Focused Passage

Jeremiah 51:1-4

Babylon Sunk: The LORD’s Vengeance, Israel’s Deliverance, and the Stone Cast into the Euphrates

The chapter moves from the LORD stirring up destroyers against Babylon, to the command for Israel to flee, to Babylon’s image as a shattered golden cup, to the LORD’s vengeance for Zion, to a creation-theology contrast between the LORD and idols, to Babylon as the LORD’s war club now judged, to repeated announcements of Babylon’s desolation, to pastoral exhortations for exiles not to lose heart, and finally to Seraiah’s symbolic sinking of the scroll in the Euphrates.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1 This is what the LORD says: “Behold, I will stir up against Babylon and against the people of Leb-kamai the spirit of a destroyer.

2 I will send strangers to Babylon to winnow her and empty her land; for they will come against her from every side in her day of disaster.

3 Do not let the archer bend his bow or put on his armor. Do not spare her young men; devote all her army to destruction!

4 And they will fall slain in the land of the Chaldeans, and pierced through in her streets.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Cross-references

Hosea 4:19 Classic cross-references Amos 3:6 Classic cross-references Hosea 13:15 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 4:11 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 50:1 Classic cross-references

Original words

This is what כֹּ֚ה H3541 Adverb the LORD יְהוָ֔ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular says אָמַ֣ר H559 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Behold הִנְנִי֙ H2005 Interjection | first person common singular I will stir up מֵעִ֣יר H5782 Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular against עַל־ H5921 Preposition Babylon בָּבֶ֔ל H894 Noun - proper - feminine singular and against וְאֶל־ H413 Conjunctive waw | Preposition the people יֹשְׁבֵ֖י H3427 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct of Leb-kamai לֵ֣ב H3820 Noun - proper - feminine singular . . . קָמָ֑י H6965 Verb the spirit ר֖וּחַ H7307 Noun - common singular of a destroyer מַשְׁחִֽית׃ H7843 Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular

BSB notes

Leb-kamai is a code name for Chaldea, that is, Babylonia.

Verse 2

Cross-references

Matthew 3:12 Classic cross-references Isaiah 41:16 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 15:7 Classic cross-references

Original words

I will send וְשִׁלַּחְתִּ֨י H7971 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular strangers זָרִים֙ H2114 Adjective - masculine plural to Babylon לְבָבֶ֤ל׀ H894 Preposition-l | Noun - proper - feminine singular to winnow her וְזֵר֔וּהָ H2219 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural | third person feminine singular and empty וִיבֹקְק֖וּ H1238 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural her אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker land אַרְצָ֑הּ H776 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular for כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction they will come הָי֥וּ H1961 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural against her עָלֶ֛יהָ H5921 Preposition | third person feminine singular from every side מִסָּבִ֖יב H5439 Preposition-m | Adverb in her day בְּי֥וֹם H3117 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct of disaster רָעָֽה׃ H7451 Noun - feminine singular

Verse 3

Cross-references

Jeremiah 50:14 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 46:4 Classic cross-references Isaiah 14:22 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 50:21 Classic cross-references

Original words

- אֶֽל־ H413 Preposition Do not let the archer יִדְרֹ֤ךְ H1869 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular bend הַדֹּרֵךְ֙ H1869 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular his bow קַשְׁתּ֔וֹ H7198 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular [or] יִתְעַ֖ל H5927 Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person masculine singular put on his armor בְּסִרְיֹנ֑וֹ H5630 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular . . . וְאַֽל־ H408 Conjunctive waw | Adverb Do not וְאֶל־ H413 Conjunctive waw | Preposition spare תַּחְמְלוּ֙ H2550 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural . . . אֶל־ H413 Preposition her young men בַּ֣חֻרֶ֔יהָ H970 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular devote הַחֲרִ֖ימוּ H2763 Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural all כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct her army {to destruction} צְבָאָֽהּ׃ H6635 Noun - common singular construct | third person feminine singular

BSB notes

Forms of the Hebrew cherem refer to the giving over of things or persons to the LORD, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering.

Verse 4

Cross-references

Jeremiah 49:26 Classic cross-references Isaiah 13:15 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 50:30 Classic cross-references Isaiah 14:19 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 50:37 Classic cross-references

Original words

And they will fall וְנָפְל֥וּ H5307 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural slain חֲלָלִ֖ים H2491 Noun - masculine plural in the land בְּאֶ֣רֶץ H776 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct of the Chaldeans כַּשְׂדִּ֑ים H3778 Noun - proper - masculine plural and pierced through וּמְדֻקָּרִ֖ים H1856 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Pual - Participle - masculine plural in her streets בְּחוּצוֹתֶֽיהָ׃ H2351 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular

BSB notes

That is, the Babylonians; also in verse 54

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