Jeremiah 50:37 · Bible study
Jeremiah 50:37 Commentary: The Sword on Babylon's Might
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
What does it mean for Babylon's warriors to 'become as women'? An analysis of divine judgment on military and economic strength.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God's judgment against Babylon's military and economic might, reducing its warriors to cowardice and its treasures to plunder.
- Key words: sword (חֶרֶב), divine judgment; mixed people (עֶרֶב), foreign mercenaries; become as women, cultural idiom for loss of courage.
- Main debate: No significant dispute; all major commentators agree on the meaning of the imagery.
- Theological theme: God alone is worthy of trust; human pride in power and wealth invites judgment.
- Best use: A sobering reminder of God's sovereignty over nations, and an invitation to place confidence in Him rather than in worldly resources.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
A sword is against her horses and chariots and against all the foreigners in her midst, and they will become like women. A sword is against her treasuries, and they will be plundered.
WEB World English Bible 2000
A sword is on their horses, on their chariots, and on all the mixed people who are in the middle of her; and they will become as women. A sword is on her treasures, and they will be robbed.
KJV King James Version 1769
A sword is upon their horses, and upon their chariots, and upon all the mingled people that are in the midst of her; and they shall become as women: a sword is upon her treasures; and they shall be robbed.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
A sword is upon their horses, and upon their chariots, and upon all the mingled people that are in the midst of her; and they shall become as women: a sword is upon her treasures, and they shall be robbed.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
A sword is on his horses and on his chariot, And on all the rabble who are in her midst, And they have become women; A sword is on her treasuries, And they have been spoiled;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
the sword is upon their horses, and upon their chariots, and upon all the mingled people that are in the midst of her, and they shall become as women; the sword is upon her treasures, and they shall be robbed:
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
A sword upon their horses, and upon their chariots, and upon all the people that are in the midst of her: and they shall become as women: a sword upon her treasures, and they shall be made a spoil.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Cuchillo sobre sus caballos, y sobre sus carros, y sobre todo el vulgo que está en medio de ella, y serán como mujeres: cuchillo sobre sus tesoros, y serán saqueados.
Espada virá sobre seus cavalos, sobre seus carros, e sobre todo os estrangeiros que estão no meio dela, e serão como mulheres; espada virá sobre seus tesouros, e serão saqueados.
L’ épée contre ses chevaux et ses chars!
Schwert soll kommen über ihre Rosse und Wagen und alles fremde Volk, so darin sind, daß sie zu Weibern werden! Schwert soll kommen über ihre Schätze, daß sie geplündert werden!
Het zwaard zal zijn over zijn paarden en over zijn wagenen, en over den gansen gemengden hoop, die in het midden van hen is, dat zij tot wijven worden; het zwaard zal zijn over haar schatten, dat zij geplunderd worden.
la spada sovrasta ai suoi cavalli, ai suoi carri, a tutta l’accozzaglia di gente ch’è in mezzo a lei, la quale diventerà come tante donne; la spada sovrasta ai suoi tesori, che saran saccheggiati.
Miecz na konie jego, i na wozy jego, i na wszystko pospólstwo, które jest w pośrodku jego, aby byli jako niewasty; miecz na skarby jego, aby były rozchwycone;
меч на коней его и на колесницы его и на все разноплеменные народы среди него, и они будут как женщины; меч на сокровища его, и они будут расхищены;
有刀劍 臨到 他的馬匹、 車輛，和 其 中 雜族的人民；他們必 像婦女一樣。有刀劍 臨到 她的寶物，就被搶奪。
A sword is on all the mixed people in her, and they will become like women: a sword is on her store-houses, and they will be taken by her attackers.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 50:37
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree this verse announces God's comprehensive judgment on Babylon's military and economic resources. The repeated sword upon is a formula for divinely ordained destruction. Barnes and the Cambridge Bible identify the 'mixed people' as foreign mercenary troops serving Babylon. Gill explains they 'become as women', timorous, faint-hearted, utterly dispirited. JFB concurs: 'divested of all manliness.' Calvin notes that the Lord disheartens them by terror. The sword on the treasures signals that Babylon's wealth will be plundered, leaving the city without men or money. This was the fate of a nation that trusted in its horses, chariots, and alliances, as Psalm 20:7 contrasts trusting in chariots versus trusting in God. The verse underscores a central biblical theme: no human power withstands the Lord's judgment.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God judges Babylon's military and economic strength, causing its warriors to lose courage and its treasures to be plundered, as a demonstration of His sovereignty and justice.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of 'mixed people' | Foreign mercenaries or allies living in Babylon | Some translations render 'rabble' or 'mingled people'; all agree they are non-Chaldean elements in the city. |
| Meaning of 'become as women' | A cultural idiom for cowardice, being without courage or fighting spirit. | No substantive disagreement; it is not a literal statement about gender roles. |
| Historical fulfillment | Fulfilled when Babylon fell to Persia in 539 BC. | The 'sword' may be literal war or a broader symbol of divine judgment; both views acknowledge the historical event. |
| Judgment on wealth | God judges Babylon's economic pride; her treasures are plundered. | No major debate; the passage clearly predicts material loss. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah 50 is a long prophecy against Babylon, written after Jerusalem's fall in 586 BC. Babylon seemed invincible, its cavalry and chariotry were the terror of the ancient Near East. Yet God declares a sword against them (verse 35) and then against specific elements of their war machine: horses, chariots, the mixed multitude of mercenaries (foreign troops hired from conquered peoples), and ultimately their treasuries. The phrase 'they will become as women' is a cultural idiom of the ancient world, not a comment on women's nature. In that context, courage and war were associated with masculinity; to be 'like women' meant to lose all fighting spirit and become passive in fear. The same idiom appears in Isaiah 19:16, where Egyptians tremble like women before God. Babylon's confidence in military strength and wealth is exposed as hollow. The historical fulfillment came when Cyrus the Mede conquered Babylon in 539 BC, facilitated by internal weakness and the diversion of the Euphrates, a drought of waters (verse 38) that made the city accessible. The poetic logic of the passage: God dismantles Babylon's supports one by one, first its soldiers, then its mercenaries, then its valuables, then its water supply, until the city becomes a desert (verses 39-40).
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Jeremiah 50:37. The phrase 'mixed people' has consistent support across Hebrew manuscripts and ancient versions.
Reception History
Early church writers like Jerome saw this passage as proof of God's righteous judgment against oppressive empires. Reformation commentators such as Calvin and Luther emphasized the theme of divine sovereignty, God brings down the proud. In the Wesleyan tradition, the Methodist preacher Adam Clarke highlighted the poetic justice: the nation that enslaved others became helpless. The verse has often been used in hymns and sermons about the fall of Babylon as a type of all worldly power that opposes God. Across traditions, it remains a vivid warning against trusting in military might and wealth.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God judges pride in military power. Horses and chariots were Babylon's pride; God sends a sword against them. No army is too strong for the Lord.
- God exposes what appears strong as fragile. The warriors who trusted in their own might become as women, that is, powerless. God disheartens the proud.
- God strips away false security. Treasures cannot save; Babylon's wealth is plundered. Only God is a lasting refuge.
Five-point outline
- The sword comes from God, not merely from human enemies (v. 35).
- It targets every layer of Babylon's defense: horses, chariots, mercenaries.
- The mercenaries (mixed people) melt away, they have no loyalty to Babylon.
- The warriors lose heart, becoming like women (idiom for utter cowardice).
- Even the treasury cannot protect them; wealth is seized.
Illustration hooks
- A sports team that trusts entirely in star players and expensive contracts, only to lose because of a lack of heart.
- A family that builds its life around financial security, then loses everything in an economic crash.
- A nation that relies on a powerful military alliance, but the allies abandon it when crisis comes.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Did God really hate Babylon that much?
- Is God still involved in judging nations today?
- What 'horses and chariots' do we trust in our own lives?
Leading a Discussion
This verse is part of a longer oracle that declares God's judgment on Babylon, a nation that oppressed Israel and trusted in its own strength. Notice how the sword strikes at the very things Babylon relied on: military capacity, foreign alliances, and stored wealth. The idiom 'become as women' reflects ancient Near Eastern culture; it meant losing courage. In our world, we also trust in various securities: careers, savings, political systems. This passage invites us to examine where our real trust lies.
Discussion questions
- Why is the sword repeated four times in this verse? What effect does that repetition create?
- What does the phrase 'mixed people' tell you about Babylon's army?
- How would Isaiah 19:16 and Nahum 3:13 help explain the idiom 'become as women'?
- In what ways might we trust in 'horses and chariots' today, things that seem strong but are ultimately unreliable?
- What does it mean that even Babylon's treasures were plundered? How does this challenge our attitude toward wealth?
- How does this passage show God's justice toward those who oppress others?
- What hope does this judgment bring for those who feel oppressed by powerful forces?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Psalms 20:7 | Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we trust in the name of Yahweh our God. |
| Psalms 20:8 | They are bowed down and fallen, but we rise up, and stand upright. |
| Psalms 46:9 | He makes wars cease to the end of the earth. He breaks the bow, and shatters the spear. He burns the chariots in the fire. |
| Psalms 76:6 | At your rebuke, God of Jacob, both chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep. |
| Isaiah 19:16 | In that day the Egyptians will be like women. They will tremble and fear because of the shaking of Yahweh of Armies’s hand, which he shakes over them. |
| Isaiah 45:3 | I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that it is I, Yahweh, who calls you by your name, even the God of Israel. |
| Jeremiah 25:20 | and all the mixed people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, all the kings of the Philistines, Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod; |
| Jeremiah 25:24 | and all the kings of Arabia, all the kings of the mixed people who dwell in the wilderness; |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes clarifies that the phrase "the mingled people" refers specifically to foreign soldiers hired as mercenaries in the army. He sees them not as a general mixed crowd but as paid fighters from other nations serving in the city's military forces.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin highlights that God's judgment on Babylon targets everything they trust in: their military power, treasures, and water supply. The Lord disheartens them with terror, making them easy prey. This comprehensive destruction comes because the land is filled with idols and the people are madly devoted to them.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
the mingled people ] foreign mercenary troops. See on Jer_25:20 .
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes highlight that this verse describes a complete and systematic judgment from God against Babylon. Every source of the city's strength — its military forces, its troops, and its treasures — will be struck down, leaving its warriors as helpless as women and its wealth plundered.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill identifies the "mingled people" as foreign merchants or mercenary allies in Babylon, not native residents. He stresses that the sword against them leaves them as timid as women, powerless to defend themselves, while the sword against the treasures leaves them completely plundered and desolate.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
as women —divested of all manliness ( Na 3:13 ).
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange highlights that Babylon's destruction has a dual basis: positively, because Jehovah is the strong Redeemer who secures rest for the land, and negatively, because the nation foolishly trusts in powerless idols. The sword is summoned against everything supporting Babylon's pride and might—its princes, wise men, warriors, treasures, and waters—until the land becomes a permanent, uninhabited waste.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry emphasizes that God, as their strong Redeemer, will thoroughly plead the cause of His oppressed people by bringing comprehensive judgment on Babylon. Every source of Babylon's pride and security—its warriors, treasures, water, and idols—will be struck down, leaving the land as desolate as Sodom.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley clarifies that the "horses" represent military strength that cannot save: even if the enemy is filled with chariots and horses, destruction will come. He also notes that the "mingled people" are not native Chaldeans but foreign subjects under their rule, further underscoring their fragility.