Jeremiah 50:12 kjv
Your mother shall be sore confounded; she that bare you shall be ashamed: behold, the hindermost of the nations shall be a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert.
Jeremiah 50:12 nkjv
Your mother shall be deeply ashamed; She who bore you shall be ashamed. Behold, the least of the nations shall be a wilderness, A dry land and a desert.
Jeremiah 50:12 niv
your mother will be greatly ashamed; she who gave you birth will be disgraced. She will be the least of the nations? a wilderness, a dry land, a desert.
Jeremiah 50:12 esv
your mother shall be utterly shamed, and she who bore you shall be disgraced. Behold, she shall be the last of the nations, a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert.
Jeremiah 50:12 nlt
But your homeland will be overwhelmed
with shame and disgrace.
You will become the least of nations ?
a wilderness, a dry and desolate land.
Jeremiah 50 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jer 50:11 | "Because you have rejoiced and shouted in your destruction, my inheritance; because you have bounced like a calf on the grass, and you have neighed like a horse." | Judgment on oppressor |
| Jer 50:12 | "Your mother shall be greatly ashamed; she who bore you shall be put to shame; behold, she shall be the last of the nations, a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert." | Babylon's utter destruction |
| Jer 51:33 | "For the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor when it is late in the season. Yet a little while, and the time of harvest for her will come.’" | Babylon like a threshing floor |
| Isa 13:19 | "And Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans’ pride, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah." | Babylon's overthrow like Sodom/Gomorrah |
| Isa 47:1 | "‘Come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; sit on the ground; there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans; for you shall no more be called tender and delicate." | Babylon's humiliation and loss of throne |
| Isa 47:9 | "These two things shall come to you in a moment, in one day: the loss of children and widowhood; they shall come upon you in their full measure, despite your many sorceries and your many enchantments." | Babylon's sudden destruction, loss of children |
| Rev 17:5 | "And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: ‘Babylon the Great, Mother of Harlots and of the Earth’s Abominations.’" | Babylon as the mother of spiritual harlotry |
| Rev 18:7 | "In the measure that she glorified herself and lived sensuously, to her give torment and mourning, for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as a queen, I am no widow, and I shall never see mourning.’" | Babylon's pride and impending mourning |
| Rev 18:10 | "Standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, ‘Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon!’" | Fear and lament over Babylon's destruction |
| Rev 18:21 | "Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, ‘So shall Babylon that great city be thrown down with violence and shall be found no more.’" | Symbolic destruction of Babylon |
| Hosea 1:1 | "The word of the LORD that came to Hosea son of Beeri during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the reign of Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel." | God's word to prophets |
| Jeremiah 25:12 | "But when the seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, says the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and make it an everlasting desolation." | Punishment of Babylon's iniquity |
| Nahum 1:6 | "Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken in pieces by him." | God's powerful wrath |
| Jeremiah 46:11 | "Go up to Gilead and get balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt! In vain you multiply remedies; no healing will come to you." | Futility of Egypt's healing |
| Jeremiah 50:29 | "Tell her archers to come, all who draw the bow! Besiege Babylon from all sides, that none may escape. Repay her according to her work; according to all that she has done, do to her; for she has proudly raged against the LORD, against the Holy One of Israel." | Repaying Babylon for its pride |
| Micah 4:10 | "Writhe and labor to give birth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail, for now you shall go out from the city and dwell in the field; you shall go even to Babylon. There you shall be delivered; there the LORD will redeem you from the hand of your enemies." | Zion delivered from Babylon |
| Psalm 2:9 | "You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel." | God's power over enemies |
| Genesis 11:9 | "Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth." | Origin of Babel's name (confusion) |
| Isaiah 14:4 | "You will sing this taunt against the king of Babylon: ‘How the oppressor has ceased, the golden city has ceased!’" | Taunt against the oppressor |
| Isaiah 21:2 | "A harsh vision has been shown to me; the treacherous one deals treacherously, and the destroyer destroys. Go up, Elam; lay siege, Media; I have made an end of all the groaning that she caused." | Doom proclaimed against oppressors |
Jeremiah 50 verses
Jeremiah 50 12 Meaning
This verse speaks of judgment upon Babylon, personified as a mother who is ashamed and disgraced because her beloved, mighty sons have been captured and ruined. It signifies the complete devastation and humiliation of Babylon as a powerful entity.
Jeremiah 50 12 Context
Jeremiah chapter 50 contains a prophecy against Babylon. It details the coming judgment and destruction of this mighty empire, which had oppressed Israel and other nations. The chapter emphasizes God's sovereign power and His determination to punish sin and injustice. Verse 12 specifically highlights the shame and desolation that will befall Babylon, referred to metaphorically as a mother whose offspring have been defeated and ruined. This image underscores the complete reversal of Babylon's former glory and its reduction to a state of utter worthlessness. Historically, this prophecy would have resonated with the Babylonian exile of Judah, offering a message of ultimate divine retribution against their captors.
Jeremiah 50 12 Word Analysis
- Your (עוּרֵךְ - 'urekh): Possessive, second person masculine singular, referring to Babylon.
- mother (אֵם - 'em): Literally "mother." Metaphorically represents Babylon as the source or originator of its influence and empire. It signifies the entity that "bore" or "gave birth to" its power and people.
- shall be greatly ashamed (הֹבִשָׁה גָּד - hobishah gad): Hobishah is from the root בוּש (bush), meaning "to be ashamed," "to be confounded," "to be put to shame." Gad means "greatly" or "very much." This indicates profound disgrace and humiliation.
- she who bore you (הַבּוֹצִֽיךְ - ha'botsikh): "She who formed you" or "she who conceived you." Again, emphasizing Babylon's origin and the source of its existence as something that will now be disgraced.
- shall be put to shame (תִּהְיֶה בּוֹשִׁישׁ - tihyeh boshesh): A passive form, meaning she will be caused to be ashamed.
- behold (הִנֵּה - hinneh): A particle used to draw attention to what follows, indicating something significant.
- she shall be the last of the nations (וְהָיְתָה אַחֲרֹנָה לַגּוֹיִם - vehayetah acharonah lagoyim): Acharonah means "last," "hindmost," or "fewest." This signifies her being utterly diminished, reduced to insignificance among the nations.
- a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert (מִדְבָּר צִיָּה וְשָׁמָמָה - midbar tzivyah veshamamah):
- wilderness (מִדְבָּר - midbar): An uncultivated, desolate place.
- dry land (צִיָּה - tzivyah): Dryness, a barren tract.
- desert (שָׁמָמָה - shamamah): Desolation, emptiness, wasteland. These cumulative terms depict absolute barrenness and desolation.
Words Group Analysis:
The phrase "Your mother shall be greatly ashamed; she who bore you shall be put to shame" highlights a profound inversion of honor and status. The very entity that nurtured and empowered Babylon now suffers extreme disgrace because of its downfall. This collective imagery of shame signifies a loss of reputation and authority, impacting not just the leadership but the entire nation perceived as a mother.
The progression of descriptors "a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert" creates a powerful, cumulative image of complete devastation. These are not just negative attributes but speak to an utter absence of life, fertility, and any semblance of a thriving society. It’s a graphic representation of her ultimate non-existence as a significant entity.
Jeremiah 50 12 Bonus Section
The imagery of a "mother" being shamed for the downfall of her "sons" or offspring can also be understood in a broader sense, touching on the idea of national identity and collective responsibility for actions that lead to ruin. In prophetic literature, cities or nations are often personified in ways that reflect their character and fate. Babylon's shame is a direct consequence of its pride and destructive actions against God's people. This verse serves as a testament to God's ultimate sovereignty over human empires and His unwavering commitment to justice. The prophecy against Babylon in Jeremiah 50 and 51 is one of the most extensive and detailed in the Old Testament, emphasizing the totality of its destruction, both politically and metaphorically, as seen in its reduction to a desolate wasteland.
Jeremiah 50 12 Commentary
Jeremiah 50:12 pronounces a devastating judgment on Babylon. The empire, once a source of immense power and influence, will be reduced to a state of utter disgrace and desolation. The metaphor of Babylon as a mother who is shamed underscores the humiliation of its once-great progenitors. The escalating descriptions of barrenness—wilderness, dry land, desert—paint a stark picture of total ruin, signifying the complete end of its vitality and importance. This verse echoes themes of divine justice against oppressive powers, mirroring God's actions against other empires in Scripture. It foretells a final state where Babylon will be not merely defeated, but utterly erased as a significant entity, leaving behind only emptiness.