Jeremiah 51:13 kjv
O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness.
Jeremiah 51:13 nkjv
O you who dwell by many waters, Abundant in treasures, Your end has come, The measure of your covetousness.
Jeremiah 51:13 niv
You who live by many waters and are rich in treasures, your end has come, the time for you to be destroyed.
Jeremiah 51:13 esv
O you who dwell by many waters, rich in treasures, your end has come; the thread of your life is cut.
Jeremiah 51:13 nlt
You are a city by a great river,
a great center of commerce,
but your end has come.
The thread of your life is cut.
Jeremiah 51 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 51:13 | "O you who dwell by many waters, rich in treasures, your end has come, the measure of your greed." | Fulfillment of prophetic judgment |
| Isaiah 47:7 | "You said, ‘I shall be a perpetual sovereign,’ so you did not lay these things to heart, nor remember your latter end." | Babylon's pride and self-deception |
| Jeremiah 50:15 | "Shout against her from all sides; she has given her hands; her foundations have fallen, her walls are thrown down. For it is the vengeance of the LORD. Take vengeance upon her; as she has done, do to her." | God's vengeance on Babylon |
| Ezekiel 28:4 | "With your wisdom and with your understanding you have gotten yourself riches, and have gold and silver in your treasuries." | Wisdom leading to material wealth |
| Proverbs 23:4 | "Do not toil to acquire wealth; be wise enough to desist." | Warning against the pursuit of riches |
| Revelation 18:7 | "As much as she glorified herself and lived in luxury, to the same extent give her torment and mourning, for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as a queen, I am no widow, and I will never see mourning.’" | Babylon's pride and subsequent fall |
| Habakkuk 2:6 | "Shall not all these take up a proverb against him, and a taunting riddle against him, and say, ‘Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own! How long?’" | Woe to the greedy oppressor |
| Jeremiah 50:37 | "A sword is upon their horses and upon their chariots, and upon all the mingled people in her midst, and they shall become like women. A sword is upon her treasures, and they shall be plundered." | Plundering of Babylon's treasures |
| Psalm 107:23 | "Some went down to the sea in ships, and did business in great waters." | Maritime trade and wealth |
| Jeremiah 17:3 | "So I will let my mountains give spoil to the field for the sin of your land, and to your beasts of the field for their plunder." | God's judgment leading to spoil |
| Isaiah 13:16 | "Their little ones will be dashed in pieces before their eyes; their houses will be plundered, and their wives ravished." | Brutality of conquest |
| Nahum 2:9 | "Take the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold! There is no end to the bounty, or wealth of every precious article." | Description of Assyrian plunder |
| Zechariah 5:4 | "And I will cause it to go forth,’ declares the LORD of hosts, ‘and it shall enter the house of the thief and the house of him who swears falsely by my name. And it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it, timber and stones.’" | Judgment upon dishonest gain |
| Deuteronomy 8:17-18 | "Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as this day." | Attributing wealth to God |
| Jeremiah 22:13-14 | "‘Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms by injustice, who uses his neighbor without pay and does not give him his wages, who says, ‘I will build myself a great house with spacious rooms,’ and cuts out windows for it, paneling it with cedar, and painting it with vermilion." | Building wealth through injustice |
| Jeremiah 28:12 | "Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will break the bars of Babylon." | God's ultimate judgment on Babylon |
| Hosea 4:2 | "There is swearing, then lying, and murder, and stealing, and adultery; they break all restraint, and blood is upon blood." | Widespread sinfulness |
| Matthew 6:19 | "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal." | Heavenly treasures |
| Romans 2:5 | "But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed." | Storing up wrath |
| Revelation 17:16 | "And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the harlot. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire." | Judgment on the unfaithful |
Jeremiah 51 verses
Jeremiah 51 13 Meaning
This verse describes the abundance of Babylon's spoils and its subsequent flourishing as a result of captured wealth, a declaration of Yahweh's intent. It emphasizes the vastness of the treasures Babylon possessed and how this ill-gotten gain fueled its might and apparent prosperity.
Jeremiah 51 13 Context
Jeremiah 51 is the final chapter of Jeremiah's prophecy against Babylon. This specific verse, Jeremiah 51:13, is part of a broader indictment and pronouncement of doom upon the city for its oppressive and idolatrous practices. Babylon, a powerful empire, had conquered Judah and exiled its people, leading to immense suffering. This verse speaks to the immense material wealth accumulated by Babylon, largely through conquest and exploitation, highlighting it as a source of its pride and eventual downfall. The audience would have understood this in the context of Babylon's dominance over the nations, including their own.
Jeremiah 51 13 Word Analysis
- O (Hebrew: הַ) - "O" or "Oh"; an interjection expressing address or strong emotion, here calling out to Babylon.
- you (Hebrew: אַתְּ) - Feminine singular pronoun, referring to the city of Babylon personified as a female entity.
- who (Hebrew: יֹשְׁבַת) - "dwellest"; participial form of "to dwell" or "to sit," indicating a settled, residing presence.
- by (Hebrew: עַל) - A preposition with various meanings including "upon," "over," "against," or "by." Here it likely indicates proximity or position by something.
- many (Hebrew: מַ֣יִם) - "waters." The Hebrew word for "waters." This is a significant term in the ancient Near East, often referring to great rivers (like the Euphrates upon which Babylon was situated) or the sea, signifying commerce and perhaps even divine cosmic forces.
- rich (Hebrew: חֵיל) - "strength," "army," "wealth," "riches," "substance." Implies not just monetary wealth but also the resources and might derived from it.
- in (Hebrew: אוֹצָרוֹתֶ֑יהָ) - "treasures"; plural form of "treasure." Indicates vast storehouses and accumulated riches, amassed through plunder and tribute.
- your - Possessive pronoun attached to "treasures."
- end (Hebrew: קֵצ) - "end," "limit," "extremity." Refers to Babylon's finality, its doom.
- has come (Hebrew: בָּא) - Perfect verb indicating an accomplished event, signifying that the destined time for Babylon's destruction has arrived.
- the (Hebrew: מִדַּת) - "measure," "standard," "portion," "quantity." This word strongly suggests that the destruction is proportional to something.
- measure - The preceding word "midah" which carries the idea of "extent" or "quantity."
- of (Hebrew: בָּלַ֫ע) - "swallowed," "consumed," "devoured." A potent verb often used for judgment or destruction.
- your - Possessive pronoun attached to "greed."
- greed (Hebrew: בֶּצַע) - "gain," "profit," "robbery," "dishonest gain." Refers to illicit or excessive acquisition of wealth, often through unjust means.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "dwell by many waters": Babylon's location by the Euphrates river was key to its trade and power. The "many waters" could also metaphorically represent the nations Babylon oppressed or the vastness of its influence and wealth acquired through trade and conquest.
- "rich in treasures": This phrase underscores the immense material prosperity Babylon amassed. This wealth, however, was not earned righteously but was largely plundered from conquered nations.
- "your end has come, the measure of your greed": This powerful conjunction links Babylon's impending doom directly to its insatiable desire for wealth and the ill-gotten gains derived from it. The "measure" implies that the judgment will be precisely in proportion to its greed and its accumulated riches from unjust means.
Jeremiah 51 13 Bonus Section
The imagery of "many waters" is significant, as rivers were conduits of commerce and life for ancient civilizations. Babylon's strategic position by the Euphrates facilitated its economic power. However, this verse reframes these "waters" not as a source of blessing, but as a context for accumulation that ultimately leads to ruin. The phrase "measure of your greed" points to a divine principle of retributive justice, where punishment fits the crime and its extent. This concept of God measuring actions and holding individuals and nations accountable for their greed is a recurring theme throughout Scripture, emphasizing God's sovereignty and His demand for righteousness. This verse resonates with the concept that wealth gained unjustly carries a curse rather than a blessing.
Jeremiah 51 13 Commentary
Jeremiah 51:13 highlights the consequences of avarice and the judgment that follows it. Babylon's wealth, acquired through conquest and exploitation, is presented as the very cause of its downfall. This verse serves as a stark warning against the pursuit of ill-gotten gain and the pride that often accompanies material prosperity built on injustice. It implies a divine accounting where greed and its accumulated spoils are measured, and judgment is rendered accordingly. The "many waters" could symbolize not just the literal river but the multitude of nations and peoples whose resources Babylon exploited. The "measure" suggests a justice that is both precise and fitting to the sin committed, as prophesied by Jeremiah and echoed in later biblical texts describing divine judgment on oppressive powers.