Behold, a people shall come from the north, and a great nation, and many kings shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.
Parallel translations
- WEB “Behold, a people comes from the north; and a great nation and many kings shall be stirred up from the uttermost parts of the earth.
- BSB Behold, an army is coming from the north; a great nation and many kings are stirred up from the ends of the earth.
- NKJV “Behold,a people shall come from the north, And a great nation and many kings Shall be raised up from the ends of the earth.
- NASB ¶“Behold, a people is coming from the north, And a great nation and many kings Will be roused from the remote parts of the earth.
- NLT “Look! A great army is coming from the north. A great nation and many kings are rising against you from far-off lands.
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 announces that a great northern coalition of kings will rise up against Babylon. The proud destroyer of nations will herself be invaded.
Overview
Babylon, which had come from the north against Judah, now hears that an even greater force will sweep down on her from the north (historically Cyrus and the Medo-Persian alliance). The language deliberately echoes earlier oracles where Babylon was God's instrument against others, showing that no empire is exempt from His justice. The Lord who raises up and casts down nations remains sovereign over history, a comfort fulfilled finally in Christ's everlasting kingdom that overthrows every proud power.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Jer 51:27–28Set ye up a standard in the land, blow the trumpet among the nations, prepare the nations against her, call together against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashchenaz; appoint a captain against her; cause the horses to come up as the rough caterpillers.
- Isa 13:2–5Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.
- Jer 50:9For, 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.
- Jer 6:22–23Thus saith the LORD, Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation shall be raised from the sides of the earth.
- Jer 51:11Make bright the arrows; gather the shields: the LORD hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes: for his device is against Babylon, to destroy it; because it is the vengeance of the LORD, the vengeance of his temple.
- Isa 13:17–18Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.
- Rev 17:16And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
- Jer 50:2–3Declare ye among the nations, and publish, and set up a standard; publish, and conceal not: say, Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodach is broken in pieces; her idols are confounded, her images are broken in pieces.
- Jer 51:1–2Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me, a destroying wind;
- Jer 25:14For many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of them also: and I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the works of their own hands.
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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 50:41 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.