The whole city shall flee for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen; they shall go into thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every city shall be forsaken, and not a man dwell therein.
The entire city will run away when they hear the sound of soldiers on horses and archers with bows. The people will hide in thick bushes and climb up on rocky cliffs. Every city will be abandoned, with no one left living there.
God is describing how the people will flee in terror from invading armies, leaving their cities completely empty and abandoned.
📚 Historical Context
During the time of the prophet Jeremiah, around the 6th century BC, the nation of Judah was facing imminent invasion by the Babylonian army as a consequence of their persistent idolatry and disobedience to God. Jeremiah's prophecies served as a divine warning to the people, urging them to repent amid the rising threat of destruction and exile. In this verse, he vividly describes the panic of the inhabitants fleeing to remote areas as enemy forces approached, symbolizing the broader judgment on a wayward society.
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