Jeremiah 51:18-28

18 The works be vain, and worthy of scorn; they shall perish in the time of their visiting. (Their works be empty and futile, and worthy of scorn, or of mocking; they shall perish at the time of their reckoning.)
19 The part of Jacob is not as these things; for he that made all things is the part of Jacob, and Israel is the sceptre of his heritage; the Lord of hosts is his name. (The portion of Jacob is not like these things; for he who made all things is the portion of Jacob, and Israel is the sceptre of his inheritance; the Lord of hosts is his name.)
20 Thou hurtlest down to me the instruments of battle, and I shall hurtle down folks in thee, and I shall lose realms in thee; (Thou be the instruments of battle for me, and I shall hurtle down nations with thee, and destroy kingdoms with thee;)
21 and I shall hurtle down in thee an horse, and the rider thereof; and I shall hurtle down in thee a chariot, and the rider thereof; (and I shall hurtle down with thee a horse, and its rider; and I shall hurtle down with thee a chariot, and its rider, or its driver;)
22 and I shall hurtle down in thee man and woman; and I shall hurtle down in thee eld man and child; and I shall hurtle down in thee a young man and a virgin; (and I shall hurtle down with thee men and women; and I shall hurtle down with thee an old man and a child; and I shall hurtle down with thee a young man and a maiden;)
23 and I shall hurtle down in thee a shepherd and his flock; and I shall hurtle down in thee an earth-tiller and his yoke beasts; and I shall hurtle down in thee dukes and magistrates. (and I shall hurtle down with thee a shepherd and his flock; and I shall hurtle down with thee an earth-tiller, or a farmer, and his yoke beasts; and I shall hurtle down with thee rulers and magistrates.)
24 And I shall yield, saith the Lord, to Babylon, and to all the dwellers of Chaldea, all their evil, which they did in Zion, before your eyes. (And I shall yield recompense, saith the Lord, to Babylon, and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea, for all their evil, which they did in Zion, before your eyes.)
25 Lo! I, saith the Lord, to thee, thou hill bearing pestilence, which corruptest all [the] earth. I shall stretch forth mine hand on thee, and I shall unwrap thee from stones, and I shall give thee into an hill of burning. (Lo! I am against thee, saith the Lord, thou hill bearing pestilence, which corruptest all the earth. And I shall stretch forth my hand against thee, and I shall unwrap thee from thy stones, and I shall make thee into a burned down hill.)
26 And I shall not take of thee a stone into a corner, and a stone into foundaments; but thou shalt be lost without end, saith the Lord. (And no one shall take out of thee a cornerstone, or a foundation stone; but thou shalt be destroyed unto forever, saith the Lord.)
27 Raise ye a sign in the land, sound ye with a clarion in hills; hallow ye folks on it, tell ye to the kings of Ararat, of Minni, and of Ashchenaz against it; number ye (the) Tifsar, that is, (the leader of the) host, against it, and bring ye an horse, as a bruchus having a prick. (Raise ye up a sign in the land, sound ye with a trumpet on the hills; prepare ye the nations against it, call ye together the kings of Ararat, and of Minni, and of Ashchenaz against it; appoint ye the Tifsar, that is, the captain, or the commander, of the army, against it, and bring ye up all the horses like a swarm of locusts.)
28 Hallow ye folks against it, the kings of Media, the dukes thereof, and all the magistrates thereof, and all the land of his power. (Dedicate ye the nations against it, the king of the Medes, its rulers, and all its magistrates, and all the land of his power.)

Jeremiah 51:18-28 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.