New English Translation
Jeremiah 51:12
12Give the signal to attack Babylon’s wall! Bring more guards! Post them all around the city! Put men in ambush! For the Lord will do what he has planned. He will do what he said he would do to the people of Babylon.
Jeremiah 51:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Set up the standard upon the walls of Babylon, make the watch strong, set up the watchmen, prepare the ambushes: for the Lord hath both devised and done that which he spake against the inhabitants of Babylon.
- New International Version (NIV)Lift up a banner against the walls of Babylon! Reinforce the guard, station the watchmen, prepare an ambush! The Lord will carry out his purpose, his decree against the people of Babylon.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"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.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Set up the standard on the walls of Babylon; Make the guard strong, Set up the watchmen, Prepare the ambushes. For the Lord has both devised and done What He spoke against the inhabitants of Babylon.
Context of Jeremiah 51:12
10The exiles from Judah will say, ‘The Lord has brought about a great deliverance for us! Come on, let’s go and proclaim in Zion what the Lord our God has done!’ 11“Sharpen your arrows! Fill your quivers! The Lord will arouse a spirit of hostility in the kings of Media. For he intends to destroy Babylonia. For that is how the Lord will get his revenge – how he will get his revenge for the Babylonians’ destruction of his temple. Give the signal to attack Babylon’s wall! Bring more guards! Post them all around the city! Put men in ambush! For the Lord will do what he has planned. He will do what he said he would do to the people of Babylon. 13“You who live along the rivers of Babylon, the time of your end has come. You who are rich in plundered treasure, it is time for your lives to be cut off. 14The Lord who rules over all has solemnly sworn, ‘I will fill your land with enemy soldiers. They will swarm over it like locusts. They will raise up shouts of victory over it.’
Read all of Jeremiah 51Jeremiah 51:12 word by word
אֶל־חוֹמֹ֨ת בָּבֶ֜ל שְׂאוּ־נֵ֗ס הַחֲזִ֙יקוּ֙ הַמִּשְׁמָ֔ר הָקִ֙ימוּ֙ שֹֽׁמְרִ֔ים הָכִ֖ינוּ הָאֹֽרְבִ֑ים כִּ֚י גַּם־זָמַ֣ם יְהוָ֔ה גַּם־עָשָׂ֕ה אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֖ר אֶל־יֹשְׁבֵ֥י בָבֶֽל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Set upנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: raiseH5375
- the standardנֵסnês · ensignH5251
- upon the wallsחוֹמָהchômâh · wallH2346
- of Babylonבָּבֶ֫ל, בָּבֶלbâbel · BabylonH894
- make the watchמִשְׁמָרmishmâr · custodyH4929
- strongחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: strengthenH2388
- set upקוּםqûm · to arise: establishH6965
- the watchmenשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: guardH8104
- prepareכּוּןkûn · to establish: prepareH3559
- the ambushesאָרַב'ârab · to ambushH693
- for the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- hath both devisedזָמַםzâmam · to planH2161
- and doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- that which he spakeדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- against the inhabitantsיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
Cross-references for Jeremiah 51:12
- Jeremiah 46:3“Fall into ranks with your shields ready! Prepare to march into battle!
- Proverbs 21:30There is no wisdom and there is no understanding, and there is no counsel against the Lord.
- Isaiah 8:9You will be broken, O nations; you will be shattered! Pay attention, all you distant lands of the earth! Get ready for battle, and you will be shattered! Get ready for battle, and you will be shattered!
- Isaiah 13:2On a bare hill raise a signal flag, shout to them, wave your hand, so they might enter the gates of the princes!
- Joel 3:2Then I will gather all the nations, and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. I will enter into judgment against them there concerning my people Israel who are my inheritance, whom they scattered among the nations. They partitioned my land,
- Nahum 2:1(2:2) The watchmen of Nineveh shout: “An enemy who will scatter you is marching out to attack you!” “Guard the rampart! Watch the road! Prepare yourselves for battle! Muster your mighty strength!”
- Nahum 3:14Draw yourselves water for a siege! Strengthen your fortifications! Trample the mud and tread the clay! Make mud bricks to strengthen your walls!
- Joshua 8:14When the king of Ai saw Israel, he and his whole army quickly got up the next day and went out to fight Israel at the meeting place near the Arabah. But he did not realize men were hiding behind the city.
- Jeremiah 51:11“Sharpen your arrows! Fill your quivers! The Lord will arouse a spirit of hostility in the kings of Media. For he intends to destroy Babylonia. For that is how the Lord will get his revenge – how he will get his revenge for the Babylonians’ destruction of his temple.
- Lamentations 2:17The Lord has done what he planned; he has fulfilled his promise that he threatened long ago: He has overthrown you without mercy and has enabled the enemy to gloat over you; he has exalted your adversaries’ power. צ (Tsade)
Commentaries on Jeremiah 51:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Set up the standard - A call to the enemies of Babylon to invest the city and press the siege.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12Upon the walls of Babylon - Or, “against the walls.” The King James Version takes the word ironically, as a summons to Babylon to prepare for her defense; others take it as a summons to the army to make the attack.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. 1212. With all your efforts, your city shall be taken. standard--to summon the defenders together to any point threatened by the besiegers.Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 51:12
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
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