Jeremiah 51:53

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.

📖 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

Referenced Verses

• Jer 49:16 : 16 As for your terror, the pride of your heart has deceived you, O you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, who hold the height of the hill: though you should make your nest as high as the eagle, I will bring you down from there, says Yahweh.
• Gen 11:4 : 4 They said, "Come, let's build us a city, and a tower, whose top reaches to the sky, and let's make us a name; lest we be scattered abroad on the surface of the whole earth."
• Ps 139:8-9 : 8 If I ascend up into heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there! 9 If I take the wings of the dawn, And settle in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there your hand will lead me, And your right hand will hold me.
• Jer 51:25 : 25 Behold, I am against you, destroying mountain, says Yahweh, which destroy all the earth; and I will stretch out my hand on you, and roll you down from the rocks, and will make you a burnt mountain.
• Jer 51:48 : 48 Then the heavens and the earth, and all that is therein, shall sing for joy over Babylon; for the destroyers shall come to her from the north, says Yahweh.
• Jer 51:58 : 58 Thus says Yahweh of hosts: The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly overthrown, and her high gates shall be burned with fire; and the peoples shall labor for vanity, and the nations for the fire; and they 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 said the Lord Yahweh: Because you are exalted in stature, and he has set his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height; 11 I will even deliver him into the hand of the mighty one of the nations; he shall surely deal with him; I have driven him out for his wickedness.
• Dan 4:30 : 30 The king spoke and said, Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for the royal dwelling-place, by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?
• Amos 9:4 : 4 Though they go into captivity before their enemies, there I will command the sword, and it will kill them. I will set my eyes on them for evil, and not for good.
• Obad 1:3-4 : 3 The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high, who says in his heart, 'Who will bring me down to the ground?' 4 Though you mount on high as the eagle, and though your nest is set among the stars, I will bring you down from there, says Yahweh.
• Isa 10:6-7 : 6 I will send him against a profane 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 However he doesn't mean so, neither does his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off not a few nations.
• Isa 13:2-5 : 2 Set up an ensign on the bare mountain, lift up the voice to them, wave the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles. 3 I have commanded my consecrated ones, yes, I have called my mighty men for my anger, even my proudly exulting ones. 4 The noise of a multitude in the mountains, as of a great people! the noise of a tumult of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together! Yahweh of Hosts is mustering the host for the battle. 5 They come from a far country, from the uttermost part of heaven, even Yahweh, 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 shall not regard silver, and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.
• Isa 14:12-15 : 12 How you are fallen from heaven, day-star, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, who laid the nations low! 13 You said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; and I will sit on the mountain of congregation, in the uttermost parts of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High. 15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the uttermost parts of the pit.
• Isa 41:25 : 25 I have raised up one from the north, and he has come; from the rising of the sun one who calls on my name: and he shall come on rulers as on mortar, and as the potter treads clay.
• Isa 45:1-5 : 1 Thus says Yahweh 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 the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut: 2 I will go before you, and make the rough places smooth; I will break in pieces the doors of brass, and cut in sunder 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 it is I, Yahweh, who call you by your name, even the God of Israel. 4 For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel my chosen, I have called you by your name: I have surnamed you, though you have not known me. 5 I am Yahweh, and there is none else; besides me there is no God. I will gird you, though you have not known me;
• Isa 47:5 : 5 Sit you silent, and get you into darkness, daughter of the Chaldeans; for you shall no more be called The mistress of kingdoms.
• Isa 47:7 : 7 You said, I shall be mistress forever; so that you did not lay these things to your heart, neither did remember the latter end of it.
• Jer 50:9-9 : 9 For, behold, I will stir up and cause to come up against Babylon a company of great nations from the north country; and they shall set themselves in array against her; from there she shall be taken: their arrows shall be as of an expert mighty man; none shall return in vain. 10 Chaldea shall be a prey: all who prey on her shall be satisfied, says Yahweh.
• Jer 50:21 : 21 Go up against the land of Merathaim, even against it, and against the inhabitants of Pekod: kill and utterly destroy after them, says Yahweh, and do according to all that I have commanded you.
• Jer 50:25 : 25 Yahweh has opened his armory, and has brought forth the weapons of his indignation; for the Lord, Yahweh of Hosts, has a work [to do] in the land of the Chaldeans.
• Jer 50:31-34 : 31 Behold, I am against you, you proud one, says the Lord, Yahweh of Hosts; for your day is come, the time that I will visit you. 32 The proud one shall stumble and fall, and none shall raise him up; and I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it shall devour all who are round about him. 33 Thus says Yahweh of hosts: The children of Israel and the children of Judah are oppressed together; and all who took them captive hold them fast; they refuse to let them go. 34 Their Redeemer is strong; Yahweh of Hosts is his name: he will thoroughly plead their cause, that he may give rest to the earth, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon.
• Jer 50:45 : 45 Therefore hear the counsel of Yahweh, that he has taken against Babylon; and his purposes, that he has purposed against the land of the Chaldeans: Surely they shall drag them away, [even] the little ones of the flock; surely he shall make their habitation desolate over them.
• Jer 51:1-4 : 1 Thus says Yahweh: Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against those who dwell in Lebkamai, a destroying wind. 2 I will send to Babylon strangers, who shall winnow her; and they shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about. 3 Against [him who] bends let the archer bend his bow, and against [him who] lifts himself up in his coat of mail: and don't you spare her young men; destroy you utterly all her host. 4 They shall fall down slain in the land of the Chaldeans, and thrust through in her streets.
• Jer 51:11 : 11 Make sharp the arrows; hold firm the shields: Yahweh has stirred up the spirit of the kings of the Medes; because his purpose is against Babylon, to destroy it: for it is the vengeance of Yahweh, the vengeance of his temple.