Jeremiah 51:8 kjv
Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed.
Jeremiah 51:8 nkjv
Babylon has suddenly fallen and been destroyed. Wail for her! Take balm for her pain; Perhaps she may be healed.
Jeremiah 51:8 niv
Babylon will suddenly fall and be broken. Wail over her! Get balm for her pain; perhaps she can be healed.
Jeremiah 51:8 esv
Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been broken; wail for her! Take balm for her pain; perhaps she may be healed.
Jeremiah 51:8 nlt
But suddenly Babylon, too, has fallen.
Weep for her.
Give her medicine.
Perhaps she can yet be healed.
Jeremiah 51 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jer 50:22 | "Babylon shall be broken in pieces; she is a hammer to all the earth..." | Judgment on Babylon |
| Jer 51:64 | "...So shall Babylon sink into the sea, and shall not rise again..." | Finality of Babylon’s doom |
| Rev 18:2 | "And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, 'Fallen, fallen is the great city Babylon...'" | Fulfillment in Revelation |
| Rev 18:8 | "For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine..." | Suddenness of judgment |
| Rev 18:21 | "Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea..." | Symbolism of destruction |
| Isa 21:9 | "And behold, here comes the cavalry, horsemen in pairs.” And one answered, 'Fallen, fallen is Babylon...'" | Prophetic announcement of fall |
| Jer 51:9 | "We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed. Forsake her, and let us go to our own country..." | Babylon’s unrepentant nature |
| Jer 50:3 | "For out of the north a nation comes against her, which shall make her land a desolation..." | Source of the attack |
| Psa 37:36 | "I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading like a green laurel tree..." | Contrast with temporary prosperity |
| Psa 73:18-19 | "Surely you lay them on slippery places; you cast them down into destruction. How they are suddenly destroyed..." | Sudden downfall of the wicked |
| Isa 14:12-15 | "How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of the morning!..." | Parallel to pride and fall |
| Dan 4:30 | "...’Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?’" | Babylon’s pride and self-exaltation |
| Luke 10:18 | "And he said to them, 'I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.'" | Imagery of sudden downfall |
| Nahum 3:4 | "Because of the many prostitutions of the harlot, the pleasing one, the mistress of sorceries, who sells nations with her prostitutions and families with her sorceries." | Babylon as a corrupting force |
| Zech 2:7 | "Up, Zion! Escape, you who live at the Daughter of Babylon!" | Call for escape from judgment |
| Jer 50:15 | "Shout against her from all sides: 'Babylon has surrendered! Her battlements have fallen! Her walls have been torn down!'" | Confirmatory pronouncements |
| Jer 51:31 | "One messenger runs to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to tell the king of Babylon that his city is taken from end to end..." | Swiftness of the news of the fall |
| Hab 2:8 | "Because you have plundered many nations, all the remaining peoples shall plunder you..." | Consequences of exploitation |
| Jer 50:24 | "I have laid a snare for you, and you were also taken in a trap, O Babylon..." | God's strategy against Babylon |
| Obadiah 1:15 | "For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you..." | Retributive justice |
| 1 Cor 10:11 | "Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction..." | Lessons from historical judgments |
Jeremiah 51 verses
Jeremiah 51 8 Meaning
Jeremiah 51:8 declares that Babylon will suddenly fall and be broken. This fall will be a consequence of God’s judgment upon her for her pride and defiance. The verse emphasizes the completeness of Babylon's destruction and its finality.
Jeremiah 51 8 Context
Jeremiah 51 is a prophecy of judgment against Babylon. The preceding verses describe Babylon as a golden cup from which all nations drink the wine of God’s wrath due to her idolatry and oppression. Jeremiah is instructed to tell the people of Judah that though Babylon has seemed powerful, her time is up. This specific verse acts as a swift and powerful declaration of Babylon’s imminent demise, following the depiction of her as an instrument of God’s judgment that will now face its own judgment. Historically, this prophecy was given during a time when Babylon was the dominant world power, oppressing Judah and exiling its people. The prophet's words would have seemed incredible to his contemporary audience, highlighting God's sovereign power over even the mightiest empires.
Jeremiah 51 8 Word Analysis
Babylon: (בָּבֶל - Bāḇel) - The name itself likely means "confusion" or "gate of god," ironically reflecting its hubris and eventual divine overthrow. It represents not only the literal city and empire but also a spiritual system of worldly power, pride, and rebellion against God.
is: (וְהָיְתָה - wəhāyaṯâ) - "and she became" or "and it happened," signifying a future certainty and transformation.
suddenly: (פִּתְאֹם - piṯ’ōm) - Implies abruptness, without prior warning or possibility of escape or prevention.
taken: (נִלְכְּדָה - nilkədâ) - Passive voice, meaning captured or seized, suggesting that its downfall is an active act by a divine force, not just a natural decay.
broken: (נִשְׁבָּרָה - nišbārâ) - Signifies shattering or being smashed, indicating a complete and irreparable destruction, like pottery that cannot be mended.
Babylon is suddenly taken and broken: This phrase paints a picture of a swift and utter collapse of power and influence. It signifies not merely political defeat but a catastrophic shattering of its very foundation.
taken... broken: The sequence highlights the process – first captured or overrun, then utterly destroyed, emphasizing the thoroughness of the judgment.
Jeremiah 51 8 Bonus Section
The imagery of Babylon as a powerful empire that is suddenly "broken" has resonated through history. It serves as a potent symbol of the transience of earthly power and the ultimate accountability of nations and leaders to God. The term "broken" evokes the fragility of even the strongest-seeming structures when they face divine judgment. This prophecy finds its ultimate fulfillment and spiritual parallel in the prophetic imagery of the end times, particularly in the Book of Revelation, where a future spiritual Babylon meets a similar swift and catastrophic end.
Jeremiah 51 8 Commentary
This verse is a stark pronouncement of judgment upon Babylon. The suddenness of its fall underscores God's control over historical events, revealing that even the most powerful earthly empires are subject to His sovereign will. The breaking signifies more than a mere military defeat; it represents the complete disintegration of its influence and might. For centuries, Babylon was a symbol of human arrogance and opposition to God's people. This verse assures that its reign of terror would end abruptly and decisively. This sudden destruction is a consistent theme in biblical prophecy concerning those who exalt themselves against God.