Jeremiah 51 50

Jeremiah 51:50 kjv

Ye that have escaped the sword, go away, stand not still: remember the LORD afar off, and let Jerusalem come into your mind.

Jeremiah 51:50 nkjv

You who have escaped the sword, Get away! Do not stand still! Remember the LORD afar off, And let Jerusalem come to your mind.

Jeremiah 51:50 niv

You who have escaped the sword, leave and do not linger! Remember the LORD in a distant land, and call to mind Jerusalem."

Jeremiah 51:50 esv

"You who have escaped from the sword, go, do not stand still! Remember the LORD from far away, and let Jerusalem come into your mind:

Jeremiah 51:50 nlt

Get out, all you who have escaped the sword!
Do not stand and watch ? flee while you can!
Remember the LORD, though you are in a far-off land,
and think about your home in Jerusalem."

Jeremiah 51 verses

Jeremiah 51 50 meaning

Jeremiah 51:50 serves as a prophetic call to the Jewish exiles in Babylon. It urges those who have miraculously survived the coming divine judgment on Babylon to promptly flee, without hesitation or lingering. It simultaneously instructs them to steadfastly remember the Lord their God, despite their geographical distance from Jerusalem, and to maintain an earnest longing and focus on Jerusalem as the symbol of their covenantal hope and the promised place of restoration. It emphasizes separation from a doomed entity and active spiritual remembrance.

Jeremiah 51 50 Context

Jeremiah 51:50 is embedded within the lengthy prophecy against Babylon (chapters 50-51), marking the climax of Jeremiah's predictions against Israel's primary oppressor. Following a detailed decree of Babylon's utter destruction, orchestrated by God Himself, this verse transitions from pronouncement of judgment to an urgent call for God's exiled people within Babylon to take action. It directly addresses the Jewish remnant who are survivors of the predicted destruction. Historically, the prophet Jeremiah delivered these messages during the period leading up to and during the Babylonian exile (6th century BCE), warning Israel of impending judgment and then providing messages of hope and restoration. For the original audience, this verse provided hope amidst oppression and a clear command for disassociation from a culture and city condemned by God, calling them to focus on their true identity and divine covenant rather than the stability of their temporary Babylonian home.

Jeremiah 51 50 Word analysis

• You who have escaped (נִמְלְטֵי - nim'l'tei):

  • Analysis: From the root מלט (malat), meaning to escape, be delivered, to save oneself. The passive participle implies that their escape is an act of divine preservation or intervention rather than purely their own strength. It sets apart the people of God who will be spared from Babylon's fall.
  • Significance: Highlights God's protecting hand over His chosen people, separating them from the doomed nation around them. It foreshadows the remnant theme in biblical theology – a faithful few preserved by grace.

• the sword (מֵחֶרֶב - mēḥerev):

  • Analysis: Ḥerev (sword) is a common biblical metaphor for war, destruction, and especially divine judgment and wrath (e.g., Jer 14:12, Ezek 14:17).
  • Significance: Implies that the danger from which they escape is severe, potentially involving military action and widespread death, signifying God's justice upon Babylon.

• Go! (לְכוּ - lekhu):

  • Analysis: An emphatic imperative verb from הלך (halakh), meaning to go, walk. It conveys immediate, decisive action.
  • Significance: Underlines the urgency of departure. No time for hesitation; God's people must leave Babylon immediately as its judgment approaches.

• Do not stand still! (אַל־תַּעֲמֹדוּ - al-taʿamodu):

  • Analysis: A negative imperative from עמד (ʿamad), meaning to stand, stop, or remain. The combination with al expresses a prohibition.
  • Significance: Reinforces the urgency of "Go!". It's a warning against procrastination, complacency, or clinging to what is familiar but doomed in Babylon. Remaining implies sharing in its fate.

• Remember (זִכְרוּ - zikhru):

  • Analysis: Imperative of זָכַר (zakhar), which means to remember, recall, but in biblical context often signifies more than mere mental recall. It implies active recognition, loyal commitment, and a responsive action or dedication.
  • Significance: Not just think about the past, but actively engage with God in a loyal, worshipful, and prayerful manner, maintaining covenant relationship. It calls for a re-alignment of affections.

• the Lord (אֶת־יְהוָה - et-YHWH):

  • Analysis: Refers to the personal, covenantal name of God (Yahweh), emphasizing His unique identity and relationship with Israel.
  • Significance: Reminds them that their loyalty is to their covenant God, distinct from the myriad of Babylonian deities. Their identity and hope are rooted in Him alone.

• from afar (מֵרָחוֹק - mērāḥoq):

  • Analysis: Literally means "from a distance." This distance can be geographical (Babylon far from Jerusalem) or perhaps temporal.
  • Significance: Acknowledges their physical separation from the Promised Land and the Temple. Yet, even from this distance, remembrance and worship of the omnipresent God are commanded. It could also allude to remembering God's promises made "from afar" in history, or that God, from His throne in heaven, remembers them.

• And let Jerusalem come to your mind (וְתַעֲלֶה יְרוּשָׁלַיִם עַל־לְבַבְכֶם - vetaʿaleh yerushalayim ʿal-levavkhem):

  • Analysis: Literally, "and let Jerusalem ascend/go up upon your heart." The phrase עַל־לְבָבְכֶם (ʿal-levavkhem) – "upon your heart/mind" – means to consider deeply, to bear in mind, to long for with affection and serious thought.
  • Significance: Jerusalem is not just a city but represents the covenant, the presence of God (the Temple), and the spiritual home of Israel. It means to cherish it, long for its restoration, and direct their hopes and prayers towards it. It counters assimilation into Babylonian life by keeping the focus on God's chosen dwelling.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "You who have escaped the sword, Go! Do not stand still!": This segment is an urgent and direct command for immediate physical and spiritual separation. It emphasizes God's saving power in preserving a remnant, but that remnant must actively respond to God's call to flee judgment. It demands a decisive break from the destructive path of their surroundings.
  • "Remember the Lord from afar, And let Jerusalem come to your mind": This second segment is a spiritual command focusing on maintaining identity and hope. Even though physically distant, the exiles must remain tethered to their covenant God and the spiritual center of their faith. This dual emphasis counters spiritual drift and ensures their loyalty and longing remain fixed on their divine inheritance.

Jeremiah 51 50 Bonus section

The injunction to "remember the Lord from afar" underscores a key theological concept: God's omnipresence and the efficacy of prayer regardless of geographical location. Though physically separated from the Temple, the heart of Jewish worship, the exiles could still meaningfully engage with God. This prepares for a future where worship would not be bound by physical structures (John 4:21-24). The polemic against Babylonian idol worship is strong here; by commanding them to remember YHWH, Jeremiah calls for an exclusive allegiance that stands in stark contrast to the polytheistic practices and cosmic ordering of Babylonian religion. This prophetic word required not just a physical movement but an internal reorientation—a turning of the heart back to God’s covenant promises after generations of being settled in a foreign land.

Jeremiah 51 50 Commentary

Jeremiah 51:50 is a powerful prophetic decree, serving as both a compassionate warning and a call to resolute faith for God's people in the face of imminent judgment upon their oppressors. The initial command, "You who have escaped the sword, Go! Do not stand still!" carries profound urgency, signaling that the window for departure is closing as Babylon's downfall approaches. This is more than a logistical directive; it's a spiritual separation, an admonition to disassociate entirely from a system condemned by God, avoiding the complacency that often comes with prolonged dwelling in exile. The fate of Babylon is sealed, and remaining implies sharing in that destruction.

The subsequent commands, "Remember the Lord from afar, And let Jerusalem come to your mind," address the internal disposition and spiritual anchors of the exiles. "Remember" in this biblical sense transcends mere recollection; it mandates a renewed commitment, active allegiance, and prayerful engagement with the covenant God. Despite their physical distance from the Temple and the Holy City, their faith and loyalty must remain firmly rooted in YHWH. Similarly, having "Jerusalem come to your mind" symbolizes a deep longing and focus on their true spiritual home, a potent antidote to assimilation into pagan Babylonian culture. It kept the flame of covenant hope alive, assuring them that God's plans for restoration, centered on Jerusalem, remained valid despite current desolation. This verse thus frames the physical escape from Babylon within a larger spiritual journey of return to God and His purposes.

• Example (practical usage): In a time of personal difficulty or cultural pressure, one might "escape" the "sword" of compromise by actively "going" from harmful influences. This involves not "standing still" in a place of spiritual stagnancy, but instead actively "remembering the Lord" through dedicated prayer and scripture, and keeping the "Jerusalem" of our heavenly hope and future glorification "in mind," guiding our choices and affections.