Focused Passage

Jeremiah 51:11-14

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

11 Sharpen the arrows! Fill the quivers! The LORD has aroused the spirit of the kings of the Medes, because His plan is aimed at Babylon to destroy her, for it is the vengeance of the LORD—vengeance for His temple.

12 Raise a banner against the walls of Babylon; post the guard; station the watchmen; prepare the ambush. For the LORD has both devised and accomplished what He spoke against the people of Babylon.

13 You who dwell by many waters, rich in treasures, your end has come; the thread of your life is cut.

14 The LORD of Hosts has sworn by Himself: “Surely I will fill you up with men as with locusts, and they will shout in triumph over you.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 11

Cross-references

Isaiah 13:17 Classic cross-references Isaiah 45:1 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 46:4 Classic cross-references Nahum 2:1 Classic cross-references Isaiah 21:5 Classic cross-references

Original words

Sharpen הָבֵ֣רוּ H1305 Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural the arrows הַחִצִּים֮ H2671 Article | Noun - masculine plural Fill מִלְא֣וּ H4390 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural the quivers הַשְּׁלָטִים֒ H7982 Article | Noun - masculine plural The LORD יְהוָ֗ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular has aroused הֵעִ֣יר H5782 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the spirit ר֙וּחַ֙ H7307 Noun - common singular construct of the kings מַלְכֵ֣י H4428 Noun - masculine plural construct of the Medes מָדַ֔י H4074 Noun - proper - masculine singular because כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction His plan מְזִמָּת֖וֹ H4209 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular is aimed at עַל־ H5921 Preposition Babylon בָּבֶ֥ל H894 Noun - proper - feminine singular to destroy her לְהַשְׁחִיתָ֑הּ H7843 Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singular for כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction it הִ֔יא H1931 Pronoun - third person feminine singular [is] the vengeance נִקְמַ֤ת H5360 Noun - feminine singular construct of the LORD יְהוָה֙ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular vengeance נִקְמַ֖ת H5360 Noun - feminine singular construct for His temple הֵיכָלֽוֹ׃ H1964 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular

BSB notes

LXX and some translations of the Hebrew; literally Fill the hand with the shields! or Take up the shields!

Verse 12

Cross-references

Psalms 127:1 Classic cross-references Isaiah 13:2 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 51:11 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 51:27 Classic cross-references Ezekiel 38:7 Classic cross-references

Original words

Raise שְׂאוּ־ H5375 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural a banner נֵ֗ס H5251 Noun - masculine singular against אֶל־ H413 Preposition the walls חוֹמֹ֨ת H2346 Noun - feminine plural construct of Babylon בָּבֶ֜ל H894 Noun - proper - feminine singular post הַחֲזִ֙יקוּ֙ H2388 Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural the guard הַמִּשְׁמָ֔ר H4929 Article | Noun - masculine singular station הָקִ֙ימוּ֙ H6965 Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural the watchmen שֹֽׁמְרִ֔ים H8104 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural prepare הָכִ֖ינוּ H3559 Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural the ambush הָאֹֽרְבִ֑ים H693 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural For כִּ֚י H3588 Conjunction the LORD יְהוָ֔ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular has both גַּם־ H1571 Conjunction devised זָמַ֣ם H2161 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular and גַּם־ H1571 Conjunction accomplished עָשָׂ֕ה H6213 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular - אֵ֥ת H853 Direct object marker what אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative He spoke דִּבֶּ֖ר H1696 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular against אֶל־ H413 Preposition the people יֹשְׁבֵ֥י H3427 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct of Babylon בָבֶֽל׃ H894 Noun - proper - feminine singular

Verse 13

Cross-references

Revelation 17:1 Classic cross-references Revelation 17:15 Classic cross-references Isaiah 27:1 Classic cross-references Isaiah 45:3 Classic cross-references Genesis 6:13 Classic cross-references

Original words

You who dwell שֹׁכַנְתִּי H7931 Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular construct by עַל־ H5921 Preposition many רַבִּ֔ים H7227 Adjective - masculine plural waters מַ֣יִם H4325 Noun - masculine plural rich רַבַּ֖ת H7227 Adjective - feminine singular construct in treasures אֽוֹצָרֹ֑ת H214 Noun - masculine plural your end קִצֵּ֖ךְ H7093 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person feminine singular has come בָּ֥א H935 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular the thread of your life אַמַּ֥ת H520 Noun - feminine singular construct is cut בִּצְעֵֽךְ׃ H1215 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person feminine singular

Verse 14

Cross-references

Amos 6:8 Classic cross-references Genesis 22:16 Classic cross-references Joel 1:4 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 49:13 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 50:15 Classic cross-references

Original words

The LORD יְהוָ֥ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular of Hosts צְבָא֖וֹת H6635 Noun - common plural has sworn נִשְׁבַּ֛ע H7650 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular by Himself בְּנַפְשׁ֑וֹ H5315 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular Surely כִּ֣י H3588 Conjunction . . . אִם־ H518 Conjunction I will fill you up מִלֵּאתִ֤יךְ H4390 Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singular | second person feminine singular with men אָדָם֙ H120 Noun - masculine singular as with locusts כַּיֶּ֔לֶק H3218 Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular and they will shout in triumph וְעָנ֥וּ H6030 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural . . . הֵידָֽד׃ס H1959 Noun - masculine singular over you עָלַ֖יִךְ H5921 Preposition | second person feminine singular

Read full chapter context All Jeremiah chapters

<- Jeremiah 50 Jeremiah 51 Jeremiah 52 ->