Jeremiah 50:43

43 The king of Babylon has heard reports of them and is panic-stricken; distress overwhelms him, pain like that of a woman in labor.

Jeremiah 50:43 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 50:43

The king of Babylon hath heard the report of them
Belshazzar, as Kimchi; he had the report brought him of the invasion of his land by them; of their approach to Babylon, and design upon it; and of their number, character, and force: and his hands waxed feeble;
as they did when he saw the handwriting upon the wall, ( Daniel 5:6 ) ; anguish took hold of him, [and] pangs as of a woman in travail;
a sudden panic seized him, and he was quite dispirited at once, as a woman in childbirth, when her pains come upon her, and there is no avoiding them; though when those who were with Gobrias and Gadates rushed in upon him, they found him standing up with his sword drawn {z}, but unable to defend himself against such a posse as came in upon him.

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FOOTNOTES:

F26 Xenophon. Cyropaedia, l. 7. c. 23.

Jeremiah 50:43 In-Context

41 Look! An army is on the move from the northern regions. A powerful nation and many kings are coming from the ends of the earth.

42 Equipped with bow and spear, they are cruel and show no mercy. Their horsemen sound like the roaring sea, arrayed in battle formation against you, Daughter Babylon.

43 The king of Babylon has heard reports of them and is panic-stricken; distress overwhelms him, pain like that of a woman in labor.

44 Like a lion coming up from the jungle of the Jordan to a well-watered meadow, so I will suddenly chase down Babylon and single out its choicest of rams. Who is like me? Who can direct me? What shepherd can withstand me?

45 Therefore, listen to the counsel that the LORD has for Babylon and the plans he's devised against the land of Babylon: The little ones of the flock will be dragged off, as their pasture watches in utter disbelief.