Welcome to BibleStudyMinistry.com, your online Bible Study supplement source. Today we have a chapter summary on Jeremiah chapter 51. Before we get to the summary, let’s review the chapter below.
1 Thus saith the Almighty; Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me, a destroying wind;
2 And will send unto Babylon fanners, that shall fan her, and shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about.
3 Against him that bendeth let the archer bend his bow, and against him that lifteth himself up in his brigandine: and spare ye not her young men; destroy ye utterly all her host.
4 Thus the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, and they that are thrust through in her streets.
5 For Akobe hath not been forsaken, nor Juda of his Maker, of the Almighty of hosts; though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Akobe.
6 Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the Almighty’s vengeance; he will render unto her a recompense.
7 Babylon hath been a golden cup in the Almighty’s hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad.
8 Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed.
9 We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go everyone into his own country: for her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies.
10 The Almighty hath brought forth our righteousness: come, and let us declare in Siyoni-Jerusalem the work of the Almighty our Maker.
11 Make bright the arrows; gather the shields: the Almighty hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes: for his device is against Babylon, to destroy it; because it is the vengeance of the Almighty, the vengeance of his temple.
12 Set up the standard upon the walls of Babylon, make the watch strong, set up the watchmen, prepare the ambushes: for the Almighty hath both devised and done that which he spake against the inhabitants of Babylon.
13 O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness.
14 The Almighty of hosts hath sworn by himself, saying, Surely I will fill thee with men, as with caterpillars; and they shall lift up a shout against thee.
15 He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom and hath stretched out the heaven by his understanding.
16 When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens; and he causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth: he maketh bolts of lightning with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.
17 Every man is brutish by his knowledge; every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.
18 They are vanity, the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.
19 The portion of Akobe is not like them; for he is the former of all things: and Akobe is the rod of his inheritance: the Almighty of hosts is his name.
20 Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms;
21 And with thee will I break in pieces the horse and his rider; and with thee will I break in pieces the chariot and his rider;
22 With thee also will I break in pieces man and woman; and with thee will I break in pieces old and young; and with thee will I break in pieces the young man and the maid;
23 I will also break in pieces with thee the shepherd and his flock; and with thee will I break in pieces the husbandman and his yoke of oxen; and with thee will I break in pieces captains and rulers.
24 And I will render unto Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Siyoni-Jerusalem in your sight, saith the Almighty.
25 Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the Almighty, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain.
26 And they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations; but thou shalt be desolate forever, saith the Almighty.
27 Set ye up a standard in the land, blow the trumpet among the nations, prepare the nations against her, call together against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashchenaz; appoint a captain against her; cause the horses to come up as the rough caterpillars.
28 Prepare against her the nations with the kings of the Medes, the captains thereof, and all the rulers thereof, and all the land of his dominion.
29 And the land shall tremble and sorrow: for every purpose of the Almighty shall be performed against Babylon, to make the land of Babylon a desolation without an inhabitant.
30 The mighty men of Babylon have forborne to fight, they have remained in their holds: their might hath failed; they became as women: they have burned her dwelling places; her bars are broken.
31 One post shall run to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to shew the king of Babylon that his city is taken at one end,
32 And that the passages are stopped, and the reeds they have burned with fire, and the men of war are affrighted.
33 For thus saith the Almighty of hosts, the Creator of Akobe; The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor, it is time to thresh her: yet a little while and the time of her harvest shall come.
34 Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon hath devoured me, he hath crushed me, he hath made me an empty vessel, he hath swallowed me up like a dragon, he hath filled his belly with my delicates, he hath cast me out.
35 The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon, shall the inhabitant of Siyoni-Jerusalem say; and my blood upon the inhabitants of Chaldea, shall Jerusalem say.
36 Therefore thus saith the Almighty. Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee. And I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry.
37 And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwelling place for dragons, an astonishment, and a hissing, without an inhabitant.
38 They shall roar together like lions: they shall yell as lions’ whelps.
39 In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the Almighty.
40 I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams with he goats.
41 How is Sheshach taken? and how is the praise of the whole earth surprised! how is Babylon become an astonishment among the nations!
42 The sea is come up upon Babylon: she is covered with the multitude of the waves thereof.
43 Her cities are a desolation, a dry land, and a wilderness, a land wherein no man dwelleth, neither doth any son of man pass thereby.
44 And I will punish Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up: and the nations shall not flow together anymore unto him: yea, the wall of Babylon shall fall.
45 My people, go ye out of the midst of her and deliver ye every man his soul from the fierce anger of the Almighty.
46 And lest your heart faint, and ye fear for the rumor that shall be heard in the land. A rumor shall both come one year. And after that in another year shall come a rumor. And violence in the land, ruler against ruler.
47 Therefore, behold, the days come, that I will do judgment upon the graven images of Babylon: and her whole land shall be confounded, and all her slain shall fall in the midst of her.
48 Then the heaven and the earth, and all that is therein, shall sing for Babylon: for the spoilers shall come unto her from the north, saith the Almighty.
49 As Babylon hath caused the slain of Akobe to fall, so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the earth.
50 Ye that have escaped the sword, go away, stand not still: remember the Almighty afar off, and let Jerusalem come into your mind.
51 We are confounded because we have heard reproach. Shame hath covered our faces. For strangers are come into the sanctuaries of the Almighty’s house.
52 Wherefore, behold, the days come, saith the Almighty, that I will do judgment upon her graven images. And through all her land the wounded shall groan.
53 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 Almighty.
54 A sound of a cry cometh from Babylon, and great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans:
55 Because the Almighty hath spoiled Babylon, and destroyed out of her the great voice; when her waves do roar like great waters, a noise of their voice is uttered:
56 Because the spoiler is come upon her, even upon Babylon, and her mighty men are taken, every one of their bows is broken: for the Almighty Creator of recompenses shall surely requite.
57 And I will make drunk her princes, and her wise men, her captains, and her rulers, and her mighty men. And they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the King, whose name is the Almighty of hosts.
58, Thus saith the Almighty of hosts. The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken, and her high gates shall be burned with fire. And the people shall labor in vain, and the folk in the fire, and they shall be weary.
59 The word which Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah when he went with Zedekiah the king of Juda into Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. And this Seraiah was a quiet prince.
60, So Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that should come upon Babylon. Even all these words that are written against Babylon.
61 And Jeremiah said to Seraiah When thou comest to Babylon, and shalt see, and shalt read all these words;
62 Then shalt thou say, O Almighty, thou hast spoken against this place, to cut it off, that none shall remain in it, neither man nor beast, but that it shall be desolate forever.
63 And it shall be, when thou hast made an end of reading this book, that thou shalt bind a stone to it, and cast it into the midst of Euphrates:
64 And thou shalt say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her. And they shall be weary. Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.
Jeremiah chapter 51 summary;
In Jeremiah chapter 51, In the opening of this chapter, the Almighty prophesies against Babylon and its rebellious inhabitants. He foretells the arrival of a destroying force and agents of devastation that will empty Babylon’s land. Archers are called to aim their bows at those who resist, sparing no one.
Despite Babylon’s power, the Almighty’s judgment is imminent. A call to flee Babylon and forsake her is made, as her judgment reaches to the skies. Despite efforts to heal, Babylon remains unhealed, and people are urged to return to their own lands. The passage concludes with an invitation to declare the Almighty’s work in Siyoni-Jerusalem.
The chapter shifts in verses (11-19), and the focus remains on the impending destruction of Babylon. The Almighty has raised the spirit of the kings of the Medes. They will execute His vengeance upon Babylon, particularly because of Babylon’s work against the temple.
Preparations for Babylon’s downfall are emphasized, with the raising of standards, strengthening of watchmen, and setting up ambushes. Babylon, once rich and prosperous, is now facing its end due to its covetousness.
The Almighty, the Creator of the world, is invoked. Emphasizing His power and wisdom in the creation of the earth, establishment of the world, and control over natural elements. His voice commands the elements, from water to lightning and wind.
The folly of idol worship is highlighted as people are described as brutish for their knowledge. Graven and molten images are condemned as false and lifeless, destined to perish during their visitation.
The passage concludes by distinguishing Akobe’s Creator as different from these false idols. He is the former of all things and the rod of His inheritance. The Almighty of hosts is affirmed by His name or reputation, emphasizing His supreme authority and power.
Then the chapter turns to the Creator’s battle axe and weapons of war. They portray a powerful image. An image of either Babylon or Juda and Akobe as instruments of war. All in the hands of the Almighty for destruction. Juda or Babylon is described as a battle axe and weapon of war. That will be used to break nations and destroy kingdoms.
This imagery extends to the breaking of horses, riders, chariots, men, women, old and young, shepherds and their flocks. And even the yoke of oxen, as well as captains and rulers.
The passage emphasizes that the Almighty will ensure that Babylon faces retribution for the evil it has done in Siyoni-Jerusalem. The scripture declares the Almighty’s opposition to Babylon. It is described as a “destroying mountain” that will be brought down and turned into a burnt and desolate wasteland. The imagery conveys the severity of the judgment that will befall Babylon. With its complete destruction and isolation from any future use as a foundation or cornerstone.
Babylon is Fallen
Next, the text portrays a scene of impending doom and judgment upon Babylon. The Almighty commands the nations to prepare for the destruction of Babylon by raising a standard and sounding the trumpet. Nations like Ararat, Minni, and Ashchenaz are called upon to unite against Babylon. And a captain is appointed for this purpose. The imagery of horses as “rough caterpillars” emphasizes the vast and destructive force that will be unleashed.
Then the passage describes the trembling and sorrow that will grip the land of Babylon. As the Almighty’s purposes are fulfilled, making it a desolation without inhabitants. The once-mighty warriors of Babylon are depicted as having become weak and ineffective, unable to defend their city. Babylon’s fortifications are breached, and messengers rush to inform the king that the city has been taken.
The text compares the daughter of Babylon to a threshing floor. This symbolizing the time of her harvest and judgment drawing near. Nebuchadrezzar, the king of Babylon, is portrayed as having devoured and destroyed, bringing violence upon the people. Jerusalem and Siyoni-Jerusalem declare that the violence done to them will be upon Babylon and the inhabitants of Chaldea.
The Almighty declares that Babylon will become a desolate heap. It will be a dwelling place for dragons, and a source of astonishment and hissing.
The people of Babylon will be made drunk in their heat. This leading to their perpetual sleep, a metaphor for their destruction. Babylon will be brought down like lambs to the slaughter.
The text concludes with a depiction of Babylon’s downfall, with its cities left desolate and uninhabited. The worship of the deity Bel in Babylon will be punished, and the nations will no longer gather to him. The once-mighty wall of Babylon will fall, signifying its ultimate defeat and destruction.
In the next section of the chapter (verses 45-53), a message is delivered to His people. The message is urging them to leave Babylon and escape the fierce anger of the Almighty. They are warned not to let their hearts grow faint due to the rumors and violence. The rumors and violence that will plague the land, with the ruler against the ruler in conflict.
The passage foretells a judgment that will come upon the graven images of Babylon. This resulting in confusion and the fall of many in the land. It is prophesied that spoilers from the north will come to Babylon. And both heaven and earth will celebrate her downfall.
The passage emphasizes the retribution that Babylon will face for causing the slain of the people of Akobe to fall. This indicates that similar consequences will befall Babylon from all over the earth. Those who have survived the sword are urged to remember the Almighty and Jerusalem.
The people express their shame and sorrow because of the reproach they have heard. As strangers have entered the sanctuaries of the Almighty’s house. The judgment upon Babylon’s graven images is reiterated. And it is emphasized that no matter how high Babylon may fortify itself, spoilers will come from the Almighty.
The remaining verses convey a message of impending judgment and destruction upon Babylon. Destruction with the people urged to escape and remember their faith while witnessing the downfall of this powerful empire.
These verses describe the sound of a cry and great destruction coming from Babylon. As the Almighty has spoiled and destroyed it. The mighty men of Babylon are taken. Their bows are broken, and their leaders are made drunk, destined to sleep a perpetual sleep. The broad walls of Babylon will be utterly broken. The high gates burned with fire, causing the people to labor in vain and become weary.
In these verses, Jeremiah commands Seraiah. To take a written record of the prophecies of Babylon’s destruction with him to Babylon. He instructs Seraiah to read these words aloud. And then throw the book into the Euphrates River, symbolizing the irreversible and enduring desolation that will befall Babylon. Jeremiah’s prophecy declares that Babylon will sink and never rise again due to the impending divine judgment.
This is the summary of Jeremiah chapter 51; Glory to the Creator of all.
For more summaries and studies, click on the summaries link right here. As always, be strong and very courageous.
Minister Koko
BSM
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