Jeremiah 50:36 kjv
A sword is upon the liars; and they shall dote: a sword is upon her mighty men; and they shall be dismayed.
Jeremiah 50:36 nkjv
A sword is against the soothsayers, and they will be fools. A sword is against her mighty men, and they will be dismayed.
Jeremiah 50:36 niv
A sword against her false prophets! They will become fools. A sword against her warriors! They will be filled with terror.
Jeremiah 50:36 esv
A sword against the diviners, that they may become fools! A sword against her warriors, that they may be destroyed!
Jeremiah 50:36 nlt
The sword will strike her wise counselors,
and they will become fools.
The sword will strike her mightiest warriors,
and panic will seize them.
Jeremiah 50 36 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 50:37 | "A sword is upon their mighty men, and they shall become cowards." | Jeremiah 51:30 |
| Isaiah 13:7 | "Therefore all hands will be feeble, and every man’s heart will melt." | Isaiah 13:7 (describes Babylonian defeat) |
| Jeremiah 51:29 | "And let the land tremble and writhe, for against Babylon the LORD has determined to do this, to make the land of Babylon a desolation without inhabitant." | Jeremiah 51:29 (reinforces desolation) |
| Jeremiah 48:41 | "Kirioth is captured, and the strongholds are seized; and the heart of the mighty men of Moab in that day will be like the heart of a woman in labor." | Jeremiah 48:41 (parallels fear in enemy) |
| Isaiah 47:3 | "Let your nakedness be uncovered; let your shame be seen. I will repay, and will not regard man." | Isaiah 47:3 (focuses on Babylon's shame) |
| Jeremiah 50:18 | "Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, as I have punished the king of Assyria." | Jeremiah 50:18 (divine judgment against kings) |
| Jeremiah 50:35 | "A sword is upon the Chaldeans, declares the LORD, and upon the inhabitants of Babylon, and upon her mighty men, and upon her wise men!" | Jeremiah 50:35 (sword upon wise men as well) |
| Jeremiah 51:57 | "I will make them drunk, so that they may stumble and sleep a perpetual sleep and not wake, declares the LORD." | Jeremiah 51:57 (divine intoxication causing stupor) |
| Revelation 18:7 | "As much as she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so much pain and mourning give her, for she says to herself, ‘I sit as a queen, I am no widow, I shall never see mourning.’" | Revelation 18:7 (Babylon's pride and coming fall) |
| Psalm 76:5 | "The stouthearted were plundered; they sank into sleep; no warrior could lift his hands." | Psalm 76:5 (similar imagery of incapacitated warriors) |
| Nahum 3:12 | "All your fortifications are like figs in the first ripe fig, if shaken they fall into the mouth of the eater." | Nahum 3:12 (destruction of fortifications) |
| Isaiah 10:33 | "Behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, shall sever the boughs with a mighty stroke, and the tall might that stand, shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled." | Isaiah 10:33 (haughty brought low) |
| Jeremiah 49:26 | "Indeed, her young men shall fall in her streets, and all her warriors shall be cut off on that day, declares the LORD of hosts." | Jeremiah 49:26 (fall of warriors in other nations) |
| Jeremiah 50:9 | "For behold, I will stir up and bring against Babylon a company of great nations from the north country, and they shall array themselves against her. From her they shall capture, as she has done." | Jeremiah 50:9 (divine orchestration of attack) |
| 1 Corinthians 1:20 | "Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?" | 1 Corinthians 1:20 (God making worldly wisdom foolish) |
| Psalm 78:64 | "So he delivered his people into the sword and visited his wrath on his inheritance." | Psalm 78:64 (divine judgment by sword) |
| Isaiah 19:4 | "And I will give the Egyptians into the hand of a cruel master, and a fierce king will rule over them, declares the Lord, the LORD of hosts." | Isaiah 19:4 (Egypt into cruel master's hand) |
| Jeremiah 51:53 | "Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me destroyers would come upon her, declares the LORD." | Jeremiah 51:53 (ultimate destruction despite efforts) |
| Job 12:16 | "With Him are strength and might; the fallen and the fallen are His." | Job 12:16 (sovereignty over fallen) |
| Jeremiah 21:7 | "And afterward, declares the LORD, I will deliver Zedekiah the king of Judah and his servants and the people and such as survive in the city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, who seek their life." | Jeremiah 21:7 (deliverance into enemy hand) |
| Daniel 4:30 | "The king answered and said, "Is this not the great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?"" | Daniel 4:30 (Babylon's self-aggrandizement) |
Jeremiah 50 verses
Jeremiah 50 36 Meaning
This verse declares that the sword will fall upon the mighty men of Babylon, rendering them foolish and robbing them of their strength and courage. Their pride will be overthrown, and they will suffer complete devastation.
Jeremiah 50 36 Context
This verse is part of a larger prophetic oracle in Jeremiah chapters 50 and 51 concerning the judgment of Babylon. Babylon, a formidable empire, had oppressed God's people, notably during the Babylonian exile. God declares His intention to punish Babylon for its arrogance, cruelty, and idolatry. Chapter 50 describes the destruction of Babylon, depicting it as a desolate land. Verse 36 specifically addresses the consequences for Babylon's mighty men, emphasizing their incapacitation and loss of strategic ability due to divine intervention. This judgment is part of God's broader plan to vindicate Israel and demonstrate His power over pagan nations. The prophecy culminates in the future restoration of His people.
Jeremiah 50 36 Word Analysis
- וְחֶרֶב (ve-cherev): "and a sword." The conjunction "ve" (and) links this statement to the preceding one about the enemy. "Cherev" (sword) is a primary instrument of war and judgment.
- עַל־גִּבּוֹרָיו (al-gibborav): "upon its mighty men" or "upon its warriors." "Gibbor" refers to a strong man, hero, or warrior, highlighting the elite fighting force.
- וְעַל־עֹצְמֹתֶיהָ (ve-al-otzmoteha): "and upon its might" or "upon its strength." This refers to their power, resources, and ability to wage war.
- וְשָׁמְמוּ (ve-shamemu): "and they shall be desolate" or "stupified," "appalled." This verb implies a profound shock and mental paralysis, rendering them ineffective.
- כִּי (ki): "for" or "because." This introduces the reason for their impending state.
- עֵת (et): "time" or "appointed time." It signifies a specific moment of reckoning.
- עִקּוּב (ikkub): This word is less common. In this context, it likely refers to their "hesitation," "delay," or "trickery," or even implies a distortion of their judgment or action, stemming from confusion. Some interpretations suggest it relates to being crippled or ensnared.
- וְחָסְנָה (ve-chasnah): "and her strength" or "and her might." Similar to "otzmoteha," emphasizing the complete removal of their capability.
- וְנִטְּשׁוּ (ve-niteshu): "and they shall be scattered" or "forsaken," "desolate." This conveys utter dispersion and abandonment.
- מֵעַל (me-al): "from upon" or "from over."
- הַלֵּב (hal-lev): "the heart." In Hebrew thought, the heart is the seat of intellect, emotions, courage, and decision-making.
- אֶפֶס (efes): "emptiness," "nothingness." Here it signifies their hearts being made empty or nullified of courage and discernment.
- כִּי (ki): "for" or "because." Again, introducing a reason or consequence.
- אֱלֹהֵי (Elohei): "God of." A genitive construction, indicating possession or relationship.
- צְבָאוֹת (Tzva'ot): "hosts." A divine title indicating God's supreme command over all heavenly armies and powers.
- בָּבֶל (Bavel): "Babylon." The capital city and empire.
Words Group Analysis:
- "Sword upon its mighty men and upon its strength": This signifies not just a physical defeat, but a systemic dismantling of their power structure, affecting their strongest warriors and the very foundation of their military might.
- "They shall become stupified... for their time of perplexity/trickery...": This portrays a complete breakdown of their mental faculties and strategic capacity. The confusion is divinely induced, leaving them unable to act or plan effectively, as their cunning methods (or possibly the perceived inevitability of their downfall) become their undoing.
- "and her strength shall be left bare/forsaken, the heart of the mighty men… nothingness": This emphasizes total vulnerability. Their protective strength is removed, and their core courage and capacity to lead or fight are annihilated, leaving them exposed and impotent. The phrase "heart of the mighty men… nothingness" is particularly stark, indicating an utter loss of resolve and intellectual function.
- "because God of Hosts...": This attributes the entire collapse to the supreme power and sovereign will of the God of Israel, contrasting His might with Babylon's fallen state.
Jeremiah 50 36 Bonus Section
The description of the mighty men becoming "stupified" (or experiencing "perplexity" or "trickery" based on interpretations of "ikkub") and their hearts becoming "nothingness" powerfully reflects a theme found throughout Scripture: that true strength and wisdom come from God, and reliance on self or worldly power leads to eventual folly and collapse. This aligns with the New Testament teaching that God chooses the weak to shame the strong and makes foolish the wisdom of the world (1 Cor 1:27-29). The fall of Babylon is also a foreshadowing of the eventual judgment of all powers that stand in opposition to God's kingdom. The concept of the "heart" being empty of strength is significant, as the heart was considered the center of a person's being in Hebrew thought. The completeness of this internal collapse underscores the totality of Babylon's destruction.
Jeremiah 50 36 Commentary
This verse vividly illustrates the total defeat awaiting Babylon's military might. God declares a spiritual and mental paralysis will overcome their strongest warriors. Their famed strategies will crumble, and their courage will vanish as if their hearts are emptied of all resolve. This devastating impact is not due to human power but the sovereign action of the God of Hosts, who orchestrates the downfall of even the most formidable empires when they oppose Him and oppress His people. Their fortifications and their men will be rendered useless, a testament to God's ultimate authority. The prophecy assures that God's justice will fall upon those who pride themselves in their strength and wisdom, making them foolish in the eyes of the world.