Jeremiah 50:43 kjv
The king of Babylon hath heard the report of them, and his hands waxed feeble: anguish took hold of him, and pangs as of a woman in travail.
Jeremiah 50:43 nkjv
"The king of Babylon has heard the report about them, And his hands grow feeble; Anguish has taken hold of him, Pangs as of a woman in childbirth.
Jeremiah 50:43 niv
The king of Babylon has heard reports about them, and his hands hang limp. Anguish has gripped him, pain like that of a woman in labor.
Jeremiah 50:43 esv
"The king of Babylon heard the report of them, and his hands fell helpless; anguish seized him, pain as of a woman in labor.
Jeremiah 50:43 nlt
The king of Babylon has heard reports about the enemy,
and he is weak with fright.
Pangs of anguish have gripped him,
like those of a woman in labor.
Jeremiah 50 43 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 17:5 | Thus says the LORD: Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his arm, whose heart turns away from the LORD. | Self-reliance brings curse |
| Psalm 146:3 | Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. | Reliance on man is vain |
| Isaiah 2:22 | Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is his breath, for of what account is he? | Futility of man's strength |
| Ezekiel 29:3 | Speak, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lies in the midst of his rivers, that has said, My river is my own, and I have made it for myself. | Pride and self-dependence |
| Jeremiah 51:57 | I will make them drunk, that they may sing and leap and sleep a perpetual sleep and not wake, declares the LORD. | God’s judgment on oppressors |
| Isaiah 47:8 | Now therefore hear this, you luxurious woman, who sits securely, who says in your heart, “I am, and there is no one else besides me.” | Arrogance of Babylon |
| Psalm 76:10 | Surely the wrath of man shall praise you; the remainder of wrath you will restrain. | God’s sovereignty in wrath |
| 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? | God makes worldly wisdom foolish |
| Proverbs 16:18 | Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. | Pride leads to downfall |
| Jeremiah 48:42 | And Moab shall not be a people, for it has exalted itself against the LORD. | Exaltation against God |
| Jeremiah 49:39 | But in the latter days I will return the fortunes of Elam. | God’s ultimate restoration |
| Romans 11:36 | For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever! Amen. | All things are from God |
| Jeremiah 51:64 | And when you have finished reading this book, you shall tie a stone to it and cast it into the midst of the Euphrates. | Symbolic end of Babylon |
| Habakkuk 2:6 | Shall not all these take up a proverb against him, and a taunt of cunning intelligence against him, saying, “Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own, and to him who gets himself to his house by a bribe”? | Babylon's ill-gotten gains |
| Psalm 33:10 | The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations; he thwarts the devices of the peoples. | God foils nations' plans |
| Isaiah 14:13 | You said in your heart, “I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north; | Lucifer’s pride and fall |
| Jeremiah 4:22 | For my people are fools; they know me not; they are stupid children; they have no understanding; they are wise in doing evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. | Israel's folly reflected |
| 2 Peter 3:16 | as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. | Misinterpretation of scripture |
| Revelation 18:7 | As she glorified herself and lived sensuously, so give her a like amount of torment and mourning. For she says in her heart, “I sit as a queen, I am no widow, and I shall never see mourning.” | Babylon’s pride and fate |
| Proverbs 26:12 | There is one whose refining is but a mocker, whose measuring is a snare. | Deceptive success |
| 1 Kings 20:28 | And a man of God came near and said to the king of Israel, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Because the Syrians have said, The LORD is a god of the hills but not a god of the valleys,’ therefore I will give them into your hand this very day…” | Understanding God's dominion |
Jeremiah 50 verses
Jeremiah 50 43 Meaning
The king of Babylon, after surveying his mighty armies, receives a stark declaration from God. He will recognize the desolation brought upon his kingdom, knowing he did not cause it through his own strength, but rather that it was the consequence of God's judgment. His former strength and power will become an empty boast, signifying his utter defeat.
Jeremiah 50 43 Context
Jeremiah chapter 50 continues the prophetic judgment against Babylon. This particular verse, Jeremiah 50:43, appears towards the end of the chapter which details the complete downfall of Babylon. The surrounding verses speak of Babylon's king being filled with terror due to the arrival of enemy forces. The context is one of ultimate divine retribution against a powerful, proud nation that had oppressed God's people. It highlights God's sovereign control over history, even in the rise and fall of empires.
Jeremiah 50 43 Word Analysis
- "The king": Refers to the Babylonian king, likely representing the apex of Babylonian power and authority.
- "shall hear": Indicates a reception of information or realization of a new reality.
- "tidings": Refers to news or intelligence, specifically bad news regarding the enemy’s advance and impending victory.
- "his": Possessive pronoun, linking the tidings directly to the king's personal experience.
- "shall be": Indicates a future state or condition.
- "astonied": Denotes shock, bewilderment, and intense fear. This reflects the overwhelming nature of the news.
- "for": Signifies the reason or cause for his astonishment.
- "in his own hand": This phrase is crucial. It implies his own actions, decisions, or power were thought to be the source of his dominion and ability to withstand threats.
- "shall be": Again, denotes a future state.
- "astonied": Reiterates the shock and disbelief.
- "at": Preposition indicating the object or reason for his astonishment.
- "in the great": Refers to the large scale and magnitude.
- "deep": Suggests a profound abyss or overwhelming situation, metaphorically referring to the immense forces arrayed against him.
- "for the Lord": Explicitly attributes the coming devastation to divine action, not human capability.
- "your strength": Refers to the king's military might, resources, and perceived power.
- "has": Present tense, emphasizing the reality of God's action.
- "wrought": Implies creation, construction, or a bringing into being; here, it means God has caused or brought about the circumstances.
- "is come": Indicates the arrival or realization of this divinely orchestrated event.
Words-Group by Words-Group Analysis
- "His own hand": This is a powerful idiom suggesting the king's belief in his self-sufficiency and independent agency in ruling and securing his kingdom. It directly contrasts with the subsequent realization that the outcome is due to external divine intervention.
- "In the great deep": This imagery signifies a profound crisis or an overwhelming situation that the king is incapable of comprehending or controlling through his own strength. It speaks of a situation so vast and powerful it could only be orchestrated by God.
- "The Lord your strength": This phrase is a rhetorical device, sarcastically referring to the very source of the king's former confidence – his military and political power, which God claims as His own strength that He can manipulate or withdraw. It underscores God's ultimate control.
Jeremiah 50 43 Bonus Section
The prophecy against Babylon in Jeremiah 50-51 is a detailed account of judgment that was ultimately fulfilled, though perhaps not all aspects in the immediate destruction by the Medes and Persians. It serves as a significant example of biblical prophecy. The language used to describe Babylon's downfall here echoes prophecies against other prideful nations, reinforcing a consistent biblical theme that God judges those who exalt themselves against Him and oppress His people. This verse underscores that earthly powers, however great, are instruments of God's will and are accountable to Him. The concept of God being "your strength" implies that all power originates from Him, and He can lend it, withdraw it, or use it to bring about His justice.
Jeremiah 50 43 Commentary
Jeremiah 50:43 reveals a profound shift in perspective for the Babylonian king. He, who likely trusted in his armies and strategic brilliance, is made to confront the reality of his utter dependence on forces beyond his control. The "tidings" are likely news of an insurmountable enemy, but the true astonishment stems from realizing this enemy's power is an extension of God's judgment. His former reliance on his own strength becomes a source of bewildered shame. God demonstrates His sovereignty by using the very forces of judgment that overwhelm Babylon, turning the king’s humanly perceived might into a hollow boast. The verse highlights the ultimate futility of human pride and self-reliance when measured against divine power and purpose.