Lectionary Calendar
Monday, July 21st, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Bishop's Bible

Jeremiah 50:23

Howe happeneth it that the hammer of the whole worlde is thus broken and brused in sunder? Howe chaunceth it that Babylon is become a wildernesse among the heathen [on this maner?]

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Hammer;   Thompson Chain Reference - Hammers;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Babylon;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Babylon;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Hammer;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Arms;   Hammer;   Maul;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Earth, Land;   Hammer;   Jeremiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Greek Versions of Ot;   Lance, Lancet;   Persia, Persians;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Cut;   Hammer;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Asunder;   Hammer;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
How the hammer of the whole earthis cut down and smashed!What a horror Babylon has becomeamong the nations!
Hebrew Names Version
How is the hammer of the whole eretz cut apart and broken! how is Bavel become a desolation among the nations!
King James Version
How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken! how is Babylon become a desolation among the nations!
English Standard Version
How the hammer of the whole earth is cut down and broken! How Babylon has become a horror among the nations!
New American Standard Bible
"How the hammer of the whole earth Has been cut off and broken! How Babylon has become An object of horror among the nations!
New Century Version
Babylon was the hammer of the whole earth, but how broken and shattered that hammer is now. It is truly the most ruined of all the nations.
Amplified Bible
"How the hammer of the whole earth Is crushed and broken! How Babylon has become A horror [of desolation] among the nations!
World English Bible
How is the hammer of the whole earth cut apart and broken! how is Babylon become a desolation among the nations!
Geneva Bible (1587)
Howe is the hammer of the whole world destroied, and broken! howe is Babel become desolate among the nations!
Legacy Standard Bible
How the hammer of the whole earthHas been cut in pieces and broken!How Babylon has becomeAn object of horror among the nations!
Berean Standard Bible
How the hammer of the whole earth lies broken and shattered! What a horror Babylon has become among the nations!
Contemporary English Version
Babylonia was a hammer pounding every country, but now it lies broken. What a shock to the nations of the world!
Complete Jewish Bible
How the hammer of the whole earth lies hacked apart and shattered! What an object of horror among the nations Bavel has become!
Darby Translation
How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken! How is Babylon become an astonishment among the nations!
Easy-to-Read Version
Babylon was called ‘The Hammer of the Whole Earth.' But now the ‘Hammer' is shattered. Babylon is the most ruined of the nations.
George Lamsa Translation
How is the mighty one of the whole earth defeated and taken! How has Babylon become an amazement among the nations!
Good News Translation
Babylonia hammered the whole world to pieces, and now that hammer is shattered! All the nations are shocked at what has happened to that country.
Lexham English Bible
How the blacksmith's hammer of all the earth is cut down and broken! How Babylon has become as a horror among the nations!
Literal Translation
How the hammer of all the earth is cut off and broken! How Babylon has become a ruin among the nations!
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
How happeneth it, that the hammer of the whole worlde is thus broken & brussed in sonder? How chaunceth it, that Babilon is become a wildernes amonge the Heithen on this maner?
American Standard Version
How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken! how is Babylon become a desolation among the nations!
Bible in Basic English
How is the hammer of all the earth cut in two and broken! how has Babylon become a waste among the nations!
JPS Old Testament (1917)
How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken! How is Babylon become a desolation among the nations!
King James Version (1611)
How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken? how is Babylon become a desolation among the nations?
English Revised Version
How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken! how is Babylon become a desolation among the nations!
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Hou is the hamer of al erthe brokun and al defoulid? hou is Babiloyne turned in to desert, among hethene men?
Update Bible Version
How is the hammer of the whole earth cut apart and broken! how has Babylon become a desolation among the nations!
Webster's Bible Translation
How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken! how is Babylon become a desolation among the nations!
New English Translation
Babylon hammered the whole world to pieces. But see how that ‘hammer' has been broken and shattered! See what an object of horror Babylon has become among the nations!
New King James Version
How the hammer of the whole earth has been cut apart and broken! How Babylon has become a desolation among the nations! I have laid a snare for you;
New Living Translation
Babylon, the mightiest hammer in all the earth, lies broken and shattered. Babylon is desolate among the nations!
New Life Bible
How the strong one of the whole earth has been cut off and broken! Babylon has become a complete waste among the nations!
New Revised Standard
How the hammer of the whole earth is cut down and broken! How Babylon has become a horror among the nations!
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
How s cut and broken the hammer of all the earth! How hath Babylon become an astonishment among the nations!
Douay-Rheims Bible
How is the hammer of the whole earth broken, and destroyed! how is Babylon turned into a desert among the nations!
Revised Standard Version
How the hammer of the whole earth is cut down and broken! How Babylon has become a horror among the nations!
Young's Literal Translation
How hath it been cut and broken, The hammer of the whole earth! How hath Babylon been for a desolation among nations!
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"How the hammer of the whole earth Has been cut off and broken! How Babylon has become An object of horror among the nations!

Contextual Overview

21 Go downe [O thou auenger] into the enemies lande, and visite them that dwell therin: downe with them, & smite them vpon the backes saith the Lorde, do accordyng to all that I haue commaunded thee. 22 There is gone about the lande a crye of a slaughter and great murther [namelye on this maner] 23 Howe happeneth it that the hammer of the whole worlde is thus broken and brused in sunder? Howe chaunceth it that Babylon is become a wildernesse among the heathen [on this maner?] 24 I my selfe haue layde a snare for thee, and thou art taken vnawares, thou art trapped and snared: for why? thou hast contended agaynst the Lorde. 25 The Lorde hath opened his house of ordinaunce, and brought foorth the weapons of his wrath: for the thyng that is done in the land of the Chaldees, it is the Lorde of hoastes worke. 26 Come agaynst her, for this is her ende, breake vp her chestes, threshe her as ye threshe corne, destroy her that nothyng shalbe left. 27 Slay all their mightie souldiers, and put them to death: Wo be vnto them, for the day and tyme of their visitation is at hande. 28 [Me thynke] I heare [alredy] a crye of them that be fled and escaped out of the lande of Babylon, which shewe in Sion the vengeaunce of the Lorde our God, the vengeaunce of his temple, [yea a voyce of them that crye agaynst Babylon] 29 Call vp all the archers agaynst Babylon, pitch your tentes rounde about her, that none escape, recompence her as she hath deserued, and accordyng as she hath done, so deale with her agayne: for she hath set vp her selfe agaynst the Lorde, agaynst the holy one of Israel. 30 Therfore shall her young men fall downe in the streetes, and all her men of warre shalbe rooted out in that day saith the Lorde.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Jeremiah 51:20-24, Isaiah 14:4-6, Isaiah 14:12-17, Revelation 18:16

Reciprocal: Isaiah 14:16 - Is this Jeremiah 25:12 - perpetual Jeremiah 50:26 - destroy Jeremiah 51:37 - become Jeremiah 51:41 - the praise Lamentations 1:1 - How doth Obadiah 1:5 - how Nahum 2:1 - He that dasheth in pieces

Cross-References

Genesis 30:3
Then she sayde: Here is my mayde Bilha, go in vnto her, & she shall beare vpon my knees, that I also may haue chyldren by her.
Genesis 48:19
And his father would not, but sayde: I knowe it well my sonne, I knowe it well, he shalbe also a people, and shalbe great: But his younger brother shalbe greater then he, and his seede shall become a great people.
Genesis 49:12
His eyes [shalbe] redde with wine, and his teeth whyte with mylke.
Numbers 32:33
And Moyses gaue vnto the children of Gad, and to the children of Ruben, and vnto halfe the tribe of Manasse the sonne of Ioseph, the kyngdome of Sehon kyng of the Amorites, and the kyngdome of Og kyng of Basan, the lande with the cities therof, in ye coastes and cities of the countrey rounde about.
Numbers 32:39
And the children of Machir the sonne of Manasse went to Gilead and toke it, and put out the Amorites that dwelt therin.
Joshua 17:1
This was the lot of the tribe of Manasses, which was the eldest son of Ioseph, to witte of Machir the eldest sonne of Manasses, which was the father of Gilead: now because he was a man of warre, he had Gilead and Basan.
Job 42:16
After this liued Iob an hundred and fourtie yeres: so that he sawe his children, and his childrens children into the fourth generation.
Psalms 128:6
Yea thou shalt see thy chylders chyldren: and peace vpon Israel.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken!.... The Targum is,

"how is the king cut down and broken that moved the whole earth!''

The king of Babylon, or the kingdom of Babylon, which was like a hammer for its hardness and strength; and being an instrument, in the hand of God, of beating to pieces and destroying the kingdoms and nations around it; but is now destroyed itself. These are the words either of the prophet, or rather of the people of other nations, wondering how this destruction came about, and rejoicing at it;

how is Babylon become a desolation among the nations! this explains who and what is meant by the hammer of the earth, and by its being cut asunder and broken; even the utter destruction of the city and kingdom of Babylon.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The hammer - Babylon, by whose instrumentality Yahweh had crushed the nations, is now cut asunder, i. e., the head of iron or bronze is cut away from the wooden handle, and broken.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 50:23. The hammer of the whole earth — Nebuchadnezzar dashed to pieces the nations against whom he warred. He was the scourge of the Lord.


 
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