English Standard Version
Jeremiah 51:11
11"Sharpen the arrows! Take up the shields! The Lord has stirred up the spirit of the kings of the Medes, because his purpose concerning Babylon is to destroy it, for that is the vengeance of the Lord, the vengeance for his temple.
Jeremiah 51:11 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Make bright the arrows; gather the shields: the Lord hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes: for his device is against Babylon, to destroy it; because it is the vengeance of the Lord, the vengeance of his temple.
- New International Version (NIV)“Sharpen the arrows, take up the shields! The Lord has stirred up the kings of the Medes, because his purpose is to destroy Babylon. The Lord will take vengeance, vengeance for his temple.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Make the arrows bright! Gather the shields! The Lord has raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes. For His plan is against Babylon to destroy it, Because it is the vengeance of the Lord, The vengeance for His temple.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Sharpen the arrows! Lift up the shields! For the Lord has inspired the kings of the Medes to march against Babylon and destroy her. This is his vengeance against those who desecrated his Temple.
Context of Jeremiah 51:11
9We would have healed Babylon, but she was not healed. Forsake her, and let us go each to his own country, for her judgment has reached up to heaven and has been lifted up even to the skies. 10The Lord has brought about our vindication; come, let us declare in Zion the work of the Lord our God. "Sharpen the arrows! Take up the shields! The Lord has stirred up the spirit of the kings of the Medes, because his purpose concerning Babylon is to destroy it, for that is the vengeance of the Lord, the vengeance for his temple. 12"Set up a standard against the walls of Babylon; make the watch strong; set up watchmen; prepare the ambushes; for the Lord has both planned and done what he spoke concerning the inhabitants of Babylon. 13O you who dwell by many waters, rich in treasures, your end has come; the thread of your life is cut.
Read all of Jeremiah 51Jeremiah 51:11 word by word
הָבֵ֣רוּ הַחִצִּים֮ מִלְא֣וּ הַשְּׁלָטִים֒ הֵעִ֣יר יְהוָ֗ה אֶת־ר֙וּחַ֙ מַלְכֵ֣י מָדַ֔י כִּֽי־עַל־בָּבֶ֥ל מְזִמָּת֖וֹ לְהַשְׁחִיתָ֑הּ כִּֽי־נִקְמַ֤ת יְהוָה֙ הִ֔יא נִקְמַ֖ת הֵיכָלֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Make brightבָּרַרbârar · to purifyH1305
- the arrowsחֵץchêts · arrowH2671
- gatherמָלֵאmâlê' mâlâ' · to fillH4390
- the shieldsשֶׁ֫לֶטsheleţ · shieldH7982
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- hath raised upעוּר‛ûr · to rouseH5782
- the spiritרוּחַrûach · spiritH7307
- of the kingsמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- of the Medesמָדַיmâday · MedeH4074
- for his deviceמְזִמָּהmezimmâh · plotH4209
- against Babylonבָּבֶ֫ל, בָּבֶלbâbel · BabylonH894
- to destroyשָׁחַתshâchath · to ruinH7843
- the vengeanceנְקָמָהneqâmâh · vengeanceH5360
- of his templeהֵיכָלhêykâl · templeH1964
Cross-references for Jeremiah 51:11
- Jeremiah 46:4Harness the horses; mount, O horsemen! Take your stations with your helmets, polish your spears, put on your armor!
- Jeremiah 50:9For behold, I am stirring up and bringing against Babylon a gathering of great nations, from the north country. And they shall array themselves against her. From there she shall be taken. Their arrows are like a skilled warrior who does not return empty-handed.
- Isaiah 21:5They prepare the table, they spread the rugs, they eat, they drink. Arise, O princes; oil the shield!
- Jeremiah 51:27"Set up a standard on the earth; blow the trumpet among the nations; prepare the nations for war against her; summon against her the kingdoms, Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz; appoint a marshal against her; bring up horses like bristling locusts.
- 1 Kings 11:14And the Lord raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite. He was of the royal house in Edom.
- 1 Chronicles 5:26So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, the spirit of Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and he took them into exile, namely, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river Gozan, to this day.
- 2 Chronicles 36:22Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:
- Ezra 1:1In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:
- Isaiah 10:26And the Lord of hosts will wield against them a whip, as when he struck Midian at the rock of Oreb. And his staff will be over the sea, and he will lift it as he did in Egypt.
- Isaiah 13:17Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them, who have no regard for silver and do not delight in gold.
- Isaiah 13:18Their bows will slaughter the young men; they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb; their eyes will not pity children.
- Isaiah 21:2A stern vision is told to me; the traitor betrays, and the destroyer destroys. Go up, O Elam; lay siege, O Media; all the sighing she has caused I bring to an end.
- Isaiah 41:25I stirred up one from the north, and he has come, from the rising of the sun, and he shall call upon my name; he shall trample on rulers as on mortar, as the potter treads clay.
- Isaiah 45:1Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed:
- Isaiah 46:11calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.
- Revelation 17:16And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire,
Commentaries on Jeremiah 51:11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11Make bright the arrows - This is the prophet's address to Babylon. The Lord hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes - Of Cyaxares king of Media, called Darius the Mede in Scripture; and of Cyrus king of Persia, presumptive heir of the throne of Cyaxares, his uncle. Cambyses, his father, sent him, Cyrus, with 30, 000 men to assist his uncle Cyaxares, against Neriglissar king of Babylon, and by these was Babylon overthrown.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11Make bright - Rather, Sharpen. The Medes Genesis 10:2 were a branch of the great Aryan family, who as conquerors had seized upon the vast regions extending from the Caspian Sea to the eastern borders of Mesopotamia, but without being able to dispossess the Turanian tribes who had previously dwelt there. They were divided into numerous clans, each with its own local chief, the leaders of the larger sections being those who are here called kings.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11-12The kings of the Medes included Cyrus. He marched against Babylon and overthrew it in 539 BC.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. Make bright--literally, "pure." Polish and sharpen. gather--literally, "fill"; that is, gather in full number, so that none be wanting. So, "gave in full tale" (1Sa 18:27). Gesenius, not so well, translates, "Fill with your bodies the shields" (compare So 4:4). He means to tell the Babylonians, Make what preparations you will, all will be in vain (compare Jr 46:3-6). kings of ... Medes--He names the Medes rather than the Persians, because Darius, or…Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 51:11
In the dictionaries
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries