Jeremiah 50 26

Jeremiah 50:26 kjv

Come against her from the utmost border, open her storehouses: cast her up as heaps, and destroy her utterly: let nothing of her be left.

Jeremiah 50:26 nkjv

Come against her from the farthest border; Open her storehouses; Cast her up as heaps of ruins, And destroy her utterly; Let nothing of her be left.

Jeremiah 50:26 niv

Come against her from afar. Break open her granaries; pile her up like heaps of grain. Completely destroy her and leave her no remnant.

Jeremiah 50:26 esv

Come against her from every quarter; open her granaries; pile her up like heaps of grain, and devote her to destruction; let nothing be left of her.

Jeremiah 50:26 nlt

Yes, come against her from distant lands.
Break open her granaries.
Crush her walls and houses into heaps of rubble.
Destroy her completely, and leave nothing!

Jeremiah 50 verses

Jeremiah 50 26 meaning

Jeremiah 50:26 declares a sweeping, divinely commanded judgment against Babylon. It calls for a complete and widespread invasion against the oppressing nation, instructing its conquerors to plunder its immense wealth and resources by opening its storehouses. The verse prophesies the utter devastation of Babylon, comparing its ruined state and the multitude of its dead to vast heaps of harvested grain. It mandates a destruction so severe and conclusive that nothing—no power, no influence, no trace—will be left of its former glory or existence, underscoring the finality and totality of God's punitive act against the oppressor of His people.

Jeremiah 50 26 Context

Jeremiah chapter 50, together with chapter 51, delivers extensive prophecies against Babylon, distinguishing it from Judah's temporary judgment which was for refinement. Historically, Babylon had brutally conquered Judah, destroyed Jerusalem and its Temple, and carried God's people into a prolonged exile. For the Jewish exiles, this prophecy was a beacon of hope and vindication, reassuring them that God had not abandoned them and would deliver justice upon their oppressor. Jeremiah's message vividly contrasts Babylon's pride, idolatry, and cruelty with the righteous judgment of God. This specific verse (Jer 50:26) is a divine command given to unnamed forces (later identified as Medes and Persians under Cyrus the Great, 539 BCE) who would serve as God's instruments in executing a comprehensive and total destruction of Babylon. The prophecies reassured the exiles that the same sovereign God who used Babylon as a rod of discipline would also punish Babylon for its excessive cruelty and hubris, ultimately bringing about the restoration of His people.

Jeremiah 50 26 Word analysis

• Come against her (בָּאוּ לָהּ - bā'û lāh): This is a plural imperative command, signifying multiple attackers or a unified military force. "Her" directly refers to Babylon. It is a divine directive for military action against the designated nation, indicating that this is God's war.

• from the farthest border (מִקָּצֶה - miqqāṣeh): The Hebrew qāṣeh means "end, border, extremity." This phrase implies an attack originating from distant territories or a complete encirclement that covers every edge of the enemy's land. It emphasizes the comprehensiveness, overwhelming nature, and wide-reaching origins of the invading forces.

• open her storehouses (פִּתְחוּ מַאֲבֻסֶיהָ - pitḥû ma'ăvusèhā): Pitḥû is the plural imperative "open!" Ma'ăvusèhā (from ma'bûs) refers to granaries, storehouses for food/fodder, or stables. This command denotes complete conquest, the plunder of Babylon's immense material wealth, provisions, and economic resources. It signifies not only a physical act of ransacking but also God's exposure and vulnerability of a once-proud, self-sufficient empire.

• pile her up (סָלּוּהָ - sallūhā): A plural imperative "pile up, heap up." Derived from a root related to 'thresh' or 'cast aside.' In this context, it evokes a picture of immense accumulation—either of ruins from destroyed structures or, more graphically, of countless dead bodies, indicative of widespread slaughter.

• like heaps of grain (כְּמוֹ עֲרֵמוֹת - kəmō 'ărēmôth): Kəmō means "like, as." 'Ărēmôth refers to "heaps, piles" typically of harvested grain or agricultural produce. This agricultural metaphor for judgment powerfully conveys a complete, abundant "harvest" of destruction. It suggests that Babylon's wickedness has ripened, and its judgment will be overwhelming and systematic, like gathering an entire crop for its end.

• and utterly destroy her (וְהַחֲרִימוּהָ - wəhaḥărîmûhā): This uses the Hiphil imperative of ḥāram (חָרַם), a profound theological term for "devote to destruction," or "put under the ban" (herem). In ancient Israel, herem was a practice of consecrating people, places, or things to God by total destruction. Here, Babylon is declared herem, signaling a divine, uncompromising, and total destruction as an act of God's holy justice.

• let nothing be left of her (אַל־תְּהִי לָהּ שְׁאֵרִית - ʾal-tihî lāh šəʾērîth): ʾAl-tihî is "let there not be," and šəʾērîth means "remnant, residue, survivor." This phrase definitively seals the pronouncement of judgment. It signifies the complete and permanent obliteration of Babylon's physical presence, its political power, and its capacity to rise again. It emphasizes absolute finality.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "Come against her from the farthest border; open her storehouses;": These two imperatives initiate the description of the military invasion, highlighting its widespread origin and its immediate objective—to seize Babylon's material resources and dismantle its economic stability. This sets the stage for the complete downfall.
  • "pile her up like heaps of grain, and utterly destroy her;": These phrases describe the gruesome outcome and the theological nature of the judgment. The vivid imagery of "heaps of grain" conveys mass casualties and utter physical devastation, while "utterly destroy her" uses sacred terminology (herem) to indicate divine, consecrated destruction of Babylon.
  • "let nothing be left of her.": This serves as a concluding, absolute declaration, emphasizing the finality and totality of God's judgment. It assures that Babylon's defeat will be irreversible and her power will vanish entirely.

Jeremiah 50 26 Bonus section

• The call to invade "from the farthest border" is a deliberate contrast to Babylon's own invasion of Judah, which also came from a "farthest border" (from Jerusalem's perspective, as the North). Now, the tables are turned.
• The emphasis on "storehouses" not only speaks of plunder but also attacks Babylon's economic and self-sufficient pride, directly countering its trust in its own accumulated riches (cf. Rev 18:7, "I sit as a queen and am no widow").
• The Hebrew concept of herem ("utterly destroy") ensures that Babylon's destruction is not just a military victory but a theological event—God Himself orchestrates its eradication as a divine retribution for its sin and its oppression of Israel. This elevates the conquest beyond mere geopolitical struggle to an act of holy judgment.

Jeremiah 50 26 Commentary

Jeremiah 50:26 provides a vivid and severe prophecy of God's unyielding judgment upon Babylon, the very empire that brought His chosen people into exile. The divine command to "come against her from the farthest border" signifies a widespread, comprehensive invasion, leaving no quarter. This attack isn't superficial; it's designed to expose and dismantle Babylon's core strengths, symbolized by the directive to "open her storehouses." This act of pillaging immense wealth underscores not only the defeat of a nation but also the public unveiling of its acquired treasures—often amassed through exploitation. The stark imagery of "pile her up like heaps of grain" is a potent agricultural metaphor for overwhelming destruction, suggesting that Babylon's inhabitants will be harvested in death, their bodies lying in vast numbers, reminiscent of threshed crops ready for processing. The theological weight is intensified by "utterly destroy her" (herem), invoking a divine declaration that Babylon is completely consecrated to destruction by God, without any hope of recovery or preservation. The conclusive statement, "let nothing be left of her," solidifies the absolute finality of this judgment. It reveals God's sovereignty over nations, demonstrating that even the most powerful human empires are subject to His righteous decree and justice, particularly when they have afflicted His people and resisted His will. For the suffering exiles, this prophecy was a profound message of hope, affirming that God would remember His covenant and eventually redeem His people by dismantling their oppressors.