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 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 51:2 | "I will send winnowers to Babylon, and they shall winnow her, and they shall empty her land..." | Prophecy against Babylon (clear parallel) |
| Jeremiah 51:3 | "...for in the day of trouble they shall come against her from every side." | Imminent judgment on Babylon |
| Isaiah 13:19 | "And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beautiful pride of the Chaldeans, will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah." | Utter destruction of Babylon |
| Isaiah 21:1-2 | "The oracle concerning the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the Negeb sweep on, so he comes from the wilderness, from a terrifying land." | Imagery of destructive force |
| Ezekiel 26:3 | "...therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves." | God bringing nations for judgment |
| Jeremiah 49:26 | "And her young men shall fall in her squares, and all her soldiers shall be silenced in that day, declares the LORD of hosts." | Calamity on specific cities/nations |
| Jeremiah 50:16 | "Cut off from Babylon the sower, and the wielder of the sickle in time of harvest. To the face of the destroying sword they shall turn everyone to his own people, and everyone shall flee to his own land." | Internal disruption and flight |
| 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." | Destruction of a corrupt entity |
| Revelation 18:2 | "And he called out with a mighty voice, saying, 'Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!'" | Announcement of Babylon's fall |
| Nahum 2:10 | "Devoid of everything: emptied, plundered, despoiled, with melting knees and weakening hips, every face pale with fright." | Description of conquered city |
| Zechariah 2:6 | "'Ho! Ho! Flee from the land of the north,' declares the LORD. 'For I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heavens,' declares the LORD." | Scattering and dispersal |
| Job 1:19 | "And behold, a great wind came from the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead." | Devastating wind imagery |
| Psalm 1:4 | "The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away." | Wind as agent of removal |
| Jeremiah 17:6 | "He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He dwells in clefts of the desert, in empty places, in salty uninhabited earth." | Desolation and barrenness |
| Jeremiah 23:3 | "Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries to which I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their pasture..." | Restoration after scattering |
| Isaiah 41:16 | "You shall winnow them, and the wind shall carry them off, and the tempest shall scatter them..." | Wind as an instrument of judgment |
| Jeremiah 51:10 | "The LORD has brought forth our righteousness; come, let us declare in Zion the work of the LORD our God." | God's righteousness in judgment |
| Habakkuk 3:3 | "God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His splendor covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise." | Divine appearance and power |
| Hosea 9:7 | "The days of punishment have come; the days of recompense have come. Israel shall know it. The prophet is a fool; the man of the spirit is mad..." | Days of reckoning for sin |
| Jeremiah 15:3 | "I will appoint over them four kinds of destroyers, declares the LORD: the sword that kills, the dogs that tear, the birds of the heavens that devour, and the beasts of the earth that destroy." | Multiple instruments of destruction |
| Psalm 11:6 | "Let hail storms of coals rain down on the wicked; let fire and sulfur and scorching wind be their allotted portion." | Scorching wind as punishment |
| Jeremiah 6:22 | "Behold, a people is coming from the north country, and a great nation is stirred up from the ends of the earth." | Coming of hostile forces |
Jeremiah 51 verses
Jeremiah 51 2 Meaning
This verse pronounces judgment upon Babylon, describing its downfall with vivid imagery. It declares that a destructive force will descend upon it like a scorching wind from the desert. This wind will devastate the land and its inhabitants, leaving nothing unharmed. The verse emphasizes the thoroughness of this destruction, signifying Babylon's complete ruin as a divine consequence.
Jeremiah 51 2 Context
Jeremiah 51:2 is part of a larger prophecy against Babylon found in chapters 50 and 51 of the book of Jeremiah. This prophecy was delivered during the reign of Zedekiah, the last king of Judah. At this time, Babylon, under Nebuchadnezzar II, had become a dominant world power and had devastated Jerusalem and taken many Judeans captive. The prophecy serves as a declaration of God's judgment on Babylon for its pride, cruelty, and idolatry, and as a comfort and promise of deliverance to the exiled Israelites.
Historically, Babylon was a great city renowned for its splendor and power. However, its empire was also characterized by oppressive rule and violence against conquered nations. This verse paints a picture of Babylon's eventual downfall, brought about by an enemy described as "winnowers," representing a force that would thoroughly cleanse and empty the city and its land of its inhabitants and spoils. The "scorching wind from the desert" is a potent metaphor for a destructive, all-consuming judgment emanating from an arid, desolate region, likely referring to the Medes and Persians who eventually conquered Babylon.
Jeremiah 51 2 Word Analysis
"I will send": (Hebrew:
shālach) - To send forth, to dispatch, to commission. This implies divine agency; God is actively directing the force of destruction."winnowers": (Hebrew:
dosh) - From the root meaning "to thresh" or "to winnow." Winnowing is the process of separating grain from chaff using wind. In this context, it signifies a sifting and scattering process, implying thorough removal and separation. Those sent are instruments of judgment."to Babylon": (Hebrew:
Babel) - Refers to the great ancient Mesopotamian city and empire, often depicted in the Bible as a symbol of pride, idolatry, and opposition to God's people."and they shall winnow her": Continues the imagery of threshing/winnowing, emphasizing a complete separation and dispersal. "Her" refers to Babylon.
"and they shall empty her land": (Hebrew:
rēy·qâm dâ·lâq) - To make empty, to clear out. This speaks of a complete depopulation and despoliation of Babylonian territory."for": (Hebrew:
kî) - Indicates the reason or cause for the coming destruction."in the day of trouble": (Hebrew:
yō·wm tsā·rāh) - A time of calamity, distress, or disaster. This refers to the specific period of Babylonian judgment."they shall come against her": Indicates an offensive action directed toward Babylon.
"from every side": (Hebrew:
mikkol sē·vīv) - From all directions, comprehensively. This suggests an overwhelming and inescapable assault, highlighting the totality of the defeat.Group analysis of "send winnowers to Babylon... they shall winnow her": This powerful metaphor likens the impending conquerors of Babylon to farmers separating grain from chaff. Just as chaff is cast away and dispersed by the wind, so too will the people and riches of Babylon be scattered and removed. It signifies not just defeat, but a complete eradication and desolation orchestrated by God. The use of "winnowers" emphasizes God's control over the instruments of judgment.
Group analysis of "empty her land": This phrase highlights the thoroughness of the devastation. It signifies not merely military conquest but a stripping bare of resources, population, and power, leaving the land utterly void and desolate.
Jeremiah 51 2 Bonus Section
The "scorching wind from the desert" is a powerful apocalyptic image often found in prophetic literature. It evokes a sense of desolation, heat, and unstoppable force. Deserts are typically barren, signifying a land stripped of life, making the wind emanating from them inherently destructive and devoid of any mercy or refreshment. This imagery is particularly fitting for the conquerors of Babylon, the Medes and Persians, whose ancestral lands were indeed often arid. This verse also speaks to the theological concept of divine judgment, where God uses earthly powers as instruments to execute His will against sin and rebellion, reminding believers that no earthly power is ultimately supreme. The totality of the judgment described anticipates the final destruction of oppressive systems throughout history, and ultimately, the complete overthrow of evil at the end of the age.
Jeremiah 51 2 Commentary
Jeremiah 51:2 describes the utter devastation awaiting Babylon. God declares He will send "winnowers" against the city, signifying a relentless force that will utterly strip and scatter its inhabitants and resources, much like grain is separated from chaff. This metaphor implies a complete cleansing or removal, leaving Babylon barren. The "scorching wind from the desert" amplifies this destructive imagery, representing an unstoppable, arid force that eradicates all life. This judgment is precisely targeted for the "day of trouble," indicating a divinely appointed time of reckoning. The conquerors will come "from every side," ensuring no refuge or escape. This verse underlines God's sovereign power over nations and His judgment upon oppressive and proud empires, demonstrating that no fortification can withstand His ordained purposes. The imagery of winnowing and an empty land underscores the finality and totality of Babylon's demise as an act of divine retribution.