Jeremiah 51:36
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God promises to champion His people and settle the score, not just with a military defeat for Babylon, but by cutting off its lifeblood. This imagery of drying up its "sea" and "fountains" refers to destroying its vast water systems, the source of its wealth and sustenance, so that the city becomes utterly desolate.
Therefore thus says the LORD: “Behold, I will plead your cause and take vengeance for you. I will dry up her sea and make her fountain dry,
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse bursts forth as God's direct response to the cries of His people, Zion and Jerusalem, who have cried out about the violence and suffering inflicted upon them by Babylon. Following their passionate appeals, God declares He will step in, not just as a witness, but as an active defender who will avenge their wrongs. This promise of vengeance is powerfully illustrated by the imagery of drying up Babylon's "sea" and making its "fountains" (or reservoirs) run dry, signifying the complete depletion of its resources and power.
When you've been wronged, who do you turn to? This verse reveals God's direct response to the cries of His people.
The people of God, represented by Zion and Jerusalem, cry out about the 'violence' and 'blood' inflicted upon them by Babylon. God hears this cry not as a distant observer, but as a divine advocate. He declares, 'I will plead your cause and take vengeance for you.' This isn't just a promise of future retribution; it's an immediate affirmation that God steps into the injustice faced by His people. He acts as their defender, taking their grievances personally. This should encourage us to bring our deepest hurts and accusations before God, trusting that He is a God of justice who will right the wrongs done to those who belong to Him.
How does God dismantle the power of His enemies? It's not just about military defeat, but the severing of their very resources.
The imagery of drying up Babylon's 'sea' and making its 'fountain dry' is profoundly significant. Commentaries suggest this refers to the intricate water systems, canals, and reservoirs that sustained the mighty city of Babylon, particularly the Euphrates River and associated lakes. These were not just for irrigation but were integral to its defense and economic prosperity. By drying them up, God is depicted as cutting off Babylon's life source, its power, its wealth, and its ability to sustain itself. This signifies a total and complete dismantling of its infrastructure and influence, leaving it vulnerable and powerless. It's a picture of God's comprehensive judgment that reaches the very foundations of enemy systems.
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Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal name of the God of Israel, revealed to Moses, emphasizing His self-existence, covenant faithfulness, and sovereignty over history.
riyb · Hebrew Verb
To act as a legal advocate or defender in a case, often used of God intervening to uphold the rights and vindication of His people.
naqam · Hebrew Noun
The execution of retributive justice against those who have harmed God's people; it is the prerogative of God alone to execute perfect justice.
This prophecy speaks directly to the aftermath of Babylon's conquest by Cyrus the Great. The 'sea' and 'springs' that Babylon relied upon for its wealth and defense—its sophisticated water systems, including the Euphrates River and its associated canals and reservoirs—would be rendered useless, symbolizing the complete devastation of the empire and God's ultimate vengeance for His people.
c. 539 BC— this verse
Fall of Babylon to Cyrus
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon, ending the Neo-Babylonian Empire and liberating Judah from Babylonian exile.
587/586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem
The Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar II conquer Jerusalem, destroy the First Temple, and deport many Judeans into exile.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar II begins the Babylonian exile by deporting Judeans, including figures like Daniel, to Babylon.
c. 597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Another wave of Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel, is deported to Babylon after a rebellion in Jerusalem.
This passage directly precedes the verse in question and echoes God's promise to 'redeem' Israel and 'plead their cause' against Babylon, setting the stage for the judgment described.
Psalm 55:23This verse speaks to casting our anxieties on God, which resonates with Jeremiah's exhortation for the afflicted to bring their complaints before God, trusting Him to act as their defender.
Nahum 3:8This passage uses similar imagery of judgment against a powerful city (Nineveh) by referring to its vulnerability, likening it to Thebes 'whose reservoir was the Nile' and implying its utter destruction.
Revelation 16:12This New Testament passage describes the drying up of the Euphrates River as part of the end-times judgments, appearing to be an allusion to this Old Testament prophecy against Babylon.
barnesJeremiah 51:36: "Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry."
Her sea - Probably the great lake dug by Nitocris to receive the waters of the Euphrates. Her springs - Her reservoir; the whole system of canals dug Jeremiah 51:13. The wealth of Babylonia depended upon irrigation.
clarkeJeremiah 51:36: "Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry."
I will dry up her sea - Exhaust all her treasures.
God promises to champion His people and settle the score, not just with a military defeat for Babylon, but by cutting off its lifeblood. This imagery of drying up its "sea" and "fountains" refers to destroying its vast water systems, the source of its wealth and sustenance, so that the city becomes utterly desolate.
This verse bursts forth as God's direct response to the cries of His people, Zion and Jerusalem, who have cried out about the violence and suffering inflicted upon them by Babylon. Following their passionate appeals, God declares He will step in, not just as a witness, but as an active defender who will avenge their wrongs. This promise of vengeance is powerfully illustrated by the imagery of drying up Babylon's "sea" and making its "fountains" (or reservoirs) run dry, signifying the complete depletion of its resources and power.
This verse bursts forth as God's direct response to the cries of His people, Zion and Jerusalem, who have cried out about the violence and suffering inflicted upon them by Babylon. Following their passionate appeals, God declares He will step in, not just as a witness, but as an active defender who will avenge their wrongs. This promise of vengeance is powerfully illustrated by the imagery of drying up Babylon's "sea" and making its "fountains" (or reservoirs) run dry, signifying the complete depletion of its resources and power.
"Therefore thus says the LORD: “Behold, I will plead your cause and take vengeance for you. I will dry up her sea and make her fountain dry," — God promises to champion His people and settle the score, not just with a military defeat for Babylon, but by cutting off its lifeblood. This imagery of drying up its "sea" and "fountains" refers to…
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Last reviewed October 2026
