Jeremiah 51 · Verse 53

Jeremiah 51:53

Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall spoilers come unto her, saith the Lord.
Jeremiah 51:53, King James Version

Jeremiah 51:53 in other translations

BSBEven if Babylon ascends to the heavens and fortifies her lofty stronghold, the destroyers I send will come against her,” declares the LORD.
WEBThough Babylon should mount up to the sky, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet destroyers will come to her from me,” says the LORD.
ASVThough Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall destroyers come unto her, saith Jehovah.
YLTBecause Babylon goeth up to the heavens, And because it fenceth the high place of its strength, From Me come into it do spoilers, An affirmation of Jehovah.
DARBYThough Babylon should mount up to the heavens, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall spoilers come unto her, saith Jehovah.
BBEEven if Babylon was lifted up to heaven, even if she had the high places of her strength shut in with walls, still I would send against her those who will make her waste, says the Lord.
WebsterThough Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the hight of her strength, yet from me shall spoilers come to her, saith the LORD.

What does Jeremiah 51:53 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
53. We are not to measure God's power by what seems to our perceptions natural or probable. Compare Ob 4 as to Edom (Am 9:2).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 53 Though Babylon should mount up to heaven - Though it were fortified even to the skies, it shall fall by the enemies that I will send against it.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jeremiah 51:1-58

Babylon's doom; God's controversy with her; encouragements from thence to the Israel of God. (Jr 51:1-58) The confirming of this. (Jr 51:59-64) Verses 1-58 The particulars of this prophecy are dispersed and interwoven, and the same things left and returned to again. Babylon is abundant in treasures, yet neither her waters nor her wealth shall secure her. Destruction comes when they did not think of it. Wherever we…

Read the full comment on Jeremiah 51:1-58 →

Jeremiah 51:53 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

כִּֽי\־ki-ifH3588
תַעֲלֶ֤הta.'a.Lehit will go upH5927
בָבֶל֙va.VelBabylonH894
הַשָּׁמַ֔יִםha.sha.Ma.yimthe heavensH8064
וְכִ֥יve.Khiand ifH3588
תְבַצֵּ֖רte.va.Tzerit will fortifyH1219
מְר֣וֹםme.Rom[the] height ofH4791
עֻזָּ֑הּ'u.Zahstrength itsH5797
מֵאִתִּ֗יme.'i.Tifrom with <the> meH854
יָבֹ֧אוּya.Vo.'uthey will comeH935
שֹׁדְדִ֛יםsho.de.DimdestroyersH7703
לָ֖הּlahto <the> it
נְאֻם\־ne.'um-[the] utterance ofH5002
יְהוָֽה\׃\ \סYah.wehYahwehH3068

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Jeremiah 51:53

  • Genesis 11:4

    And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

  • Jeremiah 49:16

    Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the Lord.

  • Jeremiah 51:25

    Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the Lord, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain.

  • Psalms 139:8-10

    If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

  • Obadiah 1:3-4

    The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord.

  • Isaiah 14:12-15

    How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

  • Jeremiah 50:45

    Therefore hear ye the counsel of the Lord, that he hath taken against Babylon; and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the land of the Chaldeans: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out: surely he shall make their habitation desolate with them.

  • Jeremiah 51:1-4

    Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me, a destroying wind; And will send unto Babylon fanners, that shall fan her, and shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about. Against him that bendeth let the archer bend his bow, and against him that lifteth himself up in his brigandine: and spare ye not her young men; destroy ye utterly all her host. Thus the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, and they that are thrust through in her streets.

  • Isaiah 47:5

    Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called, The lady of kingdoms.

  • Isaiah 47:7

    And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever: so that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither didst remember the latter end of it.

  • Isaiah 13:2-5

    Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles. I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness. The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the Lord of hosts mustereth the host of the battle. They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the Lord, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.

  • Jeremiah 50:21

    Go up against the land of Merathaim, even against it, and against the inhabitants of Pekod: waste and utterly destroy after them, saith the Lord, and do according to all that I have commanded thee.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
mount.
25,58; 49:16; Ge 11:4; Ps 139:8-10; Isa 14:12-15; 47:5,7
Eze 31:9-11; Da 4:30; Am 9:4; Ob 1:3,4
from.
1-4,11,48; 50:9,10,21,25,31-34,45; Isa 10:6,7; 13:2-5,17
Isa 41:25; 45:1-5

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Jeremiah 51:52

    Wherefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will do judgment upon her graven images: and through all her land the wounded shall groan.

  • Jeremiah 51:53

    Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall spoilers come unto her, saith the Lord.

  • Jeremiah 51:54

    A sound of a cry cometh from Babylon, and great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans:

Read all of Jeremiah 51

Jeremiah 51:53 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Si subiese Babilonia al cielo, y si fortaleciere en lo alto su fuerza, de mí vendrán á ella destruidores, dice Jehová.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Que Babylone monte jusqu’aux cieux, et qu’elle fortifie la hauteur de sa force: de par moi viendront des dévastateurs contre elle, dit l’ Éternel.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Wenn auch Babel bis zum Himmel hinaufstiege und die Höhe seiner Stärke befestigte, von mir aus werden ihm Verwüster kommen, spricht Jehova.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Si ascenderit Babylon in cælum, et firmaverit in excelso robur suum, a me venient vastatores ejus, ait Dominus.