New English Translation
Jeremiah 50:42
42Its soldiers are armed with bows and spears. They are cruel and show no mercy. They sound like the roaring sea as they ride forth on their horses. Lined up in formation like men going into battle, they are coming against you, fair Babylon!
Jeremiah 50:42 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)They shall hold the bow and the lance: they are cruel, and will not shew mercy: their voice shall roar like the sea, and they shall ride upon horses, every one put in array, like a man to the battle, against thee, O daughter of Babylon.
- New International Version (NIV)They are armed with bows and spears; they are cruel and without mercy. They sound like the roaring sea as they ride on their horses; they come like men in battle formation to attack you, Daughter Babylon.
- English Standard Version (ESV)They 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!
- New King James Version (NKJV)They shall hold the bow and the lance; They are cruel and shall not show mercy. Their voice shall roar like the sea; They shall ride on horses, Set in array, like a man for the battle, Against you, O daughter of Babylon.
Context of Jeremiah 50:42
40I will destroy Babylonia just like I did Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighboring towns. No one will live there. No human being will settle in it,” says the Lord. 41“Look! An army is about to come from the north. A mighty nation and many kings are stirring into action in faraway parts of the earth. Its soldiers are armed with bows and spears. They are cruel and show no mercy. They sound like the roaring sea as they ride forth on their horses. Lined up in formation like men going into battle, they are coming against you, fair Babylon! 43The king of Babylon will become paralyzed with fear when he hears news of their coming. Anguish will grip him, agony like that of a woman giving birth to a baby. 44“A lion coming up from the thick undergrowth along the Jordan scatters the sheep in the pastureland around it. So too I will chase the Babylonians off of their land. Then I will appoint over it whomever I choose. For there is no one like me. There is no one who can call me to account. There is no ruler that can stand up against me.
Read all of Jeremiah 50Jeremiah 50:42 word by word
קֶ֣שֶׁת וְכִידֹ֞ן יַחֲזִ֗יקוּ אַכְזָרִ֥י הֵ֙מָּה֙ וְלֹ֣א יְרַחֵ֔מוּ קוֹלָם֙ כַּיָּ֣ם יֶהֱמֶ֔ה וְעַל־סוּסִ֖ים יִרְכָּ֑בוּ עָר֗וּךְ כְּאִישׁ֙ לַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה עָלַ֖יִךְ בַּת־בָּבֶֽל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- They shall holdחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: holdH2388
- the bowקֶ֫שֶׁתqesheth · bowH7198
- and the lanceכִּידוֹןkîydôn · javelinH3591
- cruelאַכְזָרִי'akzârîy · cruelH394
- and will not shew mercyרָחַםrâcham · to have compassionH7355
- their voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voice: soundH6963
- shall roarהָמָהhâmâh · to roarH1993
- like the seaיָםyâm · seaH3220
- and they shall rideרָכַבrâkab · to rideH7392
- upon horsesסוּסsûs sûs · horseH5483
- put in arrayעָרַךְ‛ârak · to arrangeH6186
- like a manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- to the battleמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
- against thee, O daughterבַּתbath · daughterH1323
- of Babylonבָּבֶ֫ל, בָּבֶלbâbel · BabylonH894
Cross-references for Jeremiah 50:42
- Jeremiah 6:22“This is what the Lord says: ‘Beware! An army is coming from a land in the north. A mighty nation is stirring into action in faraway parts of the earth.
- Psalms 74:20Remember your covenant promises, for the dark regions of the earth are full of places where violence rules.
- Psalms 137:8O daughter Babylon, soon to be devastated! How blessed will be the one who repays you for what you dished out to us!
- Isaiah 13:17Look, I am stirring up the Medes to attack them; they are not concerned about silver, nor are they interested in gold.
- Isaiah 14:6It furiously struck down nations with unceasing blows. It angrily ruled over nations, oppressing them without restraint.
- Isaiah 47:6I was angry at my people; I defiled my special possession and handed them over to you. You showed them no mercy; you even placed a very heavy burden on old people.
- Habakkuk 1:6Look, I am about to empower the Babylonians, that ruthless and greedy nation. They sweep across the surface of the earth, seizing dwelling places that do not belong to them.
- James 2:13For judgment is merciless for the one who has shown no mercy. But mercy triumphs over judgment.
- Revelation 16:6because they poured out the blood of your saints and prophets, so you have given them blood to drink. They got what they deserved!”
- Psalms 46:2For this reason we do not fear when the earth shakes, and the mountains tumble into the depths of the sea,
- Isaiah 5:30At that time they will growl over their prey, it will sound like sea waves crashing against rocks. One will look out over the land and see the darkness of disaster, clouds will turn the light into darkness.
- Jeremiah 8:16The snorting of the enemy’s horses is already being heard in the city of Dan. The sound of the neighing of their stallions causes the whole land to tremble with fear. They are coming to destroy the land and everything in it! They are coming to destroy the cities and everyone who lives in them!”
- Jeremiah 47:3Fathers will hear the hoofbeats of the enemies’ horses, the clatter of their chariots and the rumbling of their wheels. They will not turn back to save their children because they will be paralyzed with fear.
- Isaiah 5:28Their arrows are sharpened, and all their bows are prepared. The hooves of their horses are hard as flint, and their chariot wheels are like a windstorm.
- Habakkuk 1:8Their horses are faster than leopards and more alert than wolves in the desert. Their horses gallop, their horses come a great distance; like a vulture they swoop down quickly to devour their prey.
- Revelation 19:14The armies that are in heaven, dressed in white, clean, fine linen, were following him on white horses.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 50:42
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 41-43Verses 41-43 An application to Babylon of the doom against Jerusalem Jeremiah 6:22-24. Jeremiah 50:41 The coasts of the earth - See the Jeremiah 6:22 note.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 33-46Verses 33-46 It is Israel's comfort in distress, that, though they are weak, their Redeemer is strong. This may be applied to believers, who complain of the dominion of sin and corruption, and of their own weakness and manifold infirmities. Their Redeemer is able to keep what they commit to him; and sin shall not have dominion over them. He will give them that rest which remains for the people of God. Also here is Babylon's sin, and their punishment. The…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 41-4341-43. (Compare Jr 6:22-24). The very language used to describe the calamities which Babylon inflicted on Zion is that here employed to describe Babylon's own calamity inflicted by the Medes. Retribution in kind. kinds--the allies and satraps of the various provinces of the Medo-Persian empire: Armenia, Hyrcania, Lydia, &c. coasts--the remote parts.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
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Commentaries