Jeremiah 50:43
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.
Original Language Analysis
שָׁמַ֧ע
hath heard
H8085
שָׁמַ֧ע
hath heard
Strong's:
H8085
Word #:
1 of 11
to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
בָּבֶ֛ל
of Babylon
H894
בָּבֶ֛ל
of Babylon
Strong's:
H894
Word #:
3 of 11
babel (i.e., babylon), including babylonia and the babylonian empire
אֶת
H853
אֶת
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
4 of 11
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
שִׁמְעָ֖ם
the report
H8088
שִׁמְעָ֖ם
the report
Strong's:
H8088
Word #:
5 of 11
something heard, i.e., a sound, rumor, announcement; abstractly, audience
וְרָפ֣וּ
waxed feeble
H7503
וְרָפ֣וּ
waxed feeble
Strong's:
H7503
Word #:
6 of 11
to slacken (in many applications, literal or figurative)
יָדָ֑יו
of them and his hands
H3027
יָדָ֑יו
of them and his hands
Strong's:
H3027
Word #:
7 of 11
a hand (the open one [indicating power, means, direction, etc.], in distinction from h3709, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great v
הֶחֱזִיקַ֔תְהוּ
took hold
H2388
הֶחֱזִיקַ֔תְהוּ
took hold
Strong's:
H2388
Word #:
9 of 11
to fasten upon; hence, to seize, be strong (figuratively, courageous, causatively strengthen, cure, help, repair, fortify), obstinate; to bind, restra
Cross References
Jeremiah 51:31One post shall run to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to shew the king of Babylon that his city is taken at one end,Jeremiah 49:24Damascus is waxed feeble, and turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized on her: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail.
Historical Context
Belshazzar hosted a feast even as Cyrus's forces approached (Daniel 5:1). His bravado masked fear—the very fear Jeremiah prophesied. When the handwriting appeared, his terror became visible (Daniel 5:6). That night, Medo-Persian soldiers entered via the river channel, killed Belshazzar, and Darius took the kingdom (Daniel 5:30-31).
Questions for Reflection
- Why does God detail the psychological terror of judged rulers—what purpose does this serve?
- How does the fulfillment of specific details (hands weakened, birth pangs) validate prophetic inspiration?
- What does Belshazzar's false confidence before sudden terror teach about presumption in face of warnings?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
The king of Babylon hath heard the report of them (שָׁמַע מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל אֶת־שִׁמְעָם, shama melekh-Bavel et-shim'am)—Belshazzar (or Nabonidus) receives intelligence about the advancing coalition. And his hands waxed feeble (וְרָפוּ יָדָיו, v'rafu yadav)—his hands 'became slack,' lost strength. This exact phrase describes demoralized soldiers unable to fight (Jeremiah 6:24, Ezekiel 7:17). Psychological defeat precedes military defeat.
Anguish took hold of him, and pangs as of a woman in travail (צָרָה הֶחֱזִיקַתְהוּ חִיל כַּיּוֹלֵדָה, tsarah hecheziqathu chil kayyoledah)—The birth-pangs metaphor again (see 49:24). Jeremiah uses it repeatedly for inescapable, all-consuming terror. Daniel 5 dramatically depicts Belshazzar's panic: the handwriting on the wall, knees knocking together (Daniel 5:5-6). That very night Babylon fell (539 BC). The prophecy specified not just military defeat but rulers' personal terror—fulfilled to the detail. God's word is surgically precise.