Jeremiah 50:31 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
Jeremiah 50:31 kjv
Behold, I am against thee, O thou most proud, saith the Lord GOD of hosts: for thy day is come, the time that I will visit thee.
Jeremiah 50:31 nkjv
"Behold, I am against you, O most haughty one!" says the Lord GOD of hosts; "For your day has come, The time that I will punish you.
Jeremiah 50:31 niv
"See, I am against you, you arrogant one," declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty, "for your day has come, the time for you to be punished.
Jeremiah 50:31 esv
"Behold, I am against you, O proud one, declares the Lord GOD of hosts, for your day has come, the time when I will punish you.
Jeremiah 50:31 nlt
"See, I am your enemy, you arrogant people,"
says the Lord, the LORD of Heaven's Armies.
"Your day of reckoning has arrived ?
the day when I will punish you.
Jeremiah 50 31 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Prov 16:18 | Pride goes before destruction... | Warning against pride's outcome. |
| Isa 2:12 | For the day of the Lord of hosts shall come...against all that is proud... | Divine judgment targets all forms of pride. |
| Isa 13:6 | Wail, for the day of the Lord is near... | Anticipation of a judgment day for Babylon. |
| Isa 14:4 | ...take up this taunt against the king of Babylon... | Babylon's pride as a target of prophetic taunts. |
| Jer 25:12 | "Then after seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon..." | God's appointed time for Babylon's judgment. |
| Jer 51:25 | "Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain...I will stretch out my hand against you..." | Reinforcement of God's active opposition to Babylon. |
| Ezek 28:2 | "Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Because your heart is proud...'" | God opposes princely pride, parallels Babylon's. |
| Dan 4:30-37 | King Nebuchadnezzar's pride and subsequent humiliation. | Clear example of God humbling the proud ruler of Babylon. |
| Obad 1:15 | "For the day of the LORD is near upon all the nations...you shall be repaid..." | General principle of a day of reckoning for nations. |
| Mal 4:1 | "For behold, the day is coming...and all the arrogant...will be stubble..." | Universal judgment on the arrogant. |
| Jas 4:6 | "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." | New Testament affirmation of divine opposition to pride. |
| 1 Pet 5:5 | "...clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’" | Echoes the theme in James and general divine principle. |
| Ps 24:10 | "Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory!" | Glorifies God as the supreme Lord of hosts. |
| Isa 6:3 | "...Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!" | Exalts the majestic name "Lord of hosts." |
| Nah 1:2-3 | "The LORD is a jealous and avenging God...the LORD is slow to anger but great in power..." | God's powerful nature for justice and judgment. |
| Zech 1:15 | "...I am very angry with the nations that are at ease; for while I was but a little angry, they furthered the disaster." | God's wrath against nations that afflict His people. |
| Rom 2:6 | "He will render to each one according to his works..." | Principle of divine retribution. |
| Heb 10:30 | "For we know him who said, ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay,’ says the Lord." | God's prerogative to avenge and punish. |
| Rev 18:2-8 | "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! ...Render to her as she herself has rendered..." | Eschatological judgment of a symbolic "Babylon." |
| Deut 32:35 | "Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip..." | God's reserved right to punish at the appointed time. |
| Jer 30:3 | "For behold, days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel..." | Context of Israel's restoration after Babylon's fall. |
| Hab 2:3 | "For still the vision awaits its appointed time...If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come..." | Divine judgment happens at the appointed time. |
Jeremiah 50 verses
Jeremiah 50 31 meaning
This verse declares God's direct and emphatic opposition to Babylon, personified as ultimate arrogance. The divine pronouncement establishes that Babylon's appointed day of judgment and punishment has irrevocably arrived, signifying the end of its perceived invincible dominion. It underscores God's unwavering justice and sovereignty over nations, particularly in avenging His people and upholding His righteousness.
Jeremiah 50 31 Context
Jeremiah chapter 50 begins a lengthy prophetic oracle (extending through chapter 51) specifically concerning the judgment and downfall of Babylon. This prophecy was delivered after Jerusalem had fallen and its people were exiled to Babylon. At a time of deep despair for Judah, this message served as a powerful reassurance from God, promising that Babylon, though God's instrument for Judah's punishment, would itself face righteous judgment for its excessive pride, cruelty, and defilement of God's sanctuary. The chapter depicts Babylon's utter destruction, her humiliation before the nations, and contrasts this with the future restoration and return of Israel. Jeremiah 50:31 comes amidst detailed pronouncements of Babylon's military defeat and widespread desolation, emphasizing that the instigator of this destruction is none other than the Almighty God.
Jeremiah 50 31 Word analysis
- "Behold," (הִנְנִי - hinnēnî): An emphatic adverb signaling the absolute certainty and gravity of God's impending action. It acts as an urgent call to attention, directly preceding a profound and immediate divine declaration.
- "I am against you," (אֵלֶיךָ - ʾēlêḵā): This phrase signifies God's direct, personal, and confrontational stance. While `ʾēl` usually means "to" or "towards," its usage with the direct accusation of pride (zāḏôn) clearly indicates divine opposition and hostility.
- "O proud one," (זָדוֹן - zāḏôn): This is not merely an adjective ("proud") but a noun, meaning "pride," "arrogance," "presumption." Here, it personifies Babylon as the embodiment of arrogance itself, not just possessing pride but being pride. This strong word implies deliberate defiance against God's moral order and carries connotations of intentional, audacious rebellion.
- "says the Lord GOD of hosts;" (נְאֻם אֲדֹנָי יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת - nəʾum ʾăḏōnāy YHWH ṣəḇāʾōṯ): This is a solemn and weighty affirmation of the source of the prophecy, highlighting absolute divine authority and power.
- `נְאֻם` (`nəʾum`): An authoritative utterance, almost exclusively used for a divine oracle.
- `אֲדֹנָי` (`ʾăḏōnāy`): "Lord," emphasizing God as the sovereign Master.
- `יְהֹוָה` (`YHWH`): The ineffable, covenantal name of God, revealing His personal, unchanging, and faithful nature.
- `צְבָאוֹת` (`ṣəḇāʾōṯ`): "of hosts" or "armies," affirming God's command over all cosmic, angelic, and earthly powers. This explicitly counters the perceived military might of Babylon and the power of its deities, establishing YHWH as the supreme cosmic and terrestrial authority.
- "for your day has come," (כִּי בָא יוֹמְךָ - kî bāʾ yôməḵā): `כִּי` ("for" or "because") introduces the justification for God's opposition. "Your day" is an idiom for an appointed time of decisive judgment or reckoning. For Babylon, this is a day of retribution, a preordained point in divine history from which it cannot escape. It contrasts with a "day of the Lord" typically associated with Israel's judgment, showing God's judgment extends universally.
- "the time when I will punish you." (עֵת פְּקַדְתִּיךָ - ʿēṯ pəqaḏtîḵā): This clause further specifies and reinforces "your day."
- `עֵת` (`ʿēṯ`): A fixed, specific, and appointed "time" or season, underscoring that this judgment is not arbitrary but according to God's precise divine timetable.
- `פְּקַדְתִּיךָ` (`pəqaḏtîḵā`): From the root `פָּקַד` (pāqaḏ), meaning "to visit." While "visit" can be neutral or positive, in contexts of judgment, it profoundly means "to visit with consequences," "to hold accountable," or "to punish." Here, it unequivocally points to punitive action, confirming the destructive intent of God's "visitation" upon Babylon.
Jeremiah 50 31 Bonus section
- The pronouncement of God being "against" a nation or entity ("I am against you") is one of the most severe forms of divine indictment in Scripture, promising total defeat and ruin.
- The irony inherent in this verse is potent: Babylon, the instrument of God's judgment against proud Judah, now faces God's judgment for its own greater pride and the exceeding of its divine mandate in cruelty. This reflects a consistent biblical principle: God holds even His instruments accountable.
- The concept of a predetermined "day" of judgment or salvation is a crucial element of biblical eschatology, highlighting God's pre-planned execution of history. For Babylon, "its day" signals the final, inescapable end to its imperial epoch.
Jeremiah 50 31 Commentary
Jeremiah 50:31 stands as a powerful declaration of divine justice, encapsulating God's ultimate sovereignty over the arrogant empires of the world. By personifying Babylon as zāḏôn—pride itself—the verse condemns the very essence of its imperial hubris that dared to defy God and oppress His people. The repeated use of the majestic divine title, "the Lord GOD of hosts," asserts God's absolute authority and limitless power, dramatically contrasting with Babylon's fleeting earthly dominion and false gods. This is not merely a prophet's warning but an irrevocable decree from the Supreme Commander of all creation. The proclamation that "your day has come, the time when I will punish you" conveys the inescapable and precisely appointed nature of Babylon's downfall. It signifies a divine appointment for retribution that could not be delayed or avoided. This promise, given to an exiled people suffering under Babylon's yoke, served as a profound comfort and assurance that God would vindicate His people and demonstrate His unwavering faithfulness, turning the tables on their oppressor according to His perfect timing and righteous judgment.