Jeremiah 51:16
in Jeremiah 51When He thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth. He generates the lightning with the rain and brings forth the wind from His storehouses.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
When he uttereth his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasuries.
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.
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This verse in Jeremiah 51
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Repeated from Jer 10:12-16; except that "Israel" is not in the Hebrew of Jer 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).
This site's exposition
The LORD made the earth by His power
on Jeremiah 51:15-19
This hymn repeats 10:12-16 almost word for word. It sets the Maker against idols: “his molten images are a fraud, and there is no breath in them.” Verse 19 closes, “The Portion of Jacob is not like these, for He is the Maker of all things.”
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Lightnings and rain seem contraries, as fire and water, and yet they are produced together; and the wind, which seems arbitrary in its motions, and we know not whence it comes, is yet, we are sure, brought out of his treasuries. The idols that oppose the accomplishment of his word are a mere sham and their worshippers brutish people,
), and it is here said to be raised up against those that dwell in the midst of the Chaldeans, those of other nations that inhabit among them and are incorporated with them.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
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. See Gill on Jer 10:13.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
When 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 again to water the earth by the action of his lightnings, as before.
The words behind it
15 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לְק֨וֹל | lekol | to [the] sound of | H6963 → | 506 times |
| תִּתּ֜וֹ | tito | giving forth he | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| הֲמ֥וֹן | hamon | a tumult of | H1995 → | 83 times |
| מַ֙יִם֙ | mayim | waters | H4325 → | 581 times |
| בַּשָּׁמַ֔יִם | bashamayim | in the heavens | H8064 → | 421 times |
| וַיַּ֥עַל | vaiyaal | and he brought up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| נְשִׂאִ֖ים | nesiim | clouds | H5387 → | |
| מִקְצֵה־ | miktzeh- | from [the] end of | H7097 → | 97 times |
| אָ֑רֶץ | ʾaretz | [the] earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
| בְּרָקִ֤ים | berakim | lightning<s> | H1300 → | |
| לַמָּטָר֙ | lamatar | for the rain | H4306 → | |
| עָשָׂ֔ה | ʾasah | he makes | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| וַיֹּ֥צֵא | vaiyotze' | and he brought out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| ר֖וּחַ | ruach | [the] wind | H7307 → | 378 times |
| מֵאֹצְרֹתָֽיו׃ | meotzerotav | from storehouses his | H214 → | 79 times |
לְק֨וֹלto [the] sound of
lekolH6963 →506 times
תִּתּ֜וֹgiving forth he
titoH5414 →2011 times
הֲמ֥וֹןa tumult of
hamonH1995 →83 times
מַ֙יִם֙waters
mayimH4325 →581 times
בַּשָּׁמַ֔יִםin the heavens
bashamayimH8064 →421 times
וַיַּ֥עַלand he brought up
vaiyaalH5927 →890 times
נְשִׂאִ֖יםclouds
nesiimH5387 →
מִקְצֵה־from [the] end of
miktzeh-H7097 →97 times
אָ֑רֶץ[the] earth
ʾaretzH776 →2504 times
בְּרָקִ֤יםlightning<s>
berakimH1300 →
לַמָּטָר֙for the rain
lamatarH4306 →
עָשָׂ֔הhe makes
ʾasahH6213 →2628 times
וַיֹּ֥צֵאand he brought out
vaiyotze'H3318 →1067 times
ר֖וּחַ[the] wind
ruachH7307 →378 times
מֵאֹצְרֹתָֽיו׃from storehouses his
meotzerotavH214 →79 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Jonah 1:4Then the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship was in danger of breaking apart.
it leads to
- Psalms 107:23–31
Others went out to sea in ships, conducting trade on the mighty waters.
- Matthew 8:24–27
Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was engulfed by the waves; but Jesus was sleeping.
- Psalms 107:23–31
Through
Psalms 46:6Nations rage, kingdoms crumble; the earth melts when He lifts His voice.
it leads to
- Amos 9:5
The Lord GOD of Hosts, He who touches the earth and it melts, and all its dwellers mourn—all the land rises like the Nile, then sinks like the river of Egypt—
- Psalms 18:13
The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded— hailstones and coals of fire.
- Amos 9:5
Through
Psalms 135:7He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth. He generates the lightning with the rain and brings forth the wind from His storehouses.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 10:13
When He thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth. He generates the lightning with the rain and brings forth the wind from…
- Job 28:25–26
When God fixed the weight of the wind and measured out the waters,
- Zechariah 10:1
Ask the LORD for rain in springtime; the LORD makes the storm clouds, and He will give everyone showers of rain and crops in the field.
- Jeremiah 10:13
Through
Psalms 18:13The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded— hailstones and coals of fire.
it leads to
- Psalms 104:7
At Your rebuke the waters fled; at the sound of Your thunder they hurried away—
- Psalms 104:7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Jeremiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.