Jeremiah 51:50
in Jeremiah 51You who have escaped the sword, depart and do not linger! Remember the LORD from far away, and let Jerusalem come to mind.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Ye that have escaped the sword, go ye, stand not still; remember Jehovah from afar, and let Jerusalem come into your mind.
KJV
Ye that have escaped the sword, go away, stand not still: remember the Lord afar off, and let Jerusalem come into your mind.
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This verse in Jeremiah 51
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2648: “Sacred Memories” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
This message from the Lord was written by the Prophet Jeremiah to the Jews who were carried away to Babylon or even to more distant places. They were entreated not to forget the holy city where they had worshipped Jehovah in His Temple. Among all their thoughts, they were bidden to take care that the thought of Jerusalem should often come into their minds. This would keep them from settling down in the places to which they had been carried as captives.
This site's exposition
Babylon must fall on account of the slain of Israel
on Jeremiah 51:49-53
“Babylon must fall on account of the slain of Israel, just as the slain of all the earth have fallen because of Babylon.” “Remember the LORD from far away, and let Jerusalem come to mind.” Even if Babylon “ascends to the heavens,” the destroyers will come against her.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
: " You Israelites, who have escaped the sword of the Chaldeans your oppressors, and of the Persians their destroyers, now that the year of release has come, go away, stand not still; hasten to your own country again, however you may be comfortably seated in Babylon, for this is not your rest, but Canaan is." 1.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
Ye - Ye Jews, leave Babylon as soon as liberty is proclaimed. Remember - And remember in Judea the great things both of justice and mercy which God hath done.
Ye that have escaped the sword, go away, stand not still,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
So great will be the slaughter that even some of God's people shall be involved in it, as they had deserved. afar off--though ye are banished far off from where ye used formerly to worship God. let Jerusalem come into your mind--While in exile remember your temple and city, so as to prefer them to all the rest of the world wherever ye may be (Isa 62:6).
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2648: “Sacred Memories” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
This message from the Lord was written by the Prophet Jeremiah to the Jews who were carried away to Babylon or even to more distant places. They were entreated not to forget the holy city where they had worshipped Jehovah in His Temple. Among all their thoughts, they were bidden to take care that the thought of Jerusalem should often come into their minds. This would keep them from settling down in the places to which they had been carried as captives. They were always far too ready to mingle with other nations and to forget that God had separated them to be a people unto Himself forever. So Jeremiah begged them to keep the holy city in their minds, that they might not judge themselves as having become Persians or Babylonians, but might still remember that they were Israelites and that Jerusalem was their mother city and home. Besides, this kind of meditation would raise in their hearts ardent longings to get back. "Let Jerusalem come into your mind," that is, "Sigh for it. Earnestly desire to come back to it and as you cut the various ties which bind you to the distant land, let the links which unite you to Jerusalem become stronger every day." We know, from the 137th Psalm, that this is just what the captives did—"By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yes, we wept when we remembered Zion. We hung our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Ye that have escaped the sword - The Jews. Let Jerusalem come into your mind - Pray for its restoration; and embrace the first opportunity offered of returning thither.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Afar off - Or, from afar, from Chaldaea, far away from Yahweh’s dwelling in Jerusalem. The verse is a renewed entreaty to the Jews to leave Babylon and journey homewards, as soon as Cyrus grants them permission.
The words behind it
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| פְּלֵטִ֣ים | peletim | O escapees | H6412 → | 24 times |
| מֵחֶ֔רֶב | mecherev | from [the] sword | H2719 → | 413 times |
| הִלְכ֖וּ | hilkhu | go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| אַֽל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תַּעֲמֹ֑דוּ | taamodu | you stand still | H5975 → | 521 times |
| זִכְר֤וּ | zikhru | remember | H2142 → | 230 times |
| מֵֽרָחוֹק֙ | merachok | from a distant [land] | H7350 → | 84 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וִירֽוּשָׁלִַ֖ם | virushalim | and Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
| תַּעֲלֶ֥ה | taaleh | let it come up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| לְבַבְכֶֽם׃ | levavkhem | heart your | H3824 → | 252 times |
פְּלֵטִ֣יםO escapees
peletimH6412 →24 times
מֵחֶ֔רֶבfrom [the] sword
mecherevH2719 →413 times
הִלְכ֖וּgo
hilkhuH1980 →1546 times
אַֽל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
תַּעֲמֹ֑דוּyou stand still
taamoduH5975 →521 times
זִכְר֤וּremember
zikhruH2142 →230 times
מֵֽרָחוֹק֙from a distant [land]
merachokH7350 →84 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יְהוָ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וִירֽוּשָׁלִַ֖םand Jerusalem
virushalimH3389 →643 times
תַּעֲלֶ֥הlet it come up
taalehH5927 →890 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
לְבַבְכֶֽם׃heart your
levavkhemH3824 →252 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
Isaiah 51:11So the redeemed of the LORD will return and enter Zion with singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.
it leads to
- Isaiah 25:8
He will swallow up death forever. The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from every face and remove the disgrace of His people from the whole earth. For the LORD has spoken.
- Revelation 21:4
‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.”
- Revelation 7:17
For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd. ‘He will lead them to springs of living water,’ and ‘God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”
- Isaiah 35:10
So the redeemed of the LORD will return and enter Zion with singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:16
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who by grace has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope,
- Isaiah 25:8
Through
Psalms 122:6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you prosper.
it leads to
- Psalms 51:18
In Your good pleasure, cause Zion to prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem.
- Genesis 12:3
I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.”
- Jeremiah 29:7
Seek the prosperity of the city to which I have sent you as exiles. Pray to the LORD on its behalf, for if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
- Psalms 51:18
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Jeremiah

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, The Prophecies of Jeremiah; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2648: “Sacred Memories” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); 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); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
