Jeremiah 51:2-12

2 "I will dispatch foreigners to Babylon that they may ¹winnow her And may devastate her land; For on every side they will be opposed to her In the day of her calamity.

3 "Let not him who ²bends his bow bend it, Nor let him rise up in his ³scale-armor; So do not spare her young men; Devote all her army to destruction.

4 "They will fall down slain in the land of the Chaldeans, And ⁴pierced through in their streets."

5 For ⁵neither Israel nor Judah has been forsaken By his God, the LORD of hosts, Although their land is ⁶full of guilt Before the Holy One of Israel.

6 ⁷Flee from the midst of Babylon, And each of you save his life! Do not be ⁸destroyed in her punishment, For this is the ⁹LORD'S time of vengeance; He is going to ¹⁰render recompense to her.

7 Babylon has been a golden ¹¹cup in the hand of the LORD, Intoxicating all the earth. The ¹²nations have drunk of her wine; Therefore * the nations are ¹³going mad.

8 Suddenly ¹⁴Babylon has fallen and been broken; ¹⁵Wail over her! ¹⁶Bring balm for her pain; Perhaps she may be healed.

9 We applied healing to Babylon, but she was not healed; Forsake her and ¹⁷let us each go to his own country, For her judgment has ¹⁸reached to heaven And towers up to the very skies.

10 The LORD has ¹⁹brought about our vindication; Come and let us ²⁰recount in Zion The work of the LORD our God!

11 ²¹Sharpen the arrows, fill the quivers! The LORD has aroused the spirit of the kings of the Medes, Because His purpose is against Babylon to destroy it; For it is the ²²vengeance of the LORD, vengeance for His temple.

12 ²³Lift up a signal against the walls of Babylon; Post a strong guard, Station sentries, Place men in ambush! For the LORD has both ²⁴purposed and performed What He spoke concerning the inhabitants of Babylon.

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Jeremiah 51:2-12 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.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 24

1. Isaiah 41:16; Jeremiah 15:7; Matthew 3:12
2. Jeremiah 50:14, 29
3. Jeremiah 46:4
4. Isaiah 13:15; Isaiah 14:19; Jeremiah 49:26; Jeremiah 50:30, 37
5. Isaiah 54:7, 8; Jeremiah 33:24-26
6. Hosea 4:1, 2
7. Jeremiah 50:8, 28; Revelation 18:4
8. Numbers 16:26
9. Jeremiah 50:15
10. Jeremiah 25:14
11. Jeremiah 25:15; Habakkuk 2:16; Revelation 14:8; Revelation 17:4
12. Revelation 14:8; Revelation 18:3
13. Jeremiah 25:16
14. Isaiah 21:9; Jeremiah 50:2; Revelation 14:8; Revelation 18:2
15. Isaiah 13:6; Revelation 18:9
16. Jeremiah 46:11
17. Isaiah 13:14; Jeremiah 46:16; Jeremiah 50:16
18. Ezra 9:6; Revelation 18:5
19. Psalms 37:6; Micah 7:9
20. Isaiah 40:2; Jeremiah 50:28
21. Jeremiah 46:4, 9; Joel 3:9, 10
22. Jeremiah 50:28
23. Isaiah 13:2; Jeremiah 50:2; Jeremiah 51:27
24. Jeremiah 4:28; Jeremiah 23:20; Jeremiah 51:29

Footnotes 16

[a]. Some versions read "winnowers"
[b]. M.T. reads "Against him who"
[c]. I.e. the Chaldean defender
[d]. Lit "tread(s)" (in order to string)
[e]. Lit "tread(s)" (in order to string)
[f]. M.T. reads "Against him who"
[g]. Or "wounded"
[h]. Lit "widowed"
[i]. Lit "From"
[j]. Or "silenced" or "made lifeless"
[k]. Or "penalty for iniquity"
[l]. Or "balsam resin"
[m]. Lit "is lifted"
[n]. Lit "forth"
[o]. Or "standard"
[p]. Or "watchmen"

Jeremiah 51:2-12

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Jeremiah 51:2-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 51

Cross References 24

Footnotes 16