Jeremiah 51:25

25 "Behold, ¹I am against you, ²O destroying mountain, Who destroys the whole earth," declares the LORD, "And I will stretch out My hand against you, And roll you down from the crags, And I will make you a ³burnt out mountain.

Jeremiah 51:25 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 51:25

Behold, I [am] against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the
Lord, which destroyest all the earth
Babylon is called a mountain, though situated in a plain, because of its high walls, lofty towers, and hanging gardens, which made it look at a distance like a high mountain, as Lebanon, and others: or because it was a strong fortified city; so the Targum renders it, O destroying city: or because of its power and grandeur as a monarchy, it being usual to compare monarchies to mountains; see ( Isaiah 2:2 ) ( Zechariah 4:7 ) ; here called a "destroying" one for a reason given, because it destroyed all the earth, all the nations and kingdoms of it: the same character is given of mystical Babylon and its inhabitants, ( Revelation 11:18 ) : and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee:
in a way of vindictive wrath, pouring it out upon her, and inflicting his judgments on her; laying hold on and seizing her in a furious manner, as a man does his enemy, when he has found him: and roll them down from the rocks;
towers and fortresses in Babylon, which looked like rocks, but should be now demolished: and will make thee a burnt mountain:
reduced to cinders and ashes by the conflagration of it: or, "a burning mountain": like Etna and Vesuvius; we never read of the burning of literal Babylon, but we do of mystical Babylon: see ( Revelation 18:8 ) ; and with this compare ( Revelation 8:8 ) . The Targum renders it, a burnt city.

Jeremiah 51:25 In-Context

23 And with you I shatter the shepherd and his flock, And with you I shatter the farmer and his team, And with you I shatter governors and prefects.

24 "But I will repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea for all their evil that they have done in Zion before your eyes," declares the LORD .

25 "Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, Who destroys the whole earth," declares the LORD , "And I will stretch out My hand against you, And roll you down from the crags, And I will make you a burnt out mountain.

26 "They will not take from you even a stone for a corner Nor a stone for foundations, But you will be desolate forever," declares the LORD .

27 Lift up a signal in the land, Blow a trumpet among the nations! Consecrate the nations against her, Summon against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni and Ashkenaz; Appoint a marshal against her, Bring up the horses like bristly locusts.

Cross References

• 1. Jeremiah 50:31
• 2. Isaiah 13:2; Zechariah 4:7
• 3. Revelation 8:8