Yeremia 51:8

51:8 But suddenly Babylonia will fall and be destroyed. ¹ 

Cry out in mourning over it!

Get medicine for her wounds!

Perhaps she can be healed!

Yeremia 51:10

51:10 The exiles from Judah will say, ² 

‘The Lord has brought about a great deliverance for us! ³ 

Come on, let’s go and proclaim in Zion

what the Lord our God has done!’

Yeremia 51:48-49

51:48 Then heaven and earth and all that is in them

will sing for joy over Babylon.

For destroyers from the north will attack it,”

says the Lord. ⁴ 

51:49 “Babylon must fall ⁵ 

because of the Israelites she has killed, ⁶ 

just as the earth’s mortally wounded fell

because of Babylon. ⁷ 

Yeremia 51:52-53

51:52 Yes, but the time will certainly come,” ⁸  says the Lord, ⁹ 

“when I will punish her idols.

Throughout her land the mortally wounded will groan.

51:53 Even if Babylon climbs high into the sky ¹⁰ 

and fortifies her elevated stronghold, ¹¹ 

I will send destroyers against her,” ¹² 

says the Lord. ¹³ 

Yeremia 51:55

51:55 For the Lord is ready to destroy Babylon,

and put an end to her loud noise.

Their waves ¹⁴  will roar like turbulent ¹⁵  waters.

They will make a deafening noise. ¹⁶ 

Yeremia 51:58

51:58 This is what the Lord who rules over all ¹⁷  says,

“Babylon’s thick wall ¹⁸  will be completely demolished. ¹⁹ 

Her high gates will be set on fire.

The peoples strive for what does not satisfy. ²⁰ 

The nations grow weary trying to get what will be destroyed.” ²¹ 

[51:8]  ¹ tn The verbs in this verse and the following are all in the Hebrew perfect tense, a tense that often refers to a past action or a past action with present results. However, as the translator’s notes have indicated, the prophets use this tense to view the actions as if they were as good as done (the Hebrew prophetic perfect). The stance here is ideal, viewed as already accomplished.

[51:10]  ² tn The words “The exiles from Judah will say” are not in the text but are implicit from the words that follow. They are supplied in the translation to clearly identify for the reader the referent of “us.”

[51:10]  ³ tn There is some difference of opinion as to the best way to render the Hebrew expression here. Literally it means “brought forth our righteousnesses.” BDB 842 s.v. צְדָקָה 7.b interprets this of the “righteous acts” of the people of Judah and compares the usage in Isa 64:6; Ezek 3:20; 18:24; 33:13. However, Judah’s acts of righteousness (or more simply, their righteousness) was scarcely revealed in their deliverance. Most of the English versions and commentaries refer to “vindication” i.e., that the Lord has exonerated or proven Israel’s claims to be true. However, that would require more explanation than the idea of “deliverance” which is a perfectly legitimate usage of the term (cf. BDB 842 s.v. צְדָקָה 6.a and compare the usage in Isa 46:13; 51:6, 8; 56:1). The present translation interprets the plural form here as a plural of intensity or amplification (GKC 397-98 §124.e) and the suffix as a genitive of advantage (IBHS 147 §9.5.2e). This interpretation is also reflected in REB and God’s Word.

[51:48]  ⁴ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[51:49]  ⁵ tn The infinitive construct is used here to indicate what is about to take place. See IBHS 610 §36.2.3g.

[51:49]  ⁶ tn Heb “the slain of Israel.” The words “because of” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The preceding context makes it clear that Babylon would be judged for its atrocities against Israel (see especially 50:33-34; 51:10, 24, 35).

[51:49]  ⁷ tn The juxtaposition of גַם…גַם (gam...gam), often “both…and,” here indicates correspondence. See BDB 169 s.v. גַּם 4. Appropriately Babylon will fall slain just as her victims, including God’s covenant people, did.

[51:52]  ⁸ tn Heb “that being so, look, days are approaching.” Here לָכֵן (lakhen) introduces the Lord’s response to the people’s lament (v. 51). It has the force of “yes, but” or “that may be true.” See Judg 11:8 and BDB 486-87 s.v. כֵּן 3.d.

[51:52]  ⁹ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[51:53]  ¹⁰ tn Or “ascends [into] heaven.” Note the use of the phrase in Deut 30:12; 2 Kgs 2:11; and Amos 9:2.

[51:53]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and even if she fortifies her strong elevated place.”

[51:53]  ¹² tn Heb “from me destroyers will go against her.”

[51:53]  ¹³ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[51:55]  ¹⁴ tn The antecedent of the third masculine plural pronominal suffix is not entirely clear. It probably refers back to the “destroyers” mentioned in v. 53 as the agents of God’s judgment on Babylon.

[51:55]  ¹⁵ tn Or “mighty waters.”

[51:55]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “and the noise of their sound will be given,”

[51:58]  ¹⁷ sn See the note at Jer 2:19.

[51:58]  ¹⁸ tn The text has the plural “walls,” but many Hebrew mss read the singular “wall,” which is also supported by the ancient Greek version. The modifying adjective “thick” is singular as well.

[51:58]  ¹⁹ tn The infinitive absolute emphasizes the following finite verb. Another option is to translate, “will certainly be demolished.”

[51:58]  ²⁰ tn Heb “for what is empty.”

[51:58]  ²¹ tn Heb “and the nations for fire, and they grow weary.”