Jeremiah 46:6
New International Version
“The swift cannot flee nor the strong escape. In the north by the River Euphrates they stumble and fall.

New Living Translation
“The swiftest runners cannot flee; the mightiest warriors cannot escape. By the Euphrates River to the north, they stumble and fall.

English Standard Version
“The swift cannot flee away, nor the warrior escape; in the north by the river Euphrates they have stumbled and fallen.

Berean Standard Bible
“The swift cannot flee, and the warrior cannot escape! In the north by the River Euphrates they stumble and fall.

King James Bible
Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; they shall stumble, and fall toward the north by the river Euphrates.

New King James Version
“Do not let the swift flee away, Nor the mighty man escape; They will stumble and fall Toward the north, by the River Euphrates.

New American Standard Bible
Let not the swift man flee, Nor the warrior escape. In the north beside the river Euphrates They have stumbled and fallen.

NASB 1995
Let not the swift man flee, Nor the mighty man escape; In the north beside the river Euphrates They have stumbled and fallen.

NASB 1977
Let not the swift man flee, Nor the mighty man escape; In the north beside the river Euphrates They have stumbled and fallen.

Legacy Standard Bible
Let not the swift man flee, Nor the mighty man escape; In the north beside the river Euphrates They have stumbled and fallen.

Amplified Bible
Do not let the swift man run, Nor the mighty man escape; In the north by the river Euphrates They have stumbled and fallen.

Christian Standard Bible
The swift cannot flee, and the warrior cannot escape! In the north by the bank of the Euphrates River, they stumble and fall.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The swift cannot flee, and the warrior cannot escape! In the north by the bank of the Euphrates River, they stumble and fall.

American Standard Version
Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; in the north by the river Euphrates have they stumbled and fallen.

Contemporary English Version
You are strong and run fast, but you can't escape. You fall in battle near the Euphrates River.

English Revised Version
Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; in the north by the river Euphrates have they stumbled, and fallen.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"The infantry can't flee. The warriors can't escape. They stumble and fall in the north by the Euphrates River.

Good News Translation
Those who run fast cannot get away; the soldiers cannot escape. In the north, by the Euphrates, they stumble and fall.

International Standard Version
"The swift cannot flee, nor can the strong escape. In the north, beside the Euphrates River, they stumble and fall.

Majority Standard Bible
?The swift cannot flee, and the warrior cannot escape! In the north by the River Euphrates they stumble and fall.

NET Bible
But even the swiftest cannot get away. Even the strongest cannot escape. There in the north by the Euphrates River they stumble and fall in defeat.

New Heart English Bible
"Do not let the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; in the north by the river Perath have they stumbled and fallen.

Webster's Bible Translation
Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape! they shall stumble, and fall towards the north by the river Euphrates.

World English Bible
“Don’t let the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape. In the north by the river Euphrates they have stumbled and fallen.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
The swift do not flee, nor do the mighty escape, "" Northward, by the side of the Euphrates River, "" They have stumbled and fallen.

Young's Literal Translation
The swift do not flee, nor do the mighty escape, Northward, by the side of the river Phrat, They have stumbled and fallen.

Smith's Literal Translation
The swift shall not flee away, and the strong shall not escape: to the north upon the hand of the river Phrath they stumbled and fell.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Let not the swift flee away, nor the strong think to escape: they are overthrown, and fallen down, towards the north by the river Euphrates.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Let not the swift take flight; let not the strong ones think to save themselves. They have been conquered and ruined, toward the north, near the river Euphrates.

New American Bible
The swift cannot flee, nor the warrior escape: There up north, on the banks of the Euphrates they stumble and fall.

New Revised Standard Version
The swift cannot flee away, nor can the warrior escape; in the north by the river Euphrates they have stumbled and fallen.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
The swift cannot flee away, nor the mighty man escape; they have all stumbled and fallen by the river Euphrates.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
He who is fast shall not escape, and he who is mighty in power shall not save himself. They stumbled on the side of the river Euphrates, and they all fell
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
The swift cannot flee away, Nor the mighty man escape; In the north by the river Euphrates Have they stumbled and fallen.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Let not the swift flee, and let not the mighty man escape to the north: the forces at Euphrates are become feeble, and they have fallen.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Judgment on Egypt
5Why am I seeing this? They are terrified, they are retreating; their warriors are defeated, they flee in haste without looking back; terror is on every side!” declares the LORD. 6“The swift cannot flee, and the warrior cannot escape! In the north by the River Euphrates they stumble and fall. 7Who is this, rising like the Nile, like rivers whose waters churn?…

Cross References
Isaiah 31:8
“Then Assyria will fall, but not by the sword of man; a sword will devour them, but not one made by mortals. They will flee before the sword, and their young men will be put to forced labor.

Amos 2:14-16
Escape will fail the swift, the strong will not prevail by his strength, and the mighty will not save his life. / The archer will not stand his ground, the fleet of foot will not escape, and the horseman will not save his life. / Even the bravest of mighty men will flee naked on that day,” declares the LORD.

Psalm 33:16-17
No king is saved by his vast army; no warrior is delivered by his great strength. / A horse is a vain hope for salvation; even its great strength cannot save.

Isaiah 30:16
“No,” you say, “we will flee on horses.” Therefore you will flee! “We will ride swift horses,” but your pursuers will be faster.

Isaiah 10:3
What will you do on the day of reckoning when devastation comes from afar? To whom will you flee for help? Where will you leave your wealth?

Isaiah 13:14
Like a hunted gazelle, like a sheep without a shepherd, each will return to his own people, each will flee to his native land.

Isaiah 31:1
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in their abundance of chariots and in their multitude of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel; they do not seek the LORD.

Isaiah 37:36-37
Then the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies! / So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there.

Ezekiel 30:21-22
“Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt. See, it has not been bound up for healing, or splinted for strength to hold the sword. / Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt. I will break his arms, both the strong one and the one already broken, and will make the sword fall from his hand.

Nahum 2:8
Nineveh has been like a pool of water throughout her days, but now it is draining away. “Stop! Stop!” they cry, but no one turns back.

Nahum 3:1-7
Woe to the city of blood, full of lies, full of plunder, never without prey. / The crack of the whip, the rumble of the wheel, galloping horse and bounding chariot! / Charging horseman, flashing sword, shining spear; heaps of slain, mounds of corpses, dead bodies without end—they stumble over their dead— ...

Zephaniah 1:14-18
The great Day of the LORD is near—near and coming quickly. Listen, the Day of the LORD! Then the cry of the mighty will be bitter. / That day will be a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness, / a day of horn blast and battle cry against the fortified cities, and against the high corner towers. ...

Matthew 24:16-18
then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. / Let no one on the housetop come down to retrieve anything from his house. / And let no one in the field return for his cloak.

Mark 13:14-16
So when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. / Let no one on the housetop go back inside to retrieve anything from his house. / And let no one in the field return for his cloak.

Luke 21:21
Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country stay out of the city.


Treasury of Scripture

Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; they shall stumble, and fall toward the north by the river Euphrates.

not

Judges 4:15-21
And the LORD discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet…

Psalm 33:16,17
There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength…

Psalm 147:10,11
He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man…

stumble

Jeremiah 46:12
The nations have heard of thy shame, and thy cry hath filled the land: for the mighty man hath stumbled against the mighty, and they are fallen both together.

Jeremiah 20:11
But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.

Jeremiah 50:32
And the most proud shall stumble and fall, and none shall raise him up: and I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it shall devour all round about him.

toward

Jeremiah 46:10
For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.

Jeremiah 1:14
Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

Jeremiah 4:6
Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.

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Escape Euphrates Euphra'tes Fall Fallen Flee Flight Hard Mighty North Northward Phrat Quick-Footed River Side Slipping Strong Stumble Stumbled Swift Towards War Warrior
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Escape Euphrates Euphra'tes Fall Fallen Flee Flight Hard Mighty North Northward Phrat Quick-Footed River Side Slipping Strong Stumble Stumbled Swift Towards War Warrior
Jeremiah 46
1. Jeremiah prophesies the overthrow of Pharaoh's army at Euphrates
13. and the conquest of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar
27. He comforts Jacob in his chastisement














The swift cannot flee
This phrase emphasizes the futility of human efforts when faced with divine judgment. The Hebrew word for "swift" (קַל, qal) often denotes speed and agility, suggesting that even those who are quick and capable cannot escape the consequences ordained by God. Historically, this reflects the situation of the Egyptian army, known for its chariots and swift warriors, yet unable to evade the Babylonian forces as decreed by God. This serves as a reminder of the limitations of human strength and the sovereignty of God over nations and events.

nor the warrior escape!
The term "warrior" (גִּבּוֹר, gibbor) refers to a mighty or valiant man, often used in the context of battle. This highlights the strength and skill of the Egyptian soldiers, who were renowned for their prowess. However, the inability to escape signifies that no amount of human valor can withstand the judgment of God. This is a powerful reminder that true security and deliverance come not from human might but from reliance on the Lord.

In the north by the River Euphrates
This geographical reference is significant as it points to the location of the battle of Carchemish, where the Egyptian forces were decisively defeated by the Babylonians in 605 BC. The "north" often symbolizes a place of threat or judgment in biblical literature, and the River Euphrates was a major boundary and strategic location in the ancient Near East. This historical context underscores the fulfillment of God's prophetic word through Jeremiah, demonstrating His control over historical events and the rise and fall of empires.

they stumble and fall
The imagery of stumbling and falling conveys a sense of defeat and humiliation. In Hebrew, the word for "stumble" (כָּשַׁל, kashal) often implies a moral or spiritual failing, while "fall" (נָפַל, naphal) suggests a complete collapse. This not only describes the physical defeat of the Egyptian army but also symbolizes the downfall of those who oppose God's will. It serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of pride and self-reliance, urging believers to seek strength and guidance from God alone.

Verse 6. - Let not the swift flee away. A strong way of expressing that even the swiftest cannot expect to flee, just as, in Isaiah 2:9, "forgive them not" means "thou canst not forgive them." Nothing seems to have struck the Jews so much as the unparalleled swiftness of the Chaldean warriors (Hebrews 1:6, 8; Jeremiah 4:13). They shall stumble; literally, they have stumbled; it is most probably the prophetic perfect ("they shall certainly fall"), though Ewald denies this, and consequently maintains that the prophecy was written after the battle of Car-chemish. Toward the north; i.e. "in the northern region," or, more loosely, "in the north" (comp. ver. 10). Carchemish was, of course, far to the north of Jerusalem.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The swift
הַקַּ֔ל (haq·qal)
Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7031: Light, swift, fleet

cannot
אַל־ (’al-)
Adverb
Strong's 408: Not

flee,
יָנ֣וּס (yā·nūs)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5127: To flit, vanish away

and the warrior
הַגִּבּ֑וֹר (hag·gib·bō·wr)
Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 1368: Powerful, warrior, tyrant

cannot
וְאַל־ (wə·’al-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 408: Not

escape!
יִמָּלֵ֖ט (yim·mā·lêṭ)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4422: To be smooth, to escape, to release, rescue, to bring forth young, emit sparks

In the north
צָפ֙וֹנָה֙ (ṣā·p̄ō·w·nāh)
Noun - feminine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 6828: Hidden, dark, the north as a, quarter

by
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the River
נְהַר־ (nə·har-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5104: A stream, prosperity

Euphrates
פְּרָ֔ת (pə·rāṯ)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 6578: Euphrates -- a river of west Asia

they stumble
כָּשְׁל֖וּ (kā·šə·lū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 3782: To totter, waver, to falter, stumble, faint, fall

and fall.
וְנָפָֽלוּ׃ (wə·nā·p̄ā·lū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5307: To fall, lie


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 46:6 Don't let the swift flee away (Jer.)
Jeremiah 46:5
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