“The sea has come up over Babylon; She has been engulfed by its roaring waves.
Parallel translations
- WEB The sea has come up on Babylon. She is covered with the multitude of its waves.
- KJV The sea is come up upon Babylon: she is covered with the multitude of the waves thereof.
- BSB The sea has come up over Babylon; she is covered in turbulent waves.
- NKJV The sea has come up over Babylon; She is covered with the multitude of its waves.
- NLT The sea has risen over Babylon; she is covered by its crashing waves.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The sea has risen over Babylon, covering her with its roaring waves. An overwhelming flood of enemies engulfs the city.
Overview
The 'sea' and its 'waves' symbolize the surging armies of nations sweeping over Babylon, an image of chaotic, unstoppable force. The waters that once secured her now drown her. This reversal shows that what people trust for safety can become the means of their ruin, while only the Lord is a sure refuge in the flood, a refuge realized in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Isa 8:7–8now therefore, behold, the Lord brings upon them the mighty flood waters of the River: the king of Assyria and all his glory. It will come up over all its channels, and go over all its banks.
- Dan 9:26After the sixty-two weeks the Anointed One shall be cut off, and shall have nothing: and the people of the prince who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and its end shall be with a flood, and even to the end shall be war; desolations are determined.
- Ps 65:7who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations.
- Ps 93:3The floods have lifted up, Yahweh, the floods have lifted up their voice. The floods lift up their waves.
- Ps 18:16He sent from on high. He took me. He drew me out of many waters.
- Ps 42:7Deep calls to deep at the noise of your waterfalls. All your waves and your billows have swept over me.
- Jer 51:55For Yahweh lays Babylon waste, and destroys out of her the great voice! Their waves roar like many waters. The noise of their voice is uttered.
- Ps 18:4The cords of death surrounded me. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
- Luke 21:25There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and on the earth anxiety of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the waves;
- Rev 17:15–16He said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.
- Ezek 27:26–34Your rowers have brought you into great waters: the east wind has broken you in the heart of the seas.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Against the failure of false shepherds Jeremiah promises the Righteous Branch, 'The LORD our righteousness,' and the new covenant written on the heart and sealed in the blood of Christ.
How Jeremiah 51:42 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.