Jeremiah 51:53

KJV1611 – Modern English

Though Babylon should ascend to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from Me shall destroyers come to her, says the LORD.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

כִּֽי־תַעֲלֶ֤ה בָבֶל֙ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְכִ֥י תְבַצֵּ֖ר מְר֣וֹם עֻזָּ֑הּ מֵאִתִּ֗י יָבֹ֧אוּ שֹׁדְדִ֛ים לָ֖הּ נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃ ס

Transliteration

kî-taʿăleh bāḇel haššāmayim wəḵî təḇaṣṣēr mərom ʿuzzāh mēʾittî yāḇōʾû šōdədîm lāh nəʾum-YHWH

Grammar Details

• *kî*: conjunction - though/although/if
• *taʿăleh*: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular - she ascends/goes up
• *bāḇel*: proper noun - Babylon
• *haššāmayim*: definite article + masculine dual/plural noun - the heavens
• *wəḵî*: conjunction + conjunction - and though/and if
• *təḇaṣṣēr*: Piel imperfect 3rd person feminine singular - fortifies/strengthens
• *mərom*: masculine singular construct - height/high place of
• *ʿuzzāh*: masculine singular noun + 3rd person feminine singular suffix - her strength
• *mēʾittî*: preposition + preposition + 1st person singular suffix - from me
• *yāḇōʾû*: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural - they shall come
• *šōdədîm*: Qal participle masculine plural - destroyers/plunderers
• *lāh*: preposition + 3rd person feminine singular suffix - to/for her
• *nəʾum*: construct state - declaration of
• *YHWH*: divine name

Word Meanings

• *taʿăleh*: ascends/goes up/climbs
• *təḇaṣṣēr*: fortifies/makes inaccessible/strengthens
• *mərom*: height/high place/elevation
• *ʿuzzāh*: strength/might/power
• *šōdədîm*: destroyers/plunderers/devastators

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  Even if Babylon ascends to the heavens and fortifies her lofty stronghold, from Me destroyers will come against her, declares the Lord.

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  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 LORD.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  Though Babylon{H894} should mount up{H5927} to heaven,{H8064} and though she should fortify{H1219} the height{H4791} of her strength,{H5797} yet{H227} from me shall destroyers{H7703} come{H935} unto her, saith{H5002} Jehovah.{H3068}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  Though Babylon{H894} should mount up{H5927}{(H8799)} to heaven{H8064}, and though she should fortify{H1219}{(H8762)} the height{H4791} of her strength{H5797}, yet{H227} from me shall spoilers{H7703}{(H8802)} come{H935}{(H8799)} unto her, saith{H5002}{(H8803)} the LORD{H3068}.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  Though Babilon clymmed vp in to heaue, and kepte her power an hie: yet shal I sende her destroyers saieth the LORDE.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Though Babel should mount vp to heauen, and though shee should defend her strength on hye, yet from mee shall her destroyers come, sayth the Lord.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  Though Babylon clymed vp into heauen, and kept her power on hye, yet shall I sende her destroyers saith the Lorde.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  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 LORD.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  Though Babylon should mount up to the sky, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall destroyers come to her, says Yahweh.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  Because Babylon goeth up to the heavens, And because it fenceth the high place of its strength, From Me come into it do spoilers, An affirmation of Jehovah.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall destroyers come unto her, saith Jehovah.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall destroyers come unto her, saith Jehovah.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  Even if Babylon was lifted up to heaven, even if she had the high places of her strength shut in with walls, still I would send against her those who will make her waste, says the Lord.

• World English Bible (2000)

  Though Babylon should mount up to the sky, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall destroyers come to her, says Yahweh.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  Even if Babylon climbs high into the sky and fortifies her elevated stronghold, I will send destroyers against her,” says the LORD.

Referenced Verses

• Jer 49:16 : 16 Your terribleness has deceived you, and the pride of your heart, O you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, who hold the height of the hill. Though you make your nest as high as the eagle, I will bring you down from there, says the LORD.
• Gen 11:4 : 4 And they said, Come, let us build a city and a tower whose top may reach to heaven, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.
• Ps 139:8-9 : 8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.
• Jer 51:25 : 25 Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, says the LORD, which destroys all the earth; and I will stretch out My hand upon you, and roll you down from the rocks, and will make you a burnt mountain.
• Jer 51:48 : 48 Then the heaven and the earth, and all that is in them, shall sing for Babylon; for the destroyers shall come to her from the north, says the LORD.
• Jer 51:58 : 58 Thus says the LORD of hosts: The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken, and her high gates shall be burned with fire; the people shall labor in vain, and the folk shall be weary.
• Ezek 31:9-9 : 9 I made it beautiful by the multitude of its branches, so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied it. 10 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD; Because you have lifted yourself up in height, and it has set its top among the thick boughs, and its heart is lifted up in its height; 11 I have therefore delivered it into the hand of the mighty one of the nations; he shall surely deal with it: I have driven it out for its wickedness.
• Dan 4:30 : 30 The king spoke, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal residence, by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty?
• Amos 9:4 : 4 And though they go into captivity before their enemies, from there I will command the sword, and it shall slay them; and I will set my eyes upon them for evil, and not for good.
• Obad 1:3-4 : 3 The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, whose dwelling is high; who says in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? 4 Though you exalt yourself like the eagle, and though you set your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down, says the LORD.
• Isa 10:6-7 : 6 I will send him against a hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. 7 Yet he does not mean so, neither does his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off not a few nations.
• Isa 13:2-5 : 2 Lift up a banner on the high mountain, exalt the voice to them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles. 3 I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for my anger, even those who rejoice in my exaltation. 4 The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like that of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the LORD of hosts musters the host of battle. 5 They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.
• Isa 13:17 : 17 Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who will not regard silver; and as for gold, they will not delight in it.
• Isa 14:12-15 : 12 How are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How are you cut down to the ground, who did weaken the nations! 13 For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will also sit upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High. 15 Yet you will be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
• Isa 41:25 : 25 I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call upon my name: and he shall come upon princes as upon mortar, and as the potter treads clay.
• Isa 45:1-5 : 1 Thus says the LORD to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the double doors; and the gates shall not be shut. 2 I will go before you, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of bronze, and cut through the bars of iron. 3 And I will give you the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the LORD, who calls you by your name, am the God of Israel. 4 For Jacob My servant's sake, and Israel My chosen, I have even called you by your name: I have given you a title of honor, though you have not known Me. 5 I am the LORD, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me: I will strengthen you, though you have not known Me.
• Isa 47:5 : 5 Sit in silence and enter into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans, for you shall no more be called the lady of kingdoms.
• Isa 47:7 : 7 And you said, 'I shall be a lady forever,' so that you did not lay these things to heart, nor remember their end.
• Jer 50:9-9 : 9 For, behold, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the north country: and they shall set themselves in battle array against her; from there she shall be taken: their arrows shall be like those of a mighty expert warrior; none shall return empty. 10 And Chaldea shall be a spoil: all that spoil her shall be satisfied, says the LORD.
• Jer 50:21 : 21 Go up against the land of Merathaim, against it, and against the inhabitants of Pekod: waste and utterly destroy after them, says the LORD, and do according to all that I have commanded you.
• Jer 50:25 : 25 The LORD has opened his armory, and has brought forth the weapons of his indignation: for this is the work of the Lord GOD of hosts in the land of the Chaldeans.
• Jer 50:31-34 : 31 Behold, I am against you, O most proud, says the Lord GOD of hosts: for your day has come, the time that I will visit you. 32 And the most proud shall stumble and fall, and none shall help him up: and I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it shall devour all around him. 33 Thus says the LORD of hosts; The children of Israel and the children of Judah were oppressed together: and all who took them captives held them fast; they refused to let them go. 34 Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of hosts is his name: he shall thoroughly plead their cause, that he may give rest to the land, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon.
• Jer 50:45 : 45 Therefore hear the counsel of the LORD, that he has taken against Babylon; and his purposes, that he has purposed against the land of the Chaldeans: Surely the least of the flock shall drag them out: surely he shall make their dwelling desolate with them.
• Jer 51:1-4 : 1 Thus says the LORD: Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against those who dwell in the midst of those who rise up against Me, a destroying wind; 2 And I will send to Babylon winnowers, who shall winnow her and empty her land; for in the day of trouble, they shall be against her all around. 3 Against him who bends let the archer bend his bow, and against him who lifts himself up in his armor; and do not spare her young men; utterly destroy all her army. 4 Thus the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, and those thrust through in her streets.
• Jer 51:11 : 11 Polish the arrows; gather the shields; the LORD has raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes, for His plan is against Babylon, to destroy it; because it is the vengeance of the LORD, the vengeance of His temple.