Jeremiah 50:9
in Jeremiah 50For behold, I stir up and bring against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the land of the north. They will line up against her; from the north she will be captured. Their arrows will be like skilled warriors who do not return empty-handed.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For, lo, I will stir up and cause to come up against Babylon a company 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 an expert mighty man; none shall return in vain.
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.
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This verse in Jeremiah 50
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
I 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 Isa 55:11). Here the skillful warrior returns not empty.
This site's exposition
the children of Israel and the children of Judah will come together
on Jeremiah 50:4-9
Israel and Judah “will come together, weeping as they come,” and join the LORD “in an everlasting covenant that will never be forgotten.” The cause of the exile is named: “their shepherds have led them astray,” the charge in 23:1-2. The exiles are told, “Flee from the midst of Babylon.”
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), the Medes and Persians, and all their allies and auxiliaries; it is called an assembly, because regularly formed by the divine will and counsel to do this execution.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
For, lo, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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" (Jer 15:7). The Septuagint and Syriac support English Version.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
An 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.
The words behind it
22 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| הִנֵּ֣ה | hineh | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| אָנֹכִ֡י | ʾanokhi | I | H595 → | 359 times |
| מֵעִיר֩ | meir | [am] about to rouse | H5782 → | 80 times |
| וּמַעֲלֶ֨ה | umaaleh | and [am] about to bring up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| בָּבֶ֜ל | bavel | Babylon | H894 → | 262 times |
| קְהַל־ | kehal- | an assembly of | H6951 → | 123 times |
| גּוֹיִ֤ם | goyim | nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
| גְּדֹלִים֙ | gedolim | great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| מֵאֶ֣רֶץ | meeretz | from a land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| צָפ֔וֹן | tzafon | [the] north | H6828 → | 153 times |
| וְעָ֣רְכוּ | vearekhu | and they will line up | H6186 → | 74 times |
| לָ֔הּ | lah | to <the> it | ||
| מִשָּׁ֖ם | misham | from there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| תִּלָּכֵ֑ד | tilakhed | it will be captured | H3920 → | 121 times |
| חִצָּיו֙ | chitzav | arrows its | H2671 → | 53 times |
| כְּגִבּ֣וֹר | kegibor | [will be] like a warrior | H1368 → | 158 times |
| מַשְׁכִּ֔יל | mashkil | skillful | H7919 → | 62 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | [who] not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָשׁ֖וּב | yashuv | he returns | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| רֵיקָֽם׃ | reikam | empty | H7387 → |
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
הִנֵּ֣הhere!
hinehH2009 →843 times
אָנֹכִ֡יI
ʾanokhiH595 →359 times
מֵעִיר֩[am] about to rouse
meirH5782 →80 times
וּמַעֲלֶ֨הand [am] about to bring up
umaalehH5927 →890 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
בָּבֶ֜לBabylon
bavelH894 →262 times
קְהַל־an assembly of
kehal-H6951 →123 times
גּוֹיִ֤םnations
goyimH1471 →561 times
גְּדֹלִים֙great
gedolimH1419 →526 times
מֵאֶ֣רֶץfrom a land of
meeretzH776 →2504 times
צָפ֔וֹן[the] north
tzafonH6828 →153 times
וְעָ֣רְכוּand they will line up
vearekhuH6186 →74 times
לָ֔הּto <the> it
lah
מִשָּׁ֖םfrom there
mishamH8033 →834 times
תִּלָּכֵ֑דit will be captured
tilakhedH3920 →121 times
חִצָּיו֙arrows its
chitzavH2671 →53 times
כְּגִבּ֣וֹר[will be] like a warrior
kegiborH1368 →158 times
מַשְׁכִּ֔ילskillful
mashkilH7919 →62 times
לֹ֥א[who] not
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יָשׁ֖וּבhe returns
yashuvH7725 →1056 times
רֵיקָֽם׃empty
reikamH7387 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Jeremiah 50:29Summon the archers against Babylon, all who string the bow. Encamp all around her; let no one escape. Repay her according to her deeds; do to her as she has done. For she has…
it leads to
- Isaiah 47:10
You were secure in your wickedness; you said, ‘No one sees me.’ Your wisdom and knowledge led you astray; you told yourself, ‘I am, and there is none besides me.’
- Jeremiah 51:56
For a destroyer is coming against her—against Babylon. Her warriors will be captured, and their bows will be broken, for the LORD is a God of retribution; He will repay in full.
- Daniel 4:37
Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, for all His works are true and all His ways are just. And He is able to humble those who walk in…
- Revelation 18:6
Give back to her as she has done to others; pay her back double for what she has done; mix her a double portion in her own cup.
- Jeremiah 50:14–15
Line up in formation around Babylon, all you who draw the bow! Shoot at her! Spare no arrows! For she has sinned against the LORD.
- Isaiah 47:10
Through
Jeremiah 50:26Come against her from the farthest border. Break open her granaries; pile her up like mounds of grain. Devote her to destruction; leave her no survivors.
it leads to
- Isaiah 14:23
“I will make her a place for owls and for swamplands; I will sweep her away with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of Hosts.
- Jeremiah 50:10
Chaldea will be plundered; all who plunder her will have their fill,” declares the LORD.
- Isaiah 45:3
I will give you the treasures of darkness and the riches hidden in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by name.
- Isaiah 14:23
About Jeremiah
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, The Prophecies of Jeremiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.