Jeremiah 51:6-16

6 Flee ye from the midst of Babylon, that each man save his soul; do not ye be still on the wickedness thereof, for why time of vengeance thereof is to the Lord; he shall yield while to it. (Flee ye from the midst of Babylon, so that each person can save his own soul, or his own life; do not ye stay in the midst of its wickedness, for this is the time of the Lord's vengeance upon it, and now he shall yield its recompense.)
7 Babylon is a golden cup in the hand of the Lord, and filleth all [the] earth; heathen men drank of the wine thereof, and therefore they be moved. (Babylon was a gold cup in the hand of the Lord, and maketh all the earth drunk; yea, the heathen have drunk its wine, and so they be made mad.)
8 Babylon fell down suddenly, and is all-broken; yell ye on it, take ye resin to the sorrow thereof, if peradventure it be healed. (Babylon fell down suddenly, and was broken in pieces; yell ye over it, get ye resin for its wound, if perhaps it can be healed.)
9 We healed Babylon, and it is not made whole; forsake we it and go we each into his land; for the doom thereof came till to heavens, and is raised [up] till to [the] clouds. (We would have healed Babylon, but it would not be made whole; leave we it and go we each into his own land; for its doom, or its judgement, came unto the heavens, and is raised up unto the clouds.)
10 The Lord hath brought forth our rightfulnesses; come ye, and tell we in Zion the work of our Lord God. (The Lord hath brought forth our righteousness; come ye, and tell we out in Zion the work of the Lord our God.)
11 Sharpen ye arrows, fill ye arrow cases; the Lord hath raised the spirit of the kings of Medes, and his mind is against Babylon, that he lose it, for it is the vengeance of the Lord, the vengeance of his temple. The king of Medes is raised of the Lord against Babylon. (Sharpen ye the arrows, fill ye the quivers; the Lord hath raised the spirit of the kings of the Medes, and his mind is against Babylon, that he destroy it, for it is the vengeance of the Lord, the avenging of his Temple. The Lord hath raised up the king of the Medes against Babylon.)
12 Raise ye a sign on the walls of Babylon, increase ye [the] keeping, raise ye keepers, make ye ready ambushments; for the Lord thought, and did, whatever thing he spake against the dwellers of Babylon. (Raise ye up a sign on the walls of Babylon, increase ye the watch, raise ye up the watchmen, prepare ye ambushes; for the Lord thought, and did, whatever he spoke against the inhabitants of Babylon.)
13 A! thou Babylon, that dwellest on many waters, rich in thy treasures, thine end cometh, the foot measure of thy cutting down. (O! thou Babylon, that dwellest by many waters, rich in thy treasures, thy end cometh, and the full measure of thy cutting down.)
14 The Lord of hosts swore by his soul, that I shall fill thee with men, as with bruchuses, and a merry song shall be sung on thee. (The Lord of hosts swore by his soul, saying, I shall fill thee with men, like a swarm of locusts, and then a happy song shall be sung over thee.)
15 The Lord swore, which made [the] earth by his strength, (which) made ready the world by his wisdom, and stretched forth (the) heavens by his prudence.
16 When he giveth voice, waters be multiplied in heaven; which Lord raiseth clouds from [the] last of the earth, he made lightnings into rain, and brought forth wind of his treasures/of his treasuries. (When he giveth his voice, the waters be multiplied in the heavens; he raiseth up clouds from the ends of the earth, and maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his storehouses.)

Jeremiah 51:6-16 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.