Jeremiah 47:3
New International Version
at the sound of the hooves of galloping steeds, at the noise of enemy chariots and the rumble of their wheels. Parents will not turn to help their children; their hands will hang limp.

New Living Translation
Hear the clatter of stallions’ hooves and the rumble of wheels as the chariots rush by. Terrified fathers run madly, without a backward glance at their helpless children.

English Standard Version
At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his stallions, at the rushing of his chariots, at the rumbling of their wheels, the fathers look not back to their children, so feeble are their hands,

Berean Standard Bible
at the sound of the galloping hooves of stallions, the rumbling of chariots, and the clatter of their wheels. The fathers will not turn back for their sons; their hands will hang limp.

King James Bible
At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong horses, at the rushing of his chariots, and at the rumbling of his wheels, the fathers shall not look back to their children for feebleness of hands;

New King James Version
At the noise of the stamping hooves of his strong horses, At the rushing of his chariots, At the rumbling of his wheels, The fathers will not look back for their children, Lacking courage,

New American Standard Bible
“Because of the noise of the galloping hoofs of his stallions, The roar of his chariots, and the rumbling of his wheels, The fathers have not turned back for their children, Because of the debility of their hands,

NASB 1995
“Because of the noise of the galloping hoofs of his stallions, The tumult of his chariots, and the rumbling of his wheels, The fathers have not turned back for their children, Because of the limpness of their hands,

NASB 1977
“Because of the noise of the galloping hoofs of his stallions, The tumult of his chariots, and the rumbling of his wheels, The fathers have not turned back for their children, Because of the limpness of their hands,

Legacy Standard Bible
Because of the noise of the galloping hoofs of his valiant steeds, The quaking of his chariots, and the tumult of his wheels, The fathers have not turned back for their children, Because of the limpness of their hands,

Amplified Bible
“Because of the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of the war-horses [of the Babylonian king], The rattling of his chariots, and the rumbling of his wheels, The fathers have not looked and turned back for their children, So weak are their hands [with terror]

Christian Standard Bible
At the sound of the stomping hooves of his stallions, the rumbling of his chariots, and the clatter of their wheels, fathers will not turn back for their sons. They will be utterly helpless

Holman Christian Standard Bible
At the sound of the stomping hooves of his stallions, the rumbling of his chariots, and the clatter of their wheels, fathers will not turn back for their sons, because they will be utterly helpless

American Standard Version
At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong ones, at the rushing of his chariots, at the rumbling of his wheels, the fathers look not back to their children for feebleness of hands;

Contemporary English Version
When you hear the thunder of horses and chariots, your courage will vanish, and parents will even abandon their own children.

English Revised Version
At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong ones, at the rushing of his chariots, at the rumbling of his wheels, the fathers look not back to their children for feebleness of hands;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They will hear the sound of galloping war horses, the rattling of enemy chariots, and the rumbling of their wheels. Fathers who lack courage abandon their children.

Good News Translation
They will hear the hoofbeats of horses, the clatter of chariots, the rumble of wheels. Parents will not turn back for their children; their hands will hang limp at their sides.

International Standard Version
At the sound of the galloping hooves of his horses, at the rumbling of his chariots, the clatter of his wheels, fathers won't turn back for their children because their hands are weak,

Majority Standard Bible
at the sound of the galloping hooves of stallions, the rumbling of chariots, and the clatter of their wheels. The fathers will not turn back for their sons; their hands will hang limp.

NET Bible
Fathers will hear the hoofbeats of the enemies' horses, the clatter of their chariots and the rumbling of their wheels. They will not turn back to save their children because they will be paralyzed with fear.

New Heart English Bible
At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong ones, at the rushing of his chariots, at the rumbling of his wheels, the fathers do not look back to their children for feebleness of hands;

Webster's Bible Translation
At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong horses, at the rushing of his chariots, and at the rumbling of his wheels, the fathers shall not look back to their children for feebleness of hands:

World English Bible
At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong ones, at the rushing of his chariots, at the rumbling of his wheels, the fathers don’t look back for their children because their hands are so feeble,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
From the sound of the stamping of the hooves of his mighty ones, "" From the rushing of his chariot, "" The noise of his wheels, "" Fathers have not turned to sons, "" From feebleness of hands,

Young's Literal Translation
From the sound of the stamping of the hoofs of his mighty ones, From the rushing of his chariot, the noise of his wheels, Fathers have not turned unto sons, From feebleness of hands,

Smith's Literal Translation
From the voice of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong ones, from the bounding of his chariot, the noise of his wheels, the fathers turned not back to the sons from slackness of hands;
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
At the noise of the marching of arms, and of his soldiers, at the rushing of his chariots, and the multitude of his wheels. The fathers have not looked back to the children, for feebleness of hands,

Catholic Public Domain Version
before the uproar of a procession of weapons and of his soldiers, before the commotion of his four-horse chariots and the multitude of his wheels. The fathers have not looked back for the sons, because of feebleness of hands,

New American Bible
At the noise of the pounding hooves of his steeds, the clanking chariots, the rumbling wheels, Parents do not turn back for their children; their hands hang helpless,

New Revised Standard Version
At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his stallions, at the clatter of his chariots, at the rumbling of their wheels, parents do not turn back for children, so feeble are their hands,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Because of the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of the horses of his mighty men and the rushing of his chariots and the rumbling of his wheels, the fathers shall not look back to their children for the feebleness of their hands;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
From the sound of those walkers of hooves of its mighty men, and from the shaking of its chariots and from the sound of its wheels, the fathers did not turn to the children, because their hands were weakened
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong ones, At the rushing of his chariots, at the rumbling of his wheels, The fathers look not back to their children For feebleness of hands;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
at the sound of his rushing, at the sound of his hoofs, and at the rattling of his chariots, at the noise of his wheels: the fathers turned not to their children because of the weakness of their hands,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Judgment on the Philistines
2This is what the LORD says: “See how the waters are rising from the north and becoming an overflowing torrent. They will overflow the land and its fullness, the cities and their inhabitants. The people will cry out, and all who dwell in the land will wail 3at the sound of the galloping hooves of stallions, the rumbling of chariots, and the clatter of their wheels. The fathers will not turn back for their sons; their hands will hang limp. 4For the day has come to destroy all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every remaining ally. Indeed, the LORD is about to destroy the Philistines, the remnant from the coasts of Caphtor.…

Cross References
Isaiah 5:28-30
Their arrows are sharpened, and all their bows are strung. The hooves of their horses are like flint; their chariot wheels are like a whirlwind. / Their roaring is like that of a lion; they roar like young lions. They growl and seize their prey; they carry it away, and no one can rescue it. / In that day they will roar over it, like the roaring of the sea. If one looks over the land, he will see darkness and distress; even the light will be obscured by clouds.

Ezekiel 26:10-11
His multitude of horses will cover you in their dust. When he enters your gates as an army entering a breached city, your walls will shake from the noise of cavalry, wagons, and chariots. / The hooves of his horses will trample all your streets. He will slaughter your people with the sword, and your mighty pillars will fall to the ground.

Nahum 3:2-3
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—

Isaiah 9:5
For every trampling boot of battle and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.

Isaiah 22:7
Your choicest valleys are full of chariots, and horsemen are posted at the gates.

Ezekiel 21:22
In his right hand appears the portent for Jerusalem, where he is to set up battering rams, to call for the slaughter, to lift a battle cry, to direct the battering rams against the gates, to build a ramp, and to erect a siege wall.

Habakkuk 1:8
Their horses are swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves of the night. Their horsemen charge ahead, and their cavalry comes from afar. They fly like a vulture, swooping down to devour.

Isaiah 66:15
For behold, the LORD will come with fire—His chariots are like a whirlwind—to execute His anger with fury and His rebuke with flames of fire.

Joel 2:4-5
Their appearance is like that of horses, and they gallop like swift steeds. / With a sound like that of chariots they bound over the mountaintops, like the crackling of fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army deployed for battle.

Amos 2:15
The archer will not stand his ground, the fleet of foot will not escape, and the horseman will not save his life.

Revelation 9:9
They also had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the roar of many horses and chariots rushing into battle.

Revelation 14:20
And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and the blood that flowed from it rose as high as the bridles of the horses for a distance of 1,600 stadia.

Revelation 19:14-15
The armies of heaven, dressed in fine linen, white and pure, follow Him on white horses. / And from His mouth proceeds a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.

Matthew 24:6-8
You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come. / Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. / All these are the beginning of birth pains.

Luke 21:25-26
There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among the nations, bewildered by the roaring of the sea and the surging of the waves. / Men will faint from fear and anxiety over what is coming upon the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.


Treasury of Scripture

At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong horses, at the rushing of his chariots, and at the rumbling of his wheels, the fathers shall not look back to their children for feebleness of hands;

the noise

Jeremiah 8:16
The snorting of his horses was heard from Dan: the whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones; for they are come, and have devoured the land, and all that is in it; the city, and those that dwell therein.

Jeremiah 46:9
Come up, ye horses; and rage, ye chariots; and let the mighty men come forth; the Ethiopians and the Libyans, that handle the shield; and the Lydians, that handle and bend the bow.

Judges 5:22
Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones.

the fathers

Deuteronomy 28:54,55
So that the man that is tender among you, and very delicate, his eye shall be evil toward his brother, and toward the wife of his bosom, and toward the remnant of his children which he shall leave: …

Lamentations 4:3,4
Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness…

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Jeremiah 47
1. The destruction of the Philistines














At the sound of the hooves of galloping steeds
This phrase evokes a vivid auditory image of impending doom. The Hebrew word for "sound" (קוֹל, qol) often signifies a voice or noise that demands attention. The "hooves of galloping steeds" symbolize the swift and unstoppable advance of an invading army. Historically, horses were a significant part of military might in ancient Near Eastern warfare, representing power and speed. The imagery here is meant to instill fear and urgency, as the Philistines would have understood the threat posed by such a formidable force.

the rumble of chariots
The "rumble" (רַעַשׁ, ra'ash) suggests a deep, resonant sound that can be felt as much as heard, indicating the overwhelming presence of the enemy. Chariots were a technological advancement in warfare, providing speed and a platform for archers. In the context of Jeremiah's prophecy, the chariots signify the organized and relentless nature of the Babylonian army. This imagery would remind the audience of the unstoppable force of God's judgment, as chariots were often associated with divine intervention in battles (e.g., Exodus 14:25).

and the clatter of their wheels
The "clatter" (הֲמוֹן, hamon) refers to a chaotic, loud noise, emphasizing the destructive power of the invading forces. The wheels of chariots, made of wood and metal, would create a cacophony as they rolled over the terrain, symbolizing the crushing power of the Babylonians. This serves as a metaphor for the inescapable judgment that God is bringing upon the Philistines, highlighting the futility of resistance against divine will.

fathers will not turn back for their sons
This phrase underscores the desperation and chaos of the situation. In ancient cultures, familial bonds were paramount, and a father's duty to protect his children was a sacred responsibility. The fact that fathers "will not turn back" (לֹא יָשׁוּבוּ, lo yashuvu) indicates a complete breakdown of societal norms and the overwhelming nature of the threat. It reflects the severity of God's judgment, where even the strongest human bonds are rendered powerless.

their hands will hang limp
The image of hands hanging limp (יָרְפוּ יְדֵיהֶם, yarpu yedehem) conveys a sense of utter helplessness and despair. In the Bible, hands often symbolize strength and action, so limp hands indicate a loss of power and the inability to act. This phrase captures the total defeat and demoralization of the Philistines in the face of God's judgment. It serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of opposing God's will and the ultimate futility of human strength without divine support.

(3) The fathers shall not look back to their children.--The selfishness of panic was to reach its highest point, and to crush out the instincts of natural affection. Even fathers would be content to save themselves, regardless of their children's lives.

Verse 3. - A fine specimen of Hebrew word painting. The rushing of his chariots. "Rushing" has the sense of the German rauschen, to make a rustling, murmuring sound. It is used (but as the equivalent of a different Hebrew word) in the Authorized Version of Isaiah 18:12, 13 of the confused sound made by an army in motion. In the present passage, the Hebrew word means something more definite than that in Isaiah, l.c.; it is the "crashing" of an earthquake, or (as here) the "rattling" of chariots. The rumbling of his wheels. "Rumbling" is a happy equivalent. The Hebrew (hamon) is the word referred to in the preceding note as meaning an indefinite confused sound. The fathers shall not look back to their children, etc. An awful picture, and still more effective in the concise language of the original. The Hebrew Scriptures excel (as still more strikingly, but with too great a want of moderation, does the Koran) in the sublime of terror. So overpowering shall the panic be that fathers will not even turn an eye to their helpless children. Observe, it is said "the fathers," not "the mothers." The picture is poetically finer than that in Deuteronomy 28:56, 57, because the shade of colouring is a degree softer. Feebleness of hands. A common expression for the enervation produced by extreme terror (see Jeremiah 6:24; Isaiah 13:7; Ezekiel 7:17; Nahum 2:11).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
at the sound
מִקּ֗וֹל (miq·qō·wl)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6963: A voice, sound

of the galloping
שַֽׁעֲטַת֙ (ša·‘ă·ṭaṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 8161: A stamping (of hooves)

hooves
פַּרְס֣וֹת (par·sō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 6541: A claw, split hoof

of stallions,
אַבִּירָ֔יו (’ab·bî·rāw)
Adjective - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 47: Mighty, valiant

the rumbling
מֵרַ֣עַשׁ (mê·ra·‘aš)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7494: Vibration, bounding, uproar

of chariots,
לְרִכְבּ֔וֹ (lə·riḵ·bōw)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7393: A vehicle, a team, cavalry, a rider, the upper millstone

and the clatter
הֲמ֖וֹן (hă·mō·wn)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1995: A noise, tumult, crowd, disquietude, wealth

of their wheels.
גַּלְגִּלָּ֑יו (gal·gil·lāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1534: A wheel, a whirlwind, dust

The fathers
אָבוֹת֙ (’ā·ḇō·wṯ)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1: Father

will not
לֹֽא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

turn back
הִפְנ֤וּ (hip̄·nū)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 6437: To turn, to face, appear, look

for
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

their sons;
בָּנִ֔ים (bā·nîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1121: A son

their hands
יָדָֽיִם׃ (yā·ḏā·yim)
Noun - fd
Strong's 3027: A hand

will hang limp.
מֵֽרִפְי֖וֹן (mê·rip̄·yō·wn)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7510: Slackness


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 47:3 At the noise of the stamping (Jer.)
Jeremiah 47:2
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