Jeremiah 51:63-64
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This wasn't just about sinking a book; it was a dramatic, physical act to demonstrate that Babylon's doom was sealed. Tying a stone to the scroll ensured it would sink and be lost forever, a powerful visual echoing the prophecy that the mighty city itself would be irrecoverably plunged into ruin and never rise again.
When you finish reading this book, tie a stone to it and cast it into the midst of the Euphrates, and say, ‘Thus shall Babylon sink, to rise no more, because of the disaster that I am bringing upon her, and they shall become exhausted.’” Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah has just finished dictating a scroll containing prophecies against Babylon to his scribe, Seraiah, who is accompanying King Zedekiah. Seraiah is instructed to read the scroll upon reaching Babylon, and then perform a symbolic act: tie a stone to it and cast it into the Euphrates River. This act is a dramatic demonstration that the mighty city of Babylon, like the scroll, will be sunk and disappear forever, never to rise again.
Imagine reading a message of doom, then performing a physical act to ensure it's never seen again. That's what Jeremiah commanded.
Jeremiah's final command to Seraiah is striking: tie a stone to the prophetic scroll and cast it into the Euphrates River. This isn't just symbolic; it's a declaration of permanence.
A Sinking Message
The stone isn't just for weight; it ensures the scroll sinks to the deepest part of the river, making retrieval impossible. This physical act powerfully illustrates that Babylon's judgment, as detailed in the scroll, is final and irreversible. Once read, once delivered, this prophecy is to be submerged, just as the city itself will be.
No Rising Again
Jeremiah 51:64 explicitly states, 'Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her.' This isn't a temporary setback; it's utter destruction. The act of casting the scroll into the river seals its fate, mirroring God's unyielding decree against the city's pride and wickedness.
Jeremiah wasn't just a writer; he was a man of bold action, even when it meant personal risk.
The delivery of this scroll to Babylon, and the final symbolic act, required immense courage from both Jeremiah and Seraiah.
Jeremiah's Boldness
Jeremiah, knowing the danger of delivering such a damning prophecy to the enemy's capital, commands Seraiah with unwavering authority. He doesn't flinch from the implications or the potential backlash. This demonstrates the prophet's deep conviction and his commitment to God's word, no matter the personal cost.
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Seraiah's Faithfulness
Seraiah, described as a 'quiet prince,' undertook this perilous mission. He was tasked not only with carrying the written judgment but also with performing the dramatic act of casting it into the Euphrates. This required faith to obey God's command, even when it seemed strange or dangerous, and to face the powerful city of Babylon with such a message.
The Weight of Obedience
This event highlights that obedience to God's call often involves tangible, symbolic actions that require courage. It's a reminder that God's messengers are called to be faithful, not just in speaking, but also in acting out the truth they proclaim.
Understand the original words
sepher · Hebrew Noun
A scroll, document, or collection of written words containing divine revelation, prophecy, or instruction meant to be preserved and heeded.
ra'ah · Hebrew Noun
A momentous event, calamity, or divine punishment; biblically, it signifies a sudden and destructive visitation resulting from sin and rebellion against God.
The dramatic act of casting the scroll into the Euphrates River wasn't just a symbolic gesture; it was a powerful, visual prophecy meant to assure the exiled Jews of Babylon's impending and irreversible destruction, echoing God's judgment against all oppressive powers.
c. 597 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Jehoiachin and many skilled workers and nobles are exiled to Babylon following Nebuchadnezzar's siege of Jerusalem.
589-587 BC
Siege and Fall of Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar lays siege to Jerusalem again, leading to the city's destruction and the final deportation of Judeans to Babylon.
c. 587 BC— this verse
Jeremiah Dictates Prophecies Against Babylon
Jeremiah, likely during or after the Babylonian exile, dictates prophecies of Babylon's destruction into a scroll, which he gives to his scribe, Seraiah.
c. 587 BC
Seraiah Travels to Babylon
Seraiah, the scribe, travels to Babylon with King Zedekiah, carrying Jeremiah's scroll.
c. 587 BC
Seraiah's Symbolic Act
Upon arriving in Babylon, Seraiah reads Jeremiah's prophecies aloud and then symbolically casts the scroll, weighted with a stone, into the Euphrates River, signifying Babylon's irreversible doom.
539 BC
Fall of Babylon to Persia
Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon, marking the end of the Babylonian Empire.
This passage describes a mighty angel casting a great millstone into the sea, saying 'So will Babylon the great city be hurled down, and will not be found again,' directly echoing the symbolic act of sinking Babylon with a stone in Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 13:4-7Jeremiah's earlier symbolic act of burying a linen girdle in the Euphrates and later retrieving it damaged shows a pattern of using the river and symbolic actions to illustrate God's judgment, similar to this passage's command.
Isaiah 14:23This prophecy foretells that Babylon will become a 'haunt for jackals, a place for wild animals to rest,' and be reduced to pools of water, painting a picture of utter desolation that the sinking of the book signifies.
Jeremiah 19:10-11Here, Jeremiah breaks a potter's clay jar in the Valley of Hinnom, symbolizing the shattering of Judah and Jerusalem; this act parallels the sinking of the book as a potent visual representation of irreversible destruction.
calvinJeremiah 51:60-64: "So Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that should come upon Babylon, even all these words that are written against Babylon."
Et dices, Jehova, tu loquutus es contra locum hunc, ad excidendum ipsum, ut non sit in eo habitator, ab homine ad bestiam, quia vastationes perpetuae erit (hoc est, erit in vastationes perpetuas, vel redigetur.)
And it shall be, when thou hast made an end of reading this book, that thou shalt bind a stone to it, and cast it into the midst o…
ellicottJeremiah 51:63: "And it shall be, when thou hast made an end of reading this book, that thou shalt bind a stone to it, and cast it into the midst of Euphrates:"
(63) Thou shalt bind a stone to it. —The meaning of the symbolic act, which has its parallel in the girdle of Jeremiah 13:1-7 , in the potter’s vessel of Jeremiah 19:10 , and in the yokes of Jeremiah 27:2 , is explained in the following verse. The parchment roll by itself might have floated, and been picked up and read, and so the stone…
This wasn't just about sinking a book; it was a dramatic, physical act to demonstrate that Babylon's doom was sealed. Tying a stone to the scroll ensured it would sink and be lost forever, a powerful visual echoing the prophecy that the mighty city itself would be irrecoverably plunged into ruin and never rise again.
Jeremiah has just finished dictating a scroll containing prophecies against Babylon to his scribe, Seraiah, who is accompanying King Zedekiah. Seraiah is instructed to read the scroll upon reaching Babylon, and then perform a symbolic act: tie a stone to it and cast it into the Euphrates River. This act is a dramatic demonstration that the mighty city of Babylon, like the scroll, will be sunk and disappear forever, never to rise again.
Jeremiah has just finished dictating a scroll containing prophecies against Babylon to his scribe, Seraiah, who is accompanying King Zedekiah. Seraiah is instructed to read the scroll upon reaching Babylon, and then perform a symbolic act: tie a stone to it and cast it into the Euphrates River. This act is a dramatic demonstration that the mighty city of Babylon, like the scroll, will be sunk and disappear forever, never to rise again.
"When you finish reading this book, tie a stone to it and cast it into the midst of the Euphrates, and say, ‘Thus shall Babylon sink, to rise no more, because of the disaster that I am bringing upon her, and they shall become exhausted.’”…" — This wasn't just about sinking a book; it was a dramatic, physical act to demonstrate that Babylon's doom was sealed. Tying a stone to the scroll ensured it would sink and be lost forever, a powerf…
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Last reviewed October 2026
