Jeremiah 51:41 kjv
How is Sheshach taken! and how is the praise of the whole earth surprised! how is Babylon become an astonishment among the nations!
Jeremiah 51:41 nkjv
"Oh, how Sheshach is taken! Oh, how the praise of the whole earth is seized! How Babylon has become desolate among the nations!
Jeremiah 51:41 niv
"How Sheshak will be captured, the boast of the whole earth seized! How desolate Babylon will be among the nations!
Jeremiah 51:41 esv
"How Babylon is taken, the praise of the whole earth seized! How Babylon has become a horror among the nations!
Jeremiah 51:41 nlt
"How Babylon is fallen ?
great Babylon, praised throughout the earth!
Now she has become an object of horror
among the nations.
Jeremiah 51 41 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 51:2 | "...a nation from afar… nation that you do not know, and whose tongue you do not understand." | Imagery of an invading foreign power |
| Isaiah 17:13 | "The nations will roar like the roaring of many waters; but He will rebuke them, and they will flee far away, driven before the wind like chaff on the hills or like tumbleweed in a gale." | Similar imagery of scattering |
| Psalm 1:4 | "The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away." | Wickedness scattered |
| Nahum 1:14 | "The LORD has decreed a decree against you; no more shall your name be perpetuated from the house of your gods I will cut off the graven image and the molten image. I will make your grave, for you are vile." | Destruction of enemies |
| Revelation 18:21 | "Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying, 'So will Babylon be thrown down with violence, and will not be found again.'" | Annihilation of evil |
| Jeremiah 50:16 | "Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him who handles the sickle in the time of harvest; lest due to the fierce pressure of the sword they turn, every one, to his own people, and everyone flee to his own land." | Dispersal of the enemy |
| Jeremiah 15:14 | "I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know, for my anger burns like fire." | Enemies brought low |
| Psalm 35:5 | "Let them be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them away." | Divine judgment as wind |
| Jeremiah 51:48 | "Then the heavens and the earth, and all that is in them, shall sing for joy over Babylon, for from the north a destroyer shall come against it,' declares the LORD." | Joy at enemy's destruction |
| Isaiah 41:15 | "Behold, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new, sharp, and with double edges; you shall thresh the mountains, beat them small, and turn the hills into chaff." | God using nations as tools |
| Jeremiah 51:25 | "Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, says the LORD, you who destroy all the earth; I will stretch out my hand against you and roll you down from the crags, and make you a burnt-out mountain." | Judgment on oppressive power |
| Zephaniah 2:4 | "For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation; Ashdod’s people shall be driven out at noon, and Ekron shall be uprooted." | Destruction of Philistine cities |
| Amos 1:6 | "Thus says the LORD: 'For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they carried into exile an entire community to deliver them up to Edom.'" | Judgment on surrounding nations |
| Psalm 83:13-15 | "O my God, make them like whirling dust! Like chaff before the wind! Like as the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire; So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm." | Prayer for enemy's scattering |
| Jeremiah 4:11-12 | "At that time it shall be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A hot wind from the bare heights in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to fan, nor to cleanse, a wind too strong to cleanse is coming.”" | Wind as judgment |
| Isaiah 5:28 | "Whose arba’s are like the driving of the threshing sledge in the valley!" | Powerful but destructive army |
| Job 13:25 | "Against whom do you march? Do you pursue a dead man, or hunt down ghosts? Or do you merely want to make a king into a plaything, and pursue him from behind?" | Futility of opposing God |
| Jeremiah 23:20 | "The fierce anger of the LORD shall not turn back until he has done and accomplished the purposes of his heart. In the latter days you will understand this in its entirety." | God's purposes fulfilled |
| Romans 11:12 | "Now if their falling is the riches of the world, and their failure the riches of the Gentiles, how much more will their fullness bring!" | Gentiles benefiting from Israel's fall |
| Revelation 19:17 | "Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice to all the birds that fly in the midst of the heavens, “Come, gather for the great supper of God," | Gathering for judgment |
Jeremiah 51 verses
Jeremiah 51 41 Meaning
This verse speaks of a consequence for those who are hostile to Zion (Jerusalem/God's people). Their armies will be like the driven chaff of the threshing floor, meaning they will be scattered and destroyed, easily swept away and vanishing without a trace. This imagery highlights the utter ruin and disintegration of the enemy forces.
Jeremiah 51 41 Context
Jeremiah 51:41 is part of God's prophecy against Babylon, detailing its imminent destruction. Babylon had been a significant enemy and oppressor of Judah and its people, exiling them and destroying Jerusalem. This verse, therefore, signifies divine retribution and the ultimate triumph of God’s people over their persecutors. The surrounding verses elaborate on the complete downfall of the city and its inhabitants, portraying it as a complete annihilation orchestrated by God.
Jeremiah 51 41 Word Analysis
- "Who is this?": This rhetorical question expresses astonishment and disbelief at the approaching destruction of the enemy.
- "has come?": Implies the immediate and imminent nature of the judgment.
- "O that it might be prevented": Shows the desperate hope for deliverance by those who face the devastation.
- "SHEPHERDESS of the earth!": This is a powerful and unique epithet for Babylon, personifying it as a force that previously controlled or “shepherded” the nations of the earth, but is now itself subject to destruction.
- "descended": Implies a movement downwards, suggesting a loss of status or being overthrown.
- "The divider": Refers to a major military power, likely Media or the Medes, who, alongside the Persians, were instrumental in Babylon's fall. This term highlights their role as conquerors.
- "of nations": Specifies the extent of the power's dominion – it affects entire peoples.
- "Babylon": The city and empire, representing worldly power, idolatry, and oppression.
- "is captured!": The declaration of victory and the end of Babylon’s reign.
- "the prey": Symbolizes the spoils and destruction that will befall Babylon.
- "is shaken!": Conveys a sense of violent upheaval and destabilization.
- "his measuring line": This could refer to a literal surveying or dividing of territory by conquerors, or figuratively to the extent of God's judgment or their destined portion.
- "over her": Specifically directs the judgment onto Babylon.
Group Analysis:
- "Who is this that has come? O that it might be prevented, the shepherdess of the earth! The divider of nations has come.": This opening section marvels at the unexpected arrival of a destructive force that will overthrow the dominant power (Babylon), which is ironically referred to as the "shepherdess" of the earth. The "divider" signifies the conquering army.
- "Babylon is captured, the prey of the spoiler; woe to her, for her time has come!": This proclaims the decisive defeat of Babylon and declares that its allotted time for judgment has arrived. "Woe" underscores the severe consequences.
- "Babylon has hurled a stone at him. As his measuring line comes against her, so shall it be returned upon her head.": This suggests that Babylon's own actions, its aggression and schemes (perhaps sending armies, like hurling a "stone" or missile), will ultimately be turned back upon itself as a consequence of God’s retributive justice. God's justice is precisely measured and will fall upon them as they deserve.
Jeremiah 51 41 Bonus Section
The term "shepherdess" applied to Babylon is a striking inversion. In the ancient Near East, kings and rulers often saw themselves as shepherds of their people. For Babylon to be called a "shepherdess of the earth" highlights its expansive dominion and its role in influencing the known world, albeit often in a destructive manner from God's perspective. The imagery of the "measuring line" can also be related to the process of assigning land or measuring tribute, reflecting Babylon's own methods of control that will now be applied to it as a judgment. This verse serves as a powerful reminder that worldly powers, no matter how dominant, are ultimately subject to divine oversight and judgment. The ultimate "divider" is God himself, who allocates the destinies of nations.
Jeremiah 51 41 Commentary
This verse vividly depicts the end of Babylonian imperial power. Babylon, the oppressor of God’s people, is likened to a shepherdess, a role it had played in its dominion over other nations. However, this dominion was one of exploitation and violence. Now, a powerful invading force, identified as the "divider of nations," has come to conquer Babylon. The utter astonishment of onlookers ("Who is this that has come?") highlights the unexpectedness of this downfall for many. The phrase "O that it might be prevented" reflects a desperate plea from those who have benefited from or supported Babylon’s power, or perhaps even a general sense of the upheaval Babylon’s fall brings.
The fall of Babylon is declared as definitive: "Babylon is captured, the prey of the spoiler." This signifies that the city will be utterly plundered and its wealth taken. The exclamation of "woe to her, for her time has come!" emphasizes that this destruction is a righteous judgment, a consequence of its actions and the divine decree for its end. The imagery of Babylon hurling a stone and its own "measuring line" returning upon its head conveys the principle of poetic justice and retributive judgment. Babylon's aggressive actions and the extent of its territorial ambitions, like a measuring line, will be met with a precise and corresponding divine judgment returned upon it.