Jeremiah 50:43

43 The king of Babylon heard the fame of them, and his hands be aclumsid; anguish took him, sorrow took him, as a woman travailing of child. (The king of Babylon heard the news about them, and his hands be benumbed; anguish took hold of him, and sorrow took hold of him, like a woman in labour.)

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.

---

FOOTNOTES:

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

Jeremiah 50:43 In-Context

41 Lo! a people cometh from the north, and a great folk, and many kings shall rise together from the ends of [the] earth. (Lo! a people cometh from the north, and a great nation, and many kings shall rise up from the ends of the earth.)

42 They shall take bow and sword, they be cruel and unmerciful; the voice of them shall sound as the sea, and they shall ascend on horses as a man made ready to battle, against thee, thou daughter of Babylon. (They shall take bow and sword, and they shall be cruel and unmerciful; they shall sound like the roaring sea, and they shall go upon horses like a man prepared for battle, against thee, O daughter of Babylon.)

43 The king of Babylon heard the fame of them, and his hands be aclumsid; anguish took him, sorrow took him, as a woman travailing of child. (The king of Babylon heard the news about them, and his hands be benumbed; anguish took hold of him, and sorrow took hold of him, like a woman in labour.)

44 Lo! as a lion he shall ascend from the pride of Jordan to the strong fairness, for I shall make him to run suddenly to it; and who shall be the chosen man whom I shall set before him? For who is like me? and who shall suffer me? and who is this shepherd, that shall against-stand my cheer? (Lo! like a lion he shall come up from the thickets of the Jordan River to the plentiful pastures, but suddenly I shall make him run away; and then who shall be the chosen one whom I shall set before them? For who is like me? and who shall dare to challenge me? and who is this shepherd of the people, who shall stand against me?)

45 Therefore hear ye the counsel of the Lord, which he conceived in mind against Babylon, and his thoughts, which he thought on the land of Chaldees, no but the little (ones) of the flocks draw them down, no but the dwelling place of them be destroyed with them, else no man give credence to me. (And so hear ye the counsel of the Lord, which he conceived in his mind against Babylon, and his thoughts, or his plans, which he thought against the land of the Chaldeans: Even the little ones of the flocks shall be taken away, and their dwelling place shall be destroyed along with them, else no one give credence to me/or else no one believe me.)