God’s Word Translation
Jeremiah 51:1
1This is what the Lord says: I will stir up a destructive wind against Babylon and against the people who live in Leb Kamai.
Jeremiah 51:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me, a destroying wind;
- New International Version (NIV)This is what the Lord says: “See, I will stir up the spirit of a destroyer against Babylon and the people of Leb Kamai.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Thus says the Lord: "Behold, I will stir up the spirit of a destroyer against Babylon, against the inhabitants of Leb-kamai,
- New King James Version (NKJV)Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, Against those who dwell in Leb Kamai, A destroying wind.
Context of Jeremiah 51:1
This is what the Lord says: I will stir up a destructive wind against Babylon and against the people who live in Leb Kamai. 2I will send people to winnow Babylon, to winnow it and strip its land bare. They will attack it from every direction on the day of trouble. 3Have the archers bend their bows. Have them put on their armor. Don’t spare Babylon’s young men. Completely destroy its whole army.
Read all of Jeremiah 51Jeremiah 51:1 word by word
כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה הִנְנִי֙ מֵעִ֣יר עַל־בָּבֶ֔ל וְאֶל־יֹשְׁבֵ֖י לֵ֣ב קָמָ֑י ר֖וּחַ מַשְׁחִֽית׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thus saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- Behold, I will raise upעוּר‛ûr · to rouseH5782
- against Babylonבָּבֶ֫ל, בָּבֶלbâbel · BabylonH894
- and against them that dwellיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- in the midstלֵבlêb · LebH3820
- of them that rise upקָמָיqûm · (Leb)-kamaiH6965
- against me, a destroyingשָׁחַתshâchath · to ruinH7843
- windרוּחַrûach · spiritH7307
Cross-references for Jeremiah 51:1
- Jeremiah 50:9I am going to stir up an alliance of strong nations from the north and bring it against Babylon. Those nations will take up positions against Babylon. Babylon will be captured from the north. Its enemy’s arrows will be like skilled soldiers who don’t come back empty-handed.
- Isaiah 13:3I’ve commanded my holy ones. I’ve called my mighty men to carry out my anger. They find joy in my triumphs.
- Amos 3:6If a ram’s horn sounds an alarm in a city, won’t the people be alarmed? If there is a disaster in a city, hasn’t the Lord done it?
- Jeremiah 50:24I will set traps for you, Babylon. You will be caught, but you won’t know it. You will be found and captured because you have opposed the Lord.
- Zechariah 2:8This is what the Lord of Armies says: Afterwards, the Glory sent me to the nations who looted you. Whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye.
- Acts 9:4He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”
- Jeremiah 4:11At that time it will be said to these people and to Jerusalem: “A hot wind from the heights will blow in the desert on the tracks of my people. It will not be a wind that winnows or cleanses.
- Jeremiah 49:36I’ll bring the four winds from the four corners of heaven against Elam and scatter its people in every direction. There won’t be a nation where Elam’s refugees won’t go.
- 2 Kings 19:7I’m going to put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own country. I’ll have him assassinated in his own country.’ ”
- Ezekiel 19:12But in anger it was uprooted and thrown to the ground. The east wind dried up its fruit. Its strong branches broke off. They withered and were burned.
- Hosea 13:15The people of Ephraim have become important among their relatives. However, the Lord’s scorching wind will come from the east. It will blow out of the desert. Then their springs will run dry, and their wells will dry up. The wind will destroy every precious thing in their storehouses.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 51:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Thus saith the Lord - This chapter is a continuation of the preceding prophecy. A destroying wind - Such as the pestilential winds in the east; and here the emblem of a destroying army, carrying all before them, and wasting with fire and sword.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1In the midst of them that rise up against me - Or, in Leb-kamai, the cipher for Kasdim, i. e., Chaldaea. This cipher was not necessarily invented by Jeremiah, or used for concealment. It was probaby first devised either for political purposes or for trade, and was in time largely employed in the correspondence between the exiles at Babylon and their friends at home. Thus, words in common use like Sheshach Jeremiah 25:26 and Leb-kamai, would be known to…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Babylon's doom; God's controversy with her; encouragements from thence to the Israel of God. (Jr 51:1-58) The confirming of this. (Jr 51:59-64) Verses 1-58 The particulars of this prophecy are dispersed and interwoven, and the same things left and returned to again. Babylon is abundant in treasures, yet neither her waters nor her wealth shall secure her. Destruction comes when they did not think of it. Wherever we are, in the greatest depths, at the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-2The Lord chose Persia, led by Cyrus, to destroy Babylon in 539 BC.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-641. in the midst of them that rise ... against me--literally, "in the heart" of them. Compare Psa 46:2, "the midst of the sea," Margin; Eze 27:4, "the heart of the seas"; Margin; Mt 12:40. In the center of the Chaldeans. "Against Me," because they persecute My people. The cabalistic mode of interpreting Hebrew words (by taking the letters in the inverse order of the alphabet, the last letter representing the first, and so on, Jr 25:26) would give the very…Read the comment
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries