Jeremiah 51 2

Jeremiah 51:2 kjv

And will send unto Babylon fanners, that shall fan her, and shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about.

Jeremiah 51:2 nkjv

And I will send winnowers to Babylon, Who shall winnow her and empty her land. For in the day of doom They shall be against her all around.

Jeremiah 51:2 niv

I will send foreigners to Babylon to winnow her and to devastate her land; they will oppose her on every side in the day of her disaster.

Jeremiah 51:2 esv

and I will send to Babylon winnowers, and they shall winnow her, and they shall empty her land, when they come against her from every side on the day of trouble.

Jeremiah 51:2 nlt

Foreigners will come and winnow her,
blowing her away as chaff.
They will come from every side
to rise against her in her day of trouble.

Jeremiah 51 verses

Jeremiah 51 2 meaning

This verse declares God's intent to send "fanners" or "winnowers" (invading armies) against Babylon. These attackers will thoroughly scatter and devastate the land, emptying it of its people and resources. This complete destruction is presented as inevitable, occurring when the "day of trouble" arrives, at which point the enemies will surround Babylon on all sides, ensuring no escape or recovery. It highlights God's sovereign judgment against a nation that oppressed His people.

Jeremiah 51 2 Context

Jeremiah 51:2 is part of a sustained and powerful prophecy spanning chapters 50-51, primarily directed against Babylon, which at the time was the dominant global power and the oppressor of Judah. Chapter 51, in particular, amplifies the certainty and extent of Babylon's impending destruction. Judah had been taken captive by Babylon, and these prophecies served as both a warning to Babylon for its arrogance against God and a word of comfort and hope for the exiled Judeans, assuring them that God had not forgotten their plight. The historical context reveals that Babylon eventually fell to the Persian Empire under Cyrus the Great in 539 BC, roughly aligning with the prophecies of a conquering nation from the north and Medes being instrumental (Jer 51:11). This verse sets the stage by vividly depicting the nature of that conquest as a destructive "winnowing" and "emptying."

Jeremiah 51 2 Word analysis

• And will send (וְשָׁלַחְתִּי - vĕ·šā·laḥ·tî): This Hebrew verb emphasizes God's direct agency and deliberate intention. It is not an accident; God Himself is the orchestrator of this judgment. The active "I will send" denotes divine sovereignty.
• unto Babylon (לְבָבֶל - lə·ḇā·ḇel): The precise target. Babylon is personified as the recipient of this devastating action, underscoring its historical and theological significance as an oppressor of God's people.
• fanners (זָרִים - zā·rîm): This is a crucial agricultural metaphor derived from the verb zarah (to scatter, winnow, fan). While zarim can sometimes mean "strangers," here in context with "fan her" and "empty her land," it specifically refers to "winnowers." Winnowing involves tossing grain into the air to separate the valuable grain from worthless chaff by wind. In this context, Babylon is to be thoroughly processed, but the outcome is its complete destruction or depopulation rather than purification. These "fanners" are literal invading armies chosen by God.
• that shall fan her (וְזֵרוּהָ - vĕ·zê·rū·hā): This intensifies the imagery of winnowing. It denotes a violent scattering, a dispersal of its inhabitants and resources, highlighting a thorough and complete processing. The scattering implies disorder and ruin, a dismantling of Babylon's structured power.
• and shall empty her land (וִיבֹקְקֻהָ - vî·ḇō·qə·qū·hā): From the root baqak, meaning "to empty out," "to lay waste," "to depopulate." This clarifies the ultimate result of the winnowing: the land will be left desolate, stripped of its people, wealth, and power. It signifies absolute devastation, moving beyond just scattering to a state of void.
• for (כִּי - kî): This conjunction serves to introduce the reason or a more specific elaboration for the foregoing pronouncements. It ties the destruction directly to the timing and method of the coming calamity.
• in the day of trouble (בְּיוֹם רָעָה - bə·yō·wm rā·‘āh): A common prophetic phrase for a predetermined time of divine judgment, calamity, or evil. It indicates that Babylon's downfall is not random but falls within God's appointed time for judgment. It signifies the period of war and siege.
• they shall be against her round about (סָבִיב יִהְיוּ־עָלֶיהָ - sā·ḇîḇ yih·yū-ʿā·ley·hā): "Round about" emphasizes an encircling, a complete siege. This portrays Babylon as entirely encompassed, with no avenue of escape for its inhabitants and no chance of outside help, leading to its complete collapse. It depicts the strategic military action that accomplishes the "emptying."

Words-Group analysis:

• "send unto Babylon fanners, that shall fan her": This group vividly introduces God's chosen instruments—not just an army, but "winnowers" employing a agricultural process to scatter Babylon. It personifies Babylon as material to be sorted and expelled.
• "and shall empty her land": This phrase details the consequence of the winnowing. The goal is not refinement but absolute desolation. Babylon’s productive, vibrant land will become void, highlighting the irreversible nature of the judgment.
• "for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about": This section provides the temporal and tactical framework. The comprehensive nature of the attack ("round about") confirms that escape is impossible, tying the metaphorical winnowing to the harsh reality of military siege and overwhelming force.

Jeremiah 51 2 Bonus section

The concept of "fanners" or "winnowers" has strong resonance in both Old and New Testaments regarding judgment. In the Old Testament, nations or individuals who are puffed up or wicked are often compared to chaff, easily scattered by the wind (Ps 1:4; Job 21:18). This imagery speaks to the ease with which God can dismantle what seems mighty and impregnable. The very method chosen by God to dismantle Babylon is indicative of a cleansing process, albeit one that eliminates the entire entity. In the New Testament, John the Baptist utilizes this very imagery to describe the coming judgment by the Messiah: "His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor, gathering His wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire" (Mt 3:12; Lk 3:17). This shows a continuity of God's character and methods of justice, from specific historical judgments like Babylon's fall to the ultimate, eschatological judgment. Babylon's fate is a foretaste of the ultimate sifting that God will perform.

Jeremiah 51 2 Commentary

Jeremiah 51:2 delivers a profound message of divine justice against Babylon, using powerful, ancient Near Eastern imagery. God declares His intention to deploy "winnowers"—representing various nations, notably the Medes and Persians—who will utterly scatter and depopulate Babylon. The act of winnowing, traditionally meant to separate valuable grain from worthless chaff, is subverted here to illustrate that Babylon itself, in its arrogance and oppression, will be treated as mere chaff. Its inhabitants will be dispersed, and its land will be left vacant and desolate. The "day of trouble" signifies God's appointed time for this judgment, which will manifest through a complete encirclement and siege, ensuring the inescapability and totality of Babylon's downfall. This verse not only forecasts a historical event but also underscores God's sovereign control over nations, turning the tools of human power into instruments of divine reckoning. It serves as a reminder that all empires, no matter how mighty, are ultimately subject to the judgment of the Almighty. The judgment is not merely punishment but a meticulous undoing of a system that stood against God's will and people.