“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, The foremost of their might.
Parallel translations
- WEB “Yahweh of Armies says: ‘Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might.
- KJV Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might.
- BSB This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Behold, I will shatter Elam’s bow, the mainstay of their might.
- NASB ¶“This is what the Lord of armies says: ‘Behold, I am going to break the bow of Elam, The finest of their might.
- NLT This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: “I will destroy the archers of Elam— the best of their forces.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God will break the bow of Elam, the foundation of its military might. Its chief source of strength will be shattered.
Overview
Elam was famous for its archers, so breaking its bow strikes at the core of its power (Isaiah 22:6). The LORD of Armies declares He will dismantle the very thing the nation trusted. The verse teaches that God can remove any strength people rely on apart from Him.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Isa 22:6Elam carried his quiver, with chariots of men and horsemen; and Kir uncovered the shield.
- Ps 46:9He makes wars cease to the end of the earth. He breaks the bow, and shatters the spear. He burns the chariots in the fire.
- Jer 51:56For the destroyer has come on her, even on Babylon. Her mighty men are taken. Their bows are broken in pieces, for Yahweh is a God of recompenses. He will surely repay.
- Jer 50:14Set yourselves in array against Babylon all around, all you who bend the bow; shoot at her, spare no arrows: for she has sinned against Yahweh.
- Jer 50:29“Call together the archers against Babylon, all those who bend the bow. Encamp against her all around. Let none of it escape. Recompense her according to her work. According to all that she has done, do to her; for she has been proud against Yahweh, against the Holy One of Israel.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Against the failure of false shepherds Jeremiah promises the Righteous Branch, 'The LORD our righteousness,' and the new covenant written on the heart and sealed in the blood of Christ.
How Jeremiah 49:35 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.