Jeremiah 50:34
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The Hebrew word for "Redeemer" here, Goel, carries the weight of a kinsman responsible for avenging and protecting family members. This isn't just a legal term; it speaks to God's deep, personal commitment to His people, who are viewed as His family. The repeated phrase "plead their cause" emphasizes that God's intervention is not passive, but an active, determined act of justice to bring true rest to the earth.
Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of hosts is his name. He will surely plead their cause, that he may give rest to the earth, but unrest to the inhabitants of Babylon.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah has been prophesying the downfall of Babylon, which has brutally oppressed God's people, Israel and Judah. The prophet acknowledges the people's despair, caught in exile with no apparent escape, but then shifts to God's mighty power as their Redeemer. This verse powerfully declares that God, the Lord of hosts, will personally step in to fight for His people and bring justice, ensuring peace for the land but turmoil for their oppressors in Babylon.
Jeremiah calls God 'their Redeemer,' but this word carries a weight far beyond a simple rescue. It's about kinship and responsibility.
The Hebrew word for 'Redeemer' here is 'Go'el.' This title wasn't just about someone with the financial means to buy something back. The Go'el was the closest male relative, bound by law and custom to:
In Jeremiah 50:34, God is presented as Israel's ultimate Go'el. He is their next of kin, stepping in to avenge their suffering and restore what was taken, not just physically but legally and relationally.
God's power isn't abstract; it's tied to His role as the 'LORD of hosts.' What does this title reveal about His justice?
The phrase 'the LORD of hosts' (Yahweh Sabaoth) is a powerful declaration of God's supreme authority and military might. It means the Lord commands all the armies of heaven and earth.
Ask a follow-up
God's justice brings a starkly divided outcome: peace for the faithful and turmoil for the wicked. How does this play out?
Jeremiah 50:34 presents a clear duality in the outworking of God's justice:
This isn't about arbitrary punishment; it's about a divinely ordained restoration of balance, where justice is served and the nations can finally find peace after prolonged oppression.
Understand the original words
ga'al · Hebrew Noun/Participle
In the Old Testament, one who is related to someone who has been enslaved or suffered loss, and who possesses the right and power to purchase them back or avenge them. It points prophetically to Christ’s work of salvation.
rib · Hebrew Verb
To argue a legal case, intervene in a dispute, or act as an advocate on behalf of another in a judicial setting. It implies God’s active legal defense of His people.
manoah · Hebrew Noun
A state of peace, security, or cessation from labor and conflict. It refers to the wholeness that God provides to His people as a result of His salvation and judgment of their enemies.
Jeremiah's prophecy here speaks to the people of Israel and Judah, who experienced oppression not just from Babylon but also from Assyria earlier. The 'Redeemer' who will bring rest to the land and disquiet to Babylon is God, whose power far exceeds that of any earthly empire, including the Babylonians who were then in power.
Late 8th Century BC
Assyrian Deportations of Israel
The Northern Kingdom of Israel is largely destroyed and its people deported by the Assyrian Empire, marking the loss of the ten northern tribes.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon deports some Judean people, including Daniel, to Babylon. This begins the period of Babylonian dominance over Judah.
597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
After a rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar deports King Jehoiachin and many more Judeans, including Ezekiel, to Babylon.
587/586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling the majority of the remaining Judeans to Babylon. This is the nadir of their national and religious life.
c. 550-539 BC
Rise of Persia
Cyrus the Great unites the Medes and Persians, building a vast empire that will soon conquer Babylon.
539 BC
Fall of Babylon to Persia
Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon, ending the Neo-Babylonian Empire. This event sets the stage for the return of the exiles.
This passage echoes Jeremiah's promise, stating that oppressors will 'eat their own flesh' and be drunk with their own blood, just as God will bring disquiet to Babylon.
Psalm 121:1-2Jeremiah 50:34 speaks of God as a strong Redeemer, and Psalm 121 directs us to look to the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth, for help and protection, emphasizing His power to keep us.
Revelation 18:20This passage from Revelation directly relates to the judgment of 'Babylon,' stating that God will judge her for what she has done to His people, fulfilling the promise of disquiet for her inhabitants.
Zechariah 1:14-17Zechariah describes God's fierce jealousy for Jerusalem and His return to dwell there, promising restoration and peace, which contrasts with the turmoil He will bring to the nations that oppressed His people, including Babylon.
clarkeJeremiah 50:34: "Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of hosts is his name: he shall throughly plead their cause, that he may give rest to the land, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon."
Their Redeemer is strong - And it was not that he wanted power, and that Nebuchadnezzar had much, that Jerusalem was taken; but because the people had sinned, and would not return; and therefore national sins called for national punishments. These have taken place; and now the Lord of hosts shows them that th…
calvinJeremiah 50:33-34: "Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The children of Israel and the children of Judah were oppressed together: and all that took them captives held them fast; they refused to let them go."
- Redemptor (inquit) eorum fortis, Jehova exercituum nomen ejus; litem litigando litigabit, (hoc est, disceptando disceptabit causam ipsorum,) ut terram ipsam reddat tranquillam, (ut alii vetrunt, sed ego potius ita interpretor, ut terram scindat,) et contremiscere faciat habitatores Babylonis.…
The Hebrew word for "Redeemer" here, Goel, carries the weight of a kinsman responsible for avenging and protecting family members. This isn't just a legal term; it speaks to God's deep, personal commitment to His people, who are viewed as His family. The repeated phrase "plead their cause" emphasizes that God's intervention is not passive, but an active, determined act of justice to bring true rest to the earth.
Jeremiah has been prophesying the downfall of Babylon, which has brutally oppressed God's people, Israel and Judah. The prophet acknowledges the people's despair, caught in exile with no apparent escape, but then shifts to God's mighty power as their Redeemer. This verse powerfully declares that God, the Lord of hosts, will personally step in to fight for His people and bring justice, ensuring peace for the land but turmoil for their oppressors in Babylon.
Jeremiah has been prophesying the downfall of Babylon, which has brutally oppressed God's people, Israel and Judah. The prophet acknowledges the people's despair, caught in exile with no apparent escape, but then shifts to God's mighty power as their Redeemer. This verse powerfully declares that God, the Lord of hosts, will personally step in to fight for His people and bring justice, ensuring peace for the land but turmoil for their oppressors in Babylon.
"Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of hosts is his name. He will surely plead their cause, that he may give rest to the earth, but unrest to the inhabitants of Babylon." — The Hebrew word for "Redeemer" here, Goel, carries the weight of a kinsman responsible for avenging and protecting family members. This isn't just a legal term; it speaks to God's deep, personal co…
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Last reviewed October 2026
