New English Translation
Jeremiah 50:9
9For I will rouse into action and bring against Babylon a host of mighty nations from the land of the north. They will set up their battle lines against her. They will come from the north and capture her. Their arrows will be like a skilled soldier who does not return from the battle 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
7All who encountered them devoured them. Their enemies who did this said, ‘We are not liable for punishment! For those people have sinned against the Lord, their true pasture. They have sinned against the Lord in whom their ancestors trusted.’ 8“People of Judah, get out of Babylon quickly! Leave the land of Babylonia! Be the first to depart! Be like the male goats that lead the herd. For I will rouse into action and bring against Babylon a host of mighty nations from the land of the north. They will set up their battle lines against her. They will come from the north and capture her. Their arrows will be like a skilled soldier who does not return from the battle empty-handed. 10Babylonia will be plundered. Those who plunder it will take all they want,” says the Lord. 11“People of Babylonia, you plundered my people. That made you happy and glad. You frolic about like calves in a pasture. Your joyous sounds are like the neighs of a stallion.
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 50:3For a nation from the north will attack Babylon. It will lay her land waste. People and animals will flee out of it. No one will inhabit it.’
- Jeremiah 15:14I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you know nothing about. For my anger is like a fire that will burn against you.”
- Jeremiah 51:1The Lord says, “I will cause a destructive wind to blow against Babylon and the people who inhabit Babylonia.
- Ezra 1:1In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, in order to fulfill the Lord’s message spoken through Jeremiah, the Lord stirred the mind of King Cyrus of Persia. He disseminated a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom, announcing in a written edict the following:
- Isaiah 13:2On a bare hill raise a signal flag, shout to them, wave your hand, so they might enter the gates of the princes!
- Isaiah 21:2I have received a distressing message: “The deceiver deceives, the destroyer destroys. Attack, you Elamites! Lay siege, you Medes! I will put an end to all the groaning!”
- Isaiah 41:25I have stirred up one out of the north and he advances, one from the eastern horizon who prays in my name. He steps on rulers as if they were clay, like a potter treading the clay.
- Isaiah 45:1This is what the Lord says to his chosen one, to Cyrus, whose right hand I hold in order to subdue nations before him, and disarm kings, to open doors before him, so gates remain unclosed:
- Jeremiah 50:14“Take up your battle positions all around Babylon, all you soldiers who are armed with bows. Shoot all your arrows at her! Do not hold any back! For she has sinned against the Lord.
- 2 Samuel 1:22From the blood of the slain, from the fat of warriors, the bow of Jonathan was not turned away. The sword of Saul never returned empty.
- Isaiah 13:18Their arrows will cut young men to ribbons; they have no compassion on a person’s offspring, they will not 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
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Commentaries