Jeremiah 6:23

Jeremiah 6:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, set in array as men for war against thee, O daughter of Zion.
• New International Version (NIV)They are armed with bow and spear; they are cruel and show no mercy. They sound like the roaring sea as they ride on their horses; they come like men in battle formation to attack you, Daughter Zion.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)They lay hold on bow and javelin; they are cruel and have no mercy; the sound of them is like the roaring sea; they ride on horses, set in array as a man for battle, against you, O daughter of Zion!"
• New King James Version (NKJV)They will lay hold on bow and spear; They are cruel and have no mercy; Their voice roars like the sea; And they ride on horses, As men of war set in array against you, O daughter of Zion.”

Context of Jeremiah 6:23

21Therefore thus says Adonai: “Look, I am laying before this people stumbling blocks— and against them they will stumble— fathers and the sons together, a neighbor and his friend, and they will perish.” 22Thus says Adonai: “Look, a people coming from a northern land, a great nation roused from the ends of the earth! They are armed with bow and spear, cruel and with no compassion. They sound like the roaring sea— as they ride on horses as men in battle formation, against you, Daughter of Zion!” 24“We have heard of their fame. Our hands hang limp; anguish has gripped us, pain like a woman in labor. 25Don’t go out into the field or walk on the road. Since the enemy has a sword, there’s terror on every side!”

Jeremiah 6:23 word by word

קֶ֣שֶׁת וְכִיד֞וֹן יַחֲזִ֗יקוּ אַכְזָרִ֥י הוּא֙ וְלֹ֣א יְרַחֵ֔מוּ קוֹלָם֙ כַּיָּ֣ם יֶהֱמֶ֔ה וְעַל־סוּסִ֖ים יִרְכָּ֑בוּ עָר֗וּךְ כְּאִישׁ֙ לַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה עָלַ֖יִךְ בַּת־צִיּֽוֹן׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• They shall lay holdחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: holdH2388
• on bowקֶ֫שֶׁתqesheth · bowH7198
• and spearכִּידוֹןkîydôn · javelinH3591
• cruelאַכְזָרִי'akzârîy · cruelH394
• and have no mercyרָחַםrâcham · to have compassionH7355
• their voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voice: soundH6963
• roarethהָמָהhâmâh · to roarH1993
• like the seaיָםyâm · seaH3220
• and they rideרָכַבrâkab · to rideH7392
• upon horsesסוּסsûs sûs · horseH5483
• set in arrayעָרַךְ‛ârak · to arrangeH6186
• as menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• for warמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
• against thee, O daughterבַּתbath · daughterH1323
• of Zionצִיּוֹןtsîyôn · ZionH6726

Cross-references for Jeremiah 6:23

• Jeremiah 5:16Their quiver is an open grave. They are all mighty warriors.
• Jeremiah 50:42They grasp bow and javelin. They are cruel, with no compassion. Their voice roars like the sea, as they ride on horses, arranged as warriors for battle, against you, daughter of Babylon.
• Isaiah 13:18Their bows will cut down the young men, with no pity on the fruit of the womb, nor will their eye spare children.
• Ezekiel 23:22“Therefore Oholibah, thus says Adonai Elohim, behold, I will stir up your lovers against you, from whom you turned in disgust. I will bring them against you on every side:
• Habakkuk 1:6For I am about to raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter, impetuous nation, marching all over the land, to seize dwellings not its own.
• Jeremiah 30:14All your lovers have forgotten you. They are not looking for you. For I wounded you as an enemy— with cruel punishment— because your iniquity is vast, your sins innumerable.
• Isaiah 19:4I will give the Egyptians into the hand of a cruel master—a fierce king will rule over them. It is a declaration of Adonai-Tzva’ot.
• Jeremiah 4:13See, he comes up like clouds, and his chariots like whirlwinds. His horses are swifter than eagles— “Oy ! We are ruined!”
• Isaiah 5:26He will lift up a banner to nations far off, and will whistle for them from the ends of the earth. Look! Swiftly, speedily they come!
• Luke 21:25“There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars. And upon the earth nations will be confused by the roaring of the sea and its waves.

Commentaries on Jeremiah 6:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23They shall lay hold on bow and spear - Still pointing out the Chaldeans: or according to Dahler, the Scythians, who had before their invasion of Palestine overrun many parts of Asia, and had spread consternation wherever their name was heard.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-30Verses 18-30 God rejects their outward services, as worthless to atone for their sins. Sacrifice and incense were to direct them to a Mediator; but when offered to purchase a license to go on in sin, they provoke God. The sins of God's professing people make them an easy prey to their enemies. They dare not show themselves. Saints may rejoice in hope of God's mercies, though they see them only in the promise: sinners must mourn for fear of God's…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 22-23The Lord reminded the people that the coming invasion was real. The soldiers had actual bows and spears (Isaiah 13:18). roars like the sea: The noise from thousands of soldiers with horses and chariots must have been terrifying (Isaiah 5:27–30).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2323. like the sea--(Is 5:30). as men for war--not that they were like warriors, for they were warriors; but "arrayed most perfectly as warriors" [Maurer].Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• the sea, the Great Sea, the western sea
• Cruel
• Mount
• Reprobate
• Wallow
• Armor; Arms
• Cruel; Cruelty
• Jeremiah (2)
• Sheshach

Commentaries on Jeremiah 6

• 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