Jeremiah 51:53
in Jeremiah 51Even if Babylon ascends to the heavens and fortifies her lofty stronghold, the destroyers I send will come against her,” declares the LORD.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall destroyers come unto her, saith Jehovah.
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.
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This verse in Jeremiah 51
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis 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
Those that sink under the weight of God's wrath and curse sink irrecoverably. The last words of the chapter seal up the vision and prophecy of this book: Thus far are the words of Jeremiah. Not that this prophecy against Babylon was the last of his prophecies; for it was dated in the fourth year of Zedekiah (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
): Though Babylon should mount her walls and palaces up to heaven, and though (because what is high is apt to totter) she should take care to fortify the height of her strength, yet all will not do;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Though Babylon should mount up to heaven,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Though 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.
The words behind it
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | if | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| תַעֲלֶ֤ה | taaleh | it will go up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| בָבֶל֙ | vavel | Babylon | H894 → | 262 times |
| הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם | hashamayim | the heavens | H8064 → | 421 times |
| וְכִ֥י | vekhi | and if | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| תְבַצֵּ֖ר | tevatzer | it will fortify | H1219 → | 37 times |
| מְר֣וֹם | merom | [the] height of | H4791 → | 54 times |
| עֻזָּ֑הּ | ʾuzah | strength its | H5797 → | 92 times |
| מֵאִתִּ֗י | meiti | from with <the> me | H854 → | 929 times |
| יָבֹ֧אוּ | yavou | they will come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| שֹׁדְדִ֛ים | shodedim | destroyers | H7703 → | 57 times |
| לָ֖הּ | lah | to <the> it | ||
| נְאֻם־ | neum- | [the] utterance of | H5002 → | 376 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ ס | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
כִּֽי־if
ki-H3588 →4482 times
תַעֲלֶ֤הit will go up
taalehH5927 →890 times
בָבֶל֙Babylon
vavelH894 →262 times
הַשָּׁמַ֔יִםthe heavens
hashamayimH8064 →421 times
וְכִ֥יand if
vekhiH3588 →4482 times
תְבַצֵּ֖רit will fortify
tevatzerH1219 →37 times
מְר֣וֹם[the] height of
meromH4791 →54 times
עֻזָּ֑הּstrength its
ʾuzahH5797 →92 times
מֵאִתִּ֗יfrom with <the> me
meitiH854 →929 times
יָבֹ֧אוּthey will come
yavouH935 →2568 times
שֹׁדְדִ֛יםdestroyers
shodedimH7703 →57 times
לָ֖הּto <the> it
lah
נְאֻם־[the] utterance of
neum-H5002 →376 times
יְהוָֽה׃ סYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 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
Genesis 11:4“Come,” they said, “let us build for ourselves a city with a tower that reaches to the heavens, that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of…
it leads to
- John 5:44
How can you believe if you accept glory from one another, yet do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?
- Deuteronomy 1:28
Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying: ‘The people are larger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the heavens. We even saw…
- Luke 1:51
He has performed mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who are proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
- Deuteronomy 9:1
Hear, O Israel: Today you are about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities fortified to the heavens.
- Daniel 4:30
the king exclaimed, “Is this not Babylon the Great, which I myself have built by the might of my power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?”
- John 5:44
Through
Jeremiah 51:25“Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, you who devastate the whole earth, declares the LORD. I will stretch out My hand against you; I will roll you over the cliffs and turn…
it leads to
- Revelation 8:8
Then the second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned to blood,
- Zechariah 4:7
What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain. Then he will bring forth the capstone accompanied by shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’”
- Jeremiah 50:31
“Behold, I am against you, O arrogant one,” declares the Lord GOD of Hosts, “for your day has come, the time when I will punish you.
- Revelation 8:8
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 Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Carl Friedrich Keil, The Prophecies of Jeremiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.