Jeremiah Chapter 8 · Verse 16
The snorting of his horses was heard from Dan: the whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones; for they are come, and have devoured the land, and all that is in it; the city, and those that dwell therein.
Original Language Analysis
מִדָּ֤ן
from Dan
H1835
מִדָּ֤ן
from Dan
Strong's:
H1835
Word #:
1 of 17
dan, one of the sons of jacob; also the tribe descended from him, and its territory; likewise a place in palestine colonized by them
נִשְׁמַע֙
was heard
H8085
נִשְׁמַע֙
was heard
Strong's:
H8085
Word #:
2 of 17
to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
מִצְהֲל֣וֹת
of the neighing
H4684
מִצְהֲל֣וֹת
of the neighing
Strong's:
H4684
Word #:
6 of 17
a whinnying (through impatience for battle or lust)
רָעֲשָׁ֖ה
trembled
H7493
רָעֲשָׁ֖ה
trembled
Strong's:
H7493
Word #:
8 of 17
to undulate (as the earth, the sky, etc.; also a field of grain), particularly through fear; specifically, to spring (as a locust)
כָּל
H3605
כָּל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
9 of 17
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
וַיָּב֗וֹאוּ
for they are come
H935
וַיָּב֗וֹאוּ
for they are come
Strong's:
H935
Word #:
11 of 17
to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
עִ֖יר
that is in it the city
H5892
עִ֖יר
that is in it the city
Strong's:
H5892
Word #:
15 of 17
a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)
Cross References
Judges 5:22Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones.Judges 18:29And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first.1 Corinthians 10:28But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof:
Historical Context
Dan's location at the foot of Mount Hermon made it the traditional boundary of Israel ('from Dan to Beersheba'). Invading armies from Mesopotamia would enter Canaan through this northern corridor. The Babylonian army included significant cavalry forces, and the sound of approaching horses struck terror. Archaeological evidence of Babylonian military technology and strategy confirms their reliance on combined infantry, cavalry, and siege warfare.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the certainty of coming judgment described in prophetic perfect tense challenge complacency about sin's consequences?
- What 'sounds from Dan' might signal approaching spiritual danger in our lives?
Analysis & Commentary
This verse describes the approaching enemy: 'The snorting of his horses was heard from Dan.' Dan, at Israel's northern border, would first detect invaders approaching via the Fertile Crescent trade route. 'Snorting' (nachrah, נַחְרָה) evokes powerful war horses, their breath and sounds preceding visible approach. 'The whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones' uses abirim (אַבִּירִים, mighty ones, stallions), emphasizing military power. The psychological impact of hearing an approaching army created terror before the battle began. 'For they are come, and have devoured the land, and all that is in it; the city, and those that dwell therein'—the destruction is already certain, described in prophetic perfect tense as if completed.