Jeremiah 5:16

Jer 5:16 Their quiver [is] as an open sepulchre, they [are] all mighty men.

Ver. 16. Their quiver is an open sepulchre.] As holding arrows that wound deadly, and that shall despatch many, being drenched in their gall.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

5:16-17 The soldiers of the well-trained and well-equipped Babylonian army treated their victims viciously and destroyed everything of value in the lands they conquered (cp. Hab 1:6-10).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Who shall kill many with their arrows.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

open sepulchre--(Compare Psa 5:9). Their quiver is all-devouring, as the grave opened to receive the dead: as many as are the arrows, so many are the deaths.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 16. Their quiver is an open sepulchre] They are such exact archers as never to miss their mark; every arrow is sure to slay one man.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The Prophet had already threatened the Jews with the vengeance of God, and had said that the ministers and executioners of it would be the Chaldeans: he now continues the same subject, and says that their quiver would be like an open sepulcher The nations of the East, we know, made much use of arrows and darts, for they had no pitched battles; but they pretended a flight, and then suddenly turning, they hurled their darts and arrows against their enemies. The Prophet then had a regard to this mode of fighting, when he says that their quivers would be like open sepulchres. It may seem at first sight an unnatural comparison; but it is the same as though he had said, that they would be so skillful in throwing arrows as to destroy all who met them.

And he adds, that they would be all strong, that the people might know that it would not be a slight conflict: in short, it is the same as though he had said, that this war would be a certain ruin to the Jews, in which they should all perish. He afterwards adds —

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(16) An open sepulchre.—Every arrow in the quivers of the Chaldæan bowmen was to be as a messenger of death, a blast or pestilence from the grave.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

16. Their quiver is an open sepulchre] Their arrows are deadly. Cp. Psa_5:9.

Their quiver] Cp. Jer_4:29 (“bowmen”).

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Their quiver is an open sepulchre,.... The Chaldeans used bows and arrows in fighting; and the quiver is a case for arrows; and the phrase denotes, that their arrows would do great execution, and be very mortal; so that a quiver of them would be as devouring as an open grave, into which many dead are cast. The Septuagint and Arabic versions have not this clause; and the Syriac version renders it, "whose throats are as open sepulchres"; see Rom 3:13,

they are all mighty men; strong in body, of bold and courageous spirits, expert in war, and ever victorious; so that there was no hope of being delivered out of their hands.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Their quiver - See Jer 4:29, note.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Quiver; collectively expressed for quivers; a synecdoche for the whole military preparations, and a metonymy of the containing for the contained, viz. the arrows that will be shot out of them, called the sons of the quiver, Lam 3:13; bow and arrow being the chief weapons for war in those countries, and in those days.

Is an open sepulchre; a proverbial speech, Psa 5:9, relating to the dreadful havoc and destruction that will be made, devouring the living as the grave doth the dead, or making work for the greedy, devouring grave, that never saith it hath enough, Pro 1:12. Or, they shall destroy many with one quiver, as one grave will swallow many dead, which may note their skill, and the success they shall have, few of their arrows shall fail of doing execution.

They are all mighty men; these Chaldeans are all men of valour, fit for warriors.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

16. Their quiver is as an open sepulchre — Some conjecture this language to be used in allusion to the shape of the quiver; others, with a more delicate poetical sensibility, say, Because filled with death-dealing weapons, so that to see it is to see an open grave. The bowmen of the Assyrian, and probably also of the Babylonian, army, were especially formidable. (See LAYARD’S Monuments of Assyria.)

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Their quiver. (See on Jer_4:29) As an open sepulcher; i.e. furnished with deadly arrows, "fiery darts." So the psalmist, of the "throat" of deceitful persecutors. (Psa_5:9)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Connecting Statement:

Yahweh continues to speak to the people of Israel.

Its quiver ... They are all soldiers

Here "Its quiver" represents the enemy nation's army, and the arrows in the quiver represent the soldiers in the army. (See: Metonymy)

quiver

a container for holding arrows

Its quiver is like an open tomb

An open tomb is one that is prepared to have many dead bodies put in it. The enemy army will kill many people. AT: "That nation's army will use their arrows and kill many people" or "Because of the arrows of its army, many people will die and be buried" (See: Simile)

So your harvest will be consumed, your sons and daughters also, and your food

Possible meanings are that 1) their harvest and their food that was for their sons and daughters would be consumed. AT: "So your harvest and your food for your sons and daughters will be consumed" or 2) their harvest, sons and daughters, and food would all be consumed. The idea of the sons and daughters being "consumed" would be a metaphor for killed. AT: "So your harvest and your food will be consumed, and your sons and daughters will be killed" (See: Metaphor)

So your harvest will be consumed

This can be translated in active form. AT: "So the army of that nation will eat the food that you expected to harvest" (See: Active or Passive)

your sons and daughters also, and your food

Possible meanings are that 1) the enemies would eat the food that the sons and daughters should eat, or 2) the enemies will destroy the sons and daughters and eat the food.

They will eat

The word "They" refers to the army of that nation.

They will beat down with a sword your fortified cities

The sword is a synecdoche for all of the different weapons that people use in war. AT: "They will use their weapons to conquer your strong cities that you trusted to protect you" (See: Synecdoche)

your fortified cities

Fortified cities had a wall around them to protect the people inside from their enemies outside.

that you trusted in

"that you thought were strong enough to keep you safe"

translationWords

grave

harvest

consume

flocks

cow

fruit

fig

sword

trust

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

His quiver Heb. אשפתו. The place of the arrow case.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.