Jeremiah 49 24

Jeremiah 49:24 kjv

Damascus is waxed feeble, and turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized on her: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail.

Jeremiah 49:24 nkjv

Damascus has grown feeble; She turns to flee, And fear has seized her. Anguish and sorrows have taken her like a woman in labor.

Jeremiah 49:24 niv

Damascus has become feeble, she has turned to flee and panic has gripped her; anguish and pain have seized her, pain like that of a woman in labor.

Jeremiah 49:24 esv

Damascus has become feeble, she turned to flee, and panic seized her; anguish and sorrows have taken hold of her, as of a woman in labor.

Jeremiah 49:24 nlt

Damascus has become feeble,
and all her people turn to flee.
Fear, anguish, and pain have gripped her
as they grip a woman in labor.

Jeremiah 49 verses

Jeremiah 49 24 meaning

Damascus, once a powerful and secure city, is depicted as losing all its strength and courage. It has grown weak and has turned to flee in disarray, overcome by overwhelming terror. Anguish and intense pain have seized her, like the sudden and unavoidable pangs of a woman in childbirth. This signifies a devastating, inevitable, and inescapable judgment.

Jeremiah 49 24 Context

Jeremiah chapter 49 forms part of a series of prophetic oracles delivered by Jeremiah against various foreign nations. These prophecies, contained within chapters 46-51, emphasize Yahweh's sovereign control over all nations, not just Israel. They demonstrate that God holds the entire world accountable for its actions. Verses 23-27 specifically address Damascus, the capital of Aram (Syria). Historically, Damascus was a prominent city, often an adversary or rival to Israel, known for its strategic importance and military strength. This prophecy likely dates to a time leading up to the Babylonian conquest in the late 7th or early 6th century BCE, a period of immense geopolitical upheaval where the powerful empires like Assyria and Babylon exerted dominance. The oracle shatters Damascus's perceived invincibility, warning that its long-standing power will falter, and its people will experience fear and destruction, ultimately at the hand of God's appointed instrument, likely Babylon (though not explicitly named in this immediate context). The prophecy serves as a direct polemic against the nation's pride and false sense of security, asserting Yahweh's unmatched authority.

Jeremiah 49 24 Word analysis

• Damascus (דַּמֶּשֶׂק, Dammeseq): The major capital city of Aram, symbolic of power, wealth, and strategic strength. Its weakening signifies a profound collapse.
• is grown feeble (רָפְתָה, raftah): Derived from a root meaning "to slacken," "relax," "be discouraged." Implies a deep loss of strength, morale, and military resolve, more than just physical weakness.
• she turneth herself (הִפְנְתָה, hifnᵉtah): Literally "she has turned her face." Indicates a decisive change in posture, from defiance or standing firm to an immediate movement of retreat.
• to flee (לָבֹוא, lavo): While this root usually means "to come," in this specific context and consistent with translations (Septuagint and English versions), it strongly denotes "to come away" or "to flee," aligning with the sense of turning to retreat. It highlights the onset of panicked escape.
• and terror (וּפַלָּצוּת, ufallatzut): Intense, horrifying dread. It suggests a fear that causes physical trembling and paralysis.
• hath seized on her (אֲחָזַתָּה, aḥazaṭtah): Means "it grasped," "it took hold of." Personifies terror as an entity that actively apprehends and dominates.
• anguish (צָרָה, tsarah): Signifies deep distress, trouble, affliction, often mental or emotional as well as physical.
• and sorrows (וַחֲבָלִים, vaḥavalim): Refers to binding pains or cords, commonly associated with the severe pains of childbirth. Implies unavoidable, escalating agony.
• have taken her (אֲחָזוּהָ, aḥazuhah): Another instance of "seized" or "grasped," reiterating the total overpowering by suffering.
• as a woman in travail (כַּיּוֹלֵדָה, kayyoledah): A vivid and common biblical simile for unavoidable, intense, and progressive pain leading to a dramatic culmination. It stresses the severity, suddenness, and inescapable nature of the impending doom.

Words-group analysis:

• "Damascus is grown feeble, she turneth herself to flee": This phrase dramatically portrays a complete loss of resolve and a shift from a defensive stance to one of immediate, panicked retreat. The once formidable city is reduced to utter weakness.
• "and terror hath seized on her": This segment emphasizes the incapacitating power of fear. Terror is not merely experienced but takes absolute control, paralyzing the city's ability to resist or think rationally.
• "anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail": This concluding phrase uses a powerful and widely understood metaphor. The double affirmation of "taken her" combined with the childbirth simile communicates inevitable, escalating, and profoundly agonizing suffering that no one can escape, ultimately leading to destruction.

Jeremiah 49 24 Bonus section

The comparison to "a woman in travail" is a prophetic idiom used extensively across the prophets (e.g., Isa. 13:8, Mic. 4:9-10) and even in the New Testament (1 Thes. 5:3) to describe intense, inescapable distress or the "birth pains" of eschatological judgment. This phrase is chosen because childbirth pains are universal, agonizing, beyond human control, and ultimately culminate in a dramatic, often swift, outcome. It underscores that God's judgment, while devastating, serves a purpose within His overarching plan, much like birth pangs precede new life. For Damascus, it signifies not rebirth, but a dramatic end to its current order. The swiftness and severity of the judgment on Damascus highlight a broader biblical theme: no nation, however strong or independent, is exempt from God's divine scrutiny and justice. This warning served as a profound lesson not only for Damascus but also for Judah and surrounding nations, to fear God and consider their ways.

Jeremiah 49 24 Commentary

Jeremiah 49:24 paints a stark picture of the imminent downfall of Damascus. The prophecy strips away all pretensions of strength, revealing a city overwhelmed by internal feebleness and external terror. The language moves from an internal weakening ("grown feeble") to an external action of flight, symbolizing a complete collapse of its former glory and defense. The repeated imagery of terror and anguish "seizing" and "taking hold" accentuates the involuntary and inescapable nature of the judgment. The central, impactful simile, "as a woman in travail," communicates several key aspects: the suffering will be intensely painful, sudden in its onset, progressive in its severity, and utterly unavoidable. It highlights the complete disorientation and incapacitation that will grip Damascus, signaling the end of an era of its power. This verse not only forecasts a political or military defeat but emphasizes a profound spiritual and psychological brokenness orchestrated by divine judgment, demonstrating God's sovereign hand in the rise and fall of nations.