Jeremías 50:42

42 Arco y lanza manejarán; serán crueles, y no tendrán piedad; su tropel sonará como el mar, y montarán sobre caballos; se apercibirán como hombre a la pelea, contra ti, oh hija de Babilonia

Jeremías 50:42 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 50:42

They shall hold the bow and the lance
Or "spear". The Targum interprets it, "shields"; as many in Cyrus's army had ^F20; the one an offensive, the other a defensive weapon; or, if bow and lance, the one is used at a distance, the other when near. The Medes and Persians were well skilled in handling the bow, as once and again observed: this very properly describes the armour of the Persians; which were, as Herodotus ^F21 says, large bows and short spears; and Xenophon ^F23 observes, that, besides bows and arrows, they had two javelins or lances, one of which they cast, and the other they held and used in their hands, as they found necessary; and so Cyrus ^F24, in a speech of his, says that they had breast plates to cover their bodies, and lances or javelins which they could use by throwing or holding, as they pleased: they [are] cruel, and will not show mercy:
not even to infants, but dash them against the stones, ( Psalms 137:8 Psalms 137:9 ) ; see ( Isaiah 13:17 Isaiah 13:18 ) ; and (See Gill on Isaiah 13:17) and (See Gill on Isaiah 13:18); hence "horribilis Medus", in Horace ^F25: their voice shall roar like the sea;
when there is a tempest on it. This does not design the shout of the soldiers, when beginning the onset in battle, or making an attack upon a city besieged; but the noise of their march, their foot, and horse, and chariots, and the clashing of their army; all which, by reason of their numbers, would be very clamorous and terrible: and they shall ride upon horses;
the Persians had a large cavalry, their country abounding in horses: [everyone] put in array like a man to the battle, against thee, O
daughter of Babylon;
furnished with armour, and put in a proper disposition, all in rank and file, well accoutred, and full of spirit, prepared to engage in battle, with you, O ye inhabitants of Babylon.

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FOOTNOTES:

F20 Cyropaedia, l. 5. c. 15.
F21 Terpsichore, sive l. 5. c. 49. & Polymnia, sive l. 7. c. 61.
F23 Cyropaedia, l. 1. c. 5.
F24 Ibid. l. 4. c. 16.
F25 Carmin. l. 1. Ode 29.

Jeremías 50:42 In-Context

40 Como en el trastornamiento de Dios a Sodoma, a Gomorra y a sus ciudades vecinas, dijo el SEÑOR, no morará allí hombre, ni hijo de hombre la habitará

41 He aquí viene un pueblo del aquilón; y una nación grande, y muchos reyes se levantarán de los lados de la tierra

42 Arco y lanza manejarán; serán crueles, y no tendrán piedad; su tropel sonará como el mar, y montarán sobre caballos; se apercibirán como hombre a la pelea, contra ti, oh hija de Babilonia

43 Oyó su fama el rey de Babilonia, y sus manos se descoyuntaron; angustia le tomó, dolor como de mujer de parto

44 He aquí que como león subirá de la hinchazón del Jordán a la morada fuerte; porque haré reposo, y lo haré correr de sobre ella, y al que fuere escogido la encargaré; porque ¿quién es semejante a mí? ¿Y quién me emplazará? ¿O quién será aquel pastor que me podrá resistir