Jeremiah 51 13

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 verses

Jeremiah 51 13 meaning

Jeremiah 51:13 pronounces divine judgment upon Babylon, characterizing it by its two prominent features: abundant water resources and immense wealth accumulated through plunder. The verse declares that Babylon's destined end has arrived, directly attributing this downfall to the full measure of its oppressive and greedy practices. It reveals God's meticulous oversight of the world's powers and His ultimate justice against those who pride themselves on ill-gotten gains and exploit others.

Jeremiah 51 13 Context

Jeremiah 51 is a comprehensive prophetic oracle against Babylon, reiterating and expanding upon the themes of judgment presented in chapter 50. It details Babylon's impending destruction as God's retribution for its arrogance, idolatry, and brutal oppression of His people, Israel. This specific verse (Jeremiah 51:13) immediately follows a call for nations to prepare for battle against Babylon (vv. 11-12) and serves as a direct address to the city, highlighting the very aspects it prides itself on—its immense resources and wealth—as the basis for its coming demise. Historically, Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar II was a formidable empire, known for its advanced irrigation systems based on the Euphrates (the "many waters") and the vast riches it accumulated from conquered territories, including Judah and Jerusalem. The prophecy, delivered decades before Babylon's actual fall to Cyrus the Great in 539 BC, offers hope and assurance to the Jewish exiles that God's justice would prevail.

Jeremiah 51 13 Word analysis

• You who live (יוֹשֶׁבֶת - yōshèvet): The Hebrew word is a feminine singular participle, literally "sitting" or "dwelling." It addresses Babylon directly as a settled, established, and even secure entity, implying its confidence and perceived impregnability.

• by many waters (עַל-מַיִם רַבִּים - ʾal-mayim rabbīm): This is a direct geographical reference to Babylon's location on the Euphrates River and its intricate network of canals, which were vital for its agriculture, commerce, and defense. Metaphorically, it can also symbolize Babylon's vast influence, many peoples under its dominion, and immense resources. The waters provided both prosperity and a perceived shield, yet they will not save it from God's judgment. This stands in contrast to Israel, often depicted as a dry land relying solely on God.

• rich in treasures (רַבַּת אֹצָרוֹת - ravvat ʾōtsārōt): Literally, "abundant of treasures." This emphasizes Babylon's immense wealth, accumulated through extensive trade and, more significantly, through conquest and plunder. The accumulation of riches, often unjustly, becomes a key marker of its character and a cause for divine judgment. This was a source of great pride and power, reflecting the grandeur and opulence of the Babylonian empire.

• your end (קִצֵּךְ - qitsēkh): This refers to the definite, divinely appointed boundary or termination of Babylon's existence as a dominant power. It is an end decreed by God, signaling the limit of His patience with its pride and cruelty. It suggests a time that was predetermined and could not be altered by human strength or wealth.

• has come (בָּאָה - bāʾāh): A strong, assertive declaration, using the perfect tense in Hebrew to indicate that the event is as good as done, or definitively set in motion, underscoring the certainty and imminence of the judgment.

• the measure of your greed (מְדַת בִּצְעֵךְ - mėdāt bitsʿēkh): This phrase connects Babylon's downfall directly to its specific moral failing. מְדַת (mėdāt) means "measure" or "limit," indicating that Babylon's self-serving, oppressive accumulation of wealth (בִּצְעֵךְ - bitsʿēkh, meaning "unjust gain," "covetousness," "plunder," "violence") has reached its full extent, crossing a divine threshold of forbearance. The measure signifies the point at which divine patience expires, and justice must be executed.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "You who live by many waters, rich in treasures": This opening phrase juxtaposes Babylon's material advantages (natural resources and wealth) against the declaration of its end. These were the very pillars of Babylon's strength and pride, perceived as safeguards, yet they are shown to be impotent against divine judgment. The descriptive elements serve to underscore the greatness of the power that is about to fall.
  • "your end has come, the measure of your greed": This climatic declaration reveals the why behind Babylon's fall. Its material advantages provided by the "many waters" and "treasures" were achieved and sustained through "greed" and oppression. The phrase declares a causal link: Babylon's predatory nature is the precise reason for its termination. Its injustice has filled the cup of divine wrath to the brim.

Jeremiah 51 13 Bonus section

The image of "many waters" also carries symbolic weight in prophetic literature, often representing a vast dominion of peoples or chaos. In Revelation, "the great prostitute" (symbolizing Rome or an ultimate antichrist system) is depicted "seated on many waters," which are then explicitly interpreted as "peoples and multitudes and nations and languages" (Rev 17:1, 15), echoing the imperial reach and diverse populace under Babylon's sway. This intertextual connection suggests a recurring pattern of wealthy, worldly powers built on conquest and materialism. Furthermore, in ancient Near Eastern thought, rivers and bodies of water were often associated with creation myths and the source of life, bestowing sacred status on cities like Babylon built alongside them. God's declaration against Babylon signifies that even the forces perceived as life-giving and divinely protected by human powers cannot withstand the judgment of the true Creator. The irony is that the very source of Babylon's confidence, its strategic position and acquired wealth, becomes the precise justification for its divine sentence.

Jeremiah 51 13 Commentary

Jeremiah 51:13 powerfully encapsulates the reasons and certainty of Babylon's collapse. The description "You who live by many waters, rich in treasures" highlights the city's self-perception and external grandeur—its geographical advantage providing a seeming impregnable defense and its vast wealth solidifying its imperial might. These very attributes, however, are presented not as blessings, but as signifiers of its impending doom. The "many waters" (the Euphrates and its canals) were fundamental to its prosperity and security but would ultimately prove defenseless against God's decree. The "rich in treasures" speaks to an insatiable appetite for acquisition, a characteristic rooted in conquest and plunder rather than just gain. God's judgment, declared by "your end has come," signifies an absolute, predetermined closure to its reign. This "end" is not arbitrary but a direct consequence, "the measure of your greed." Babylon's systematic oppression, ruthless expansion, and accumulation of unjust gains had reached a divine tipping point. This verse underscores God's sovereignty over earthly empires, revealing that even the most powerful nations are held accountable for their moral failings and that there is a definite limit to His patience with injustice. It assures God's people that the pride of those who abuse power and wealth will be brought low, making way for His ultimate justice.