Jeremiah 50:43 · Bible study
Jeremiah 50:43 Commentary: The Reversal of Judgment
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why Jeremiah reapplies the labor-pains metaphor from Jerusalem to Babylon. Study the reversal of divine judgment, historical context, and theological meaning.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The king of Babylon, upon hearing news of the invading army, loses all courage, experiencing sudden, inescapable terror likened to childbirth.
- Key words: "hands become feeble" (H7503 raphah, to sink, relax); "anguish" (H2427 chil, writhing pain); "as a woman in labor" (H3205 yalad, childbirth simile for inevitable distress).
- Main debate: Whether the verse refers specifically to Belshazzar c. 539 BC (Gill, Kimchi) or functions as a general typological pattern applicable to all oppressive empires (Calvin, Matthew Henry).
- Theological theme: Divine retributive justice, the instrument of judgment becomes its object; the same God who terrorizes Jerusalem terrorizes Babylon.
- Best use: Teaching the certainty of God's judgment against pride and oppression, and the impartiality of divine justice across all nations.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
The king of Babylon has heard the report, and his hands hang limp. Anguish has gripped him, pain like that of a woman in labor.
WEB World English Bible 2000
The king of Babylon has heard the news of them, and his hands become feeble. Anguish has taken hold of him, pains as of a woman in labor.
KJV King James Version 1769
The king of Babylon hath heard the report of them, and his hands waxed feeble: anguish took hold of him, and pangs as of a woman in travail.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
The king of Babylon hath heard the tidings of them, and his hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of him, and pangs as of a woman in travail.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Heard hath the king of Babylon their report, And feeble have been his hands, Distress hath seized him; pain as a travailing woman.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
The king of Babylon hath heard the report of them, and his hands wax feeble; trouble hath taken hold of him, pangs as of a woman in travail.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
The king of Babylon hath heard the report of them, and his hands are grown feeble: anguish hath taken hold of him, pangs as a woman in labour.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Oyó su fama el rey de Babilonia, y sus manos se descoyuntaron: angustia le tomó, dolor como de mujer de parto.
O rei da Babilônia ouviu a notícia deles, e suas mãos perderam as forças; tomado foi por angústia e dor, como mulher de parto.
Le roi de Babylone apprend la nouvelle,
Wenn der König zu Babel ihr Gerücht hören wird, so werden ihm die Fäuste entsinken; ihm wird so angst und bange werden wie einer Frau in Kindsnöten.
De koning van Babel heeft hunlieder gerucht gehoord, en zijn handen zijn slap geworden; benauwdheid heeft hem aangegrepen, weedom als van een barende vrouw.
Il re di Babilonia n’ode la fama, e le sue mani s’illanguidiscono; l’angoscia lo coglie, un dolore come di donna che partorisce.
Jako usłyszy król Babiloński wieść o nich, osłabieją ręce jego, a ucisk ogarnie go, i boleść jako rodzącą.
Услышал царь Вавилонский весть о них, и руки у него опустились; скорбь объяла его, муки, как женщину в родах.
巴比倫 王 聽見 他們的風聲，手 就發軟，痛苦 將他抓住，疼痛 彷彿產難的婦人。
The king of Babylon has had news of them, and his hands have become feeble: trouble has come on him and pain like the pain of a woman in childbirth.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 50:43
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 that Jeremiah 50:43 deliberately reuses the prophet's earlier oracle against Jerusalem (Jer 6:22-24), now applying it to Babylon. The king of Babylon, hearing the report of the approaching Medo-Persian army, experiences the same sudden terror once promised to Judah, his hands go limp, and anguish like a woman in labor seizes him. Barnes, the Cambridge Bible, Keil-Delitzsch and Lange all identify this as a quotation transferred from Judah's judgment to Babylon's. Calvin emphasizes that God holds the hearts of kings, so the once-mighty Chaldeans become helpless. Gill specifies the king as Belshazzar, connecting the verse to Daniel 5, where his knees knock as he sees the hand writing on the wall. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown notes that 'his hands waxed feeble' meant he attempted no resistance, a detail confirmed by Herodotus. The consensus is clear: the God who used Babylon to judge Judah now judges Babylon with the same measure.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The verse undeniably applies the same labor-pains metaphor earlier used against Jerusalem to Babylon, showing God's sovereignty to reverse his judgment, and depicting the king's sudden helplessness.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the king | The verse refers to the king of Babylon at the time of the empire's fall, likely Belshazzar. | Some identify him specifically as Belshazzar based on Daniel 5 (Gill, Kimchi); others see it as a composite figure representing the Babylonian monarchy (Calvin, Keil). |
| Literary source | The passage is a deliberate reuse of Jeremiah 6:22-24, originally spoken against Jerusalem. | Some argue the reuse shows Jeremiah's own editorial activity (Lange, Keil), while others attribute it to a later redactor applying old prophecies to new situations (critical scholarship). |
| Nature of the anguish | The anguish is emotional and psychological terror leading to physical collapse. | Is it a spiritual judgment (God withdrawing courage) or a natural fear response? Both agree the effect is the same. |
| Fulfillment in history | The verse was historically fulfilled in the Medo-Persian conquest of Babylon in 539 BC. | Some see a single literal fulfillment (Gill), others see ongoing application for any proud empire (Matthew Henry, Calvin). |
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse sits within Jeremiah's oracles against Babylon (chapters 50-51). Babylon was the dominant empire of the ancient Near East, with walls over 80 feet thick and a reputation for invincibility. Yet the prophet announces its downfall at the hands of a people from the north, the Medes and Persians under Cyrus. In 539 BC, this prediction was fulfilled. The Babylonian king Belshazzar was caught off guard during a feast, and the city fell without a full battle (Daniel 5). The 'report' the king hears in verse 43 is the news of the coalition army described in verses 41-42.
The metaphor of 'hands waxing feeble' is a standard Hebrew idiom for loss of courage and strength (compare Jeremiah 6:24; 49:24; Isaiah 13:7). The simile of a woman in labor is a common prophetic image for sudden, inescapable pain (Isaiah 13:8; 21:3; Jeremiah 49:24). It emphasizes the king's utter helplessness.
What makes this verse striking is its literary context. Jeremiah is quoting himself. In Jeremiah 6:22-24, the same words were spoken against Jerusalem as the Babylonians approached. Now they are turned against Babylon itself. This is a deliberate act of prophetic reappropriation, showing what is often called poetic justice: the nation God used as his rod of discipline becomes the object of his wrath. As Lange's commentary notes, 'the unity of God's judgments and of just recompense was to be represented here.' The verse also echoes the fate of other nations in Jeremiah; compare Edom (49:22) and Damascus (49:24), who also suffer the same labor-pain metaphor. This pattern underscores that no empire, however mighty, stands outside God's sovereign judgment.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants. The Masoretic Text is consistent across witnesses. The key terms (שׁמע, רפה, צרה, חיל, יולדה) are well-attested.
Reception History
Christian interpreters have read this verse as a vivid illustration of divine judgment on pride. John Calvin used it to show that God holds the hearts of kings, rendering the strong powerless in an instant. Matthew Henry saw in it the terror that awaits the wicked. John Gill connected it explicitly to Belshazzar's panic in Daniel 5, noting the historical detail from Xenophon. In Jewish tradition, Kimchi (Rabbi David Kimchi, 12th-13th century) identified the king as Belshazzar and interpreted the verse as the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy against Babylon. The verse has been cited in sermons on the theme of God's justice and the fall of oppressive regimes. Its reuse of the labor-pains metaphor prompted reflection on the suddenness of God's judgments.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Report that Breaks the Mighty: The king of Babylon, the world's most powerful ruler, hears a report and his hands go limp. News alone crushes him. This shows that human confidence rests on information, and that information can be shattered. God controls the news that reaches the proud.
- The Inevitability of Judgment: Like a woman in labor, the anguish comes suddenly and cannot be stopped. Labor pains arrive on their own schedule and cannot be negotiated away. So God's judgment, when the time is ripe, comes with the same certainty. Babylon's hour had come.
- The Reversal of Roles: The very words once spoken against Jerusalem (Jer 6:22-24) are now spoken against Babylon. The hunter becomes the hunted. God's justice is symmetrical. Those who cause others to suffer will taste the same fear.
Five-point outline
- Hearing the report (v43a): The king hears. Mere information triggers collapse. This is not a military defeat, just intelligence.
- Hands become feeble (v43b): A physical symptom of internal terror. The hands that held the sceptre now hang limp. Strength fails at the core.
- Anguish takes hold (v43c): Not just fear but seizure, the active grip of distress. The king is possessed by his own terror.
- Pains like a woman in labor (v43d): A simile of intensity and inevitability. Labor cannot be postponed or cancelled. Neither can Babylon's judgment.
- The Context of Reversal: The same words previously described Jerusalem's fear before Babylon (Jer 6). Now they describe Babylon's fear before the Medes. God's measure is always just.
Illustration hooks
- A CEO who built a company from nothing receives a single audit report that reveals fraud. In an hour, the empire falls. The news itself does the damage, not the lawsuit.
- A student who cheated through years of school gets a letter from the academic board. Before the hearing, before any penalty, the hands shake. The report alone brings collapse.
- A military commander receives intelligence that the enemy has a weapon he cannot counter. The battle is lost before it begins because courage fails in the face of news.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God really judge nations today? This verse shows that God does hold empires accountable, and the pattern of history confirms it, though the timing is often hard to recognise.
- Why does God use the same language for Judah and Babylon? Because God is consistent. The same standards apply to his own people and to their enemies. No one gets a pass.
- How can I be sure that evil will not last forever? The fall of Babylon, the archetypal enemy of God's people, is a guarantee that every power opposed to God will eventually hear news that makes its hands go limp.
Leading a Discussion
This verse shows the sudden terror that grips Babylon when its judgment arrives. The prophet reuses the same language he once used against Jerusalem, forcing us to see that God's judgment is impartial. As you discuss, consider how the theme of reversal applies to your own life and community.
Discussion questions
- What is the 'report' that the king of Babylon hears? Why does hearing it cause such a dramatic response?
- In what ways is the labor-pains metaphor fitting for sudden judgment? What does it tell us about God's timing?
- Why does Jeremiah quote from his earlier prophecy (Jer 6:22-24)? What does this teach about God's character?
- How does the fall of Babylon give hope to those who are oppressed by unjust systems today?
- What are the 'reports' that can shake our own confidence? How do we distinguish between healthy caution and crippling fear?
- The king's hands hang limp. Can you think of a time when you felt powerless despite having resources? What helped?
- If God judges even Babylon, a nation he used as his instrument (Jer 25:9), what does this imply about our own accountability before him?
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)
| Isaiah 13:6 | Wail, for Yahweh’s day is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty. |
| Isaiah 13:8 | They will be dismayed. Pangs and sorrows will seize them. They will be in pain like a woman in labor. They will look in amazement one at another. Their faces will be faces of flame. |
| Isaiah 21:3 | Therefore my thighs are filled with anguish. Pains have seized me, like the pains of a woman in labor. I am in so much pain that I can’t hear. I am so dismayed that I can’t see. |
| Isaiah 21:4 | My heart flutters. Horror has frightened me. The twilight that I desired has been turned into trembling for me. |
| Jeremiah 49:22 | Behold, he will come up and fly as the eagle, and spread out his wings against Bozrah. The heart of the mighty men of Edom at that day will be as the heart of a woman in her pangs. |
| Jeremiah 49:24 | Damascus has grown feeble, she turns herself to flee, and trembling has seized her. Anguish and sorrows have taken hold of her, as of a woman in travail. |
| Jeremiah 51:31 | One runner will run to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to show the king of Babylon that his city is taken on every quarter. |
| Daniel 5:5 | In the same hour, the fingers of a man’s hand came out and wrote near the lamp stand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace. The king saw the part of the hand that wrote. |
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 observes that the judgment language in this passage originally pronounced against Jerusalem is now applied to Babylon, showing that the same divine justice that reached Israel’s own city will also reach her oppressor. The phrase “coasts of the earth” echoes the earlier warning.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses that God holds human hearts in His hand, so He can drain courage from the bravest warriors in an instant. The Chaldeans, once feared as warlike, became so terrified at the mere report of their enemies that they fled without a fight, proving the victory belonged entirely to God.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentator observes that verses 41 to 43 directly repeat the language from an earlier passage, but with the details adjusted for a different subject. The earlier threat was aimed at Jerusalem; here it is applied to someone else, showing how Scripture repurposes its own warnings.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The King of Babel hath heard the report of them, and his hands waxed feeble: sorow came vpon him, euen sorowe as of a woman in trauaile.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill identifies the king as Belshazzar and links the prophecy's panic to a specific historical moment: when enemies rushed in, the king stood with sword drawn but could not fight, fulfilling the terror described as helplessness like a woman in labor.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that the phrase "hands waxed feeble" describes a total failure to resist, with the people overcome at once. He points to the Greek historian Herodotus as a witness that such language was used for sudden, unresisting defeat.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch observe that Jeremiah here reuses his earlier prophecies about judgment from the north (once aimed at Judah and Edom) and deliberately reapplies them to Babylon. This adaptation, including the Atbash cipher calling Chaldea "the heart of my adversaries," shows that Babylon has become the focal point of all enmity against God, and its destruction is a fixed divine decree.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange observes that Jeremiah quotes his own earlier prophecies about invaders from the north and against Edom, reapplying them here to Babylon with only slight changes. This deliberate reuse, including the imagery of a lion from the Jordan, emphasizes God's consistent standard of judgment and just recompense across different nations.
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.