Jeremiah 51:53

Jeremiah 51:53 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall spoilers come unto her, saith the Lord.
• New International Version (NIV)Even if Babylon ascends to the heavens and fortifies her lofty stronghold, I will send destroyers against her,” declares the Lord.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify her strong height, yet destroyers would come from me against her, declares the Lord.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Though Babylon were to mount up to heaven, And though she were to fortify the height of her strength, Yet from Me plunderers would come to her,” says the Lord.

Context of Jeremiah 51:53

51We are perplexed and ashamed, for we have heard reproach; Disgrace has covered our faces, For foreigners [from Babylon] have come Into the [most] sacred parts of the sanctuary of the Lord [even those places forbidden to all but the appointed priest]. 52“Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “When I will judge and punish the idols [of Babylon], And throughout her land the mortally wounded will groan.” “Though Babylon should ascend to the heavens, And though she should fortify her lofty stronghold, Yet destroyers will come on her from Me,” says the Lord. 54The sound of an outcry [comes] from Babylon, And [the sound] of great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans! 55For the Lord is going to destroy Babylon and make her a ruin, And He will still her great voice [that hums with city life]. And the waves [of her conquerors] roar like great waters, The noise of their voices is raised up [like the marching of an army].

Jeremiah 51:53 word by word

כִּֽי־תַעֲלֶ֤ה בָבֶל֙ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְכִ֥י תְבַצֵּ֖ר מְר֣וֹם עֻזָּ֑הּ מֵאִתִּ֗י יָבֹ֧אוּ שֹׁדְדִ֛ים לָ֖הּ נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Though Babylonבָּבֶ֫ל, בָּבֶלbâbel · BabylonH894
• should mount upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
• to heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
• and though she should fortifyבָּצַרbâtsar · to gather/restrain/fortifyH1219
• the heightמָרוֹםmârôm · heightH4791
• of her strengthעֹז‛ôz ‛ôz · strengthH5797
• yetאָז'âz · thenH227
• from me shall spoilersשָׁדַדshâdad · to ruinH7703
• comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• unto her, saithנְאֻםne'ûm · utteranceH5002
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068

Cross-references for Jeremiah 51:53

• Jeremiah 51:25“Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain [conqueror of nations], Who destroys the whole earth,” declares the Lord, “I will stretch out My hand against you, And roll you down from the [rugged] cliffs, And will make you a burnt mountain (extinct volcano).
• Jeremiah 49:16As for Your terror, The pride and arrogance of your heart have deceived you, O you who live in the clefts of the rock (Sela also called Petra), Who hold and occupy the height of the hill. Though you make your nest as high as the eagle’s, I will bring you down from there,” says the Lord.
• Genesis 11:4They said, “Come, let us build a city for ourselves, and a tower whose top will reach into the heavens, and let us make a [famous] name for ourselves, so that we will not be scattered [into separate groups] and be dispersed over the surface of the entire earth [as the Lord instructed].”
• Psalms 139:8If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead), behold, You are there.
• Isaiah 14:12How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning [light-bringer], son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the ground, You who have weakened the nations [king of Babylon]!
• Isaiah 47:5“Sit in silence, and go into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans; For you will no longer be called The queen of kingdoms.
• Ezekiel 31:9I made it beautiful with the great mass of its branches, So that all the trees of Eden which were in the garden of God were jealous of it (Assyria).
• Daniel 4:30The king said thoughtfully, ‘Is not this the great Babylon which I myself have built as the royal residence and seat of government by the might of my power and for the honor and glory of my majesty?’
• Amos 9:4And though they go into captivity before their enemies, From there I shall command the sword to kill them, And I will set My eyes against them for evil (judgment, punishment) and not for good [that is, not for correction leading to restoration].”
• Obadiah 1:3The pride and arrogance of your heart have deceived you, You who live in the clefts and lofty security of the rock (Sela), Whose dwelling place is high, Who say [boastfully] in your heart, ‘Who will bring me down to earth?’
• Jeremiah 51:1Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I am going to stir up and put into action [a fury] against Babylon And against the [rebellious] people of Leb-kamai (Chaldea) A destroying wind and hostile spirit;
• Jeremiah 50:9For behold, I will stir up and bring up against Babylon An assembly of great nations from the north country. They will equip themselves and set up the battle lines against her; From there she will be taken captive. Their arrows will be like an expert warrior Who will not return empty-handed.
• Isaiah 10:6I send Assyria against a godless nation And commission it against the people of My wrath To take the spoil and to seize the plunder, And to trample them down like mud in the streets.
• Isaiah 13:2Lift up a signal banner on the bare mountain, Summon them [the Medes and Persians] with a loud voice, Wave the [beckoning] hand so that they may enter the doorways of the [Babylonian] nobles.
• Isaiah 41:25“I have stirred up and put into action one from the north [the king of Persia, Cyrus the Great], and he has come; From the rising of the sun he will call on My Name [in prayer]. And he will trample on [the Babylonian] officials as on mortar, Even as a potter treads clay.”
• Isaiah 45:1This is what the Lord says to His anointed, to Cyrus [king of Persia], Whose right hand I have held To subdue nations before him, And I will ungird the loins of kings [disarming them]; To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:

Commentaries on Jeremiah 51:53

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 53Though Babylon should mount up to heaven - Though it were fortified even to the skies, it shall fall by the enemies that I will send against it.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 53Babylon's walls could not save it. The city would definitely be looted because the Lord had declared their punishment.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 5353. We are not to measure God's power by what seems to our perceptions natural or probable. Compare Ob 4 as to Edom (Am 9:2).Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 51:53

• Armies
• Persia
• War

In the dictionaries

• Babylon
• Babylon, Babylonia, Babylonian
• Device
• Empty
• Hold
• Mount
• Ezekiel
• Isaiah
• Jeremiah (2)

Commentaries on Jeremiah 51

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings