Jeremiah 51:64
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The phrase "and they shall become exhausted" likely echoes Jeremiah 51:58, revealing that Babylon's ultimate defeat isn't just a single event, but the end of their futile struggle. This repetition underscores that their exhaustion is a consequence of their futile efforts against God's judgment, a doom sealed not by man, but by the divine decree.
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 detailed a symbolic act: writing down all the prophecies against Babylon, binding a stone to it, and casting it into the Euphrates River. This action, performed by Seraiah, a prince of Judah, is meant to illustrate Babylon's permanent downfall. The passage concludes by explicitly stating these are the final words of Jeremiah's prophecy against Babylon, signaling the end of his direct pronouncements on the city's fate.
Imagine writing down all your worst fears and deepest condemnations, then performing a dramatic act to show they're irreversible. That's what Jeremiah did, and it speaks volumes about God's justice.
Jeremiah's act of writing and casting a book into the Euphrates River was a powerful, symbolic prophecy.
The Written Word of Doom
Jeremiah was instructed to write "all the evil that should come upon Babylon" (Jeremiah 51:60). This wasn't just a spoken word; it was a tangible record of God's judgment against the city.
The Symbolic Sinking
By tying a stone to the book and casting it into the Euphrates, Jeremiah performed a visible sign. This action declared that just as the book would sink and be lost, so too would Babylon fall, never to rise again. This wasn't a temporary setback, but a final, irreversible destruction.
The Finality of Divine Judgment
The words, "Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her," emphasize the absolute finality of God's judgment. It's a stark reminder that when God pronounces doom, it is carried out with perfect certainty.
Imagine being handed a 'doomsday book' and told to perform a public ritual that would surely anger a powerful empire. This is the challenge faced by Seraiah.
Seraiah, the king's messenger, was entrusted with a dangerous task. His willingness to carry out Jeremiah's prophetic act reveals significant character.
Ask a follow-up
Obedience in the Face of Danger
Seraiah was a "quiet prince" or "scribe" (Jeremiah 51:59), likely a man of some standing. Yet, he obeyed Jeremiah's command to write and then perform the symbolic act in Babylon. This demonstrated incredible courage, as carrying out such a message against the dominant world power was fraught with peril.
Faith in God's Word
Jeremiah instructed Seraiah to perform this ritual and then declare God's judgment. This act wasn't just for show; it was an affirmation of faith. Seraiah, by performing this, was privately acknowledging and reinforcing his belief in the certainty of God's word, even when no one else might see or understand.
A Private Affirmation of Faith
While the act had public implications, the reading and declaration likely occurred in a more private setting. This highlights how faith is often a deep, personal conviction that strengthens one's resolve, even when not performed before a cheering crowd.
Sometimes, the most important insights aren't in the main message, but in the notes scribbled at the end. That's true for Jeremiah 51.
The concluding phrase, 'Thus far are the words of Jeremiah,' serves a critical purpose in understanding the book's structure.
Distinguishing Prophecy from History
Scholars widely agree that this phrase acts as an editorial marker. It signals that the preceding chapters contain Jeremiah's prophecies, but what follows, specifically chapter 52, is historical narrative.
The Compiler's Role
This note indicates that a later editor or scribe, perhaps Baruch or Ezra, compiled Jeremiah's prophecies. They added historical accounts, like chapter 52 (which closely parallels 2 Kings 24-25), to provide context and demonstrate the fulfillment of Jeremiah's words.
Preserving the Integrity of Scripture
By clearly delineating between Jeremiah's prophetic voice and the historical record, this closing helps preserve the integrity of the prophetic message. It shows that the biblical text is a carefully assembled collection, where history and prophecy work together to reveal God's unfolding plan.
Understand the original words
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.
This verse concludes Jeremiah's prophecies against Babylon, but its historical context reveals that the accompanying narrative in chapter 52, detailing the fall of Jerusalem, was likely added later as a historical appendix, possibly by Ezra, to help readers understand the prophecies' fulfillment.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar deports some of the Judean nobility, including Daniel, to Babylon, marking the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
597 BC
Second Deportation
Following a rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar deports more Judeans, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon.
589-587 BC
Siege and Fall of Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar lays siege to Jerusalem, leading to its eventual destruction and the final deportation of Judeans to Babylon.
c. 587 BC— this verse
Jeremiah's Final Prophecy Written
Jeremiah writes down all the prophecies against Babylon in a scroll, preparing for a symbolic act of judgment.
c. 587 BC
Seraiah's Symbolic Act
Jeremiah instructs his scribe, Seraiah, to read the scroll aloud in Babylon and then cast it into the Euphrates River, signifying Babylon's irreversible doom.
c. 562 BC
Jehoiachin's Release from Prison
King Jehoiachin, exiled in Babylon for 37 years, is released from prison, an event recorded in the historical appendix (Jeremiah 52).
539 BC
Fall of Babylon to Persia
Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon, ending the Neo-Babylonian Empire and fulfilling prophecies of its ultimate downfall.
This passage in Revelation echoes the symbolic action in Jeremiah, depicting the final, irreversible destruction of 'mystical Babylon' with a similar imagery of being cast down like a great millstone.
Isaiah 13:19-22Isaiah prophesied earlier about Babylon's utter devastation, describing it as a place that will never be inhabited again, a desolate ruin where wild animals roam, reinforcing the finality of judgment described in Jeremiah.
Psalm 37:24While Jeremiah's prophecy is about a nation's fall, this psalm speaks to the individual believer, assuring that though the wicked may fall, they will not be permanently cast down, offering a contrasting hope for the righteous.
Daniel 4:30-31This passage shows Nebuchadnezzar boasting about Babylon's grandeur, highlighting the very pride that would lead to its downfall and divine judgment, a stark contrast to the permanent sinking described by Jeremiah.
barnesJeremiah 51:64: "And thou shalt say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her: and they shall be weary. Thus far are the words of Jeremiah."
Thus far ... - Whoever added Jeremiah 52 , evidently felt it his duty to point out that it was not written by Jeremiah.
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…
The phrase "and they shall become exhausted" likely echoes Jeremiah 51:58, revealing that Babylon's ultimate defeat isn't just a single event, but the end of their futile struggle. This repetition underscores that their exhaustion is a consequence of their futile efforts against God's judgment, a doom sealed not by man, but by the divine decree.
Jeremiah has just detailed a symbolic act: writing down all the prophecies against Babylon, binding a stone to it, and casting it into the Euphrates River. This action, performed by Seraiah, a prince of Judah, is meant to illustrate Babylon's permanent downfall. The passage concludes by explicitly stating these are the final words of Jeremiah's prophecy against Babylon, signaling the end of his direct pronouncements on the city's fate.
Jeremiah has just detailed a symbolic act: writing down all the prophecies against Babylon, binding a stone to it, and casting it into the Euphrates River. This action, performed by Seraiah, a prince of Judah, is meant to illustrate Babylon's permanent downfall. The passage concludes by explicitly stating these are the final words of Jeremiah's prophecy against Babylon, signaling the end of his direct pronouncements on the city's fate.
"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." — The phrase "and they shall become exhausted" likely echoes Jeremiah 51:58, revealing that Babylon's ultimate defeat isn't just a single event, but the end of their futile struggle. This repetition un…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
