Jeremiah 51:63

“And it will be, when you finish reading this book, that you will tie a stone to it, and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates,”
Jeremiah 51:63 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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With the Hebrew beneath

And it will be,וְהָיָהwhen you finishכְּכַלֹּתְךָreadingלִקְרֹאthis book,אֶת הַסֵּפֶר הַזֶּהthat you will tieתִּקְשֹׁרa stoneאֶבֶןto it,עָלָיוand throw itוְהִשְׁלַכְתּוֹinto the middleאֶל תּוֹךְof the Euphrates,פְּרָת

Allusion · Revelation 18:21

Go to Revelation 18:21

Both texts describe a stone thrown (into the sea or into the Euphrates) and say: “so Babylon will sink.”

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

תָקוּםtakumH6965ἦρενērenG142“rise; establish”
אֶבֶןevenH68λίθονlithonG3037“stone”
הִשְׁלַכְתּhishlajtH7993ἔβαλενebalenG906“throw”
אָמַרְתָּamartaH559λέγωνlegōnG3004“say”
כָּכָהkajaH3602ΟὕτωςHoutōsG3779“so, thus”
בָּבֶלbavelH894ΒαβυλὼνBabylōnG897“Babylon”

Jeremiah 51:63, word by word

And it will beהָיָהhaya

happen

For something to occur or take place; many stories open with this word.

Where else “haya” appears

when you finishכַלֹּתְchalot

finish

To bring a work or a matter through to its end.

Where else “chalot” appears

readingקְרֹאkero

read aloud

To say a written text aloud.

Where else “kero” appears

this bookסֵּפֶרsefer

book

A scroll of skin or papyrus on which law, history or a record is written.

Where else “sefer” appears

that you will tieתִּקְשֹׁרtikshor

bind

To knot something fast; or be joined to another.

Where else “tikshor” appears

a stoneאֶבֶןeven

stone

A piece of rock, large or small, used for building, marking or throwing.

Where else “even” appears

and throw itהִשְׁלַכְתּhishlacht

throw

To throw something with force, far off or down.

Where else “hishlacht” appears

into the middleתּוֹךְtoch

midst

The central point of something, or the company of several: in the midst of them.

Where else “toch” appears

of the Euphratesפְּרָתperat

Euphrates

See it on the map Where else “perat” appears

Places in this verse

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

Euphrates
Today: Euphrates River: Turkey, Syria, Iraq
The longest river in southwest Asia; it rises in Turkey and flows through Syria and Iraq to the Persian Gulf.
It is one of the four rivers of Eden (Gen 2:14). God promised Abram the land as far as this river (Gen 15:18).
Genesis 15:18 Genesis 2:14 Deuteronomy 1:7 Joshua 1:4

The context

62and say, ‘YHWH, you have spoken concerning this place to cut it off, so that there will be no inhabitant in it, from human being to livestock, for it will be eternal desolations.’

63 · This verse (above)

64and say, ‘Thus will Babylon sink and not rise because of the evil that I am bringing upon her; and they will grow weary.’” Thus far the words of Jeremiah.

Read all of Jeremiah 51

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