Jeremiah 51:16-17

16 When He utters His ¹voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, And He causes the ²clouds to ascend from the end of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain And brings forth the ³wind from His storehouses.

17 ⁴All mankind is stupid, devoid of knowledge; Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols, For his molten images are ⁵deceitful, And there is no breath in them.

Jeremiah 51:16-17 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

• 1. Job 37:2-6; Psalms 18:13
• 2. Psalms 135:7; Jeremiah 10:13
• 3. Jonah 1:4
• 4. Isaiah 44:18-20; Jeremiah 10:14
• 5. Habakkuk 2:18, 19

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "graven images"