Jeremiah 50 11

Jeremiah 50:11 kjv

Because ye were glad, because ye rejoiced, O ye destroyers of mine heritage, because ye are grown fat as the heifer at grass, and bellow as bulls;

Jeremiah 50:11 nkjv

"Because you were glad, because you rejoiced, You destroyers of My heritage, Because you have grown fat like a heifer threshing grain, And you bellow like bulls,

Jeremiah 50:11 niv

"Because you rejoice and are glad, you who pillage my inheritance, because you frolic like a heifer threshing grain and neigh like stallions,

Jeremiah 50:11 esv

"Though you rejoice, though you exult, O plunderers of my heritage, though you frolic like a heifer in the pasture, and neigh like stallions,

Jeremiah 50:11 nlt

"You rejoice and are glad,
you who plundered my chosen people.
You frisk about like a calf in a meadow
and neigh like a stallion.

Jeremiah 50 verses

Jeremiah 50 11 meaning

Jeremiah 50:11 describes the reasons for Babylon's impending judgment: their unrestrained and arrogant joy, exultation, and wanton indulgence after plundering God's chosen people, Judah. They are condemned for reveling in the destruction of what God considers His own heritage, exhibiting a wild, untamed delight in their conquest, likened to animals frisking and neighing with unchecked abandon and pride. This verse underscores the divine wrath against those who oppress and mock God's elect.

Jeremiah 50 11 Context

Jeremiah chapter 50, along with chapter 51, constitutes a monumental oracle specifically directed against Babylon, pronounced after the fall of Jerusalem and the Judean exile. While the exiles suffered, Babylon celebrated its triumph as a display of Marduk’s power over YHWH. Jeremiah, however, declares God's sovereignty, announcing Babylon's comprehensive destruction as a recompense for its arrogance, idolatry, and, critically, its excessive cruelty toward Judah. This specific verse (50:11) immediately follows declarations of Babylon's utter desolation, framing its former jubilant pride as the direct cause for its severe punishment, serving as a bitter irony against its prior triumph. It sets Babylon's past actions and attitude as a principal grievance in God's indictment against it.

Jeremiah 50 11 Word analysis

• Because you rejoiced (כִּי תָשִׂישׂוּ / ki tasisu):
  • כִּי (ki): A conjunction meaning "because," indicating the reason for the impending judgment. It underscores cause and effect in divine justice.
  • תָשִׂישׂוּ (tasisu): From the root שׂוּשׂ (sus), meaning "to rejoice, be glad, exult." This denotes a vibrant, often uninhibited, display of joy, here referring to Babylon's triumphant pleasure. It's a spontaneous and overt form of gladness.
• because you exulted (כִּי תַעְלְזוּ / ki ta'alezu):
  • כִּי (ki): Reiterates "because," adding weight to the reason.
  • תַעְלְזוּ (ta'alezu): From עָלַץ (alats), meaning "to exult, triumph, shout for joy." This term is stronger than sus, often implying a triumphant and boisterous form of joy, particularly over the downfall or misfortune of an adversary. It suggests a taunting, gloating type of celebration.
• O plunderers of My heritage (שֹׁסְסֵי נַחֲלָתִי / shosesei nachalati):
  • שֹׁסְסֵי (shosesei): A participle from שָׁסָה (shasah), "to plunder, spoil, rob, despoil." It describes them actively and habitually engaging in rapine. The address highlights their identity and actions.
  • נַחֲלָתִי (nachalati): "My heritage" or "My inheritance." From נַחֲלָה (nachalah), referring to God's chosen people, Israel/Judah, and their land. The possessive suffix "-ati" ("My") is crucial, asserting divine ownership and thus amplifying the severity of Babylon's act: they plundered what belonged directly to God Himself.
• because you capered like a heifer threshing (כִּי תָפוּשׁוּ כְּעֶגְלָה דָּשָׁה / ki tafushu k'eglah dashah):
  • כִּי (ki): Another causal "because."
  • תָפוּשׁוּ (tafushu): From פּוּשׁ (push), meaning "to bound, prance, caper." It depicts an energetic, wild, and unrestrained physical display of joy or indulgence, often with a sense of arrogance.
  • כְּעֶגְלָה (k'eglah): "Like a heifer." The comparison highlights an animalistic, untrained, and often pampered frolic. Heifers were strong and sometimes prone to stubbornness or self-indulgence.
  • דָּשָׁה (dashah): A participle meaning "threshing." A threshing heifer (or ox) was often unmuzzled according to the Law (Deut 25:4), allowed to eat freely of the grain it was treading. This imagery portrays Babylon's unrestricted enjoyment of their plunder, their full, unhindered consumption and revelry in the spoils of war and the suffering of God's people, without restraint or conscience. It signifies immense and gluttonous satisfaction.
• and neighed like stallions (וְצָהֲלוּ כָּאֲבִּירִים / v'tzahalu ka'abirim):
  • וְצָהֲלוּ (v'tzahalu): From צָהַל (tzahal), "to neigh, shriek, exult loudly." This sound of a horse often signifies unbridled strength, passion, and wild lust or arrogant triumph.
  • כָּאֲבִּירִים (ka'abirim): "Like stallions" (literally, "like mighty ones/strong ones"). Stallions, in Hebrew culture, represented strength, vigor, and often unbridled desire or aggressive pride. This comparison reinforces the themes of uncontrolled lust, power, and boastful arrogance in Babylon's exultation over their conquered foe, reflecting a wanton and unashamed display of their supposed might and dominion.

Jeremiah 50 11 Bonus section

The strong imagery in this verse not only condemns Babylon's actions but also subtly highlights their ultimate misunderstanding of YHWH's nature. Their unbridled joy suggested that their victory was solely due to their gods or their own might, completely missing that YHWH permitted Judah's chastisement for a set time and purpose. The "threshing heifer" analogy further suggests a short-sighted, immediate gratification, consuming the "grain" of plunder without regard for future consequences. This "animalistic" portrayal stripped them of moral high ground, depicting them as creatures driven by base impulses rather than enlightened rulers, a common polemic in prophetic literature against nations seen as spiritually bankrupt despite their earthly power.

Jeremiah 50 11 Commentary

Jeremiah 50:11 articulates a divine indictment against Babylon for its audacious and immoderate joy over the destruction of God's heritage, Judah. The repeated "because you..." highlights specific offenses leading to judgment. Their initial "rejoicing" and "exultation" describe an internal delight that erupts into outward triumph, a gloating over the downfall of those consecrated to God. By labeling them "plunderers of My heritage," the prophet directly assigns the ownership of the plundered to God, underscoring the sacrilegious nature of Babylon's actions. The vivid animal metaphors – capering like a threshing heifer and neighing like stallions – powerfully convey Babylon's unrestrained, indulgent, and almost sensuous revelry in their victory. The heifer, often unmuzzled in threshing, suggests uncontrolled consumption of spoils and satisfaction. The stallions portray aggressive, lustful, and boastful pride. These comparisons are not merely descriptive; they expose a morally depraved attitude, a joy born from the suffering of others and from their violation of God's sacred space and people. This excessive, arrogant revelry is precisely what incurred God's full wrath, confirming that His instruments of judgment (like Babylon) are also held accountable when they act beyond the scope of their divine commission, with cruelty and disdain for His own.