As Babylon hath caused the slain of Israel to fall, so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the earth.
Parallel translations
- WEB “As Babylon has caused the slain of Israel to fall, so the slain of all the land will fall at Babylon.
- BSB “Babylon must fall on account of the slain of Israel, just as the slain of all the earth have fallen because of Babylon.
- NKJV As Babylon has caused the slain of Israel to fall, So at Babylon the slain of all the earth shall fall.
- NASB ¶Indeed, Babylon is to fall for the slain of Israel, As the slain of all the earth have also fallen for Babylon.
- NLT “Just as Babylon killed the people of Israel and others throughout the world, so must her people be killed.
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
Just as Babylon caused Israel's slain to fall, so the slain of all the earth will fall at Babylon. Babylon reaps the very destruction she inflicted on others.
Overview
This verse states the principle of exact recompense: Babylon, who filled the world with the slain, will herself be filled with the slain. Her guilt extended beyond Israel to 'all the land,' so her judgment is correspondingly vast. The justice of measure-for-measure underscores God's righteous government and points to the final judgment over which Christ presides.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Jer 51:24And I will render unto Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Zion in your sight, saith the LORD.
- Jer 50:29Call together the archers against Babylon: all ye that bend the bow, camp against it round about; let none thereof escape: recompense her according to her work; according to all that she hath done, do unto her: for she hath been proud against the LORD, against the Holy One of Israel.
- Ps 137:8–9O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.
- Jer 51:35The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon, shall the inhabitant of Zion say; and my blood upon the inhabitants of Chaldea, shall Jerusalem say.
- Jer 50:17–18Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones.
- Jer 50:33–34Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The children of Israel and the children of Judah were oppressed together: and all that took them captives held them fast; they refused to let them go.
- Matt 7:2For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
- Jas 2:13For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
- Judg 1:7And Adonibezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: as I have done, so God hath requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.
- Jer 50:11Because ye were glad, because ye rejoiced, O ye destroyers of mine heritage, because ye are grown fat as the heifer at grass, and bellow as bulls;
- Jer 51:10–11The LORD hath brought forth our righteousness: come, and let us declare in Zion the work of the LORD our God.
- Rev 18:5–6For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
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 51:49 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.