'Afar' in the Bible
“Behold, I am bringing a nation against you from afar, O house of Israel,” declares the Lord.“It is an enduring nation,It is an ancient nation,A nation whose language you do not know,Nor can you understand what they say.
‘Fear not, O Jacob My servant,’ declares the Lord,‘And do not be dismayed, O Israel;For behold, I will save you from afarAnd your offspring from the land of their captivity.And Jacob will return and will be quiet and at ease,And no one will make him afraid.
The Lord appeared to him from afar, saying,“I have loved you with an everlasting love;Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.
Hear the word of the Lord, O nations,And declare in the coastlands afar off,And say, “He who scattered Israel will gather himAnd keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.”
“But as for you, O Jacob My servant, do not fear,Nor be dismayed, O Israel!For, see, I am going to save you from afar,And your descendants from the land of their captivity;And Jacob will return and be undisturbedAnd secure, with no one making him tremble.
You who have escaped the sword,Depart! Do not stay!Remember the Lord from afar,And let Jerusalem come to your mind.