Jeremiah 51:57
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What's easy to miss here is the intentional inclusion of "wise men" alongside the military and political leaders. This emphasizes that it's not just brute force that will fail Babylon, but also their vaunted intellectual and strategic prowess. God declares that He alone is sovereign, capable of rendering even the most astute minds utterly useless through a "perpetual sleep" of destruction.
I will make drunk her officials and her wise men, her governors, her commanders, and her warriors; they shall sleep a perpetual sleep and not wake, declares the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse continues Jeremiah's prophecy of Babylon's destruction, following the imagery of a "destroying wind" and the downfall of its vast empire. It directly follows God's declaration that Babylon's cities and treasures will be laid waste. The prophecy alludes to Belshazzar's feast, a moment of drunken revelry where the city fell to Cyrus, highlighting how their supposed wisdom and might proved useless against God's judgment.
Babylon's leaders are described as being made drunk. But this isn't a party; it's a divine judgment meant to bring about their utter destruction.
Jeremiah uses the powerful imagery of drunkenness to describe the downfall of Babylon's leadership. This isn't literal intoxication, but rather being overwhelmed by God's fury.
A Cup of Judgment
God declares, 'I will make drunk her officials and her wise men...' This phrase alludes to the 'cup of wrath' poured out on nations (Jeremiah 25:15-17). Those who have reveled in their power and self-assurance will be made to reel and stumble under God's judgment.
The Perpetual Sleep
The consequence of this divine 'drunkenness' is a 'perpetual sleep and not wake.' This is a stark metaphor for death. The leaders, who thought they were in control, will be completely incapacitated and destroyed, never to rise again.
Who is speaking these words of judgment? The text reveals a title that underscores God's ultimate authority over all earthly rulers.
The verse concludes with a powerful declaration of identity: 'declares the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.' This title is crucial for understanding the weight and certainty of the prophecy.
The True King
While Babylon had its own king and numerous officials ('princes,' 'wise men,' 'commanders,' 'warriors'), Jeremiah points to the supreme Sovereign. He is the King not just of Israel, but of all the armies of heaven and earth. His authority transcends any earthly power.
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Certainty of Judgment
The title 'LORD of hosts' signifies God's absolute power and control. He commands vast celestial armies and orchestrates the rise and fall of nations. When He declares judgment, it is not a threat but a guaranteed outcome. The 'perpetual sleep' of Babylon's leaders is assured because the LORD of hosts has decreed it.
Understand the original words
tseba'ot · Hebrew Noun
A title for God emphasizing His sovereignty over all heavenly and earthly armies, representing His absolute authority, power, and universal rule.
melek · Hebrew Noun
A term signifying the ultimate Ruler and Supreme Sovereign, establishing God's authority over all earthly kings and nations.
shakar · Hebrew Verb
A metaphor often used in Scripture to describe divine judgment, where God causes the wicked to be overcome by confusion, helplessness, or the intoxicating effect of His wrath.
shenah 'olam · Hebrew Noun phrase
A poetic or prophetic reference to death from which there is no natural return, emphasizing the finality of God's judgment.
Jeremiah's prophecy directly alludes to the downfall of Babylon during Belshazzar's feast, when the city's leaders were caught in drunken revelry and a false sense of security, leading to their swift destruction by the conquering Persian forces.
c. 587/586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
Babylon, under Nebuchadnezzar II, conquers Jerusalem, destroys the Temple, and deports many Judeans. This event marks a period of exile and national trauma for the people of Judah.
c. 539 BC— this verse
Babylonian Empire Falls to Persia
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon. This conquest is famously associated with a lavish feast held by King Belshazzar, during which the city was infiltrated and taken.
c. 539 BC
Belshazzar's Feast and Death
During a feast where sacred vessels from Jerusalem were profaned, King Belshazzar saw a divine hand write his doom on the wall. That same night, the city fell, and he was killed.
c. 538 BC
Cyrus's Decree
Cyrus allows the exiled Judeans to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple, marking the end of the Babylonian exile.
This passage describes Belshazzar being slain in the midst of a drunken feast, directly echoing the 'perpetual sleep' of Jeremiah's prophecy and showing the rulers incapacitated by revelry as judgment falls.
Revelation 14:8This verse announces the fall of 'Babylon the great' and speaks of her making all nations drink the wine of her passionate impurity, paralleling the theme of intoxicating judgment poured out on a wicked city and its leaders.
Jeremiah 25:15-16This earlier passage from Jeremiah introduces the 'cup of wrath' that the LORD, the God of Israel, commands the prophet to give to the nations, setting the stage for the imagery of drunken destruction seen later in chapter 51.
Psalm 76:5-6This psalm speaks of rulers being 'dazed' and falling asleep during battle, powerfully illustrating how divine judgment can render even the mighty ineffective and helpless, much like the drugged officials in Jeremiah.
calvinJeremiah 51:57: "And I will make drunk her princes, and her wise men, her captains, and her rulers, and her mighty men: and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts."
And I will make drunk her princes, and her wise men, her captains, and her rulers, and her mighty men: and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.
Et inebriabo principes ejus et sapientes ejus et duces ejus…
pooleJeremiah 51:57: "And I will make drunk her princes, and her wise men, her captains, and her rulers, and her mighty men: and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts."
Drunken men use to fall asleep. The prophet speaks here metaphorically. His meaning is, that the Lord would fill them with the wine of his fury, mentioned Jeremiah 30:15,16 , and upon the drinking of it they should sleep their last sleep, the effects of it should be their ut…
What's easy to miss here is the intentional inclusion of "wise men" alongside the military and political leaders. This emphasizes that it's not just brute force that will fail Babylon, but also their vaunted intellectual and strategic prowess. God declares that He alone is sovereign, capable of rendering even the most astute minds utterly useless through a "perpetual sleep" of destruction.
This verse continues Jeremiah's prophecy of Babylon's destruction, following the imagery of a "destroying wind" and the downfall of its vast empire. It directly follows God's declaration that Babylon's cities and treasures will be laid waste. The prophecy alludes to Belshazzar's feast, a moment of drunken revelry where the city fell to Cyrus, highlighting how their supposed wisdom and might proved useless against God's judgment.
This verse continues Jeremiah's prophecy of Babylon's destruction, following the imagery of a "destroying wind" and the downfall of its vast empire. It directly follows God's declaration that Babylon's cities and treasures will be laid waste. The prophecy alludes to Belshazzar's feast, a moment of drunken revelry where the city fell to Cyrus, highlighting how their supposed wisdom and might proved useless against God's judgment.
"I will make drunk her officials and her wise men, her governors, her commanders, and her warriors; they shall sleep a perpetual sleep and not wake, declares the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts." — What's easy to miss here is the intentional inclusion of "wise men" alongside the military and political leaders. This emphasizes that it's not just brute force that will fail Babylon, but also their…
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Last reviewed October 2026
