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New Revised Standard

Jeremiah 50:17

Israel is a hunted sheep driven away by lions. First the king of Assyria devoured it, and now at the end King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon has gnawed its bones.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Assyria;   Lion;   Sheep;   Thompson Chain Reference - Assyria;   Lost;   Sheep, Lost;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Babylon;   Sheep;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Babylon;   Chaldeans;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Exile;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Merathaim, the Land of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Jeremiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Greek Versions of Ot;   Lance, Lancet;   Persia, Persians;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Jeremiah, Book of;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Bone;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Judah;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Joel (2);  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Israel is a stray lamb, chased by lions.The first who devoured him was the king of Assyria;the last who crushed his boneswas King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.
Hebrew Names Version
Yisra'el is a hunted sheep; the lions have driven him away: first, the king of Ashshur devoured him; and now at last Nevukhadretztzar king of Bavel has broken his bones.
King James Version
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.
English Standard Version
"Israel is a hunted sheep driven away by lions. First the king of Assyria devoured him, and now at last Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has gnawed his bones.
New American Standard Bible
"Israel is a scattered flock, the lions have driven them away. The first one who devoured him was the king of Assyria, and this last one who has gnawed his bones is Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
New Century Version
"The people of Israel are like a flock of sheep that are scattered from being chased by lions. The first lion to eat them up was the king of Assyria. The last lion to crush their bones was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon."
Amplified Bible
"Israel is a hunted and scattered flock [driven here and there as prey]; the lions have chased them away. First the king of Assyria devoured him, and now at last Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has broken (gnawed) his bones.
World English Bible
Israel is a hunted sheep; the lions have driven him away: first, the king of Assyria devoured him; and now at last Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon has broken his bones.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Israel is like scattered sheepe: the lions haue dispersed them: first the King of Asshur hath deuoured him, and last this Nebuchad-nezzar King, of Babel hath broken his bones.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Israel is a scattered flock, the lions have driven them away. The first one who devoured him was the king of Assyria, and this last one who has broken his bones is Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
Legacy Standard Bible
"Israel is a scattered flock; the lions have banished them away. The first one who devoured him was the king of Assyria, and this last one who has broken his bones is Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
Berean Standard Bible
Israel is a scattered flock, chased away by lions. The first to devour him was the king of Assyria; the last to crush his bones was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon."
Contemporary English Version
Israel is a flock of sheep scattered by hungry lions. The king of Assyria first gobbled Israel down. Then Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylonia, crunched on Israel's bones.
Complete Jewish Bible
"Isra'el is a stray lamb, driven away by lions. First to devour him was Ashur's king; and the last to break his bones is this N'vukhadretzar king of Bavel."
Darby Translation
Israel is a hunted sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria devoured him, and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones.
Easy-to-Read Version
"Israel is like a flock of sheep that was scattered all over the country. Israel is like sheep that were chased away by lions. The first lion to attack was the king of Assyria. The last lion to crush Israel's bones was King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.
George Lamsa Translation
Israel is a lost ewe; the lions have caused him to go astray; first the king of Assyria has devoured him; and at last this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has inflicted a more grievous wound than the other.
Good News Translation
The Lord says, "The people of Israel are like sheep, chased and scattered by lions. First, they were attacked by the emperor of Assyria, and then King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia gnawed on their bones.
Lexham English Bible
Israel is a sheep scattered, lions drove them away. The first who devoured it was the king of Assyria, and now at the end Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, gnawed its bones."
Literal Translation
Israel is a scattered sheep, driven away by lions. First, the king of Assyria devoured him. And last, this King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon crunched him .
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Israel is a scatred flocke, the Lyons haue dispersed them. First the kinge of the Assirians deuoured them, last of all this Nabuchodonosor kynge of Babilon hath brussed all their bones.
American Standard Version
Israel is a hunted sheep; the lions have driven him away: first, the king of Assyria devoured him; and now at last Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones.
Bible in Basic English
Israel is a wandering sheep; the lions have been driving him away: first he was attacked by the king of Assyria, and now his bones have been broken by Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
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.
King James Version (1611)
Israel is a scattered sheepe, the lyons haue driuen him away: first the king of Assyria hath deuoured him, and last this Nebuchad-rezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Israel is a scattered flocke, the lions haue dispearsed them: First the kyng of the Assyrians deuoured them, last of all this Nabuchodonozor king of Babylon hath brused all their bones.
English Revised Version
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.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Israel is a scaterid flok, liouns castiden out it; first kyng Assur eete it, this laste Nabugodonosor, kyng of Babiloyne, dide awei the bonys therof.
Update Bible Version
Israel is a hunted sheep; the lions have driven him away: first, the king of Assyria devoured him; and now at last Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon has broken his bones.
Webster's Bible Translation
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.
New English Translation
"The people of Israel are like scattered sheep which lions have chased away. First the king of Assyria devoured them. Now last of all King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has gnawed their bones.
New King James Version
"Israel is like scattered sheep; The lions have driven him away. First the king of Assyria devoured him; Now at last this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has broken his bones."
New Living Translation
"The Israelites are like sheep that have been scattered by lions. First the king of Assyria ate them up. Then King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon cracked their bones."
New Life Bible
"Israel is like sheep sent everywhere, driven away by lions. The first one who destroyed Israel was the king of Assyria. And the last one who has broken his bones is Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
A sheep all alone, is Israel Lions, have driven him away, - At the first, the king of Assyria devoured him, And here, at the last, I Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones!
Douay-Rheims Bible
Israel is a scattered flock, the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria devoured him: and last this Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon hath broken his bones.
Revised Standard Version
"Israel is a hunted sheep driven away by lions. First the king of Assyria devoured him, and now at last Nebuchadrez'zar king of Babylon has gnawed his bones.
Young's Literal Translation
A scattered sheep is Israel, lions have driven away, At first, devour him did the king of Asshur, And now, at last, broken his bone Hath Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon.
THE MESSAGE
"Israel is a scattered flock, hunted down by lions. The king of Assyria started the carnage. The king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, Has completed the job, gnawing the bones clean."

Contextual Overview

9 For I am going to stir up and bring against Babylon a company of great nations from the land of the north; and they shall array themselves against her; from there she shall be taken. Their arrows are like the arrows of a skilled warrior who does not return empty-handed. 10 Chaldea shall be plundered; all who plunder her shall be sated, says the Lord . 11 Though you rejoice, though you exult, O plunderers of my heritage, though you frisk about like a heifer on the grass, and neigh like stallions, 12 your mother shall be utterly shamed, and she who bore you shall be disgraced. Lo, she shall be the last of the nations, a wilderness, dry land, and a desert. 13 Because of the wrath of the Lord she shall not be inhabited, but shall be an utter desolation; everyone who passes by Babylon shall be appalled and hiss because of all her wounds. 14 Take up your positions around Babylon, all you that bend the bow; shoot at her, spare no arrows, for she has sinned against the Lord . 15 Raise a shout against her from all sides, "She has surrendered; her bulwarks have fallen, her walls are thrown down." For this is the vengeance of the Lord : take vengeance on her, do to her as she has done. 16 Cut off from Babylon the sower, and the wielder of the sickle in time of harvest; because of the destroying sword all of them shall return to their own people, and all of them shall flee to their own land. 17 Israel is a hunted sheep driven away by lions. First the king of Assyria devoured it, and now at the end King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon has gnawed its bones. 18 Therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I am going to punish the king of Babylon and his land, as I punished the king of Assyria.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

a scattered: Jeremiah 50:6, Jeremiah 23:1, Jeremiah 23:2, Ezekiel 34:5, Ezekiel 34:6, Ezekiel 34:12, Joel 3:2, Matthew 9:36-38, Luke 15:4-6, John 10:10-12, 1 Peter 2:25

the lions: Jeremiah 2:15, Jeremiah 5:6, Jeremiah 49:19, Jeremiah 51:38

first: 2 Kings 15:29, 2 Kings 17:6-23, 2 Kings 18:9-13, 2 Chronicles 28:20, 2 Chronicles 32:1-23, 2 Chronicles 33:11, Isaiah 7:17-20, Isaiah 8:7, Isaiah 8:8, Isaiah 10:5-7, Isaiah 36:1 - Isaiah 37:38

this: Jeremiah 39:1-8, Jeremiah 51:34, Jeremiah 51:35, Jeremiah 52:1, 2 Kings 24:1 - 2 Kings 25:30, 2 Chronicles 36:1-23, Isaiah 47:6, Daniel 6:24

Reciprocal: Numbers 24:8 - break Deuteronomy 28:64 - scatter 1 Kings 22:17 - as sheep Esther 3:8 - scattered abroad Psalms 89:41 - All Isaiah 5:29 - roaring Isaiah 14:1 - the Lord Isaiah 24:1 - scattereth Isaiah 42:22 - a people Isaiah 43:14 - For Isaiah 45:4 - Jacob Isaiah 49:25 - Even Isaiah 52:4 - the Assyrian Isaiah 52:5 - make Jeremiah 4:7 - lion Jeremiah 10:21 - their Jeremiah 10:25 - eaten Jeremiah 30:16 - General Jeremiah 31:10 - He Jeremiah 50:7 - have devoured Jeremiah 50:11 - ye destroyers Jeremiah 50:33 - and all Jeremiah 51:24 - General Jeremiah 51:49 - As Babylon Lamentations 2:16 - We have swallowed Lamentations 3:4 - he hath Lamentations 3:34 - crush Ezekiel 5:10 - the whole Ezekiel 36:24 - General Ezekiel 38:13 - with Hosea 8:8 - swallowed Micah 7:9 - until Nahum 2:11 - the dwelling Habakkuk 2:8 - the violence Zechariah 1:19 - scattered Zechariah 2:8 - the nations Zechariah 10:2 - therefore Matthew 10:6 - lost

Cross-References

Genesis 31:42
If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night."
Genesis 45:8
So it was not you who sent me here, but God; he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
Genesis 49:25
by the God of your father, who will help you, by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
Genesis 50:3
they spent forty days in doing this, for that is the time required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days.
Genesis 50:4
When the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph addressed the household of Pharaoh, "If now I have found favor with you, please speak to Pharaoh as follows:
Genesis 50:5
My father made me swear an oath; he said, ‘I am about to die. In the tomb that I hewed out for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.' Now therefore let me go up, so that I may bury my father; then I will return."
Genesis 50:8
as well as all the household of Joseph, his brothers, and his father's household. Only their children, their flocks, and their herds were left in the land of Goshen.
Genesis 50:12
Thus his sons did for him as he had instructed them.
Genesis 50:13
They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field at Machpelah, the field near Mamre, which Abraham bought as a burial site from Ephron the Hittite.
Genesis 50:14
After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Israel [is] a scattered sheep,.... Or like a sheep that is frightened and drove from the fold, and is dispersed, and wanders about here and there; Israel includes all the twelve tribes:

the lions have driven [him] away; from his own land, and carried him captive, and scattered him among the nations; these lions are afterwards interpreted of the kings of Assyria and Babylon: so the Targum,

"kings have removed them;''

comparable to lions for their strength, fierceness, and voraciousness:

first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; eaten up his flesh; meaning Shalmaneser king of Assyria, who carried captive the ten tribes, that never returned, and therefore said to be devoured:

and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones; or, "boned him" t; took out his bones, all his strength and substance; or took the flesh off of them, stripped him of all his wealth and riches, reduced him to his bones, made a mere skeleton of him: we, with Kimchi and Ben Melech, and others, read "broke his bones"; to get the very marrow out, that nothing may be left of him: he took Jerusalem, burnt the temple, and carried captive the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, the strength of Israel; so, between the one and the other, all Israel were like a scattered sheep, dispersed among the nations. Nebuchadrezzar was the then reigning king in Babylon when this prophecy was delivered, and therefore called "this Nebuchadrezzar".

t עצמו "exossavit eum", Munster, Montanus, Cocceius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Israel is a scattered sheep - i. e., is like a flock which has been scared and driven in all directions, for lions have chased him.

First the king ... - Rather, the first lion “ate him, even the king of Assyria; and this one, the last, heath picked his bones, even Nebuchadrezzar etc.” The constant wasting of the land by the Assyrians had so lessened the number of Israel, that Nebuchadnezzar had but the bones to pick.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 50:17. Israel — All the descendants of Jacob have been harassed and spoiled, first by the Assyrians, and afterwards by the Chaldeans. They acted towards them as a lion to a sheep which he has caught; first he devours all the flesh, next he breaks all the bones to extract the marrow.


 
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