Jeremiah 51:11 kjv
Make bright the arrows; gather the shields: the LORD hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes: for his device is against Babylon, to destroy it; because it is the vengeance of the LORD, the vengeance of his temple.
Jeremiah 51:11 nkjv
Make the arrows bright! Gather the shields! The LORD has raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes. For His plan is against Babylon to destroy it, Because it is the vengeance of the LORD, The vengeance for His temple.
Jeremiah 51:11 niv
"Sharpen the arrows, take up the shields! The LORD has stirred up the kings of the Medes, because his purpose is to destroy Babylon. The LORD will take vengeance, vengeance for his temple.
Jeremiah 51:11 esv
"Sharpen the arrows! Take up the shields! The LORD has stirred up the spirit of the kings of the Medes, because his purpose concerning Babylon is to destroy it, for that is the vengeance of the LORD, the vengeance for his temple.
Jeremiah 51:11 nlt
Sharpen the arrows!
Lift up the shields!
For the LORD has inspired the kings of the Medes
to march against Babylon and destroy her.
This is his vengeance against those
who desecrated his Temple.
Jeremiah 51 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jer 51:11 | "Make blades sharp, fashion shields!" | Call to preparedness and defense against divine judgment. |
| Isa 13:14 | "Each will flee, pursued by his own people, each will run, by his own sword." | Fulfillment of Babylon's judgment, resulting in internal strife. |
| Jer 50:28 | "The Lord will take vengeance in His city." | God's retribution targeting Babylon. |
| Rev 18:20 | "Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets! For God has judged her for what she did to you." | Heavenly celebration of God's judgment on Babylon. |
| Ps 7:13 | "He also prepares the instruments of death; He makes His arrows fiery shafts." | God's instruments of judgment. |
| Nah 2:3 | "The shields of his warriors are red; the valiant men are dressed in scarlet." | Imagery of warfare and judgment. |
| Hab 2:7 | "Will not your creditors rise up suddenly? Will they not awaken who will make you tremble, and you will become their spoil?" | Babylon will be plundered by those who oppressed. |
| Zech 2:7 | "Come, O Zion! Escape, you who live in the daughter of Babylon." | Another prophetic call for deliverance from Babylon. |
| Jer 50:8 | "Move from the midst of Babylon, and go out of the land of the Chaldeans; and be like the he-goats before the flock." | Exodus imagery for God's people escaping Babylon. |
| Rev 14:8 | "Another angel followed and said, 'Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality.'" | Prophecy of Babylon's complete fall. |
| Jer 46:4 | "Harness the horses, and mount the riders! Take your positions with helmets on; polish the spears, put on the armor!" | Contrastingly, this is a call for battle preparations against Egypt. |
| Jer 47:3 | "When the horsemen charge, and the chariots rumble and roll, and the horses shake the earth..." | Imagery of invading forces. |
| Isa 5:28 | "Their horses' hoofs trample like the dust of the threshing floor." | Power and force of armies. |
| Nah 3:3 | "The rider on the red horse, the flashing swords, the glittering spears, the piles of slain, the heaps of corpses, the bodies without end—they stumble over bodies—" | Vivid imagery of destruction. |
| Ps 78:49 | "He sent against them His burning anger, fury, and indignation, and distress, by sending evil angels." | Divine judgment executed by supernatural means. |
| Jer 51:25 | "Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, declares the Lord, that destroys all the earth. I will stretch out my hand against you and roll you down from the crags, and make you a burned-out place." | God declares Himself against Babylon, the "destroying mountain." |
| Ezek 38:4 | "I will turn you about and put hooks of iron in your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them magnificent in full armor, a great host with bucklers and shields, all of them brandishing swords." | God's sovereign control over nations, even opposing forces. |
| Luke 21:21 | "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains..." | Jesus' instruction for disciples to flee during Jerusalem's destruction, paralleling the urgency of escape. |
| Acts 1:8 | "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses..." | While not directly about escape, it speaks to empowering God's people to fulfill His mission even amidst turbulent times. |
| Rev 19:11 | "Then I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war." | Christ as the ultimate conqueror and judge. |
Jeremiah 51 verses
Jeremiah 51 11 Meaning
This verse calls the people to prepare to escape from Babylon. God's judgment is coming upon Babylon for her transgressions against Him, and He commands His people to flee and save themselves. It is a call to deliverance and survival in the face of divine retribution upon a wicked nation.
Jeremiah 51 11 Context
Jeremiah chapter 51 continues the prophetic oracle against Babylon. This specific verse falls within a section that elaborates on the comprehensive destruction of the city. Babylon, the powerful empire that had oppressed Judah for decades, is depicted as a ruthless force. God's judgment on Babylon is declared in response to its arrogance, idolatry, and its role in oppressing God's people. The call to prepare weapons signifies the imminent and violent nature of God's judgment being unleashed through the Medes and Persians. Simultaneously, it acts as an instruction for the exiled Jews to be ready to depart from Babylon when God makes the way for their deliverance.
Jeremiah 51 11 Word Analysis
- Sharp-en: (Hebrew: ḥad•d•du) - From the root ḥā•d•d•yô•w•t, meaning "to sharpen," "to whet." This implies making weapons extremely keen for effective use. It can also carry the figurative meaning of making something effective or potent.
- Blades: (Hebrew: ḥă•r•bō•ṯ) - Plural of ḥĕ•r•b which means "sword," "knife." Refers to the sharp edges of weapons, especially swords.
- Fashion: (Hebrew: ś•m•ū) - From the root śîm, meaning "to put," "to set," "to make," "to prepare." Here, it conveys the act of preparing, making ready, or equipping.
- Shields: (Hebrew: s•n•i•n•ō•ṯ) - Plural of s•i•n•āh, meaning "shield," specifically a large defensive shield. The context here uses "shields" (plural) possibly to imply a defensive preparation of the inhabitants or the attacking army that would carry them. However, considering the call for sharpening blades, "shields" might be poetically used to refer to the offensive weaponry being prepared or for those defending Babylon, whose defense will ultimately fail. The imperative mood "fashion shields" can also be interpreted as "provide yourselves with shields."
- Preparedness and Execution of Judgment: The entire verse highlights God's orchestration of judgment. The imagery of sharpening weapons and fashioning shields points to the tools of warfare that will be employed against Babylon, signifying both its destruction and potentially the self-defense of its conquerors or even a false sense of security for Babylon itself.
Jeremiah 51 11 Bonus Section
The dual command to "sharpen blades" and "fashion shields" can be interpreted in two ways, reflecting the complex nature of divine judgment. The "blades" are for attack and execution of judgment. The "shields" could represent the preparations of the Medes and Persians for their assault, or, poetically, it might speak to the defensive measures taken by Babylon, which will ultimately prove futile. In some interpretations, the "shields" could even symbolize the hardened hearts and deceptive practices of Babylon itself, which are prepared for defense but will not save it from God's wrath. The underlying message is one of comprehensive preparation for conflict, orchestrated by God for the purpose of judgment.
Jeremiah 51 11 Commentary
This verse is a potent call to divine judgment and human response. God commands the instruments of His wrath (implied by the sharpened blades) and the defensive preparations of those who will conquer Babylon. The urgent tone emphasizes that the fall of Babylon is not accidental but divinely ordained and executed. It’s a reminder that God uses human agency, equipped by Him, to bring about His sovereign purposes. For believers, it echoes the principle of being prepared for God's work and, in the broader context of Babylon's fall, points towards the eventual deliverance from oppressive systems.