Wake yourself, wake yourself, stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of his wrath, who have drunk to the dregs the bowl, the cup of staggering.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The phrase "wrung them out" reveals that Jerusalem hasn't just tasted, but completely exhausted the bitter dregs of God's judgment, leaving nothing behind. This wasn't a sip of punishment, but a full, devastating draught from the cup of divine wrath.
Wake yourself, wake yourself, stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of his wrath, who have drunk to the dregs the bowl, the cup of staggering.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse is a powerful lament over Jerusalem's profound suffering and desolation, specifically addressing the city as if it were a person completely overcome by God's wrath. It vividly describes her state as having drunk deeply of a "cup of trembling" and "fury," a metaphor for the intense punishment and shame she has endured, leaving her utterly prostrate and unable to rise on her own. The verses immediately before and after emphasize her abandonment and the complete collapse of her strength and leadership, making this a dire portrait of a city brought to its knees by divine judgment.
Jerusalem is described as having 'drunk' from the 'cup of His fury.' What does this vivid imagery mean for a city and its people?
The metaphor of a 'cup' is a powerful way to describe the experience of God's wrath and judgment.
A Bitter Draft
The verse begins with an urgent call: 'Wake yourself, wake yourself!' Why is Jerusalem being told to 'wake up' when she's already experienced such devastation?
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The repeated call to 'awake' is not just a command, but a sign of hope amidst utter ruin.
From Despair to Action
Understand the original words
chemah · Hebrew Noun
A metaphorical term representing God's holy, righteous judgment and judicial anger against sin and rebellion, which must be poured out upon the unrepentant.
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The covenant Lord, the self-existent One who enters into a personal, binding, and redeeming relationship with His people. The name signifies His faithfulness to His covenant promises.
tar'elah · Hebrew Noun
A figure for a state of spiritual or judicial confusion, helplessness, and reeling caused by experiencing the consequences of divine judgment.
This passage vividly portrays Jerusalem at the absolute lowest point of its history – the destruction and exile. The 'cup of wrath' and 'cup of trembling' speak to the unimaginable suffering and despair experienced after the city's devastation by Babylon.
c. 605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar invades Judah, begins deporting elites to Babylon. This marks the start of the Babylonian exile, a period of immense suffering and displacement for Jerusalem.
597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Another wave of deportations to Babylon, including King Jehoiachin and many more of Jerusalem's skilled citizens. The city's situation grows increasingly desperate.
587/586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling the remaining population. This event is the pinnacle of the 'cup of wrath' poured out on the city.
c. 586 - 538 BC
The Babylonian Exile
The Jewish people endure decades of exile in Babylon, experiencing profound loss, national humiliation, and a deep spiritual crisis.
539 BC
Cyrus the Great Conquers Babylon
The Persian Empire under Cyrus conquers Babylon, opening the way for the exiled Jews to eventually return to their homeland.
538 BC
Edict of Cyrus for Return
Cyrus issues a decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple, marking a turning point from despair towards hope.
This passage also uses the powerful imagery of a 'cup of wrath' poured out by the Lord, emphasizing the totality of judgment and destruction that will come upon nations, mirroring Jerusalem's experience in Isaiah.
Psalm 75:8This psalm describes the Lord holding a cup filled with a mixed drink, from which the wicked will drink the dregs, connecting the idea of divine wrath being drunk to the very last drop with Isaiah's imagery.
John 18:11Jesus himself uses the metaphor of drinking a cup when speaking to Peter about his suffering, showing the concept of 'drinking the cup' as a divinely appointed, though difficult, portion.
Revelation 14:10This passage in Revelation speaks of those who worship the beast drinking the wine of God's wrath, poured out undiluted, reinforcing the severe and complete nature of God's judgment conveyed by the 'cup of wrath'.
Lamentations 4:21This verse in Lamentations describes the daughter of Edom being made to drink the cup and become drunken, highlighting the devastating consequences of divine judgment and the 'cup of trembling' that befalls those who oppose God's people.
barnesIsaiah 51:17: "Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out."
Awake, awake - (See the notes at Isaiah 51:9 ). This verse commences an address to Jerusalem under a new figure or image. The figure employed is that of a man who has been overcome by the cup of the wrath of Yahweh, that had produced the same effect as inebriation. Jerusalem had reeled and fallen prostrate. Th…
pulpitIsaiah 51:17: "Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out."
Verses 17-23. - AN ADDRESS OF THE PROPHET TO JERUSALEM. The comfort afforded to Israel generally is now concentrated on Jerusalem. Her condition during the long period of the Captivity is deplored, and her want of a champion to assert her cause and raise her out of the dust is lamented (vers. 17-20). After thi…
The phrase "wrung them out" reveals that Jerusalem hasn't just tasted, but completely exhausted the bitter dregs of God's judgment, leaving nothing behind. This wasn't a sip of punishment, but a full, devastating draught from the cup of divine wrath.
This verse is a powerful lament over Jerusalem's profound suffering and desolation, specifically addressing the city as if it were a person completely overcome by God's wrath. It vividly describes her state as having drunk deeply of a "cup of trembling" and "fury," a metaphor for the intense punishment and shame she has endured, leaving her utterly prostrate and unable to rise on her own. The verses immediately before and after emphasize her abandonment and the complete collapse of her strength and leadership, making this a dire portrait of a city brought to its knees by divine judgment.
This verse is a powerful lament over Jerusalem's profound suffering and desolation, specifically addressing the city as if it were a person completely overcome by God's wrath. It vividly describes her state as having drunk deeply of a "cup of trembling" and "fury," a metaphor for the intense punishment and shame she has endured, leaving her utterly prostrate and unable to rise on her own. The verses immediately before and after emphasize her abandonment and the complete collapse of her strength and leadership, making this a dire portrait of a city brought to its knees by divine judgment.
"Wake yourself, wake yourself, stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of his wrath, who have drunk to the dregs the bowl, the cup of staggering." — The phrase "wrung them out" reveals that Jerusalem hasn't just tasted, but completely exhausted the bitter dregs of God's judgment, leaving nothing behind. This wasn't a sip of punishment, but a full…
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Last reviewed October 2026