Jeremiah 50:21
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God uses names here that are more than just places; they are descriptions. "Merathaim" sounds like "double rebellion," highlighting Babylon's deep defiance, while "Pekod" echoes "visitation," signaling that judgment is coming. This isn't just a military order; it's God revealing the character of His enemies and the certainty of their reckoning.
“Go up against the land of Merathaim, and against the inhabitants of Pekod. Kill, and devote them to destruction, declares the LORD, and do all that I have commanded you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage is part of Jeremiah's prophecy against Babylon, calling on the Medes and Persians to march against it. The prophet uses symbolic names, "Merathaim" (meaning "double rebellion" or "bitterness") and "Pekod" (suggesting "visitation" or "punishment"), to describe the land and its people. This divine command emphasizes the impending judgment and complete destruction that awaits the rebellious city for its cruelty and opposition to God.
Jeremiah calls out a land by two strange names, Merathaim and Pekod. What's hidden in these names, and why are they so important?
Jeremiah 50:21 uses what seem to be place names, 'Merathaim' and 'Pekod,' but scholars suggest these are descriptive terms, not just geographical locations.
Merathaim: A Land of "Double Rebellion"
Pekod: The "Visitation" of Judgment
Together, these names paint a vivid picture: God is calling His judgment upon a land characterized by deep, twofold rebellion, a land that is ripe for divine visitation.
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Jeremiah is commanded to tell an entire land to 'kill and devote them to destruction.' But who is doing the 'killing,' and how can God command unbelievers?
The command in Jeremiah 50:21 is stark: 'Kill, and devote them to destruction, declares the LORD, and do all that I have commanded you.' This raises questions about God's interaction with those outside His covenant, particularly the Medes and Persians who would conquer Babylon.
God's Sovereign Hand
Instruments of Judgment
Understand the original words
Merathayim · Hebrew Noun
A Hebrew term meaning "double rebellion," used here as a symbolic name for Babylon to highlight its deep, persistent, and multi-faceted defiance against God.
Pekod · Hebrew Noun
A Hebrew term meaning "punishment" or "visitation," used symbolically here to signify that the time for divine judgment and recompense against Babylon has arrived.
charam · Hebrew Verb
In a military context, this refers to the religious act of placing an entity or group under a total ban, dedicating them entirely to destruction as an offering to God's holiness and justice.
YHWH · Hebrew Noun
Yahweh; the self-existent, covenant-keeping God of Israel who is personal, holy, and the ultimate sovereign over all history and nations.
The names 'Merathaim' (land of double rebellion) and 'Pekod' (or 'visitation') are not just geographical locations but prophetic descriptions of Babylon's profound sinfulness and the impending divine judgment that Cyrus's conquest represents.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Assyrian Deportations
The Northern Kingdom of Israel falls to the Assyrian Empire, leading to widespread deportations and the scattering of the Israelite population. This event marked a significant shift in regional power and Judah's precarious position.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation of Judah
Under Nebuchadnezzar II, Babylon defeats the Egyptians and Assyrians at Carchemish, then advances into Judah. Key figures, including the prophet Daniel, are taken into exile in Babylon.
597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation of Judah
Following a revolt, Nebuchadnezzar besieges Jerusalem again. King Jehoiachin and thousands more Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel, are deported to Babylon.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
After a prolonged siege and further rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar's forces finally conquer Jerusalem. The city and Solomon's Temple are destroyed, and the majority of the remaining population is exiled to Babylon.
539 BC— this verse
Cyrus the Great Conquers Babylon
Cyrus, ruler of the rising Persian Empire, defeats Babylon. This conquest marks the end of Babylonian dominance and opens the door for the return of exiled peoples, including the Jews.
538 BC
Cyrus's Decree for Jewish Return
Cyrus issues a decree permitting the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple. This marks the beginning of the return and restoration period.
This passage also calls for the destruction of Babylon, specifically mentioning the Medes as the agents of God's wrath, aligning with the command given in Jeremiah 50:21.
Jeremiah 51:20This verse in the same chapter echoes the sentiment of destruction for Babylon, describing them as God's 'battle axe' and 'weapons of war', directly relating to the 'devote them to destruction' command.
Ezekiel 23:23This passage refers to the Babylonians as ' Pekod,' which is the same name found in Jeremiah 50:21, linking it to their punishment and judgment from God.
Revelation 18:6This New Testament passage speaks of Babylon receiving a 'double portion' for her sins and being repaid for what she has done, paralleling the idea of judgment and destruction implied by 'Merathaim' (double rebellion) and 'Pekod' (visitation).
gillJeremiah 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."
Go up against the land of Merathaim,.... Thought to be the country of the Mardi, which lay part of it in Assyria, and part of it in Armenia; expressed in the dual number, because one part of it lay on one side the Tigris, and the other on the other side. Cyrus, with his army of Mede…
pooleJeremiah 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."
There is some disputes amongst interpreters, whether the words here, Merathaim and Pekod, be to be taken as common nouns, the one signifying rebels or rulers, the other visitation, because the Chaldeans were rebels against the Lord, and were great rulers over all the contiguous nati…
God uses names here that are more than just places; they are descriptions. "Merathaim" sounds like "double rebellion," highlighting Babylon's deep defiance, while "Pekod" echoes "visitation," signaling that judgment is coming. This isn't just a military order; it's God revealing the character of His enemies and the certainty of their reckoning.
This passage is part of Jeremiah's prophecy against Babylon, calling on the Medes and Persians to march against it. The prophet uses symbolic names, "Merathaim" (meaning "double rebellion" or "bitterness") and "Pekod" (suggesting "visitation" or "punishment"), to describe the land and its people. This divine command emphasizes the impending judgment and complete destruction that awaits the rebellious city for its cruelty and opposition to God.
This passage is part of Jeremiah's prophecy against Babylon, calling on the Medes and Persians to march against it. The prophet uses symbolic names, "Merathaim" (meaning "double rebellion" or "bitterness") and "Pekod" (suggesting "visitation" or "punishment"), to describe the land and its people. This divine command emphasizes the impending judgment and complete destruction that awaits the rebellious city for its cruelty and opposition to God.
"“Go up against the land of Merathaim, and against the inhabitants of Pekod. Kill, and devote them to destruction, declares the LORD, and do all that I have commanded you." — God uses names here that are more than just places; they are descriptions. "Merathaim" sounds like "double rebellion," highlighting Babylon's deep defiance, while "Pekod" echoes "visitation," signali…
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Last reviewed October 2026
