God’s Word Translation
Jeremiah 51:53
53The people of Babylon might go up to heaven. They might fortify their strongholds. But destroyers will still come from me against them,” declares the Lord.
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 have been put to shame, and we have been disgraced. Shame covers our faces, because foreigners have gone into the holy places of the Lord’s temple. 52“That is why the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will punish their idols, and those who are wounded will moan everywhere in the land. The people of Babylon might go up to heaven. They might fortify their strongholds. But destroyers will still come from me against them,” declares the Lord. 54Cries of agony are heard from Babylon. Sounds of terrible destruction are heard from the land of the Babylonians. 55The Lord will destroy Babylon. He will silence the loud noise coming from it. Waves of enemies will come roaring in like raging water. The noise will be heard everywhere.
Read all of Jeremiah 51Jeremiah 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“I am against you, Babylon, you destructive mountain. You have destroyed the whole earth,” declares the Lord. “I will use my power against you, roll you off the cliffs, and make you a scorched mountain.
- Jeremiah 49:16You have frightened other people. Your arrogance has deceived you. You live on rocky cliffs and occupy the highest places in the hills. Even though you build your nest as high as an eagle, I will bring you down from there,” declares the Lord.
- Genesis 11:4Then they said, “Let’s build a city for ourselves and a tower with its top in the sky. Let’s make a name for ourselves so that we won’t become scattered all over the face of the earth.”
- Psalms 139:8If I go up to heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in hell, you are there.
- Isaiah 14:12How you have fallen from heaven, you morning star, son of the dawn! How you have been cut down to the ground, you conqueror of nations!
- Isaiah 47:5Go into the dark, and sit in silence, princess of the Babylonians! You will no longer be called the queen of kingdoms.
- Ezekiel 31:9I was the one who made it beautiful with its many branches. This tree was the envy of all the trees in Eden, in God’s garden.
- Daniel 4:30The king thought, “Look how great Babylon is! I built the royal palace by my own impressive power and for my glorious honor.”
- Amos 9:4Even if they go into exile ahead of their enemies, I will command a sword to kill them. I will keep my eyes on them so that I can bring disaster on them and not help them.
- Obadiah 1:3Your arrogance has deceived you. You live on rocky cliffs. You make your home up high. You say to yourself, ‘No one can bring me down to earth.’
- Jeremiah 51:1This is what the Lord says: I will stir up a destructive wind against Babylon and against the people who live in Leb Kamai.
- Jeremiah 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 10:6I send them against a godless nation. In my fury I order them against the people to take their belongings, loot them, and trample on them like mud in the streets.
- Isaiah 13:2Raise a banner on the bare mountaintop. Call loudly to them. Signal them with your hand to enter the nobles’ gates.
- Isaiah 41:25“I have raised up someone from the north, and he has come. He will call on my name from the east. He will attack rulers as if they were mud, as if he were treading on clay like a potter.
- Isaiah 45:1This is what the Lord says about Cyrus, his anointed one: I have held him by his right hand so he could conquer the nations ahead of him, strip kings of their power, and open doors ahead of him so that the gates would 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
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
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