8 A nation from the north refers to Medo-Persia which at the time of the conquest of Babylon in 539 b.c. had conquered all the nations to the north, the northwest, and the northeast of Babylon forming a vast empire to the north and east of Babylon. Contingents of these many nations were included in her army and reference is made to them in 50:9 and 51:27–28. There is also some irony involved here because the “enemy from the north” referred to so often in Jeremiah (cf. 1:14; 4:6; 6:1) has been identified with Babylon (cf. 25:9). Here in a kind of talionic justice Judah’s nemesis from the north will be attacked and devastated by an enemy from the north.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“For out of the north a nation has come up against her, which shall make her land a desolation, and none shall dwell in it; both man and beast shall flee away.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

A nation from the north will attack her

and lay waste her land.

No one will live in it;

both people and animals will flee away.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

For a nation from the north will attack her;

it will make her land desolate.

No one will be living in it—

both people and animals will escape.

NLTNew Living Translation

For a nation will attack her from the north

and bring such destruction that no one will live there again.

Everything will be gone;

both people and animals will flee.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

For a nation will come up against her from the north.

It will make her land as a horror,

and an inhabitant will not be in her.

From humans to animals they all will wander off.

They will go away.

KJV 1900King James Version

For out of the north there cometh up a nation against her,

Which shall make her land desolate,

And none shall dwell therein:

They shall remove, they shall depart, both man and beast.

Public Domain