Jeremiah 6

Jeremiah · Chapter 6

Jeremiah 6:23

1O ye children of Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a sign of fire in Bethhaccerem: for evil appeareth out of the north, and great destruction.2I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman.3The shepherds with their flocks shall come unto her; they shall pitch their tents against her round about; they shall feed every one in his place.4Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out.5Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces.6For thus hath the LORD of hosts said, Hew ye down trees, and cast a mount against Jerusalem: this is the city to be visited; she is wholly oppression in the midst of her.7As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness: violence and spoil is heard in her; before me continually is grief and wounds.8Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited.9Thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall throughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine: turn back thine hand as a grapegatherer into the baskets.10To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the LORD is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.11Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD; I am weary with holding in: I will pour it out upon the children abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together: for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him that is full of days.12And their houses shall be turned unto others, with their fields and wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD.13For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.14They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.15Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.16Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.17Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.18Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them.19Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it.20To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me.21Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will lay stumblingblocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them; the neighbour and his friend shall perish.22Thus saith the LORD, Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation shall be raised from the sides of the earth.23They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, set in array as men for war against thee, O daughter of Zion.24We have heard the fame thereof: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, and pain, as of a woman in travail.25Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy and fear is on every side.26O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes: make thee mourning, as for an only son, most bitter lamentation: for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us.27I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among my people, that thou mayest know and try their way.28They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass and iron; they are all corrupters.29The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away.30Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
23They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, set in array as men for war against thee, O daughter of Zion.They grasp the bow and spear; they are cruel and merciless. Their voice roars like the sea, and they ride upon horses, lined up like men in formation against you, O Daughter of Zion.”They lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea, and they ride upon horses, every one set in array, as a man to the battle, against thee, O daughter of Zion.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Where

Locations from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Some ancient sites are uncertain.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
bowקֶ֣שֶׁתKE-shetH7198
bow

קֶ֫שֶׁת (qe.shet) 1) bow 1a) bow (for hunting, battle) 1b) bowmen, archers 1c) bow (fig. of might) 1d) rainbow

and javelinוְכִיד֞וֹןve-khi-DONH3591
javelin

כִּידוֹן (ki.don) 1) javelin, short sword, dart 2) gorget, a piece of armour for the throat (1Sa 17.6)

they take hold ofיַחֲזִ֗יקוּya-cha-ZI-kuH2388H
to strengthen: strengthen

חָזַק (cha.zaq) : strengthen/support/encourage 1) to strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous, be firm, grow firm, be resolute, be sore 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be strong, grow strong 1a1a) to prevail, prevail upon 1a1b) to be firm, be caught fast, be secure 1a1c) to press, be urgent 1a1d) to grow stout, grow rigid, grow hard (bad sense) 1a1e) to be severe, be grievous 1a2) to strengthen 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to make strong 1b2) to restore to strength, give strength 1b3) to strengthen, sustain, encourage 1b4) to make strong, make bold, encourage 1b5) to make firm 1b6) to make rigid, make hard …

[is] cruelאַכְזָרִ֥י'akh-za-RIH0394
cruel

אַכְזָרִי (akh.za.ri) cruel

itהוּא֙hu'H1931
he/she/it

הוּא (hu) pron 3p s 1) he, she, it 1a) himself (with emphasis) 1b) resuming subj with emphasis 1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate) 1d) (anticipating subj) 1e) (emphasising predicate) 1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron 2) that (with article)

and notוְלֹ֣אve-LO'H3808
not

לֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

they have mercyיְרַחֵ֔מוּye-ra-CHE-muH7355
to have compassion

רָחַם (ra.cham) 1) to love, love deeply, have mercy, be compassionate, have tender affection, have compassion 1a) (Qal) to love 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to have compassion, be compassionate 1b1a) of God, man 1c) (Pual) to be shown compassion, be compassionate

sound theirקוֹלָם֙ko-LAMH6963H
voice

קוֹל (qol) : voice/shout/loud 1) voice, sound, noise 1a) voice 1b) sound (of instrument)

[is] like the seaכַּיָּ֣םkai-YAMH3220G
sea

יָם (yam) : sea 1) sea 1a) Mediterranean Sea 1b) Red Sea 1c) Dead Sea 1d) Sea of Galilee 1e) sea (general) 1f) mighty river (Nile) 1g) the sea (the great basin in the temple court) 1h) seaward, west, westward

[which] it roarsיֶהֱמֶ֔הye-he-MEHH1993
to roar

הָמָה (ha.mah) 1) to murmur, growl, roar, cry aloud, mourn, rage, sound, make noise, tumult, be clamorous, be disquieted, be loud, be moved, be troubled, be in an uproar 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to growl 1a2) to murmur (fig. of a soul in prayer) 1a3) to roar 1a4) to be in a stir, be in a commotion 1a5) to be boisterous, be turbulent

and onוְעַל־ve-'al-H5921A
upon

עַל (al) prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) …

horsesסוּסִ֖יםsu-SIMH5483M
horse

סוּס (sus) 1) horse 1a) chariot horses

they rideיִרְכָּ֑בוּyir-KA-vuH7392
to ride

רָכַב (ra.khav) 1) to mount and ride, ride 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to mount, mount and sit or ride 1a2) to ride, be riding 1a3) rider (subst) 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to cause to ride, cause to (mount and) ride 1b2) to cause to draw (plough, etc) 1b3) to cause to ride upon (fig)

arrangedעָר֗וּךְ'a-RUKHH6186A
to arrange

עָרַךְ (a.rakh) 1) to arrange, set or put or lay in order, set in array, prepare, order, ordain, handle, furnish, esteem, equal, direct, compare 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to arrange or set or lay in order, arrange, state in order, set forth (a legal case), set in place 1a2) to compare, be comparable

like a manכְּאִישׁ֙ke-'ISHH0376G
man

אִישׁ (ish) : man 1) man 1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female) 1b) husband 1c) human being, person (in contrast to God) 1d) servant 1e) mankind 1f) champion 1g) great man 2) whosoever 3) each (adjective)

for the battleלַמִּלְחָמָ֔הla-mil-cha-MAHH4421
battle

מִלְחָמָה (mil.cha.mah) battle, war

on youעָלַ֖יִךְ'a-LA-yikhH5921A
upon

עַל (al) prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) …

O daughter ofבַּת־bat-H1323G
daughter

בַּת (bat) : daughter 1) daughter 1a) daughter, girl, adopted daughter, daughter-in-law, sister, granddaughters, female child, cousin 1a1) as polite address 1a2) as designation of women of a particular place 2) young women, women 1a3) as personification 1a4) daughter-villages 1a5) description of character Also means: bat (בַּת ": village" H1323H)

Zionצִיּֽוֹן׃tzi-YONH6726
Zion

צִיּוֹן (tsiy.yon) Zion = "parched place" another name for Jerusalem especially in the prophetic books Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.