Jeremiah 49 · Verse 23

Jeremiah 49:23

Concerning Damascus. Hamath is confounded, and Arpad: for they have heard evil tidings: they are fainthearted; there is sorrow on the sea; it cannot be quiet.
Jeremiah 49:23, King James Version

Jeremiah 49:23 in other translations

BSBConcerning Damascus: “Hamath and Arpad are put to shame, for they have heard a bad report; they are agitated like the sea; their anxiety cannot be calmed.
WEBOf Damascus: “Hamath and Arpad are confounded, for they have heard evil news. They have melted away. There is sorrow on the sea. It can’t be quiet.
ASVOf Damascus. Hamath is confounded, and Arpad; for they have heard evil tidings, they are melted away: there is sorrow on the sea; it cannot be quiet.
YLTConcerning Damascus: Ashamed hath been Hamath and Arpad, For an evil report they have heard, They have been melted, in the sea is sorrow, To be quiet it is not able.
DARBYConcerning Damascus. Hamath is put to shame, and Arpad; for they have heard evil tidings, they are melted away: there is distress on the sea; it cannot be quiet.
BBEAbout Damascus. Hamath is put to shame, and Arpad; for the word of evil has come to their ears, their heart in its fear is turned to water, it will not be quiet.
WebsterConcerning Damascus. Hamath is confounded, and Arpad: for they have heard evil tidings: they are faint-hearted; there is sorrow on the sea; it cannot be quiet.

What does Jeremiah 49:23 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
23. Prophecy as to Damascus, &c. (Is 17:1; 10:9). The kingdom of Damascus was destroyed by Assyria, but the city revived, and it is as to the latter Jeremiah now prophesies. The fulfilment was probably about five years after the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar [Josephus, Antiquities, 10.9,7]. Hamath is confounded--at the tidings of the overthrow of the neighboring Damascus. on the sea--that is, at the sea; the dwellers there are alarmed. Other manuscripts read, "like the sea." "There is anxiety (restless) as is the sea: they cannot quiet it," that is, it cannot be quieted (Is 57:20). it--Whatever dwellers are there "cannot be quiet."

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 23 Concerning Damascus - This is the head or title of another prophecy. Damascus was one of the principal cities of Syria. It was taken by David, 2Sam 8:6, was retaken in the reign of Solomon, 1Kgs 11:24, etc., and regained its independence. Its kings were often at war with the ten tribes, and once it joined with them for the destruction of Judah. To defend himself against these powerful enemies Ahaz made a league with the king of Assyria, who besieged Damascus, took, and demolished it. From that time we hear nothing of Damascus till we meet with it in this prophecy. It appears to have been rebuilt and restored to some consequence. It made an obstinate resistance to Nebuchadnezzar; but was at last taken and sacked by him. At present it is both a large and populous city, with considerable commerce. Hamath is confounded - This is a city of Syria, on the Orontes. The Greeks called it Epiphania. Arpad - Not far from Damascus. Sorrow on the sea - They are like the troubled sea, that cannot rest.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jeremiah 49:23-27
How easily God can dispirit those nations that have been most celebrated for valour! Damascus waxes feeble. It was a city of joy, having all the delights of the sons of men. But those deceive themselves who place their happiness in carnal joys.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Jeremiah 49:23 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

לְדַמֶּ֗שֶׂקle.da.Me.sekof DamascusH1834
בּ֤וֹשָֽׁהBo.o.shahit will be ashamedH954
חֲמָת֙cha.MatHamathH2574
וְאַרְפָּ֔דve.'ar.Padand ArpadH774
כִּי\־ki-forH3588
שְׁמֻעָ֥הshe.mu.'Ahnew[s]H8052
רָעָ֛הra.'AhbadH7451
שָׁמְע֖וּsha.me.'Uthey have heardH8085
נָמֹ֑גוּna.Mo.guthey will melt awayH4127
בַּיָּ֣םbai.Yam[is] in the seaH3220
דְּאָגָ֔הde.'a.GahanxietyH1674
הַשְׁקֵ֖טhash.Ketto be quietH8252
לֹ֥אlo'notH3808
יוּכָֽל\׃yu.Khalit will be ableH3201

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Jeremiah 49:23

  • 2 Kings 18:34

    Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand?

  • Isaiah 10:9

    Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus?

  • Genesis 15:2

    And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?

  • Genesis 14:15

    And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.

  • Isaiah 57:20

    But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.

  • Nahum 2:10

    She is empty, and void, and waste: and the heart melteth, and the knees smite together, and much pain is in all loins, and the faces of them all gather blackness.

  • Numbers 13:21

    So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath.

  • 2 Kings 19:13

    Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivah?

  • Joshua 2:11

    And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.

  • Deuteronomy 20:8

    And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren’s heart faint as well as his heart.

  • Amos 1:3-5

    Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron: But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Ben–hadad. I will break also the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven, and him that holdeth the sceptre from the house of Eden: and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir, saith the Lord.

  • Isaiah 37:13

    Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Damascus.
Ge 14:15; 15:2; 1Ki 11:24; Isa 17:1-3; 37:13; Am 1:3-5; Zec 9:1,2
2Co 11:32
Hamath.
Nu 13:21; 2Sa 8:9; 2Ki 17:24; 18:34; 19:13; Isa 10:9; 11:11
faint-hearted. Heb. melted.
De 20:8; *marg:
Jos 2:11; 14:8; 2Sa 17:10; Isa 13:7; Na 2:10
sorrow.
Isa 57:20
on the sea. or, as on the sea.
Ps 107:26,27; Lu 8:23,24; 21:25,26; Ac 27:20

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Jeremiah 49:22

    Behold, he shall come up and fly as the eagle, and spread his wings over Bozrah: and at that day shall the heart of the mighty men of Edom be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.

  • Jeremiah 49:23

    Concerning Damascus. Hamath is confounded, and Arpad: for they have heard evil tidings: they are fainthearted; there is sorrow on the sea; it cannot be quiet.

  • Jeremiah 49:24

    Damascus is waxed feeble, and turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized on her: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail.

Read all of Jeremiah 49

Jeremiah 49:23 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Acerca de Damasco. Confundióse Hamath, y Arphad, porque oyeron malas nuevas: derritiéronse en aguas de desmayo, no pueden sosegarse.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Sur Damas. Hamath et Arpad sont honteuses, car elles ont entendu un bruit de malheur; elles défaillent; il y a une tourmente dans la mer, elle ne peut rester tranquille.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Über Damaskus. Beschämt sind Hamath und Arpad; denn sie haben eine böse Kunde vernommen, sie verzagen. Am Meere ist Bangigkeit, ruhen kann man nicht
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Ad Damascum. Confusa est Emath et Arphad, quia auditum pessimum audierunt: turbati sunt in mari; præ sollicitudine quiescere non potuit.