Jeremiah 51:20-30

20 "You are my hammer and weapon of war: with you I 1break nations in pieces; with you I destroy kingdoms;
21 with you I break in pieces the horse and his rider; with you I break in pieces the chariot and the charioteer;
22 with you I break in pieces man and woman; with you I break in pieces 2the old man and the youth; with you I break in pieces 3the young man and the young woman;
23 with you I break in pieces the shepherd and his flock; with you I break in pieces the farmer and his team; with you I break in pieces 4governors and commanders.
24 5"I will repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea before your very eyes for all the evil that they have done in Zion, declares the LORD.
25 "Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, declares the LORD, which destroys the whole earth; I will stretch out my hand against you, and roll you down from the crags, 6and make you a burnt mountain.
26 No 7stone shall be taken from you for a corner and no stone for a foundation, but you shall be 8a perpetual waste, declares the LORD.
27 9"Set up a standard on the earth; 10blow the trumpet among the nations; 11prepare 12the nations for war against her; summon against her 13the kingdoms, 14Ararat, Minni, and 15Ashkenaz; appoint a 16marshal against her; 17bring up horses like bristling locusts.
28 18Prepare 19the nations for war against her, the kings of 20the Medes, 21with their governors 22and deputies, and every 23land under their dominion.
29 24The land trembles and writhes in pain, 25for the LORD's purposes against Babylon stand, to make the land of Babylon a desolation, without inhabitant.
30 The warriors of Babylon have ceased fighting; they remain in their strongholds; their strength has failed; 26they have become women; 27her dwellings are on fire; 28her bars are broken.

Jeremiah 51:20-30 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 51

The former part of this chapter is a continuation of the prophecy of the preceding chapter, concerning the destruction of Babylon, Jer 51:1-58; the latter part of it contains a prophecy of Jeremiah sent to the captives in Babylon by the hand of Seraiah, with the copy of the above prophecy against Babylon, and an order to fasten a stone to it, and cast it into the river Euphrates, as a sign, confirming the utter and irreparable ruin of Babylon, Jer 51:59-64.

Cross References 28

  • 1. [Dan. 7:7, 19, 23]
  • 2. 2 Chronicles 36:17; [Isaiah 13:16, 18]
  • 3. 2 Chronicles 36:17; [Isaiah 13:16, 18]
  • 4. ver. 28, 57
  • 5. Jeremiah 50:15, 29; [Psalms 137:8]
  • 6. Revelation 8:8; [Revelation 18:8, 9]
  • 7. [Psalms 118:22; Isaiah 28:16]
  • 8. ver. 62; Jeremiah 25:12
  • 9. See ver. 12
  • 10. See Jeremiah 4:5
  • 11. See Jeremiah 6:4
  • 12. See Jeremiah 25:14
  • 13. [Jeremiah 50:41]
  • 14. Genesis 8:4; 2 Kings 19:37
  • 15. Genesis 10:3; 1 Chronicles 1:6
  • 16. Nahum 3:17
  • 17. See ver. 14
  • 18. [See ver. 27 above]
  • 19. [See ver. 27 above]
  • 20. See ver. 11
  • 21. ver. 23, 57
  • 22. ver. 23, 57
  • 23. [Jeremiah 34:1]
  • 24. See Jeremiah 8:16
  • 25. Jeremiah 50:45
  • 26. Jeremiah 50:37; [Isaiah 19:16]
  • 27. Isaiah 47:14
  • 28. Lamentations 2:9; Nahum 3:13
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.