Jeremiah 51

This chapter is the final part of the oracles against the nations (prophecies concerning foreign nations) that begin in Jeremiah 46. The prophecy of judgment against Babylon that began in Jeremiah 50 concludes here, and the following chapter, Jeremiah 52, contains a historical account of the fall of Jerusalem.

Outline

• Verses 1-14 The LORD raises up a destroyer against Babylon. Israel has not been forsaken, and the people are told to flee out of Babylon, which is called "a golden cup in the LORD's hand, that made all the earth drunken." The kings of the Medes are named as the instruments of judgment.
• Verses 15-19 A hymn contrasting the Creator of all things with lifeless idols. It is nearly identical to Jeremiah 10:12-16.
• Verses 20-26 With the declaration "Thou art my battle axe," the LORD promises to repay Babylon for the evil it did in Zion. Babylon is called a "destroying mountain."
• Verses 27-33 Ararat, Minni, Ashkenaz, and the Medes are summoned against Babylon. Messengers bring news of its capture, and Babylon is likened to a threshing floor.
• Verses 34-44 Zion laments that Nebuchadnezzar has devoured her, and the LORD takes up her cause and promises vengeance. "Sheshach" is taken, and the god "Bel" is punished.
• Verses 45-58 The call goes forth: "My people, go ye out of the midst of her." Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, its broad walls will be utterly overthrown.
• Verses 59-64 In the fourth year of Zedekiah, Jeremiah writes these words in a book and gives it to Seraiah, the chief chamberlain. After reading the book in Babylon, Seraiah is to bind a stone to it and cast it into the Euphrates. The chapter ends with the words "Thus far are the words of Jeremiah."

Key Verses

• Jeremiah 51:45 "My people, go ye out of the midst of her." This call is echoed in Revelation 18:4.
• Jeremiah 51:63-64 "Thou shalt bind a stone to it, and cast it into the midst of Euphrates." This symbolic act shows that Babylon will sink and never rise again.
• Jeremiah 51:15 A confession of the Creator's power, set in contrast to idols.

People and Places

• Jeremiah: The prophet who writes down the words and entrusts them to Seraiah.
• Seraiah: The son of Neriah and grandson of Maaseiah, chief chamberlain to Zedekiah. On the basis of the shared genealogy (Jeremiah 32:12), he is regarded as the brother of Baruch.
• Nebuchadnezzar: The king of Babylon who devoured Zion.
• Zedekiah: The last king of Judah.
• The Medes: The nation identified as the one that will strike Babylon.
• Sheshach: Understood as a cryptic designation for Babylon.
• The Euphrates River: The river into which the book is cast.
• Zion and Jerusalem: Appear as the parties wronged by Babylon.

Points for Reflection

• The text depicts Babylon as utterly desolated. Historically, however, Babylon is known to have passed to Cyrus in 539 BC without significant destruction. Interpretations of this discrepancy differ:
• The prophecy was fulfilled through a long period of decline.
• The language reflects the hyperbole characteristic of prophecy.
• The prophecy looks ahead to the final, eschatological judgment.
• In the Septuagint (the Greek Old Testament), the oracles against the nations appear in a different position than in the Hebrew text.
• Connections with the New Testament:
• Verse 7, which likens Babylon to a golden cup, is linked to the depiction of "Babylon the great" in Revelation 17-18.
• The scene of casting the book into the river is frequently compared with Revelation 18:20-21, where a great millstone is cast into the sea.