A drought against her waters, that they may be dried up! For it is a land of images, and they are mad over idols.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jeremiah 50:38
What does Jeremiah 50:38 mean?
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Jeremiah 50:38
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The word translated "drought" might actually be "sword," linking the drying up of Babylon's waters directly to the military strategy used to conquer it. Furthermore, the "idols" are not just objects of worship, but literally "terrors" – grotesque figures that inspired awe and fear rather than true devotion.
A drought against her waters, that they may be dried up! For it is a land of images, and they are mad over idols.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse arrives as Jeremiah continues his prophecy against Babylon, a city steeped in idolatry and pride. Following pronouncements of its destruction and the drying up of the Euphrates River—the very lifeblood and defense of the city—this passage explains the divine reason for such judgment. Babylon's downfall is directly linked to its obsessive devotion to lifeless images, a stark contrast to the living God whom Israel had abandoned.
This verse describes a 'drought' upon Babylon's waters. But ancient texts hint at a powerful double meaning – a 'sword' that brings drought.
The prophet Jeremiah uses wordplay here that's a bit lost in translation. The Hebrew word for 'drought' (khoreb) sounds almost identical to the word for 'sword' (khereb). While some scholars debate which word was originally intended, many believe Jeremiah intentionally played on this similarity.
Either way, it's a vivid picture of judgment. Whether a literal drying up or a figurative 'sword' of war, God's hand is on the waters that sustained Babylon, bringing ruin.
Why would God bring such a drastic judgment on Babylon? The verse points to a deep spiritual sickness: their obsession with idols.
The second half of the verse gives the reason for this devastating judgment: 'For it is a land of images, and they are mad upon their idols.' The Hebrew word used here for 'idols' literally means 'terrors' or 'objects of terror.'
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Understand the original words
choreb · Hebrew Noun
A lack of water causing a land to become barren and uninhabitable. In prophetic literature, it is often a sign of divine curse or the withdrawal of God's blessing upon a land.
pesel/elilim · Hebrew Noun
Physical objects, statues, or mental constructs that people worship in place of the one true God. They are condemned as empty, powerless, and the source of spiritual delusion.
halal · Hebrew Verb/Adjective
A state of irrational, intense obsession or fanaticism. Biblically, this often describes the disordered passions of those who have turned away from the truth of God toward falsehoods.
This verse speaks powerfully to the fall of Babylon, connecting the city's destruction to its profound idolatry. The 'drought' isn't just about a lack of rain, but a strategic drying up of the Euphrates by Cyrus the Great, allowing his army to enter the city. This act of divine judgment highlights how Babylon's reliance on its gods and idols ultimately left it vulnerable when true power intervened.
c. 586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Babylonian Exile
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, conquers Jerusalem, destroys the Temple, and exiles many Judeans to Babylon. This marks a turning point in Jewish history, leading to a period of crisis and prophetic pronouncements.
c. 549 BC
Rise of Cyrus the Great
Cyrus unites the Medes and Persians, beginning his ascent to power. He sets his sights on conquering the Neo-Babylonian Empire, a dominant force in the region.
c. 540 BC
Persian Preparations Against Babylon
Cyrus begins military campaigns and strategic preparations to undermine and eventually attack Babylon. This period would have been one of growing tension and anticipation.
c. 539 BC— this verse
Cyrus Diverts the Euphrates River
As part of his strategy to capture Babylon, Cyrus's forces engineer a massive diversion of the Euphrates River, lowering its water level and allowing access to the city's supposedly impregnable walls.
October 539 BC
Fall of Babylon
Cyrus's army enters Babylon through the dry riverbed of the Euphrates. The city falls with little resistance, marking the end of the Neo-Babylonian Empire and the beginning of Persian rule.
This passage directly parallels the drying up of Babylon's waters, prophesying that God will say to the great deep, 'Be dry,' and that He will dry up her rivers, reflecting the same judgment on a water-dependent land.
Jeremiah 51:13This verse is a direct continuation of the judgment on Babylon, stating 'You who dwell by many waters, rich in treasures,' and that its wealth will be dried up, reinforcing the theme of watery judgment linked to the city's abundance and sin.
Revelation 18:2This New Testament passage describes Babylon as a 'dwelling place for demons, and a prison for every unclean spirit,' echoing the spiritual desolation and 'terrors' associated with the idols mentioned in Jeremiah 50:38.
Psalm 115:4-7This psalm vividly contrasts the living God with the lifeless idols of the nations, describing their idols as having mouths that do not speak, eyes that do not see, and ears that do not hear, highlighting the futility and spiritual emptiness of the 'idols' Babylon was 'mad upon'.
clarkeJeremiah 50:38: "A drought is upon her waters; and they shall be dried up: for it is the land of graven images, and they are mad upon their idols."
A drought is upon her waters - May not this refer to the draining of the channel of the Euphrates, by which the army of Cyrus entered the city. See on Jeremiah 50:24 (note). The original is, however, חרב chereb, a sword, as in the preceding verses, which signifies war, or any calamity by which the thing on which it falls is ruined.
pooleJeremiah 50:38: "A drought is upon her waters; and they shall be dried up: for it is the land of graven images, and they are mad upon their idols."
A drought is upon her waters, and they shall be dried up: some think that this phrase hath a special reference to Cyrus’s stratagem used in the surprise of Babylon; one part of it was fortified by the great river Euphrates, running on one side, which Cyrus diverted by cutting several channels, till he had drained it so low, that it became passable f…
The word translated "drought" might actually be "sword," linking the drying up of Babylon's waters directly to the military strategy used to conquer it. Furthermore, the "idols" are not just objects of worship, but literally "terrors" – grotesque figures that inspired awe and fear rather than true devotion.
This verse arrives as Jeremiah continues his prophecy against Babylon, a city steeped in idolatry and pride. Following pronouncements of its destruction and the drying up of the Euphrates River—the very lifeblood and defense of the city—this passage explains the divine reason for such judgment. Babylon's downfall is directly linked to its obsessive devotion to lifeless images, a stark contrast to the living God whom Israel had abandoned.
This verse arrives as Jeremiah continues his prophecy against Babylon, a city steeped in idolatry and pride. Following pronouncements of its destruction and the drying up of the Euphrates River—the very lifeblood and defense of the city—this passage explains the divine reason for such judgment. Babylon's downfall is directly linked to its obsessive devotion to lifeless images, a stark contrast to the living God whom Israel had abandoned.
"A drought against her waters, that they may be dried up! For it is a land of images, and they are mad over idols." — The word translated "drought" might actually be "sword," linking the drying up of Babylon's waters directly to the military strategy used to conquer it. Furthermore, the "idols" are not just objects…
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Last reviewed October 2026