Jeremiah 51:3

Against him that bendeth let the archer bend his bow, and against him that lifteth himself up in his brigandine: and spare ye not her young men; destroy ye utterly all her host.

Cross-reference

Jeremiah 50:14 commands archers to shoot at Babylon without sparing arrows, echoing the call here not to let the archer hold back.

Jeremiah 50:21 commands 'utterly destroy' Babylon — it is the same divine commission against the same city.

Jeremiah 50:27 commands slaughter of Babylon's 'bulls' (leaders), paralleling the command to destroy her army here.

Jeremiah 50:30 prophesies that Babylon's young men will fall, exactly what the command here seeks to accomplish.

The invaders from the north in Jeremiah 50:41 are the archers commanded to attack Babylon here.

Jeremiah 50:42 provides more detail on the archers—holding bow and spear, cruel—fulfilling the command here.

Jeremiah 9:21 describes death coming to Judah's young men, similar to the command to destroy Babylon's young men here.

Deuteronomy 32:25 Related theme

Deuteronomy 32:25 describes judgment that spares no age group — 'young man and virgin' echoes the command not to spare Babylon's young men.

Psalm 137:9 Parallel

Psalm 137:9 depicts dashing Babylon's infants — it extends the destruction of Babylon's young beyond the young men commanded here.

Isaiah 13:10-18 describes Babylon's fall including dashed infants — it echoes the same total destruction of Babylon's young.

Isaiah 13:15 says everyone found in Babylon will be thrust through — it generalizes the destruction to all, not just young men.

Isaiah 14:22 declares God will cut off Babylon's remnant and offspring — it reinforces the 'spare not' of the young.

Isaiah 21:2 Historical context

Isaiah 21:2 calls Media and Elam to besiege Babylon — it provides the historical agency for the archers and armor in the main verse.