God’s Word Translation
Jeremiah 50:9
9I am going to stir up an alliance of strong nations from the north and bring it against Babylon. Those nations will take up positions against Babylon. Babylon will be captured from the north. Its enemy’s arrows will be like skilled soldiers who don’t come back 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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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.
- 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.
Context of Jeremiah 50:9
7Everyone who finds them eats them. Their enemies say, ‘We’re not guilty. They have sinned against the Lord, their true pasture. They have sinned against the Lord, the hope of their ancestors.’ 8“Run away from Babylon. Leave the land of the Babylonians. Be like the male goats that lead the flock. I am going to stir up an alliance of strong nations from the north and bring it against Babylon. Those nations will take up positions against Babylon. Babylon will be captured from the north. Its enemy’s arrows will be like skilled soldiers who don’t come back empty-handed. 10The Babylonians will become the prize. All who loot them will get everything they want,” declares the Lord. 11“You are happy and excited. You have looted the people who belong to me. You dance around like calves on the grass 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 50:3A nation from the north will attack Babylon and destroy its land so that no one will live in it. People and animals will run away.
- Jeremiah 15:14I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you haven’t heard of, because my anger has started a fire. It will burn you.”
- Jeremiah 51:1This is what the Lord says: I will stir up a destructive wind against Babylon and against the people who live in Leb Kamai.
- Ezra 1:1The promise the Lord had spoken through Jeremiah was about to come true in Cyrus’ first year as king of Persia. The Lord inspired the king to make this announcement throughout his whole kingdom and then to put it in writing.
- Isaiah 13:2Raise a banner on the bare mountaintop. Call loudly to them. Signal them with your hand to enter the nobles’ gates.
- Isaiah 21:2I was shown a harsh vision. The traitor betrays. The destroyer destroys. Go to war, Elam! Surround them, Media! I will put an end to all the groaning.
- Isaiah 41:25“I have raised up someone from the north, and he has come. He will call on my name from the east. He will attack rulers as if they were mud, as if he were treading on clay like a potter.
- Isaiah 45:1This is what the Lord says about Cyrus, his anointed one: I have held him by his right hand so he could conquer the nations ahead of him, strip kings of their power, and open doors ahead of him so that the gates would not be shut.
- Jeremiah 50:14“Take up your positions around Babylon, all you archers with bows. Shoot at it; don’t save any arrows, because the people of Babylon have sinned against the Lord.
- 2 Samuel 1:22From the blood of those killed and the fat of the warriors, Jonathan’s bow did not turn away, nor did Saul’s sword return unused.
- Isaiah 13:18But their bows will smash the youth. They’ll have no compassion for babies, nor will they look with pity on 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries