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Jeremiah 51

64 verses

TL;DR

The prophet Jeremiah declares the impending judgment of God upon Babylon, warning its people of ruin while assuring Israel that it has not been abandoned.

Summary

Jeremiah proclaims that the LORD will raise a destructive wind against Babylon and that the city will be overrun by winds and soldiers. He speaks of the city as a golden cup that intoxicated nations, and says that Babylon's pride and reliance on idols will bring its downfall. The Lord promises to bring ruin to the Chaldeans, to drown the city’s rivers, and to break its mighty walls and weapons. Jeremiah urges Israel to flee from Babylon’s oppression and to remember that the LORD will vindicate them. He describes a future book that Seraiah, a prince of Judah, will read in Babylon, sealing the city’s doom. The chapter ends with the Lord’s command that the city be made desolate, its images destroyed, and its people cast into oblivion.

Outline
  1. Prophecy of divine judgment against Babylon and its idols.
  2. Description of Babylon’s pride and the impending destruction.
  3. Instruction to Israel to remember God and the future proclamation to Seraiah.
Themes
Divine judgment and vindication of IsraelThe futility of pride and idolatryProphetic proclamation and recording of doom
Keywords
BabylonIsraelJudahLorddestructionvengeancegraven imagesgolden cupstandardMedes
People
JeremiahSeraiahZedekiahNebuchadrezzarthe LORD
Places
BabylonChaldeaZionIsraelJudahEuphrates
Things
golden cupgraven imagesstandardEuphrates River
Key Verses
  • Jeremiah 51:7: Babylon described as a golden cup intoxicating nations—an evocative image of its pride.
  • Jeremiah 51:23-24: God promises to break every vehicle of war, illustrating total military defeat.
  • Jeremiah 51:60-64: Details the ritual of binding the prophetic book to a stone and casting it into the Euphrates, marking the finality of Babylon’s doom.
Questions
  • What does the image of Babylon as a ‘golden cup’ suggest about its character?
  • How does Jeremiah’s warning to Israel reflect the covenant relationship between God and His people?
  • What significance does the ritual of casting the prophetic book into the Euphrates hold?
  • In what ways does the chapter portray the inevitability of divine judgment?
  • How does Jeremiah’s message encourage faith amid oppression?
Sentiment

negative
The chapter condemns Babylon’s pride and predicts its destruction, but also offers reassurance to Israel.