Jeremiah 51:42

42 And the sea ascended on Babylon, it was covered with the multitude of his waves. (And the sea ascended upon Babylon, yea, it was covered with a multitude of its waves.)

Jeremiah 51:42 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 51:42

The sea is come up upon Babylon
A vast army, comparable to the great sea for the multitude thereof, even the army of the Medes and Persians under Cyrus; so the Targum,

``a king with his armies, which are numerous like the waters of the sea, is come up against Babylon:''

she is covered with the multitude of the waves thereof;
being surrounded, besieged, surprised, and seized upon by the multitude of soldiers in that army, which poured in upon it unawares. Some think here is a beautiful antithesis, between the inundation of Cyrus's army and the draining of the river Euphrates, by which means he poured in his forces into Babylon.

Jeremiah 51:42 In-Context

40 I shall lead forth them, as lambs to slain sacrifice, and as wethers with kids. (I shall lead them forth, like lambs to slain sacrifice, and like rams with kids.)

41 How is Sheshach taken, and the noble city of all (the) earth is taken? How is Babylon made into wonder among heathen men? (How Sheshach, that is, Babylon, is taken! the noble city of all the earth is taken! how Babylon is made into a horror among the heathen!)

42 And the sea ascended on Babylon, it was covered with the multitude of his waves. (And the sea ascended upon Babylon, yea, it was covered with a multitude of its waves.)

43 The cities thereof be made into wondering, the land is made unhabitable and forsaken (the land is made uninhabited and deserted); the land wherein no man dwelleth, and the son of (a) man shall not pass by it.

44 And I shall visit on Bel into Babylon, and I shall cast out of his mouth that, that he had swallowed, and folks shall no more flow to it; for also the wall of Babylon shall fall down. (And I shall punish Bel in Babylon, and I shall cast out of his mouth what he had swallowed, and the nations shall no more flow to him; for also the wall of Babylon shall fall down.)