Jeremiah 51:37

Verse

Babylon will become a heap of rubble, a haunt for jackals, an object of horror and scorn, without inhabitant.

American Standard Version (1901)

And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwelling-place for jackals, an astonishment, and a hissing, without inhabitant.

And Babylon will become a mass of broken walls, a hole for jackals, a cause of wonder and surprise, without a living man in it.

Douay-Rheims 1899

And Babylon shall be reduced to heaps, a dwelling place for dragons, an astonishment and a hissing, because there is no inhabitant.

Free Bible Version

Babylon will be turned into a pile of rubble, a home for jackals, a place that horrifies people, a place they jeer at, a place where no one lives.

Geneva Bible 1599

And Babel shall be as heapes, a dwelling place for dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing, without an inhabitant.

King James (Authorized) Version

And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwellingplace for dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing, without an inhabitant.

Translation for Translators

Babylon will become a heap of ruins, a place where jackals/wolves live. It will become a place that people are horrified about and will ridicule; it will be a place where no one lives.

Unlocked Literal Bible

Babylon will become heaps of rubble, a den of jackals, a horror, an object of hissing, where there are no inhabitants.

Noah Webster Bible

And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwelling-place for dragons, an astonishment, and a hissing, without an inhabitant.

World English Bible

Babylon will become heaps, a dwelling place for jackals, an astonishment, and a hissing, without inhabitant.

Young's Literal Translation

And Babylon hath been for heaps, A habitation of dragons, An astonishment, and a hissing, without inhabitant.

Context

Babylon’s Punishment

³⁶Therefore this is what the LORD says: “Behold, I will plead your case and take vengeance on your behalf; I will dry up her sea and make her springs run dry. ³⁷Babylon will become a heap of rubble, a haunt for jackals, an object of horror and scorn, without inhabitant. ³⁸They will roar together like young lions; they will growl like lion cubs.

Summary

In this verse, Jeremiah prophesies about the destruction that will come upon Babylon, likening it to a devastating flood that will sweep through the land. The imagery of the flood symbolizes the unstoppable and overwhelming nature of the judgment that God will bring upon Babylon for its sins. This verse serves as a reminder of God's justice and the consequences of rebellion against Him, showing that even the mightiest kingdoms will face divine retribution for their wickedness.

Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill
Tyndale

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

(Jer 50:26, Jer 50:39; Rev 18:2).

John Gill Bible Commentary

In their heat I will make their feasts,.... I will order it that their feasts shall be id the time of heat, that so they may be made drunk; so Jarchi: or when they are hot with feasting, I will disturb their feast by a handwriting on the wall; so Kimchi; see Dan 5:1; to which he directs: or when they are inflamed with wine, I will put something into their banquets, into their cups; I will mingle their potions with the wine of my wrath; and, while they are feasting, ruin shall come upon them; and so it was, according to Herodotus and Xenophon, that the city of Babylon was taken, while the inhabitants were feasting; and this account agrees with Dan 5:1. This text is quoted in the Talmud (c), where the gloss on it says, "this is said concerning Belshazzar and his company, when they returned from a battle with Darius and Cyrus, who besieged Babylon, and Belshazzar overcame that day; and they were weary and hot, and sat down to drink, and were drunken, and on that day he was slain;'' and the Targum is, "I will bring tribulation upon them:'' and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice; in a riotous and revelling way; or that they may be mad and tremble, as R. Jonah, from the use of the word (d) in the Arabic language, interprets it; so drunken men are oftentimes like mad men, deprived of their senses, and their limbs tremble through the strength of liquor; and here it signifies, that the Chaldeans should be so intoxicated with the cup of divine wrath and vengeance, that they should be at their wits' end; in the utmost horror and trembling; not able to stand, or defend themselves; and so the Targum, "they shall be like drunken men, that they may not be strong;'' but as weak as they: and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the Lord; not only fall asleep as drunken men do, and awake again; but sleep, and never awake more; or die, and not live again, until the resurrection morn; no doubt many of the Chaldeans, being in a literal sense drunk and asleep when the city was taken, were slain in their sleep, and never waked again. The Targum is, "and die the second death, and not live in the world to come;'' see Rev 21:8. (c) T. Bab. Megilia, fol. 15. 2. (d) "furor ac repentina mors", Camus apud Golium, col. 1634. "tremor, timor mortis aegroto contingens", Giggeius apud Castel. col. 2772. So R. Sol. Urbiu. Ohel Moed, fol. 32. 1. interprets the words of trembling.