Jeremiah 50:14 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
Jeremiah 50:14 kjv
Put yourselves in array against Babylon round about: all ye that bend the bow, shoot at her, spare no arrows: for she hath sinned against the LORD.
Jeremiah 50:14 nkjv
"Put yourselves in array against Babylon all around, All you who bend the bow; Shoot at her, spare no arrows, For she has sinned against the LORD.
Jeremiah 50:14 niv
"Take up your positions around Babylon, all you who draw the bow. Shoot at her! Spare no arrows, for she has sinned against the LORD.
Jeremiah 50:14 esv
Set yourselves in array against Babylon all around, all you who bend the bow; shoot at her, spare no arrows, for she has sinned against the LORD.
Jeremiah 50:14 nlt
"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.
Jeremiah 50 14 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 13:1-2 | The burden against Babylon which Isaiah...Lift up a banner...bring them in. | Prophecy against Babylon |
| Isa 14:4-6 | You will take up this proverb against the king of Babylon... crushed the nations | Taunt against Babylon's oppressive king |
| Isa 47:1 | Come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon... | Babylon's future humiliation predicted |
| Jer 51:1-3 | I will stir up a destructive wind against Babylon... shoot at her. | God raising attackers against Babylon, unsparing |
| Jer 51:6 | Flee from the midst of Babylon... for this is the time of the Lord’s vengeance. | Command to escape impending judgment |
| Jer 51:11 | The Lord has stirred up the spirit of the kings of the Medes... | Medes as God's instrument for judgment |
| Jer 51:24 | I will repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea... | Divine retribution for actions against Zion |
| Hab 2:8 | Because you have plundered many nations, all the remainder... plunder you. | Law of retribution in judgment |
| Rev 18:2-3 | "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!"... | Prophetic fulfillment/spiritual echo in New Testament |
| Gen 12:3 | I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you... | God's promise of judgment against Israel's enemies |
| Ex 20:5 | I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity... | God's justice for spiritual infidelity |
| Zech 2:8 | For thus says the Lord of hosts: “He who touches you touches the apple of His eye.” | Warning against harming God's people |
| Isa 60:12 | For the nation and kingdom which will not serve you shall perish... | Nations rejecting God will be judged |
| Ps 7:16 | His trouble shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing... | Reaping what one sows |
| Deut 32:41 | If I sharpen My glittering sword... I will take vengeance on My adversaries. | God's promise of vengeance for His people |
| Deut 7:2 | And when the Lord your God delivers them over to you, you shall utterly destroy them. | Command for complete destruction/judgment |
| Josh 11:20 | For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts... that He might destroy them utterly. | God's sovereignty in leading nations to destruction |
| Judg 20:41-42 | Men of Israel wheeled around... the men of Benjamin were terrified... | Example of an army's fear and utter defeat |
| Jer 30:10-11 | ‘Fear not, O Jacob My servant,’ says the Lord, ‘for I am with you... | Hope for Israel amidst judgment on their enemies |
| Isa 40:2 | Speak comfort to Jerusalem... that her warfare is ended... | Consolation after suffering and the promise of new beginning |
| Isa 51:23 | I will put it into the hand of those who afflict you... | Transfer of suffering from Israel to her tormentors |
| Eze 39:29 | And I will not hide My face from them anymore... | Future spiritual outpouring and restoration of Israel |
| Jer 25:9 | I will send for all the families of the north... even Nebuchadnezzar... My servant. | God using nations (like Babylon) as instruments |
Jeremiah 50 verses
Jeremiah 50 14 meaning
This verse is a divine command for the nations to assemble and attack Babylon comprehensively and without restraint. It calls for archers and soldiers to encircle the city and unleash a relentless assault. The explicit reason for this decreed judgment is Babylon's grave sin against the Lord, particularly concerning her arrogant oppression and desecration related to His people and holy city. It declares that Babylon's downfall is a direct consequence of her rebellion against the sovereign God of Israel.
Jeremiah 50 14 Context
Jeremiah 50 is part of a larger prophetic oracle (chapters 46-51) detailing God's judgment against foreign nations, with chapters 50 and 51 specifically targeting Babylon. This particular chapter paints a vivid picture of Babylon's complete and utter destruction. Coming after Judah's devastating exile to Babylon, these prophecies offered hope and reassurance to the exiled Israelites. God had used Babylon as His instrument to punish Judah's sins (Jer 25:9), but now He declares that Babylon's own excessive pride, idolatry, and brutal oppression, especially against His people, will lead to her downfall. Jeremiah 50:14 is a direct call to the nations, whom God is raising up, to execute His justice upon the Babylonian empire. Historically, this points to the Medes and Persians who eventually conquered Babylon.
Jeremiah 50 14 Word analysis
- Set yourselves in array (הַעַרְכוּ, haʿarkū): A military term. It means "to draw up in battle formation," "to organize," "to prepare for battle." It indicates a deliberate, strategic, and organized military assault, not a random attack. God is mobilizing a coalition.
- against Babylon (בָּבֶל, Bāvel): The capital city and empire that dominated the Near East, renowned for its military might and grandeur. In biblical prophecy, Babylon often represents human arrogance and opposition to God.
- all around (סָבִיב, sāviv): Implies complete encirclement, a siege, and a thorough, inescapable attack from every direction. It suggests a decisive and inescapable judgment.
- all you who bend the bow (כָּל־דֹּרְכֵי קֶשֶׁת, kol-dorkēi qešēt): Refers to archers or warriors who use bows. This specifies the type of formidable fighting force God is calling to action. Bows were powerful and strategic weapons of the time.
- shoot at her (יָרוּ לָהּ, yāru lāh): A direct and imperative command for action. It conveys precision, force, and deadly intent. The action is purposeful and destructive.
- spare no arrows (אַל־תַּחְמְלוּ חִצִּים, ʾal-taḥmĕlū ḥiṣṣim): Literally "do not spare arrows" or "have no pity for arrows." This emphasizes a relentless, merciless, and exhaustive assault. The attack is to be without reservation or compassion, a total effort to achieve utter destruction.
- for she has sinned against the Lord (כִּי לַיהוָה חָטָאָה, kî layhwāh ḥāṭāʾāh): This is the divine justification and theological basis for the impending judgment. Babylon's sin was not merely political or military aggression, but a direct affront and transgression against Yahweh, the God of Israel. Her pride, idolatry, and mistreatment of God's chosen people were an offense against Him directly.
Words-group analysis:
- "Set yourselves in array against Babylon all around, all you who bend the bow": This phrase functions as a clarion call to a specific and potent military force, demanding disciplined assembly and strategic encirclement against a formidable enemy. It underscores God's sovereignty in orchestrating military movements.
- "shoot at her, spare no arrows": This forms a single, unyielding command for absolute, relentless, and unreserved execution of judgment. It signifies a decree for total destruction without holding back resources or mercy.
- "for she has sinned against the Lord": This phrase provides the ultimate divine rationale, asserting that Babylon's impending doom is not arbitrary but a righteous recompense from the sovereign God for her offenses, particularly in harming His name and His chosen people.
Jeremiah 50 14 Bonus section
The destruction of Babylon in Jeremiah 50-51 serves as a microcosmic "Day of the Lord," where divine justice is meted out against an empire for its hubris and wickedness. It showcases a core biblical theme: God is sovereign over all nations, using them for His purposes but also holding them accountable for their actions, particularly concerning their treatment of His chosen people. The prophecy's ultimate fulfillment not only offered hope to exiled Israel but also established a prophetic pattern, later echoing in Revelation's depiction of a spiritual "Babylon" – a symbol of ultimate evil and rebellion against God, facing final and absolute judgment (Rev 17-18). The "unsparing" command reflects the gravity of sin against the Almighty.
Jeremiah 50 14 Commentary
Jeremiah 50:14 serves as a powerful declaration of God's sovereign justice. It reveals God orchestrating the downfall of a powerful empire, Babylon, as a direct consequence of her immense pride, idolatry, and cruel oppression against His people, Jerusalem, and ultimately, against Him. The imagery of a relentless, unsparing military assault signifies the completeness and certainty of God's decreed judgment. This is not mere geopolitical shift; it is a divine verdict being executed by instruments God raises up. It emphasizes that while nations may serve as God's instruments, their own sins will not go unpunished. It foreshadows a future time when all who stand against God's purposes will face divine reckoning.