Bible Strands
Jeremiah 46:3
“Deploy your shields, small and large; advance for battle!
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The prophet delivers an oracle concerning the army of Pharaoh Neco, directing the mobilization command to that military force at the moment of impending conflict.
The words — עִרְכ֤וּ ('ir.khu) means "set in order" or "prepare," and מָגֵן (ma.gen) translates directly to "shield."
The thread — The imperative to prepare for combat aligns with parallel military mobilization language in Isaiah 21:5, Jeremiah 51:11, and Joel 3:9.
Why it lands — The text explicitly commands the ordering of shields and the advance for battle. The passage asks readers to note the deliberate human preparation for war before the oracle records the army's actual defeat.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Order ye the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle.
Cross-references
- Isaiah 21:5 They prepare a table, they lay out a carpet, they eat, they drink! Rise up, O princes, oil the shields!
- Jeremiah 51:11 Sharpen the arrows! Fill the quivers! The LORD has aroused the spirit of the kings of the Medes, because His plan is aimed at Babylon to destroy her, for it is the vengeance of the LORD—vengeance for His temple.
- Joel 3:9 Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war; rouse the mighty men; let all the men of war advance and attack!
- Nahum 2:1 One who scatters advances against you, O Nineveh. Guard the fortress! Watch the road! Brace yourselves! Summon all your strength!
- Nahum 3:14 Draw your water for the siege; strengthen your fortresses. Work the clay and tread the mortar; repair the brick kiln!
- Isaiah 8:9 Huddle together, O peoples, and be shattered; pay attention, all you distant lands; prepare for battle, and be shattered; prepare for battle, and be shattered!