Jeremiah Chapter 51 — The Judgment of Babylon
Jeremiah 51 delivers a powerful prophecy concerning the total destruction of Babylon and the ultimate restoration of Israel and Judah.
1The LORD says:
2I will send to Babylon strangers, who will winnow her.
3Against him who bends, let the archer bend his bow,
4They will fall down slain in the land of the Chaldeans,
5For Israel is not forsaken, nor Judah, by his God,
6“Flee out of the middle of Babylon!
7Babylon has been a golden cup in the LORD’s hand,
8Babylon has suddenly fallen and been destroyed!
9“We would have healed Babylon,
10‘The LORD has produced our righteousness.
11“Make the arrows sharp!
12Set up a standard against the walls of Babylon!
13You who dwell on many waters, abundant in treasures,
14The LORD of Armies has sworn by himself, saying,
15“He has made the earth by his power.
16When he utters his voice,
17“Every man has become stupid and without knowledge.
18They are vanity,
19The portion of Jacob is not like these,
20“You are my battle ax and weapons of war.
21With you I will break in pieces
22With you I will break in pieces
23With you I will break in pieces
24“I will give to Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Zion in your sight,” says the LORD.
25“Behold, I am against you, destroying mountain,” says the LORD,
26They won’t take a cornerstone from you,
27“Set up a standard in the land!
28Prepare against her the nations,
29The land trembles and is in pain;
30The mighty men of Babylon have stopped fighting,
31One runner will run to meet another,
32So the passages are seized.
33For the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel says:
34“Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon has devoured me.
35May the violence done to me and to my flesh be on Babylon!”
36Therefore the LORD says:
37Babylon will become heaps,
38They will roar together like young lions.
39When they are inflamed, I will make their feast,
40“I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter,
41“How Sheshach is taken!
42The sea has come up on Babylon.
43Her cities have become a desolation,
44I will execute judgment on Bel in Babylon,
45“My people, go away from the middle of her,
46Don’t let your heart faint.
47Therefore behold, the days come that I will execute judgment on the engraved images of Babylon;
48Then the heavens and the earth,
49“As Babylon has caused the slain of Israel to fall,
50You who have escaped the sword, go!
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Jeremiah 51:5
“For Israel is not forsaken, nor Judah, by his God, the LORD of Armies, though their land is full of guilt against the Holy One of Israel.”
This verse emphasizes God's enduring commitment to His people despite their previous sins.
Jeremiah 51:15
“He has made the earth by his power. He has established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding he has stretched out the heavens.”
It affirms God's authority as Creator, establishing the basis for His right to judge the nations.
Jeremiah 51:64
“Then you shall say, ‘Thus will Babylon sink, and will not rise again because of the evil that I will bring on her; and they will be weary.’”
This concludes the prophecy with a final, symbolic declaration of Babylon's permanent downfall.
Chapter Summary
Jeremiah 51 serves as a concluding prophecy against the empire of Babylon. The text describes how God will send 'winnowers' to scatter the nation that once served as His instrument of judgment. Though Babylon was described as a 'golden cup' in the LORD's hand, it is now destined for sudden destruction and permanent desolation. The chapter contrasts the living God, who created the earth by His power, with the vanity of man-made idols. Babylon is characterized as a 'destroying mountain' that will be leveled. Near the end of the chapter, Jeremiah gives specific instructions to Seraiah, a chief quartermaster traveling to Babylon. Seraiah is told to read the prophecy aloud in the city and then tie a stone to the scroll, casting it into the Euphrates River. This symbolic act represents Babylon sinking into the depths of history, never to rise again because of the evil it committed against Zion.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Euphrates is where the scroll containing the prophecy was cast after being read. This symbolic act represented the sinking and permanent end of the Babylonian empire.
In verse 7, Babylon is described as a golden cup that made the whole earth drunk. This indicates that Babylon was used by God as a vessel to distribute His wrath to other nations before it was judged itself.
Seraiah was the son of Neriah and a chief quartermaster for King Zedekiah. Jeremiah entrusted him with the scroll of prophecy to be delivered and read aloud in Babylon.
Study Note
The command to sink the scroll in the Euphrates is one of several 'sign acts' in the book of Jeremiah where physical actions reinforce the prophetic message.
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