New International Version
Jeremiah 47:2
2This 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
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)This is what the Lord says: “A flood is coming from the north to overflow the land. It will destroy the land and everything in it— cities and people alike. People will scream in terror, and everyone in the land will wail.
Context of Jeremiah 47:2
1This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines before Pharaoh attacked Gaza: 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 3at the sound of the hooves of galloping steeds, at the noise of enemy chariots and the rumble of their wheels. Parents will not turn to help their children; their hands will hang limp. 4For the day has come to destroy all the Philistines and to remove all survivors who could help Tyre and Sidon. The Lord is about to destroy the Philistines, the remnant from the coasts of Caphtor.
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 46:7“Who is this that rises like the Nile, like rivers of surging waters?
- Isaiah 8:7therefore the Lord is about to bring against them the mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates— the king of Assyria with all his pomp. It will overflow all its channels, run over all its banks
- Isaiah 28:17I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line; hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie, and water will overflow your hiding place.
- Isaiah 59:19From the west, people will fear the name of the Lord, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. For he will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the Lord drives along.
- Daniel 11:22Then an overwhelming army will be swept away before him; both it and a prince of the covenant will be destroyed.
- Amos 9:5The Lord, the Lord Almighty— he touches the earth and it melts, and all who live in it mourn; the whole land rises like the Nile, then sinks like the river of Egypt;
- Nahum 1:8but with an overwhelming flood he will make an end of Nineveh; he will pursue his foes into the realm of darkness.
- Revelation 12:15Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent.
- Revelation 17:1One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters.
- Jeremiah 1:14The Lord said to me, “From the north disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land.
- Jeremiah 46:6“The swift cannot flee nor the strong escape. In the north by the River Euphrates they stumble and fall.
- Jeremiah 8:16The snorting of the enemy’s horses is heard from Dan; at the neighing of their stallions the whole land trembles. They have come to devour the land and everything in it, the city and all who live there.
- Psalms 24:1The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;
- Psalms 50:12If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it.
- Psalms 96:11Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
- Psalms 98:7Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.
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
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Commentaries