Jeremiah 51 35

Jeremiah 51:35 kjv

The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon, shall the inhabitant of Zion say; and my blood upon the inhabitants of Chaldea, shall Jerusalem say.

Jeremiah 51:35 nkjv

Let the violence done to me and my flesh be upon Babylon," The inhabitant of Zion will say; "And my blood be upon the inhabitants of Chaldea!" Jerusalem will say.

Jeremiah 51:35 niv

May the violence done to our flesh be on Babylon," say the inhabitants of Zion. "May our blood be on those who live in Babylonia," says Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 51:35 esv

The violence done to me and to my kinsmen be upon Babylon," let the inhabitant of Zion say. "My blood be upon the inhabitants of Chaldea," let Jerusalem say.

Jeremiah 51:35 nlt

Make Babylon suffer as she made us suffer,"
say the people of Zion.
"Make the people of Babylonia pay for spilling our blood,"
says Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 51 verses

Jeremiah 51 35 meaning

Jeremiah 51:35 is a powerful and poignant declaration from the personified city of Jerusalem, acting as Zion, asserting a plea for divine justice against Babylon. It declares that the severe violence and bloodshed Babylon inflicted upon God's people, Judah, will be directly repaid and exacted upon Babylon itself and its inhabitants. The verse is an expression of righteous indignation and a prophetic assurance that the divine scales of justice will balance the suffering of the oppressed with retribution for the oppressor.

Jeremiah 51 35 Context

Jeremiah 51:35 is situated within the lengthy prophetic oracles against Babylon in chapters 50-51. This entire section details God's imminent judgment and destruction of the Babylonian Empire. Historically, Babylon, under King Nebuchadnezzar, had violently conquered Judah, destroyed Jerusalem and the First Temple, and carried many Jews into exile. This verse encapsulates the collective anguish and desperate longing for justice from the perspective of the devastated nation, personified as Zion and Jerusalem. While Judah's defeat was a divine judgment for their unfaithfulness, Babylon's excessive cruelty and hubris against God and His people invoked its own, separate, and ultimate reckoning. The prophet Jeremiah voices the certainty that God will reverse the fortunes, ensuring that the injustices perpetrated will not go unpunished.

Jeremiah 51 35 Word analysis

• The violence done to me (הַחֲמָסִ֤י - ha-chă-mā-sî)

  • The Hebrew term chamas (חָמָס) refers to active, aggressive wrong, injustice, or cruelty, often involving physical force and lawlessness.
  • It's frequently used in Scripture to describe acts of oppression, mistreatment, and wanton destruction.
  • Here, the suffix "-i" ("my") means "done to me," emphasizing the personal and collective suffering experienced by Zion/Jerusalem as a victim.

• and my kinsmen (וְשֵׁאֵרִי֙ - wə-še’e-rî)

  • She'er (שְׁאֵר) literally means "flesh" but is commonly used to denote blood relatives, family, or close kin.
  • This highlights the personal, human cost of Babylon's brutality, extending the suffering from the city itself to its individual inhabitants and their familial bonds.

• be on Babylon (עַל־בָּבֶל֙ - ‘al-bā-ḇel)

  • The preposition 'al (עַל), meaning "on" or "upon," here signifies direct attribution, responsibility, and the imposition of judgment or consequence.
  • "Babylon" refers to the mighty empire responsible for the atrocities, making it the explicit target of retribution.

• says the inhabitant of Zion (אָמַ֖ר֙ יֹשֶׁ֣בֶת צִיּ֑וֹן - ā-mar yō-še-ḇeṯ ṣî-yōwn)

  • This is a powerful personification where Zion (often symbolizing Jerusalem, God's dwelling place) is given a voice, articulating the pain and demand for justice.
  • It underlines that the appeal comes from the heart of the deeply wronged sacred city and its people, making the cry for justice legitimate and deeply rooted.

• And my blood (וְדָמִי֙ - wə-ḏā-mî)

  • Dam (דָּם), literally "blood," in this context represents bloodshed, murder, and the unjust taking of lives.
  • It runs parallel to "violence" and escalates the accusation, highlighting the ultimate sacrifice and loss of life caused by Babylon. "My blood" signifies the blood of my people.

• be on the inhabitants of Chaldea (אֶל־יוֹשְׁבֵ֣י כַשְׂדִּ֔ים - ’el yō-še-ḇê kaś-dîm)

  • The preposition 'el (אֶל) also denotes direction or a transfer of action, reinforcing that the consequences will be directly upon them.
  • "Chaldea" is another name for the region and people of Babylonia, often used synonymously with "Babylon," emphasizing the specific ethnic group responsible.
  • "Inhabitants" ensures the judgment is directed at the people dwelling in and composing the empire, who carried out or sanctioned the violence.

• says Jerusalem (אָמַ֖ר֙ יְרוּשָׁלָֽם - ā-mar yə-rū-šā-lām)

  • This serves as a poetic parallel to "says the inhabitant of Zion," amplifying the identity of the speaker and reinforcing the emotional weight and communal aspect of the cry for justice.
  • It stresses that the entire city, devastated and weeping, is demanding a divine response.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "The violence done to me and my kinsmen": This pairing comprehensively articulates the extent of Babylon's crimes. "Violence" encompasses aggressive acts and oppression on a national level, while "my kinsmen" personalizes the devastation, touching on the physical suffering and loss endured by individual families and the wider Israelite populace. It establishes the concrete basis for the subsequent demand for retribution.
• "be on Babylon" / "be on the inhabitants of Chaldea": These parallel phrases represent a solemn, almost judicial pronouncement. They invoke a principle of lex talionis (divine retribution in kind), indicating that the same type and measure of injustice and suffering will be returned upon the perpetrators. This is not merely a wish but a declaration of God's active involvement in moral justice and judgment over human empires.

Jeremiah 51 35 Bonus section

The personification of Zion and Jerusalem is a recurring motif in prophetic literature, serving to vividly represent the experiences and sentiments of God's people as a unified entity. In this instance, it lends an emotional gravitas to the pronouncement against Babylon, making the indictment intensely personal. This verse also implicitly reinforces the understanding that any act of violence or injustice against God's covenant people is, in essence, an act against God Himself, prompting His righteous indignation and intervention. The historical fall of Babylon to the Persians less than fifty years after the destruction of Jerusalem provides a stark and powerful fulfillment of these prophecies, showcasing the tangible reality of divine judgment on arrogant empires that defy God's standards of justice.

Jeremiah 51 35 Commentary

Jeremiah 51:35 gives voice to the profound anguish and cry for justice emanating from Zion, the very heart of the devastated nation of Judah. It asserts a fundamental principle of divine justice: the violence and bloodshed inflicted upon the innocent will be visited back upon the aggressors. This isn't merely an emotional outcry but a theological statement, firmly rooting the imminent judgment of Babylon in its cruel actions against God's chosen people. The parallelism between "violence" and "blood," and "Zion" and "Jerusalem," amplifies the depth of suffering and the certainty of retribution. While God utilized Babylon as an instrument for His purposes of chastisement for Judah's sins, Babylon's exceeding cruelty against Jerusalem and the desecration of His Temple ignited His direct wrath. This verse assures that God sees, records, and will ultimately respond to every act of oppression, confirming His ultimate sovereignty and moral governance over all nations, no matter how powerful they appear. The judgment upon Babylon stands as an enduring testimony to God's unwavering commitment to justice.