Jeremiah 6:23

23 They lay hold on bow and spear, they are cruel and have no mercy, the sound of them is like the roaring sea; they ride upon horses, set in array as a man for battle, against you, O daughter of Zion!"

Jeremiah 6:23 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 6:23

They shall lay hold on bow and spear
That is, everyone of them should be furnished with both these pieces of armour, that they might be able to fight near and afar off; they had bows to shoot arrows at a distance, and spears to strike with when near. The Targum renders it bows and shields. "They are cruel, and have no mercy"; this is said, to strike terror into the hearts of the hardened Jews: their voice roareth like the sea;
the waves of it, which is terrible, ( Luke 21:25 Luke 21:26 ) : and they ride upon horses;
which still made them more formidable, as well as suggests that their march would be quick and speedy, and they would soon be with them: set in array as men for war;
prepared with all sorts of armour for battle: or, "as a man" ^F1; as one man, denoting their conjunction, ardour, and unanimity; being not only well armed without, but inwardly, resolutely bent, as one man, to engage in battle, and conquer or die; see ( Judges 20:8 ) , against thee, O daughter of Zion;
the design being against her, and all the preparation made on her account; which had a very dreadful appearance, and threatened with ruin, and therefore filled her with terror and distress, as follows.

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FOOTNOTES:

F1 (vyak) "tanquam vir", Pagninus; "ut vir", Schmidt; "quam unus vir", Grotius.

Jeremiah 6:23 In-Context

21 Therefore thus says the LORD: 'Behold, I will lay before this people stumbling blocks against which they shall stumble; fathers and sons together, neighbor and friend shall perish.'"

22 Thus says the LORD: "Behold, a people is coming from the north country, a great nation is stirring from the farthest parts of the earth.

23 They lay hold on bow and spear, they are cruel and have no mercy, the sound of them is like the roaring sea; they ride upon horses, set in array as a man for battle, against you, O daughter of Zion!"

24 We have heard the report of it, our hands fall helpless; anguish has taken hold of us, pain as of a woman in travail.

25 Go not forth into the field, nor walk on the road; for the enemy has a sword, terror is on every side.