God’s Word Translation
Jeremiah 50:17
17“The people of Israel are like scattered sheep that lions have chased. The first to devour them was the king of Assyria. The last to gnaw at their bones was King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.
Jeremiah 50:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones.
- New International Version (NIV)“Israel is a scattered flock that lions have chased away. The first to devour them was the king of Assyria; the last to crush their bones was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Israel is a hunted sheep driven away by lions. First the king of Assyria devoured him, and now at last Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has gnawed his bones.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Israel is like scattered sheep; The lions have driven him away. First the king of Assyria devoured him; Now at last this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has broken his bones.”
Context of Jeremiah 50:17
15Shout a war cry against them on every side. They’ll surrender. Their towers will fall and their walls will be torn down. Since this is the Lord’s vengeance, take revenge against them. Do to them what they did to others. 16Don’t allow anyone in Babylon to plant or harvest. Everyone will turn to his own people and flee to his own homeland because of the enemies’ swords. “The people of Israel are like scattered sheep that lions have chased. The first to devour them was the king of Assyria. The last to gnaw at their bones was King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. 18“This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I am going to punish the king of Babylon and his land as I punished the king of Assyria. 19I will bring the people of Israel back to their pastures. They will eat on Mount Carmel and Mount Bashan. They will eat until they are full on the mountains of Ephraim and Gilead.
Read all of Jeremiah 50Jeremiah 50:17 word by word
שֶׂ֧ה פְזוּרָ֛ה יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֲרָי֣וֹת הִדִּ֑יחוּ הָרִאשׁ֤וֹן אֲכָלוֹ֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ אַשּׁ֔וּר וְזֶ֤ה הָאַחֲרוֹן֙ עִצְּמ֔וֹ נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֖ר מֶ֥לֶךְ בָּבֶֽל׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- a scatteredפָּזַרpâzar · to scatterH6340
- sheepשֶׂהώeh ώêy · sheepH7716
- the lionsאֲרִי'ărîy 'aryêh · lionH738
- awayנָדַחnâdach · to banishH5080
- firstרִאשׁוֹןri'shôn ri'shôn · firstH7223
- the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- of Assyriaאַשּׁוּר'ashshûr 'ashshûr · AssyriaH804
- hath devouredאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- him; and lastאַחֲרוֹן'achăryôn 'achărôn · lastH314
- this Nebuchadrezzarנְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר, נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּרנבוּכדרא צּור נבוּכדראצּר · NebuchadnezzarH5019
- of Babylonבָּבֶ֫ל, בָּבֶלbâbel · BabylonH894
- hath broken his bonesעָצֹם‛âtsam · be vastH6105
Cross-references for Jeremiah 50:17
- Jeremiah 50:6My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray. They wander around on the mountains. They go from mountains to hills. They have forgotten their resting place.
- Jeremiah 23:1“How horrible it will be for the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep in my care,” declares the Lord.
- Ezekiel 34:5So they were scattered because there was no shepherd. When they were scattered, they became food for every wild animal.
- Joel 3:2I will gather all the nations. I will bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. I will judge them there. They scattered the Israelites, the people who belong to me, among the nations. They divided my land.
- Matthew 9:36When he saw the crowds, he felt sorry for them. They were troubled and helpless like sheep without a shepherd.
- Luke 15:4“Suppose a man has 100 sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the 99 sheep grazing in the pasture and look for the lost sheep until he finds it?
- John 10:10A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came so that my sheep will have life and so that they will have everything they need.
- 1 Peter 2:25You were like lost sheep. Now you have come back to the shepherd and bishop of your lives.
- Jeremiah 2:15Young lions have roared very loudly at them. Young lions have turned the land into a wasteland. The cities have been burned down, and everyone has left.
- Jeremiah 5:6That is why a lion from the forest will attack them. A wolf from the wilderness will destroy them. A leopard will lie in ambush outside their cities. All who leave the cities will be torn to pieces, because they rebel so often and they become more and more unfaithful.
- Jeremiah 49:19“I will suddenly chase them from their places like a lion coming out of the jungle along the Jordan River into pastureland. I will appoint over Edom whomever I choose. Who is like me? Who can challenge me? Is there any leader who can stand up to me?”
- Jeremiah 51:38Its people are like roaring lions and growling lion cubs.
- 2 Kings 15:29In the days of King Pekah of Israel, King Tiglath Pileser of Assyria took Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, Galilee, and the entire territory of Naphtali. He also took the people away to Assyria as captives.
- 2 Kings 17:6In Hoshea’s ninth year as king of Israel, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and took the Israelites to Assyria as captives. He settled them in Halah, along the Habor River in Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
- 2 Kings 18:9In Hezekiah’s fourth year as king (which was the seventh year in the reign of King Hoshea, son of Elah of Israel) King Shalmaneser of Assyria attacked Samaria, blockaded it,
- 2 Chronicles 28:20King Tillegath Pilneser of Assyria attacked Ahaz. Instead of strengthening Ahaz, Tillegath Pilneser made trouble for him.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 50:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Israel - All the descendants of Jacob have been harassed and spoiled, first by the Assyrians, and afterwards by the Chaldeans. They acted towards them as a lion to a sheep which he has caught; first he devours all the flesh, next he breaks all the bones to extract the marrow.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17Israel is a scattered sheep - i. e., is like a flock which has been scared and driven in all directions, for lions have chased him. First the king - Rather, the first lion “ate him, even the king of Assyria; and this one, the last, heath picked his bones, even Nebuchadrezzar etc.” The constant wasting of the land by the Assyrians had so lessened the number of Israel, that Nebuchadnezzar had but the bones to pick.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. 17Assyria took over the northern kingdom of Israel between 734 and 722 BC. Nebuchadnezzar took over the southern kingdom of Judah between 605 and 586 BC.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. lions--hostile kings (Jr 4:7; 49:19). Assyria--(2Ki 17:6, Shalmaneser; Ezr 4:2, Esar-haddon). Nebuchadnezzar--(2Ki 24:10, 14).Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 50:17
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
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