Jeremiah 51:48

“And the heavens and the earth, and all that is in them, will shout for joy over Babylon; for from the north the devastators will come to her, declares YHWH.”
Jeremiah 51:48 · direct translation from the Hebrew

Study it in the app

With the Hebrew beneath

And the heavensוְ שָׁמַיִםand the earth,וָאָרֶץand allוְכֹלthatאֲשֶׁרis in them,בָּהֶםwill shout for joyרִנְּנוּover Babylon;עַל בָּבֶלforכִּיfrom the northמִצָּפוֹןthe devastatorsהַשּׁוֹדְדִיםwill comeיָבוֹאto her,לָהּdeclaresנְאֻםYHWH.יְהוָה

Allusion · Revelation 18:20

Go to Revelation 18:20

Both texts call on heaven to rejoice over the fall of Babylon.

They share words that are rare in the original, without a quotation.

רִנְּנוּrinnuH7442ΕὐφραίνουEuphrainouG2165“sing for joy, shout for joy”
שָׁמַיִםshamayimH8064οὐρανέouraneG3772“heavens”
יְהוָהyehvaH3068θεὸςtheosG2316“YHWH (the proper name of God)”

Jeremiah 51:48, word by word

And the heavensשָׁמַיִםshamayim

sky

The high space seen above the earth, where the birds, clouds, sun and stars are.

Where else “shamayim” appears

and the earthאָרֶץarets

earth

The whole world, everything under the sky.

Where else “arets” appears

will shout for joyרִנְּנוּrinnu

shout for joy

To raise a glad cry.

Where else “rinnu” appears

over Babylonבָּבֶלbavel

Babel, Babylon

See it on the map Where else “bavel” appears

from the northצָּפוֹןtsafon

north

North.

Where else “tsafon” appears

the devastatorsשּׁוֹדְדִיםshoddim

destroyer

The one who ruins and loots.

Where else “shoddim” appears

will comeיָבוֹאyavo

come

To come, arrive: "days are coming".

Where else “yavo” appears

declaresנְאֻםneum

declaration

Solemn words God himself speaks: "oracle of YHWH".

Where else “neum” appears

YHWHיְהוָהyehva

YHWH

The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.

Where else “yehva” appears

Places in this verse

Approximate location. A “?” means it is not known for sure where it was.

Babylon
Today: Babylon ruins, near Hillah, Iraq
A great city on the Euphrates River, in present-day Iraq, about 53 miles (85 km) south of Baghdad.
In its land the languages were confused at Babel (Gen 11:9). Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and took the people captive there (2 Kgs 25:1-11). Daniel lived there (Dan 1:1-6).
Genesis 11:9 2 Kings 25:1 Psalms 137:1 Daniel 1:1

The context

47Therefore, look, days are coming when I will punish the carved images of Babylon, and all her land will be put to shame, and all her slain will fall in her midst.

48 · This verse (above)

49Babylon too must fall, for the slain of Israel, even as for Babylon the slain of all the earth have fallen.

Read all of Jeremiah 51

How to use it