Behold I will bring upon you a nation from afar, O house of Israel, saith the Lord: a strong nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou shalt not know, nor understand what they say.
הִנְנִ֣י מֵבִיא֩ עֲלֵיכֶ֨ם גּ֧וֹי מִמֶּרְחָ֛ק בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה גּ֣וֹי ׀ אֵיתָ֣ן ה֗וּא גּ֤וֹי מֵעוֹלָם֙ ה֔וּא גּ֚וֹי לֹא־תֵדַ֣ע לְשֹׁנ֔וֹ וְלֹ֥א תִשְׁמַ֖ע מַה־יְדַבֵּֽר׃
4 Church Fathers comment on this verse
I will provide you with a distant voice. In the same way, through prayer, they will not achieve any grace. The expressions and antiquity reveal that this people are both venerable and apprehensive, and that they do not approach willingly, for at such a moment, they could neither be soothed nor depart once more.
Due to your refusal to heed the prophets and your disregard for my goodness, I will send disaster upon you, unlike anything that has occurred before, not from neighboring nations like Aram and Egypt, but from distant lands to the north. I will bring against you a powerful and seasoned language, from a Chaldean people who have been trained in warfare and harsh words since the days of the fisherman Nimrod.
Consider this: The LORD declares, O house of Israel, I will bring upon you a distant nation, a formidable and ancient people, whose language you will not comprehend, nor will you grasp their speech. Their arrows are like an open grave; they are valiant men. They will consume your harvest and your sustenance; they will devour your sons and daughters, and your flocks and herds; they will swallow up your vineyards and fig trees, and will lay waste to your fortified cities, in which you place your confidence, with the sword. Nevertheless, says the Lord, I will not utterly destroy you.
A short time later, the prophets will mislead you, thinking they speak in vain, but behold, I will bring upon you the nation of Babylon, which shall come from afar, a powerful nation, ancient in lineage, once ruled by the mighty Nimrod (Gen. 10:10). Your language will be unknown to you, or as the Hebrew indicates, you shall not understand their words; for it is a comfort in times of trouble when your adversaries can be approached and comprehend your pleas. Furthermore, their quiver is as an open grave, a detail absent from the Septuagint.
In regard to Babylonian armaments, it is evident that the Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes, and Persians excelled in archery. Alongside this, he illustrates the devastation of Judah, the slaughter of many, the pillaging of livestock, and the ruin of cities and their fortifications, emphasizing that nothing will be spared by the enemy's sword. Yet in the face of such profound tragedies, God shall not bring complete destruction but will preserve a remnant: those taken to Babylon who are later released to restore the land of Judah, and those who endure the flames of persecution, whether through exile or steadfast confession, who maintain their faith in the Lord.
Consider, I will bring upon you a distant tongue, O house of Israel, declares the Lord, an ancient language. He comprehends the Assyrians; he refers to them as 'an ancient tongue': for their kingdom is the most ancient of all; Nimrod was the first to rule among them after the flood. He then states that his speech is also foreign, comparing his quiver (Jeremiah 2:16) to an 'open tomb,' due to the lethality of the arrows and the precision of the aim. He speaks of the desolation of the land, the plundering of the homes, and the beating of the people. However, he also prophesies the downfall of the enemies and the restoration of the Jews. For he proclaims:
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS