New Living Translation
Jeremiah 50:16
16Take from Babylon all those who plant crops; send all the harvesters away. Because of the sword of the enemy, everyone will run away and rush back to their own lands.
Jeremiah 50:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land.
- New International Version (NIV)Cut off from Babylon the sower, and the reaper with his sickle at harvest. Because of the sword of the oppressor let everyone return to their own people, let everyone flee to their own land.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Cut off from Babylon the sower, and the one who handles the sickle in time of harvest; because of the sword of the oppressor, every one shall turn to his own people, and every one shall flee to his own land.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Cut off the sower from Babylon, And him who handles the sickle at harvest time. For fear of the oppressing sword Everyone shall turn to his own people, And everyone shall flee to his own land.
Context of Jeremiah 50:16
14“Yes, prepare to attack Babylon, all you surrounding nations. Let your archers shoot at her; spare no arrows. For she has sinned against the Lord. 15Shout war cries against her from every side. Look! She surrenders! Her walls have fallen. It is the Lord’s vengeance, so take vengeance on her. Do to her as she has done to others! Take from Babylon all those who plant crops; send all the harvesters away. Because of the sword of the enemy, everyone will run away and rush back to their own lands. 17“The Israelites are like sheep that have been scattered by lions. First the king of Assyria ate them up. Then King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon cracked their bones.” 18Therefore, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Now I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, just as I punished the king of Assyria.
Read all of Jeremiah 50Jeremiah 50:16 word by word
כִּרְת֤וּ זוֹרֵ֙עַ֙ מִבָּבֶ֔ל וְתֹפֵ֥שׂ מַגָּ֖ל בְּעֵ֣ת קָצִ֑יר מִפְּנֵי֙ חֶ֣רֶב הַיּוֹנָ֔ה אִ֤ישׁ אֶל־עַמּוֹ֙ יִפְנ֔וּ וְאִ֥ישׁ לְאַרְצ֖וֹ יָנֻֽסוּ׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Cut offכָּרַתkârath · to cut: eliminateH3772
- the sowerזָרַעzâra‛ · to sowH2232
- from Babylonבָּבֶ֫ל, בָּבֶלbâbel · BabylonH894
- and him that handlethתָּפַשׂtâphaώ · to captureH8610
- the sickleמַגָּלmaggâl · sickleH4038
- in the timeעֵת‛êth · timeH6256
- of harvestקָצִירqâtsîyr · harvestH7105
- for fearפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- of the oppressingיָנָהyânâh · to oppressH3238
- swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
- they shall turnפָּנָהpânâh · to turnH6437
- every oneאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
- to his peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- and they shall fleeנוּסnûs · to fleeH5127
- to his own landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
Cross-references for Jeremiah 50:16
- Jeremiah 51:23With you I will shatter shepherds and flocks, farmers and oxen, captains and officers.
- Joel 1:11Despair, all you farmers! Wail, all you vine growers! Weep, because the wheat and barley— all the crops of the field—are ruined.
- Amos 5:16Therefore, this is what the Lord, the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, says: “There will be crying in all the public squares and mourning in every street. Call for the farmers to weep with you, and summon professional mourners to wail.
- Jeremiah 46:16They stumble and fall over each other and say among themselves, ‘Come, let’s go back to our people, to the land of our birth. Let’s get away from the sword of the enemy!’
- Jeremiah 51:9We would have helped her if we could, but nothing can save her now. Let her go; abandon her. Return now to your own land. For her punishment reaches to the heavens; it is so great it cannot be measured.
- Isaiah 13:14Everyone in Babylon will run about like a hunted gazelle, like sheep without a shepherd. They will try to find their own people and flee to their own land.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 50:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Cut off the sower - Destroy the gardens and the fields, that there may be neither fruits nor tillage.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16The population is to be destroyed so utterly that the rich fields of Babylonia are to remain untilled. They shall turn - The full force of the words will be seen if it be remembered that it had been the policy of Nebuchadnezzar to compel citizens selected from the vanquished nations to settle in Babylonia.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. 16When Babylon fell, farmers left their crops and fled. The battle's violence made people escape.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. Babylon had the extent rather of a nation than of a city. Therefore grain was grown within the city wall sufficient to last for a long siege [Aristotle, Politics, 3.2; Pliny, 18.17]. Conquerors usually spare agriculturists, but in this case all alike were to be "cut off." for fear of ... oppressing sword--because of the sword of the oppressor. every one to his people--from which they had been removed to Babylon from all quarters by the Chaldean…Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 50:16
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
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries