New Living Translation
Jeremiah 51:16
16When he speaks in the thunder, the heavens roar with rain. He causes the clouds to rise over the earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses.
Jeremiah 51:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens; and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth: he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.
- New International Version (NIV)When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
- English Standard Version (ESV)When he utters his voice there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses.
- New King James Version (NKJV)When He utters His voice— There is a multitude of waters in the heavens: “He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He makes lightnings for the rain; He brings the wind out of His treasuries.”
Context of Jeremiah 51:16
14The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has taken this vow and has sworn to it by his own name: “Your cities will be filled with enemies, like fields swarming with locusts, and they will shout in triumph over you.” 15The Lord made the earth by his power, and he preserves it by his wisdom. With his own understanding he stretched out the heavens. When he speaks in the thunder, the heavens roar with rain. He causes the clouds to rise over the earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses. 17The whole human race is foolish and has no knowledge! The craftsmen are disgraced by the idols they make, for their carefully shaped works are a fraud. These idols have no breath or power. 18Idols are worthless; they are ridiculous lies! On the day of reckoning they will all be destroyed.
Read all of Jeremiah 51Jeremiah 51:16 word by word
לְק֨וֹל תִּתּ֜וֹ הֲמ֥וֹן מַ֙יִם֙ בַּשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַיַּ֥עַל נְשִׂאִ֖ים מִקְצֵה־אָ֑רֶץ בְּרָקִ֤ים לַמָּטָר֙ עָשָׂ֔ה וַיֹּ֥צֵא ר֖וּחַ מֵאֹצְרֹתָֽיו׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- When he utterethנָתַןnâthan · to give: cry outH5414
- voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
- a multitudeהָמוֹןhâmôn hâmôn · crowdH1995
- of watersמַיmayim · waterH4325
- in the heavensשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
- and he causeth the vapoursנָשִׂיאnâώîy' nâώi' · mistH5387
- to ascendעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
- from the endsקָצֶהqâtseh qêtseh · endH7097
- of the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- he makethעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
- lightningsבָּרָקbârâq · lightningH1300
- with rainמָטַרmâţâr · rainH4306
- and bringeth forthיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: sendH3318
- the windרוּחַrûach · spirit: breathH7307
- out of his treasuresאוֹצָר'ôtsâr · treasureH214
Cross-references for Jeremiah 51:16
- Jeremiah 10:2This is what the Lord says: “Do not act like the other nations, who try to read their future in the stars. Do not be afraid of their predictions, even though other nations are terrified by them.
- Job 37:2Listen carefully to the thunder of God’s voice as it rolls from his mouth.
- Job 40:9Are you as strong as God? Can you thunder with a voice like his?
- Psalms 18:13The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded amid the hail and burning coals.
- Psalms 29:3The voice of the Lord echoes above the sea. The God of glory thunders. The Lord thunders over the mighty sea.
- Psalms 46:6The nations are in chaos, and their kingdoms crumble! God’s voice thunders, and the earth melts!
- Psalms 68:33Sing to the one who rides across the ancient heavens, his mighty voice thundering from the sky.
- Psalms 104:7At your command, the water fled; at the sound of your thunder, it hurried away.
- Ezekiel 10:5The moving wings of the cherubim sounded like the voice of God Almighty and could be heard even in the outer courtyard.
- Job 36:26“Look, God is greater than we can understand. His years cannot be counted.
- Job 37:13He makes these things happen either to punish people or to show his unfailing love.
- Job 38:34“Can you shout to the clouds and make it rain?
- Psalms 135:7He causes the clouds to rise over the whole earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses.
- Amos 9:7“Are you Israelites more important to me than the Ethiopians?” asks the Lord. “I brought Israel out of Egypt, but I also brought the Philistines from Crete and led the Arameans out of Kir.
- Genesis 8:1But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and livestock with him in the boat. He sent a wind to blow across the earth, and the floodwaters began to recede.
- Exodus 10:13So Moses raised his staff over Egypt, and the Lord caused an east wind to blow over the land all that day and through the night. When morning arrived, the east wind had brought the locusts.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 51:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16When he uttereth his voice - Sends thunder. There is a multitude of waters - For the electric spark, by decomposing atmospheric air, converts the hydrogen and oxygen gases, of which it is composed, into water; which falls down in the form of rain. Causeth the vapours to ascend - He is the Author of that power of evaporation by which the water is rarified, and, being lighter than the air, ascends in form of vapor, forms clouds, and is ready to be sent down…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15-19Verses 15-19 A transcript of Jeremiah 10:12-16.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15-16God, as the Creator and preserver of everything, controls the storm with its thunder, rain, lightning, and wind, not Baal. The Lord can use these forces whenever He wants.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 15-1915-19. Repeated from Jr 10:12-16; except that "Israel" is not in the Hebrew of Jr 51:19, which ought, therefore, to be translated, "He is the Former of all things, and (therefore) of the rod of His inheritance" (that is, of the nation peculiarly His own). In Jr 10:1-25 the contrast is between the idols and God; here it is between the power of populous Babylon and that of God: "Thou dwellest upon many waters" (Jr 51:13); but God can, by merely "uttering…Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 51:16
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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