Jeremiah 50:16
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This verse vividly paints Babylon's destruction not just as a military defeat, but as the utter annihilation of its lifeblood, so complete that even the farmers and harvesters – those who ensure survival – are eliminated. It reveals Babylon as a hub for displaced peoples, forcibly gathered or drawn by opportunity, all of whom will now scatter back to their ancestral homes in terror.
Cut off from Babylon the sower, and the one who handles the sickle in time of harvest; because of the sword of the oppressor, every one shall turn to his own people, and every one shall flee to his own land.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage is part of Jeremiah's prophecy against Babylon, detailing its impending judgment and destruction. Following declarations of Babylon's downfall and calls for nations to flee its influence, this verse vividly illustrates the desolation to come. The prophecy continues by emphasizing that even the agricultural lifeblood of Babylon, symbolized by the sower and reaper, will be eradicated, leading all inhabitants, including foreigners brought there by Nebuchadnezzar, to flee back to their homelands for safety.
Imagine a thriving farmland, ready for planting or harvest. Now imagine that vital workforce simply vanishing. That's the drastic picture Jeremiah paints for Babylon.
Jeremiah's command to 'cut off the sower... and the one who handles the sickle' isn't just about stopping farming. It's a powerful metaphor for complete devastation. It means the agricultural lifeblood of Babylon – the very source of its food and wealth – will be eradicated.
Think about what this implies:
Babylon was a superpower built not just on conquest, but on relocating people. Jeremiah reveals the dramatic reversal of this policy.
The verse explains why the sower and reaper are cut off: 'because of the sword of the oppressor, every one shall turn to his own people, and every one shall flee to his own land.' This points to a crucial aspect of Babylon's power – its practice of deporting populations and forcing foreigners into labor.
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When judgment falls, this forced unity shatters:
Understand the original words
Babel · Hebrew Proper Noun
The capital city of Babylonia, representing in Scripture the seat of world power opposed to God, pride, and the oppression of God's people. It symbolizes the fallen world system that is destined for divine judgment.
chereb · Hebrew Noun
A military weapon representing divine judgment or the instruments used by God to bring consequences upon nations. It is often a symbol of war, execution, and the unfolding of God’s sovereign wrath against unrighteousness.
Jeremiah's prophecy describes the utter devastation of Babylon, not just its military defeat, but the complete collapse of its society and economy. This includes the flight of all inhabitants, whether native or foreign captives, emphasizing God's judgment on Babylon's oppressive system.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation of Judeans to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar II begins deporting skilled Judeans, including Daniel, to Babylon as part of his policy to consolidate control over conquered territories.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Second Deportation
Jerusalem is destroyed, and a larger group of Judeans, including many more artisans and farmers, are exiled to Babylon.
c. 550-540 BC
Rise of Cyrus the Great
Cyrus the Great consolidates the Median and Persian empires, preparing for his conquest of the Neo-Babylonian Empire.
539 BC— this verse
Fall of Babylon to Cyrus
Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon, ending the Neo-Babylonian Empire and initiating a new era for the region. This event directly fulfills prophecies against Babylon.
538 BC
Edict of Cyrus and Return of Exiles
Cyrus issues a decree allowing exiled peoples, including the Judeans, to return to their homelands and rebuild their temples.
This passage, also dealing with the destruction of Babylon, uses very similar language, describing people fleeing to their own lands and clans due to the coming judgment.
Jeremiah 51:45This verse directly echoes Jeremiah 50:16, reiterating the call for God's people to come out of Babylon and for the judgment of the 'devourer' to fall upon the city and its inhabitants.
Zechariah 2:7This verse speaks of Zion's deliverance from Babylon, calling for God's people to 'escape,' which provides a parallel to the exiles in Babylon fleeing 'to his own land' as described in Jeremiah 50:16.
Revelation 18:4This New Testament passage calls God's people out of a symbolic Babylon, warning them not to share in its sins lest they share in its plagues, mirroring the judgment and scattering described in Jeremiah.
barnesJeremiah 50:16: "Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land."
The population is to be destroyed so utterly that the rich fields of Babylonia are to remain untilled. They shall turn - The full force of the words will be seen if it be remembered that it had been the policy of Nebuchadnezzar to compel citizens selected from the vanqui…
clarkeJeremiah 50:16: "Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land."
Cut off the sower - Destroy the gardens and the fields, that there may be neither fruits nor tillage.
This verse vividly paints Babylon's destruction not just as a military defeat, but as the utter annihilation of its lifeblood, so complete that even the farmers and harvesters – those who ensure survival – are eliminated. It reveals Babylon as a hub for displaced peoples, forcibly gathered or drawn by opportunity, all of whom will now scatter back to their ancestral homes in terror.
This passage is part of Jeremiah's prophecy against Babylon, detailing its impending judgment and destruction. Following declarations of Babylon's downfall and calls for nations to flee its influence, this verse vividly illustrates the desolation to come. The prophecy continues by emphasizing that even the agricultural lifeblood of Babylon, symbolized by the sower and reaper, will be eradicated, leading all inhabitants, including foreigners brought there by Nebuchadnezzar, to flee back to their homelands for safety.
This passage is part of Jeremiah's prophecy against Babylon, detailing its impending judgment and destruction. Following declarations of Babylon's downfall and calls for nations to flee its influence, this verse vividly illustrates the desolation to come. The prophecy continues by emphasizing that even the agricultural lifeblood of Babylon, symbolized by the sower and reaper, will be eradicated, leading all inhabitants, including foreigners brought there by Nebuchadnezzar, to flee back to their homelands for safety.
"Cut off from Babylon the sower, and the one who handles the sickle in time of harvest; because of the sword of the oppressor, every one shall turn to his own people, and every one shall flee to his own land." — This verse vividly paints Babylon's destruction not just as a military defeat, but as the utter annihilation of its lifeblood, so complete that even the farmers and harvesters – those who ensure surv…
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Last reviewed October 2026
