Jeremiah 51:47 · Bible study
Jeremiah 51:47 Commentary: Idols Judged, Land Ashamed
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does God specifically target Babylon's idols?
Research Summary
- Meaning: God will judge Babylon’s idols, the land will be humiliated, and the slain will fall in the city’s center.
- Key Words: Pe.si.lei (graven images); bush (be ashamed, disappointed); chala.lei.ha (slain ones).
- Main Debate: Whether “graven images” might be a coded reference to “rulers” (Cambridge Bible) and the verse’s authenticity given its similarity to Jer 51:52.
- Theological Theme: God’s sovereignty over all false gods, and the public vindication of his name through judgment.
- Best Use: A text for teaching on idolatry, divine justice, and the reliability of prophecy.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Therefore, behold, the days are coming when I will punish the idols of Babylon. Her entire land will suffer shame, and all her slain will lie fallen within her.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Therefore behold, the days come that I will execute judgment on the engraved images of Babylon; and her whole land will be confounded. All her slain will fall in the middle of her.
KJV King James Version 1769
Therefore, behold, the days come, that I will do judgment upon the graven images of Babylon: and her whole land shall be confounded, and all her slain shall fall in the midst of her.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Therefore, behold, the days come, that I will execute judgment upon the graven images of Babylon; and her whole land shall be confounded; and all her slain shall fall in the midst of her.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Therefore, lo, days are coming, And I have seen after the graven images of Babylon. And all its land is ashamed, And all its pierced ones do fall in its midst.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Therefore behold, days are coming when I will punish the graven images of Babylon; and her whole land shall be put to shame, and all her slain shall fall in the midst of her.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Therefore behold the days come, and I will visit the idols of Babylon: and her whole land shall be confounded, and all her slain shall fall in the midst of her.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Por tanto, he aquí vienen días que yo visitaré las esculturas de Babilonia, y toda su tierra será avergonzada, y todos sus muertos caerán en medio de ella.
Portanto eis que vêm dias em que punirei as imagens de escultura da Babilônia, e toda a sua terra será envergonhada, e todos seus mortos cairão no meio dela.
C’ est pourquoi voici, les jours viennent
Darum siehe, es kommt die Zeit, daß ich die Götzen zu Babel heimsuchen will und ihr ganzes Land zu Schanden werden soll und ihre Erschlagenen darin liegen werden.
Daarom ziet, de dagen komen, dat Ik bezoeking zal doen over de gesneden beelden van Babel; en haar ganse land zal beschaamd worden, en al haar verslagenen zullen in het midden van haar liggen.
Perciò, ecco, i giorni vengono ch’io farò giustizia delle immagini scolpite di Babilonia, e tutto il suo paese sarà coperto d’onta, e tutti i suoi feriti a morte cadranno in mezzo a lei.
Przetoż oto dni przyjdą, w które Ja nawiedzę bałwany ryte Babilońskie, a wszystka ziemia jego pohańbiona będzie, i wszyscy pobici jego polegną w pośrodku niego.
Посему вот, приходят дни, когда Я посещу идолов Вавилона, и вся земля его будет посрамлена, и все пораженные его падут среди него.
日子 將到，我必刑罰 巴比倫 雕刻的偶像。她全 地 必然抱愧；她 被殺的人 必在其中 仆倒。
For this cause, truly, the days are coming when I will send punishment on the images of Babylon, and all her land will be shamed, and her dead will be falling down in her.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 51:47
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree this verse announces God's coming judgment on Babylon's idols, leading to the land's shame and the death of its inhabitants. Calvin explains that God visits the idols to expose their impotence, so the faithful would see that false gods cannot save their worshippers. Barnes notes the formula behold, the days come as a common prophetic phrase in Jeremiah (cf. Jer 7:32; 16:14; 19:6), marking a definite divine action. Keil and Delitzsch emphasize that the Hebrew verb bush (be ashamed) means the land is put to shame when its gods prove powerless. Gill points to historical fulfillment when Cyrus took Babylon while the city was in festival revelry. The Cambridge Bible raises a textual question: the Hebrew word for graven images might be read as rulers in parallel with Isaiah passages (Isa 14:5; 49:7; 52:5). But most commentators follow the Masoretic text, understanding the judgment as falling directly on idols.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Literal idols: The context directly mentions Bel and other Babylonian gods (Jer 50:2; 51:44).
- Rulers as allegorical: The Hebrew word for graven images (<em>pesilim</em>) may be linked to a term for <em>rulers</em> in Isaiah (Isa 14:5; 49:7; 52:5).
What is clear: God will judge Babylon and bring down everything its people trusted in for security, resulting in public humiliation and death.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Target of Judgment | God will execute judgment on Babylon's false gods. | Most Christians read <em>graven images</em> literally as carved idols; the Cambridge Bible suggests the Hebrew could be read allegorically as <em>rulers</em> (based on Isaiah 14:5; 49:7; 52:5). |
| Meaning of 'ashamed' | The land's shame relates to the failure of its trusted gods. | Some see it as emotional shame (the people feel humiliated); others emphasize the social dimension (loss of face before other nations). The Hebrew allows both. |
| Historical Fulfillment | The prophecy was fulfilled in the fall of Babylon to the Medes and Persians (539 BC). | Gill highlights Cyrus's conquest; Gill also mentions Xerxes later destroying temples. Most agree on the initial event, with some seeing a secondary fulfillment in later history. |
| Authenticity of the Verse | The verse is traditionally accepted as part of Jeremiah's prophecy. | The Cambridge Bible questions whether it was added later due to its resemblance to Jer 51:52, while others see it as a deliberate repetition for emphasis. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah 51:47 sits within a larger prophecy against Babylon (chapters 50, 51), likely delivered around 595 BC. Babylon was the dominant empire, known for its magnificent temples and idols like Bel (Marduk) and Nebo. The city’s fall to the Medes and Persians in 539 BC historically fulfilled this word: Cyrus’s army entered while the Babylonians were feasting, and the idols were broken or carried off (Isaiah 21:9; 46:1, 2).
The phrase behold, the days come is a prophetic formula Jeremiah uses over a dozen times, always of coming judgment or restoration. It conveys certainty: the event is as good as present. The land being ashamed reflects a culture where honor and shame were powerful social realities. When a nation’s gods could not defend it, the people were publicly humiliated. The idols themselves would be shattered, showing they were never real protectors.
Calvin notes that God raised his hand against idols not because they were threats (they are mere inventions), but for the sake of his people: so the Israelites would recognize their deception, and the faithful would see that God alone is God. The judgment is visual and public, designed to teach the whole world that Yahweh, not Bel, rules history.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no major textual variants for this verse in the Hebrew manuscripts. The Cambridge Bible does express suspicion that the verse may have been influenced by Jeremiah 51:52, noting the word graven images appears in both. They also suggest an alternative reading, replacing graven images (pesilim) with rulers based on Isaiah 14:5; 49:7; 52:5, but this is a conjecture, not a manuscript variant. Most commentators accept the traditional Masoretic text as original.
Reception History
In Christian history, this verse has been read as a declaration of God’s authority over all false gods, both literal and figurative. Early church fathers saw Babylon as a type of worldly power hostile to God, and its judgment as a foretaste of the final defeat of evil. During the Reformation, Protestant commentators often applied the verse to the Roman Catholic Church, interpreting the graven images as icons and statues used in worship. In modern times, the verse is used more broadly: it warns against any system or ideology that replaces trust in the living God. Throughout, the consistent point is that God alone deserves worship, and every rival will be brought down.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- God Targets Idols, Not Just People. Babylon’s sin included trusting in carved images. The Lord strikes at the heart of false religion (Jer 50:2).
- The Land Is Put to Shame. The verb bush means disappointed, disconcerted. When our security fails, shame follows, a lesson for every misplaced trust.
- All the Slain Fall in Her Midst. The proud city, safe behind walls, cannot protect its own. Judgment reaches the center of power.
Five-Point Outline
- The Formula of Certainty. “Behold, the days come”, God’s timing, not ours.
- The Target: Graven Images. God judges the false gods (literal idols and whatever we put in his place).
- The Consequence: Shame. The land that boasted in its gods is exposed.
- The Collapse: Slain Fall. The city’s strength becomes its graveyard.
- The Purpose: Faith Strengthened. God’s people, who suffered under Babylon, see his justice (Calvin).
Illustration Hooks
- A financial advisor who promised guaranteed returns, clients felt deeply ashamed of their trust when the scheme collapsed.
- A sports team that relied on a lucky charm or ritual; when they lost the championship, the ritual felt empty and embarrassing.
- A person who built their identity on a career, only to be laid off. The shame was not just the job loss but the collapse of what they worshipped.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- “If God judges idols, why do we see so many people thriving while they reject him?”
- “What counts as an idol in our daily lives today?”
- “How can I be sure God will eventually bring justice for the wrongs I’ve suffered?”
Leading a Discussion
This verse shows God’s justice against false security. As the exiles waited for rescue, they needed assurance that Babylon’s power would not last. Today we too put our trust in things that cannot save. This passage invites us to examine where we place ultimate confidence.
Discussion Questions
- Read Jeremiah 51:47 aloud. What parts of the verse stand out to you and why?
- Why does the prophet focus on idols being judged rather than only on the people of Babylon?
- The Hebrew word for ashamed (bush) can mean disappointed or disoriented. When have you felt that kind of shame after something you trusted let you down?
- How does the promise that God will judge idols connect to the command in verse 45 for God’s people to leave Babylon?
- Cross-reference Isaiah 21:9. What does the repeated announcement “Fallen, fallen is Babylon” add to your understanding of this verse?
- In our own lives, what sorts of engraved images (financial security, reputation, relationships) can become substitutes for God? How do we know when something has become an idol?
- This verse ends with death in the midst of the city. How does knowing that God will ultimately bring down every false hope shape how you live today?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Isaiah 21:9 | Behold, here comes a troop of men, horsemen in pairs.” He answered, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the engraved images of her gods are broken to the ground. |
| Isaiah 46:1 | Bel bows down. Nebo stoops. Their idols are carried by animals, and on the livestock. The things that you carried around are heavy loads, a burden for the weary. |
| Isaiah 46:2 | They stoop and they bow down together. They could not deliver the burden, but they have gone into captivity. |
| Jeremiah 11:22 | therefore Yahweh of Armies says, ‘Behold, I will punish them. The young men will die by the sword. Their sons and their daughters will die by famine. |
| Jeremiah 13:21 | What will you say when he sets over you as head those whom you have yourself taught to be friends to you? Won’t sorrows take hold of you, as of a woman in travail? |
| Jeremiah 23:34 | As for the prophet, the priest, and the people, who say, ‘The message from Yahweh,’ I will even punish that man and his household. |
| Jeremiah 25:12 | “It will happen, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation,” says Yahweh, “for their iniquity. I will make the land of the Chaldeans desolate forever. |
| Jeremiah 50:2 | “Declare among the nations and publish, and set up a standard; publish, and don’t conceal; say, ‘Babylon has been taken, Bel is disappointed, Merodach is dismayed! Her images are disappointed. Her idols are dismayed.’ |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the exiles were meant to read certain events as clear signs that God was about to visit them in judgment. He also points out that being confounded in this context means being ashamed before God.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin emphasizes that God's judgment on Babylon's idols is not mere punishment but a lesson for the faithful. It teaches them that false gods are powerless and cannot save their worshippers. The promise of this visitation is meant to sustain discouraged believers and call them to patient waiting for God's appointed time.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentator observes that a phrase was accidentally omitted from the Greek translation because a scribe’s eye jumped from one instance of a repeated phrase to another. He also considers another verse suspect, as it closely echoes a later passage and begins with “therefore” inappropriately, and suggests reading “rulers” instead of “graven images,” a term used for Babylon’s oppressors in Isaiah.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes emphasize that God's coming judgment targets Babylon's idols directly. The images will be visited in divine punishment, bringing confusion to the whole land and leaving Babylon's slain unburied in her streets.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that the coming judgment will destroy every idol in Babylon, not just the chief
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB draws attention to Grotius' alternative translation, which reads "her dancers" instead of "her slain." This reading links the passage to the festival revelry during which Cyrus captured Babylon, with the Babylonians confounded at seeing their powerless gods and the slain representing retribution for Israel's fallen.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch emphasizes that the coming judgment on Babylon's idols is tied directly to the events described earlier as harbingers. They also correct a common misreading of the Hebrew verb: the land will be ashamed, not dried up, and that shame accompanies the fall of Babylon's slain inhabitants.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange observes an intentional dissonance in this passage: the Israelites respond to the call for joy with words of shame about the defiled sanctuary. The prophet comforts them by repeating the opening promise of judgment on Babylon's idols, making this the recompense for their disgrace. This repetition creates an artificial, structured closure.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry sees God's judgment on Babylon as the answer to two questions that troubled God's people: is God still with Israel? and will Babylon's wickedness go unpunished? For him, the destroying wind and fanners are instruments of divine justice, proving that God has neither deserted His own nor overlooked the temple's desecration.