Jeremiah 50 · Verse 16

Jeremiah 50:16

Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land.
Jeremiah 50:16, King James Version

Jeremiah 50:16 in other translations

BSBCut off the sower from Babylon, and the one who wields the sickle at harvest time. In the face of the oppressor’s sword, each will turn to his own people, each will flee to his own land.
WEBCut off the sower from Babylon, and him who handles the sickle in the time of harvest. For fear of the oppressing sword, they will each return to their own people, and they will each flee to their own land.
ASVCut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land.
YLTCut off the sower from Babylon, And him handling the sickle in the time of harvest, Because of the oppressing sword, Each unto his people--they turn, And each to his land--they flee.
DARBYCut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest. For fear of the oppressing sword let them turn every one to his people, and let them flee every one to his own land.
BBELet the planter of seed be cut off from Babylon, and everyone using the curved blade at the time of the grain-cutting: for fear of the cruel sword, everyone will be turned to his people, everyone will go in flight to his land.
WebsterCut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land.

What does Jeremiah 50:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
16. Babylon had the extent rather of a nation than of a city. Therefore grain was grown within the city wall sufficient to last for a long siege [Aristotle, Politics, 3.2; Pliny, 18.17]. Conquerors usually spare agriculturists, but in this case all alike were to be "cut off." for fear of ... oppressing sword--because of the sword of the oppressor. every one to his people--from which they had been removed to Babylon from all quarters by the Chaldean conquerors (Jr 51:9; Is 13:14).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 16 Cut off the sower - Destroy the gardens and the fields, that there may be neither fruits nor tillage.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jeremiah 50:8-20

The desolation that shall be brought upon Babylon is set forth in a variety of expressions. The cause of this destruction is the wrath of the Lord. Babylon shall be wholly desolated; for she hath sinned against the Lord. Sin makes men a mark for the arrows of God's judgments. The mercy promised to the Israel of God, shall not only accompany, but arise from the destruction of Babylon. These sheep shall be gathered…

Read the full comment on Jeremiah 50:8-20 →

Jeremiah 50:16 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.

כִּרְת֤וּkir.Tucut offH3772
זוֹרֵ֙עַ֙zo.Re.a'[the] sowerH2232
מִבָּבֶ֔לmi.ba.Velfrom BabylonH894
וְתֹפֵ֥שׂve.to.Fesand [one who] wieldsH8610
מַגָּ֖לma.Gala sickleH4038
בְּעֵ֣תbe.'Etat a time ofH6256
קָצִ֑ירka.TzirharvestH7105
מִפְּנֵי֙mi.pe.Neifrom beforeH6440
חֶ֣רֶבChe.rev[the] sword ofH2719
הַיּוֹנָ֔הhai.yo.Nahthe oppressorH3238
אִ֤ישׁ'isheveryoneH376
אֶל\־'el-toH413
עַמּוֹ֙a.Mopeople hisH5971
יִפְנ֔וּyif.Nuthey will turnH6437
וְאִ֥ישׁve.'Ishand everyoneH376
לְאַרְצ֖וֹle.'ar.Tzoto own land hisH776
יָנֻֽסוּ\׃\ \סya.Nu.suthey will fleeH5127

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

Cross references for Jeremiah 50:16

  • Jeremiah 51:9

    We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country: for her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies.

  • Jeremiah 46:16

    He made many to fall, yea, one fell upon another: and they said, Arise, and let us go again to our own people, and to the land of our nativity, from the oppressing sword.

  • Isaiah 13:14

    And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up: they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land.

  • Joel 1:11

    Be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen; howl, O ye vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley; because the harvest of the field is perished.

  • Jeremiah 25:38

    He hath forsaken his covert, as the lion: for their land is desolate because of the fierceness of the oppressor, and because of his fierce anger.

  • Jeremiah 51:23

    I will also break in pieces with thee the shepherd and his flock; and with thee will I break in pieces the husbandman and his yoke of oxen; and with thee will I break in pieces captains and rulers.

  • Amos 5:16

    Therefore the Lord, the God of hosts, the Lord, saith thus; Wailing shall be in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the sower.
51:23; Joe 1:11; Am 5:16
sickle. or, scythe. they shall turn every one.
46:16; 51:9; Isa 13:14

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

Context

  • Jeremiah 50:15

    Shout against her round about: she hath given her hand: her foundations are fallen, her walls are thrown down: for it is the vengeance of the Lord: take vengeance upon her; as she hath done, do unto her.

  • Jeremiah 50:16

    Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land.

  • Jeremiah 50:17

    Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones.

Read all of Jeremiah 50

Jeremiah 50:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Talad de Babilonia sembrador, y el que tiene hoz en tiempo de la siega: delante de la espada opresora cada uno volverá el rostro hacia su pueblo, cada uno huirá hacia su tierra.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Retranchez de Babylone celui qui sème, et celui qui tient la faucille au temps de la moisson. À cause de l’épée qui ravage, qu’ils s’en retournent chacun vers son peuple, et qu’ils fuient chacun vers son pays.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Rottet aus Babel den Säemann aus und den, der die Sichel führt zur Erntezeit! Vor dem verderbenden Schwerte wird ein jeder zu seinem Volke sich wenden und ein jeder in sein Land fliehen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Disperdite satorem de Babylone, et tenentem falcem in tempore messis: a facie gladii columbæ unusquisque ad populum suum convertetur, et singuli ad terram suam fugient.