Focused Passage

Jeremiah 51:15-19

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

15 The LORD made the earth by His power; He established the world by His wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His understanding.

16 When He thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth. He generates the lightning with the rain and brings forth the wind from His storehouses.

17 Every man is senseless and devoid of knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols. For his molten images are a fraud, and there is no breath in them.

18 They are worthless, a work to be mocked. In the time of their punishment they will perish.

19 The Portion of Jacob is not like these, for He is the Maker of all things, and of the tribe of His inheritance—the LORD of Hosts is His name.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 15

Original words

[The LORD] made עֹשֵׂ֥ה H6213 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct the earth אֶ֙רֶץ֙ H776 Noun - feminine singular by His power בְּכֹח֔וֹ H3581 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular He established מֵכִ֥ין H3559 Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular construct the world תֵּבֵ֖ל H8398 Noun - feminine singular by His wisdom בְּחָכְמָת֑וֹ H2451 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular and stretched out נָטָ֥ה H5186 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular the heavens שָׁמָֽיִם׃ H8064 Noun - masculine plural by His understanding וּבִתְבוּנָת֖וֹ H8394 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 16

Original words

When He thunders לְק֨וֹל H6963 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct . . . תִּתּ֜וֹ H5414 Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular the waters מַ֙יִם֙ H4325 Noun - masculine plural in the heavens בַּשָּׁמַ֔יִם H8064 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural roar הֲמ֥וֹן H1995 Noun - masculine singular construct He causes the clouds נְשִׂאִ֖ים H5387 Noun - masculine plural to rise וַיַּ֥עַל H5927 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular from the ends מִקְצֵה־ H7097 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct of the earth אָ֑רֶץ H776 Noun - feminine singular He generates עָשָׂ֔ה H6213 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular the lightning בְּרָקִ֤ים H1300 Noun - masculine plural with the rain לַמָּטָר֙ H4306 Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular and brings forth וַיֹּ֥צֵא H3318 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular the wind ר֖וּחַ H7307 Noun - common singular from His storehouses מֵאֹצְרֹתָֽיו׃ H214 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 17

Original words

Every כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct man אָדָם֙ H120 Noun - masculine singular is senseless נִבְעַ֤ר H1197 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular and devoid of knowledge מִדַּ֔עַת H1847 Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular every כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct goldsmith צֹרֵ֖ף H6884 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular is put to shame הֹבִ֥ישׁ H954 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular by his idols מִפָּ֑סֶל H6459 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular For כִּ֛י H3588 Conjunction his molten images נִסְכּ֖וֹ H5262 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular are a fraud שֶׁ֥קֶר H8267 Noun - masculine singular and [there is] no וְלֹא־ H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle breath ר֥וּחַ H7307 Noun - common singular in them בָּֽם׃ Preposition | third person masculine plural
Verse 18

Original words

They הֵ֔מָּה H1992 Pronoun - third person masculine plural are worthless הֶ֣בֶל H1892 Noun - masculine singular a work מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה H4639 Noun - masculine singular construct to be mocked תַּעְתֻּעִ֑ים H8595 Noun - masculine plural In the time בְּעֵ֥ת H6256 Preposition-b | Noun - common singular construct of their punishment פְּקֻדָּתָ֖ם H6486 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural they will perish יֹאבֵֽדוּ׃ H6 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Verse 19

Original words

The Portion חֵ֣לֶק H2506 Noun - masculine singular construct of Jacob יַעֲק֗וֹב H3290 Noun - proper - masculine singular is not לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle like these כְאֵ֜לֶּה H428 Preposition-k | Pronoun - common plural for כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction He ה֔וּא H1931 Pronoun - third person masculine singular is the Maker יוֹצֵ֤ר H3335 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct of all things הַכֹּל֙ H3605 Article | Noun - masculine singular and of the tribe וְשֵׁ֖בֶט H7626 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct of His inheritance נַחֲלָת֑וֹ H5159 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular the LORD יְהוָ֥ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular of Hosts צְבָא֖וֹת H6635 Noun - common plural is His name שְׁמֽוֹ׃ס H8034 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.