Jeremiah 50:9
For, lo, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the north country: and they shall set themselves in array against her; from thence she shall be taken: their arrows shall be as of a mighty expert man; none shall return in vain.
Original Language Analysis
Historical Context
This prophecy was fulfilled in 539 BC when Cyrus the Great of Persia, leading a coalition of Medes and allied peoples, conquered Babylon. According to both biblical (Daniel 5) and extra-biblical sources (Cyrus Cylinder, Herodotus, Xenophon), the conquest was remarkably swift. Cyrus diverted the Euphrates River and entered through the riverbed gates while Belshazzar feasted (Daniel 5:1-4, 30-31). The 'arrows' may be literal (Persian archers were legendary) or figurative for irresistible military force. What's striking is the contrast: Babylon, which seemed eternal and invincible (Daniel 4:30, Jeremiah 51:53), fell in a single night. The prophecy's fulfillment vindicated Jeremiah's seemingly impossible prediction made decades earlier when Babylon was at its zenith.
Questions for Reflection
- How does God's ability to 'raise up' and mobilize nations demonstrate His absolute sovereignty over history?
- What does the certainty that 'none shall return in vain' teach about the effectiveness of God's ordained judgments?
- How should the sudden fall of 'eternal' Babylon inform our perspective on seemingly permanent evil powers today?
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Analysis & Commentary
For, lo, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the north country—the emphatic 'I will raise' (anokhi me'ir, אָנֹכִי מֵעִיר) stresses divine agency. God orchestrates historical events, mobilizing ('causing to come up,' ma'aleh, מַעֲלֶה) an 'assembly' (qahal, קָהַל, congregation, coalition) of nations. The Medo-Persian coalition included Medes, Persians, and various subjugated peoples. This divine raising of nations echoes Habakkuk 1:6, where God 'raised up' the Chaldeans themselves—now they face the same divine sovereignty.
And they shall set themselves in array against her; from thence she shall be taken—'set in array' ('arak, עָרַךְ, arrange in battle formation) indicates organized military siege. 'She shall be taken' (tilaked, תִּלָּכֵד, captured) guarantees success. Their arrows shall be as of a mighty expert man—literally 'as a warrior who makes childless' (gibbor mashkil, גִּבּוֹר מַשְׁכִּיל). The KJV 'expert' softens the Hebrew's lethal intent. These are arrows that never miss, always kill. None shall return in vain—every arrow finds its target, symbolizing the unstoppable efficiency of God's judgment. This contrasts with Babylon's earlier invincibility—now they face warriors whose success is divinely guaranteed.