Jeremiah 50:14
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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse calls for unrelenting attack, "spare no arrows," because Babylon's offense wasn't just against people, but directly against the Lord. This highlights how God identifies with His people, so any cruelty inflicted upon them is seen as a personal affront to Him.
This passage is a divine summons to the Medes and Persians, calling them to surround and attack Babylon. It emphasizes their role as skilled archers, urging them to shoot relentlessly because Babylon has deeply offended the Lord through its idolatry, cruelty, and particularly its mistreatment of God's people. The destruction of Babylon is presented as God's righteous judgment for her profound sins.
Understand the original words
chata' · Hebrew Verb
Refers to the act of missing the mark of God's standard of righteousness. It involves disobedience, rebellion, and failing to conform to the character or commands of the Creator.
This prophecy vividly calls the Medo-Persian forces to action against Babylon, highlighting their skill as archers. It frames the conquest not just as a military event, but as divine judgment for Babylon's deep-seated sins, especially its cruelty towards God's people and its defiance of the Lord.
c. 605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
King Nebuchadnezzar deports Jewish nobles and skilled workers, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian Exile and Babylon's rise as a dominant world power.
587/586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Second Temple Destruction
Nebuchadnezzar conquers Jerusalem, destroys the Temple, and deports a large portion of the population. This act deeply wounds the Jewish people and fuels prophetic pronouncements against Babylon.
c. 550-539 BC
Rise of the Medo-Persian Empire
Under Cyrus the Great, the Medo-Persian Empire emerges as a major power, eventually challenging and conquering the Babylonian Empire. The Medes and Persians were known for their skilled archers.
539 BC— this verse
Fall of Babylon to Cyrus
Cyrus the Great, leading the Medo-Persian army, conquers Babylon. This event fulfills prophecies of judgment against the city for its sins, particularly its oppression of God's people and desecration of the Temple.
This passage also describes the destruction of Babylon, calling the Medes to come and take vengeance, highlighting their skill as archers, much like Jeremiah 50:14.
Jeremiah 51:3This verse directly echoes the call to arms against Babylon, emphasizing the need for skilled archers to bring about her judgment.
Ezekiel 23:22-24This passage describes the king of Babylon as a leader of archers, who will come against Samaria with weapons, paralleling the imagery of an armed host attacking a sinful city.
Revelation 18:5This New Testament passage declares Babylon's sins have reached to heaven and God has remembered her iniquities, echoing the 'sinned against the Lord' reason for judgment found in Jeremiah.
gillJeremiah 50:14: "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."
Put yourselves in array against Babylon round about,.... This is directed to the Medes and Persians, to dispose of their army in proper places round about the city of Babylon, to besiege it; and to order their instruments of war, fit for that purpose, a convenient manner; since they might be sure of victory, the Lord being wroth wi…
barnesJeremiah 50:14: "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."
place the colon after bow.
The verse calls for unrelenting attack, "spare no arrows," because Babylon's offense wasn't just against people, but directly against the Lord. This highlights how God identifies with His people, so any cruelty inflicted upon them is seen as a personal affront to Him.
This passage is a divine summons to the Medes and Persians, calling them to surround and attack Babylon. It emphasizes their role as skilled archers, urging them to shoot relentlessly because Babylon has deeply offended the Lord through its idolatry, cruelty, and particularly its mistreatment of God's people. The destruction of Babylon is presented as God's righteous judgment for her profound sins.
This passage is a divine summons to the Medes and Persians, calling them to surround and attack Babylon. It emphasizes their role as skilled archers, urging them to shoot relentlessly because Babylon has deeply offended the Lord through its idolatry, cruelty, and particularly its mistreatment of God's people. The destruction of Babylon is presented as God's righteous judgment for her profound sins.
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"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." — The verse calls for unrelenting attack, "spare no arrows," because Babylon's offense wasn't just against people, but directly against the Lord. This highlights how God identifies with His people, so…
