Jeremiah 51 58

Jeremiah 51:58 kjv

Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken, and her high gates shall be burned with fire; and the people shall labour in vain, and the folk in the fire, and they shall be weary.

Jeremiah 51:58 nkjv

Thus says the LORD of hosts: "The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken, And her high gates shall be burned with fire; The people will labor in vain, And the nations, because of the fire; And they shall be weary."

Jeremiah 51:58 niv

This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Babylon's thick wall will be leveled and her high gates set on fire; the peoples exhaust themselves for nothing, the nations' labor is only fuel for the flames."

Jeremiah 51:58 esv

"Thus says the LORD of hosts: The broad wall of Babylon shall be leveled to the ground, and her high gates shall be burned with fire. The peoples labor for nothing, and the nations weary themselves only for fire."

Jeremiah 51:58 nlt

This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says:
"The thick walls of Babylon will be leveled to the ground,
and her massive gates will be burned.
The builders from many lands have worked in vain,
for their work will be destroyed by fire!"

Jeremiah 51 verses

Jeremiah 51 58 meaning

Jeremiah 51:58 declares the Lord's absolute and certain judgment against Babylon. It foretells that the city's celebrated, seemingly impenetrable defenses—her "broad walls" and "high gates"—will be utterly demolished and consumed by fire. This destruction signifies the complete and irreversible end of her power and pride. Consequently, all the immense labor, resources, and efforts expended by various peoples and nations, either in building Babylon or in her service and allegiance, will ultimately prove to be in vain, culminating in nothing but exhaustion and futile contributions to her fiery downfall. The verse underscores the futility of human strength and arrogance when confronted by God's divine will.

Jeremiah 51 58 Context

Jeremiah chapter 51, in conjunction with chapter 50, forms a substantial oracle of divine judgment specifically against Babylon, the superpower that had conquered Judah, destroyed Jerusalem, and carried its people into exile. This lengthy prophecy offers comfort to the exiled Israelites, assuring them that their oppressor would, in turn, face destruction. The chapter vividly details Babylon's downfall, emphasizing its pride, idolatry, and cruelty. It highlights the reversal of fortune: just as Babylon had made many nations drunk with her wrath (Jer 51:7), she too would fall. Jeremiah 51:58 comes towards the end of this prophetic condemnation, specifically reaffirming the complete and undeniable destruction of Babylon's legendary defenses and the futility of all the human effort poured into sustaining her. Historically, Babylon was renowned for its immense, thick walls and impressive gates (such as the Ishtar Gate), making them symbols of her invincibility and power. The prophecy of their "utter breaking down" and being "set on fire" was a radical assertion of divine sovereignty over human might, anticipating the city's eventual conquest by the Medes and Persians (mentioned in Jer 51:11, 28) in 539 BC, even if the city wasn't immediately razed by fire.

Jeremiah 51 58 Word analysis

• "Thus says the LORD of hosts":
  • Koh amar (כֹּה אָמַר): "Thus says." A quintessential prophetic formula, signifying direct divine utterance and unquestionable authority.
  • Yahweh Tseva'ot (יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת): "LORD of hosts" or "LORD of armies." This title emphasizes God's sovereign command over all celestial and earthly forces, including nations, armies, and natural elements, assuring His capability to execute the pronouncement.
• "The broad walls of Babylon":
  • Chomot Babel ha-rĕchavah (חוֹמוֹת בָּבֶל הָרְחָבָה): Refers to the renowned, massive fortifications of Babylon, symbolizing human strength, pride, and perceived security. These were considered impregnable wonders of the ancient world, making their foretold destruction highly significant.
• "will be utterly broken down":
  • Bal-shever tihyeh (בַּל־שֶׁבֶר תִּהְיֶה): From the root shaver (שבר), "to break, shatter." The intensive phrasing "utterly broken" conveys total, irreversible, and complete demolition, not merely damage or breach.
• "and her high gates":
  • U-sha'areha ha-g'vohim (וּשְׁעָרֶיהָ הַגְּבֹהִים): Points to the grand and fortified entry points of the city, which were essential for defense and symbolic of its status and power. Their height reflected their impressive and daunting nature.
• "will be set on fire":
  • Ba'esh titzatnah (בָּאֵשׁ תִּצַּתְנָה): "By fire, they will be set ablaze." Fire in biblical contexts is often an agent of divine judgment, signifying destructive, thorough, and cleansing power that leaves nothing salvageable or of value behind.
• "so the peoples shall labor for nothing":
  • V'ammim yig'u-la-rik (וְעַמִּים יִגְעוּ־לָרִיק):
    • Ammim: "Peoples" or "nations," referring to those subjugated by or in allegiance with Babylon.
    • Yig'u: "They will toil/labor," implying significant, often arduous, effort.
    • La-rik: "For nothing," "in vain," or "to no purpose." This directly parallel to Habakkuk 2:13, emphasizes the absolute futility and waste of human effort and resources invested in enterprises not aligned with God.
• "and the nations exhaust themselves for fire":
  • U-l'ummim l'dey-esh ya'afu (וּלְאֻמִּים לְדֵי־אֵשׁ יָעָפוּ):
    • L'ummim: "Nations," synonymous with "peoples," reinforcing the universal scope of those involved in supporting Babylon.
    • L'dey-esh: "For fire," meaning their labor will ultimately serve to fuel their own destruction or become part of what is consumed by judgment, holding no lasting worth.
    • Ya'afu: "They will become weary/faint/exhausted." This term emphasizes profound, comprehensive fatigue, reflecting both physical toil and the weariness of spirit that comes from striving in vain.
• "and they shall be weary":
  • V'yi'afu (וְיִעָפוּ): A powerful reiteration and reinforcement of the prior term ya'afu, stressing the deep and conclusive exhaustion, demonstrating the utter defeat and demoralization that follows futile labor against divine decree.

Words-group analysis:

• "The broad walls...and her high gates": This pairing directly attacks Babylon's most significant symbols of power, pride, and defense. By naming these formidable structures, the prophecy highlights God's ability to dismantle what seems unconquerable by human standards, challenging any nation's overreliance on its military might or fortifications.
• "utterly broken down...set on fire": The combination of physical destruction ("broken down") and fiery annihilation ("set on fire") signifies complete, devastating, and irreversible judgment. Fire purifies, consumes, and leaves nothing useful, underlining the total obliteration of Babylon's significance.
• "peoples shall labor for nothing, and the nations exhaust themselves for fire": This serves as a poignant, parallel commentary on the ultimate meaninglessness of human achievements and empires built on pride, oppression, or opposition to God. All their efforts become null and void, destined to be consumed in judgment, offering no lasting legacy or benefit.

Jeremiah 51 58 Bonus section

• This verse contains a direct thematic echo of Habakkuk 2:13, which states, "Is it not from the LORD of hosts that peoples toil for fire, and nations weary themselves for nothing?" This highlights a universal biblical principle concerning God's judgment on all proud human endeavors.
• The destruction by fire and the futility of human works are themes reiterated in the New Testament concerning eschatological judgment. For instance, in 1 Corinthians 3:13-15, the "work" of believers will be tested by fire, revealing its true nature, with "wood, hay, stubble" being consumed, just as Babylon's labors contribute to "fire."
• From an archeological perspective, while the entire city of Babylon was not razed by fire at its conquest by Cyrus, strategic destruction or symbolic acts of burning could have taken place. Furthermore, the prophecy refers to total ruin over time, and a broader spiritual destruction rather than merely a single event, eventually leading to its desolation as foretold.
• The downfall of Babylon here serves as a potent type or foreshadowing for the ultimate destruction of "Babylon the Great" in the Book of Revelation, which also emphasizes its fiery destruction and the end of all the world's wealth and labor accumulated apart from God.

Jeremiah 51 58 Commentary

Jeremiah 51:58 stands as a profound prophetic declaration, asserting the Lord's supreme authority over all earthly powers. Babylon, at the zenith of its might, was famed for its monumental defenses—walls of incredible breadth and gates of immense height—which were paragons of human engineering and sources of immense national pride and security. This verse explicitly targets these symbols, prophesying their total and unyielding destruction. The phrase "utterly broken down" suggests a complete structural collapse, while "set on fire" implies a final, consuming obliteration that leaves no lasting remnants. This divine act demonstrates that no human construction, however grand or impregnable, can withstand God's decreed judgment.

The latter half of the verse shifts focus to the widespread futility accompanying this destruction. "The peoples shall labor for nothing, and the nations exhaust themselves for fire" is a lament for the immense, wasted human effort. Whether through forced labor, conscription into service, or economic contributions, various peoples invested their toil and lives into Babylon's construction and prosperity. Yet, because this empire stood against God and exemplified pride and oppression, all that collective energy would yield nothing but weariness and ultimately fuel its own demise. It’s a powerful lesson in divine economics: labor divorced from God's purposes is fundamentally vain, serving only to bring about its own destruction. This teaches us that true and lasting work, the only labor that bears fruit for eternity, must align with the will and wisdom of the Creator, rather than resting on the fleeting foundations of human ambition and self-exaltation.