comment
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Jeremiah 47
- 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries