Jeremiah 51:21 — Word Study
WLCוְנִפַּצְתִּ֣י בְךָ֔ ס֖וּס וְרֹֽכְב֑וֹ וְנִפַּצְתִּ֣י בְךָ֔ רֶ֖כֶב וְרֹכְבֽוֹ׃
BSAI shatternâphats [break in pieces, scatter] the horseçûwç [chariot horse, cavalry] and riderrâkab [one who rides, charioteer] I shatternâphats [to disperse, destroy] the chariotrekeb [vehicle, team of horses] and driverrâkab [one who rides, controls]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְנִפַּצְתִּ֣י | and I smash | Verb, Piel, sequential perfect first person common singular |
| בְךָ֔ | by you | Preposition, suffix |
| ס֖וּס | horse | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| וְרֹֽכְב֑וֹ | and rider its | Conjunction, verb qal participle (active) masculine singular common, suffix |
| וְנִפַּצְתִּ֣י | and I smash | Verb, Piel, sequential perfect first person common singular |
| בְךָ֔ | by you | Preposition, suffix |
| רֶ֖כֶב | chariotry | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| וְרֹכְבֽוֹ׃ | and rider[s] its | Conjunction, verb qal participle (active) masculine singular common, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | With you I shatter the horse and rider; with you I shatter the chariot and driver. |
| KJV | And with thee will I break in pieces the horse and his rider; and with thee will I break in pieces the chariot and his rider; |
| ASV | and with thee will I break in pieces the horse and his rider; |
| YLT | And I have broken in pieces by thee horse and its rider, And I have broken in pieces by thee chariot and its charioteer, |
| WEB | With you I will break in pieces the horse and his rider. |
| BBE | With you the horse and the horseman will be broken; with you the war-carriage and he who goes in it will be broken; |
Where they part company is נָפַץ — see How Translations Differ.
One main verb, two phrases detailing what is being shattered. The structure emphasizes the totality of God's judgment.
5 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
verbנָפַץ
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Jeremiah 51:21
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — God's Judgment Against Nationsgenerated
Jeremiah 51:21 is part of a passage where God speaks through Jeremiah to declare His power over the nations. The preceding verses emphasize God's authority to shatter nations and their leaders, illustrating His sovereignty in judgment. This verse specifically highlights the destruction of military forces, symbolizing the totality of God's victory over those who oppose Him.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeremiah 50:37 | 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. |
| 2 | Exodus 15:1–21 | Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: “I will sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted. The horse and rider He has thrown into the sea. |
| 3 | Psalm 46:9 | He makes wars to cease throughout the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the shields in the fire. |
| 4 | Psalm 76:6 | At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both horse and rider lie stunned. |
| 5 | Ezekiel 39:20 | And at My table you will eat your fill of horses and riders, of mighty men and warriors of every kind,’ declares the Lord GOD. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 11 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — נָפַץ, ve.ni.patz.Tigenerated
The verb נָפַץ (naphatz) is a Piel form, indicating an intense action of smashing or shattering. It conveys the idea of breaking something into pieces or scattering it. This word is often used in contexts where God acts to scatter or destroy, reflecting His power over both people and nations.
In this verse, the use of נָפַץ emphasizes God's active role in bringing about destruction. The first person singular form indicates that it is God Himself who will perform these actions, reinforcing the certainty of His judgment.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb נִפַּצְתִּ֣י governs the entire verse, with two prepositional phrases detailing what is being shattered: the horse and rider, and the chariot and driver. This structure emphasizes the comprehensive nature of God's judgment.
The repetition of the verb in the verse underscores the certainty and intensity of God's action against both the cavalry and their vehicles, highlighting the totality of destruction.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates נָפַץ with διασκορπιῶ — to scatter. This choice indicates a broader interpretation of the action, suggesting not only destruction but also dispersion of the forces.
This rendering reflects the translators' understanding of God's judgment as not just physical destruction but also a scattering of the enemy's power.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Jeremiah 51:21 shows God declaring His power to destroy the military forces of His enemies. He states that He will shatter both the horse and its rider, as well as the chariot and its driver. This emphasizes God's authority in judgment and His ability to bring down those who oppose Him.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
This signifies God's power to defeat and destroy the military forces of nations that oppose Him, illustrating His sovereignty in judgment.
The horse and chariot represent the strength and might of an army, and their destruction symbolizes the complete defeat of the enemy.
This verse is part of a larger declaration of God's judgment against nations, showing His authority to bring down those who oppose Him.
We learn about God's sovereignty and power over all nations and the certainty of His judgment against those who oppose Him.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life do I need to trust in God's power to overcome challenges?
- How can I recognize the ways God has acted in my life to bring about change or destruction of negative influences?
- What does this verse teach me about the nature of God's judgment?
- How can I apply the truth of God's sovereignty in my daily decisions and interactions with others?
Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Jeremiah 51:21 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd with thee will I break in pieces the horse and his rider,.... Or, "have broken": meaning the cavalry of an army, wherein lies its chief strength: and with thee will I break in pieces the chariot
Read John Gill on Jeremiah 51 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd with thee will I break in pieces the horse and his rider; and with thee will I break in pieces the chariot and his rider; No JFB commentary on this verse.
Read Robert Jamieson on Jeremiah 51 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJeremiah 51:21 And with thee will I break in pieces the horse and his rider; and with thee will I break in pieces the chariot and his rider;Ver. 21. And with thee.] O Babylonian king. Will I break in pieces.] Or rather, Have I broken in pieces. And hence thy perdition.
Read John Trapp on Jeremiah 51 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges20–24. Is it (a) Cyrus, as conqueror of Babylon, or (b) Babylon herself, that is addressed? Jeremiah 51:24 seems to support (a), but on the whole (b) is perhaps preferable. The future tenses can as well be rendered as presents, denoting what Babylon has hitherto been accustomed to do as the instrument of Jehovah. This view also harmonizes with Jeremiah 51:14 (while we omit 15–19; see note there), as well as with Jeremiah 51:25 ff., where Babylon is certainly the subject.
Read Cambridge on Jeremiah 51 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible20-24. Thou art — By “thou,” Ewald understands the king of Israel; Grotius, Cyrus and the Medes; Nagelsbach, an ideal person; Calmet and most expositors, Babylon. The last is to be preferred, and is supported by Jeremiah 50:23.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Jeremiah 51 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
With you I shatter the horse and rider; with you I shatter the chariot and driver.
With you I will break in pieces the horse and his rider.
With you I shatter the horse and rider; with you I shatter the chariot and driver.
I used you to smash horses and their riders. I used you to smash chariots and their drivers.
Tyndale line
And with thee will I break in pieces the horse and his rider; and with thee will I break in pieces the chariot and his rider;
and with thee will I break in pieces the horse and his rider;
and with thee will I break in pieces the horse and his rider; and with thee will I break in pieces the chariot and him that rideth therein;
And with thee will I break in pieces the horse and his rider; and with thee will I break in pieces the chariot and its rider;
And by thee wil I breake horse and horseman, and by thee will I breake the charet and him that rideth therein.
Strictly literal
and with thee I will break in pieces the horse and his rider; and with thee I will break in pieces the chariot and its driver;
And I have broken in pieces by thee horse and its rider, And I have broken in pieces by thee chariot and its charioteer,
And I have broken in pieces horse and its rider by you, || And I have broken in pieces chariot and its charioteer by you,
And I strike down with thee the horse and his rider; and I strike down with thee the chariot and its rider;
With you I will smash horses and their riders; with you I will smash chariots and their drivers.
From the Latin
And with thee I will break in pieces the horse, and his rider, and with thee I will break in pieces the chariot, and him that getteth up into it:
Simplified
I use you to destroy horses and their riders; I use you to destroy chariots and their drivers.
With you the horse and the horseman will be broken; with you the war-carriage and he who goes in it will be broken;
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the wording of this verse, with all eight words matching in the Hebrew and Greek translations. This consistency indicates a shared understanding of the text's meaning across these traditions.
וְנִפַּצְתִּ֣י בְךָ֔ ס֖וּס וְרֹֽכְב֑וֹ וְנִפַּצְתִּ֣י בְךָ֔ רֶ֖כֶב וְרֹכְבֽוֹ׃
8 of the 8 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Jeremiah 51:21
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
נָפַץ (naphats) is a Hebrew verb meaning to shatter or disperse. It encompasses actions such as breaking into pieces, scattering, and pulverizing. The word appears in various forms, including Qal (to shatter), Piel (to dash to pieces), and Pual (to pulverize). The entries do not indicate any significant disagreement among the lexicons.
[נָפַץ] vb. shatter
Qal and a shattering (= and shattered) the jars
Pi. dash to pieces
Pu. like chalk-stones pulverized.
base
נָפַץ vb. disperse, be scattered
base
H5310a נָפַץ shatter H5310b נָפַץ disperse, be scattered
5310 naphats naw-fats'
a primitive root; to dash to pieces, or scatter:--be beaten
in sunder, break (in pieces), broken, dash (in pieces), cause
to be discharged, dispersed, be overspread, scatter.
נָפַץ (na.phats) — to shatter.
1) to shatter, break, dash, beat in pieces
1a)(Qal)
1a1) to shatter
1a2) shattering (infinitive)
1b) (Piel) to dash to pieces
1c) (Pual) to pulverise
נָפַץ (na.phats) — to disperse.
1) be scattered
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to be scattered
1a2) dispersed (participle)
Conj | V-Piel-1cs — Verb · Piel · sequential perfect first person common singularHc/Vpq1cs
ךָּ (ka) — you.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 2nd person masculine singular
HRd/Sp2ms — Preposition · suffixHRd/Sp2ms
סוּס (sus) refers to both a 'swallow' and a 'horse,' derived from a root meaning to skip or leap. The word captures the swift nature of both the bird and the animal, often associated with chariot horses in the context of the Old Testament. There is a note in the entries about a comparison with another Hebrew word, but no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
סוּס n.[m.] swallow or swift
base
סוּס 138 n.m. horse
base
H5483a סוּס swallow or swift H5483b סוּס horse
5483 cuwc soos
or cuc {soos}; from an unused root meaning to skip (properly,
for joy); a horse (as leaping); also a swallow (from its rapid
flight):--crane, horse((-back, -hoof)). Compare 6571.
see HEBREW for 06571
סוּס (sus) — swallow.
swallow, swift
סוּס (sus) — Horse (Gate).
This name means horse
סוּס (sus) — horse.
1) horse
1a) chariot horses
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
hors:
1. Names:
The common names are (1) cuc, and
(2) hippos.
(3) The word parash, "horseman," occurs often, and in several cases is translated "horse" or "warhorse" (Isa 28:28; Eze 27:14; Joe 2:4 the Revised Version, margin); also in 2Sa 16, where the "horsemen" of English Versions of the Bible is ba`ale ha-parashim, "owners of horses"; compare Arabic faris, "horseman," and faras, "horse".
(4) The feminine form cucah, occurs in So 1:9, and is rendered as follows: Septuagint he hippos; Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) equitatum; the King James Version "company of horses," the Revised Version (British and American) "steed." It is not clear why English Versions of the…
Horse
Always referred to in the Bible in connection with warlike operations, except Isa. 28:28. The war-horse is described Job 39:19-25. For a long period after their settlement in Canaan the Israelites made no use of horses, according to the prohibition, Deut. 17:16. David was the first to form a force of cavalry (2 Sam. 8:4). But Solomon, from his connection with Egypt, greatly multiplied their number (1 Kings 4:26; 10:26, 29). After this, horses were freely used in Israel (1 Kings 22:4; 2 Kings 3:7; 9:21, 33…
The most striking feature in the biblical notices of the horse is the exclusive application of it to warlike operations; in no instance is that useful animal employed for the purposes of ordinary locomotion or agriculture, if we except (Isaiah 28:28) The animated description of the horse in (Job 39:19-25) applies solely to the war-horse. The Hebrews in the patriarchal age, as a pastoral race, did not stand in need of the services Of the horse, and for a long period after their settlement in Canaan they dispensed with it, partly in consequence of the hilly nature of the country, which only admitted of the use of chariots in certain localities, (Judges 1:19) and partly in consequence to the prohibition in (17:16) which would be held to apply at all periods. David first established…
רָכַב (rakab) is a Hebrew verb meaning to ride, mount, or sit upon something, typically an animal or vehicle. It can also imply causing someone or something to ride or draw, as in plowing. The entries highlight its use in various forms, including a participle for 'rider' and figurative expressions.
רָכַב vb. mount and ride, ride
Qal
mount, mount and sit or ride
ride, be riding
pt., as subst., rider
Hiph.
cause to (mount and) ride
cause to draw (plough, etc.)
fig. cause hand to ride upon (grasp) bow
base
H7392 רָכַב mount and ride, ride .. mount, mount and sit or ride
. ride, be riding
. pt., as subst., rider
. . cause to (mount and) ride
. cause to draw (plough, etc.)
. fig. cause hand to ride upon (grasp) bow
7392 rakab raw-kab'
a primitive root; to ride (on an animal or in a vehicle);
causatively, to place upon (for riding or generally), to
despatch:--bring (on (horse-)back), carry, get (oneself) up,
on (horse-)back, put, (cause to, make to) ride (in a chariot,
on, -r), set.
רָכַב (ra.khav) — to ride.
1) to mount and ride, ride
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to mount, mount and sit or ride
1a2) to ride, be riding
1a3) rider (subst)
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to cause to ride, cause to (mount and) ride
1b2) to cause to draw (plough, etc)
1b3) to cause to ride upon (fig)
Conj | V-Qal | Suff — Conjunction · verb qal participle (active) masculine singular common · suffixHC/Vqrmsc/Sp3ms
נָפַץ (naphats) is a Hebrew verb meaning to shatter or disperse. It encompasses actions such as breaking into pieces, scattering, and pulverizing. The word appears in various forms, including Qal (to shatter), Piel (to dash to pieces), and Pual (to pulverize). The entries do not indicate any significant disagreement among the lexicons.
[נָפַץ] vb. shatter
Qal and a shattering (= and shattered) the jars
Pi. dash to pieces
Pu. like chalk-stones pulverized.
base
נָפַץ vb. disperse, be scattered
base
H5310a נָפַץ shatter H5310b נָפַץ disperse, be scattered
5310 naphats naw-fats'
a primitive root; to dash to pieces, or scatter:--be beaten
in sunder, break (in pieces), broken, dash (in pieces), cause
to be discharged, dispersed, be overspread, scatter.
נָפַץ (na.phats) — to shatter.
1) to shatter, break, dash, beat in pieces
1a)(Qal)
1a1) to shatter
1a2) shattering (infinitive)
1b) (Piel) to dash to pieces
1c) (Pual) to pulverise
נָפַץ (na.phats) — to disperse.
1) be scattered
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to be scattered
1a2) dispersed (participle)
Conj | V-Piel-1cs — Verb · Piel · sequential perfect first person common singularHc/Vpq1cs
ךָּ (ka) — you.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 2nd person masculine singular
HRd/Sp2ms — Preposition · suffixHRd/Sp2ms
רֶ֫כֶב (rekeb) refers to a chariot or vehicle, and can also denote a team of horses, cavalry, or riders. It is associated with the upper millstone, implying a connection to movement or transport. The term encompasses various meanings, including chariotry, individual chariots, and groups of horsemen.
רֶ֫כֶב 120 n.m. chariotry, chariot, mill-stone; appar. also riders
base
H7393 רֶ֫כֶב chariotry, chariot, mill-stone; appar. also riders
7393 rekeb reh'-keb
from 7392; a vehicle; by implication, a team; by extension,
cavalry; by analogy a rider, i.e. the upper
millstone:--chariot, (upper) millstone, multitude (from the
margin), wagon.
see HEBREW for 07392
רֶ֫כֶב (re.khev) — chariot.
: chariot
1) a team, chariot, chariotry, mill-stone, riders
1a) chariotry, chariots
1b) chariot (single)
1c) upper millstone (as riding on lower millstone)
1d) riders, troop (of riders), horsemen, pair of horsemen, men riding, ass-riders, camel-riders
Also means: re.khev (רֶ֫כֶב ": millstone" H7393H)
רֶ֫כֶב (re.khev) — chariot: millstone.
: millstone
1) a team, chariot, chariotry, mill-stone, riders
1a) chariotry, chariots
1b) chariot (single)
1c) upper millstone (as riding on lower millstone)
1d) riders, troop (of riders), horsemen, pair of horsemen, men riding, ass-riders, camel-riders
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
רָכַב (rakab) is a Hebrew verb meaning to ride, mount, or sit upon something, typically an animal or vehicle. It can also imply causing someone or something to ride or draw, as in plowing. The entries highlight its use in various forms, including a participle for 'rider' and figurative expressions.
רָכַב vb. mount and ride, ride
Qal
mount, mount and sit or ride
ride, be riding
pt., as subst., rider
Hiph.
cause to (mount and) ride
cause to draw (plough, etc.)
fig. cause hand to ride upon (grasp) bow
base
H7392 רָכַב mount and ride, ride .. mount, mount and sit or ride
. ride, be riding
. pt., as subst., rider
. . cause to (mount and) ride
. cause to draw (plough, etc.)
. fig. cause hand to ride upon (grasp) bow
7392 rakab raw-kab'
a primitive root; to ride (on an animal or in a vehicle);
causatively, to place upon (for riding or generally), to
despatch:--bring (on (horse-)back), carry, get (oneself) up,
on (horse-)back, put, (cause to, make to) ride (in a chariot,
on, -r), set.
רָכַב (ra.khav) — to ride.
1) to mount and ride, ride
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to mount, mount and sit or ride
1a2) to ride, be riding
1a3) rider (subst)
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to cause to ride, cause to (mount and) ride
1b2) to cause to draw (plough, etc)
1b3) to cause to ride upon (fig)
Conj | V-Qal | Suff — Conjunction · verb qal participle (active) masculine singular common · suffixHC/Vqrmsc/Sp3ms