Jeremiah 51 29

Jeremiah 51:29 kjv

And the land shall tremble and sorrow: for every purpose of the LORD shall be performed against Babylon, to make the land of Babylon a desolation without an inhabitant.

Jeremiah 51:29 nkjv

And the land will tremble and sorrow; For every purpose of the LORD shall be performed against Babylon, To make the land of Babylon a desolation without inhabitant.

Jeremiah 51:29 niv

The land trembles and writhes, for the LORD's purposes against Babylon stand? to lay waste the land of Babylon so that no one will live there.

Jeremiah 51:29 esv

The land trembles and writhes in pain, for the LORD's purposes against Babylon stand, to make the land of Babylon a desolation, without inhabitant.

Jeremiah 51:29 nlt

The earth trembles and writhes in pain,
for everything the LORD has planned against Babylon stands unchanged.
Babylon will be left desolate without a single inhabitant.

Jeremiah 51 verses

Jeremiah 51 29 meaning

Jeremiah 51:29 powerfully declares God's determined judgment against Babylon. It describes the earth shaking and suffering, a visible manifestation of the Lord's immutable plan to bring complete desolation upon the Babylonian land, ensuring it becomes uninhabitable. This verse underscores divine sovereignty, stating that God's destructive purpose against the once-mighty empire is firmly established and will undeniably come to pass. The trembling of the land reflects not only the physical devastation but also the universal impact and fear caused by such a significant divine decree.

Jeremiah 51 29 Context

Jeremiah 51 continues the extensive prophecy of Babylon's fall, building on the pronouncements in chapter 50. Judah had suffered greatly under Babylonian rule, and this extended oracle serves as both a comfort to the exiled Israelites—assuring them of God's justice and their eventual deliverance—and a warning to all nations against pride and oppression. The surrounding verses in chapter 51 detail the instruments of God's wrath (Medes), the utter destruction of Babylon's military and false gods, and the complete desolation that will follow. Verse 29 specifically focuses on the seismic impact of this divine judgment, highlighting that the entire land and its inhabitants will feel the tremor of God's established purpose to render Babylon uninhabited. Historically, this prophecy foretells the eventual overthrow of Babylon by Cyrus the Great of Persia in 539 BC, leading to a long decline that eventually rendered its original site uninhabited, as described.

Jeremiah 51 29 Word analysis

• The land (הָאָ֣רֶץ ha’aretz): Refers to the physical territory of Babylon, not just its cities or people. It denotes the entire geographical region affected by God's judgment, emphasizing the complete scope of the impending destruction, encompassing nature itself.
• trembles (רָעֲשָׁ֤ה ra’ašāh): From ra'ash, meaning to shake, quake, tremble, often in connection with earthquakes or powerful divine manifestations (e.g., Ex 19:18 at Sinai). It conveys an intense, physical upheaval, as if the very ground beneath them is reacting to God's decree.
• and writhes (וַתָּחִיל֙ vatachil): From chûl/chîl, meaning to writhe in pain or travail (like childbirth), to whirl, dance, or tremble. This adds a sense of agonizing, labor-like pain or convulsive movement, intensifying the imagery of profound disturbance and suffering. It can suggest a foundational restructuring or violent dissolution.
• for (כִּ֣י kî): A conjunction introducing the reason or cause. It directly links the cosmic turmoil of the land to God's explicit, unchangeable will, underscoring divine causality.
• the Lord’s (יְהוָה֙ YHWH): The covenant name of God, indicating that this is a solemn declaration from the one true God who acts on His promises and judgment. It emphasizes His authority and personal involvement.
• purpose (מַחֲשָׁבָה֙ machashavah): From chashav, meaning thought, plan, device, counsel, or intention. It signifies a well-conceived, deliberate, and intelligent plan, not an impulsive act. God’s plan is reasoned and firm.
• against Babylon (בָּבֶ֔ל Bavel): Clearly identifies the object of God's wrath, highlighting that the judgment is targeted and specific to the oppressive empire.
• stands (וְקָמָ֕ה veqamah): From qûm, meaning to rise, stand, establish, confirm, endure. In this context, it implies firmness, immutability, and established permanence. God’s purpose is fixed, irreversible, and guaranteed to materialize.
• to make (לָשׂוּם֙ lasûm): To place, set, make, constitute. Introduces the intended outcome or direct consequence of God's standing purpose, indicating an active transformation by God's decree.
• the land of Babylon (אֶ֤רֶץ בָּבֶל֙ eretz Bavel): Again specifying the geographical target, stressing that the entire territory, not just specific cities, will be affected.
• a desolation (לְשַׁמָּ֔ה leshammah): From šāmēm, meaning desolation, devastation, waste, horror. This is a very strong term indicating utter ruin, uninhabitable emptiness, and an appalling waste. It often implies a long-lasting, even perpetual, state of ruin.
• without inhabitant (מֵאֵ֖ין יוֹשֵֽׁב׃ me'en yoshev): Literally "from absence of dweller." This further intensifies "desolation," ensuring that no one will live there. It paints a picture of utter abandonment and non-residence, fulfilling the prophetic warning of lasting ruin.

Words-group analysis:

• "The land trembles and writhes": This phrase evokes vivid imagery of widespread natural and societal convulsion, reflecting the magnitude and severity of the divine judgment. The anthropomorphic portrayal of the land experiencing pain highlights the inescapable impact of God’s decree on all of creation associated with Babylon.
• "for the Lord’s purpose against Babylon stands": This central assertion provides the divine rationale and irrefutability for the coming destruction. It establishes God's absolute control over historical events, underscoring that the collapse of a powerful empire is not coincidental but the direct fulfillment of His determined plan.
• "to make the land of Babylon a desolation, without inhabitant": This declares the ultimate, complete, and permanent outcome of God's judgment. It speaks of utter, lasting ruin that transforms a thriving empire into an empty wasteland, signifying the end of Babylon’s human history as an influential dwelling place.

Jeremiah 51 29 Bonus section

The complete desolation of Babylon, prophesied here and elsewhere in Jeremiah and Isaiah, had both an immediate fulfillment with its decline after Persian conquest and a long-term fulfillment as its original site became a desolate ruin over centuries, becoming uninhabited. Scholars often see Babylon as a symbol, in apocalyptic literature (especially Revelation), of any empire or power that stands in opposition to God and persecutes His people, facing a similar ultimate and inescapable judgment. The "trembling" of the earth is a common prophetic motif (e.g., Amos, Joel) that depicts God's majestic arrival to execute judgment or salvation, reminding the reader that even creation itself reacts to the Creator's power.

Jeremiah 51 29 Commentary

Jeremiah 51:29 acts as a foundational statement regarding Babylon's divinely orchestrated doom. The prophet vividly portrays the "trembling and writhing" of the land as an outward sign of an internal, cataclysmic divine action. This is not a random event but the direct, unwavering execution of "the Lord’s purpose." The immutability of God’s plan ("stands") is the theological anchor of the verse, assuring both the certainty and the scope of Babylon's end. The judgment's aim is total "desolation," making the land "without inhabitant." This implies a reversal of creation—a fertile, populous land reverting to primordial emptiness and chaos—all because of God's just decree against an arrogant and oppressive empire that defied Him. This complete and lasting destruction serves as a testament to God's sovereignty over history and nations.