Jeremiah 51:14
New International Version
The LORD Almighty has sworn by himself: I will surely fill you with troops, as with a swarm of locusts, and they will shout in triumph over you.

New Living Translation
The LORD of Heaven’s Armies has taken this vow and has sworn to it by his own name: “Your cities will be filled with enemies, like fields swarming with locusts, and they will shout in triumph over you.”

English Standard Version
The LORD of hosts has sworn by himself: Surely I will fill you with men, as many as locusts, and they shall raise the shout of victory over you.

Berean Standard Bible
The LORD of Hosts has sworn by Himself: “Surely I will fill you up with men as with locusts, and they will shout in triumph over you.”

King James Bible
The LORD of hosts hath sworn by himself, saying, Surely I will fill thee with men, as with caterpillers; and they shall lift up a shout against thee.

New King James Version
The LORD of hosts has sworn by Himself: “Surely I will fill you with men, as with locusts, And they shall lift up a shout against you.”

New American Standard Bible
The LORD of armies has sworn by Himself: “I will certainly fill you with a population like locusts, And they will cry out with shouts of victory over you.”

NASB 1995
The LORD of hosts has sworn by Himself: “Surely I will fill you with a population like locusts, And they will cry out with shouts of victory over you.”

NASB 1977
The LORD of hosts has sworn by Himself: “Surely I will fill you with a population like locusts, And they will cry out with shouts of victory over you.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Yahweh of hosts has sworn by Himself: “Surely I will fill you with a population like locusts, And they will cry out with shouts of victory over you.”

Amplified Bible
The LORD of hosts has sworn [an oath] by Himself, saying, “Surely I will fill you with men, as with [a swarm of] locusts [who strip the land clean], And they will lift up a song and shout of victory over you.”

Christian Standard Bible
The LORD of Armies has sworn by himself: I will fill you up with men as with locusts, and they will sing the victory song over you.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The LORD of Hosts has sworn by Himself: I will fill you up with men as with locusts, and they will sing the victory song over you.

American Standard Version
Jehovah of hosts hath sworn by himself, saying, Surely I will fill thee with men, as with the canker-worm; and they shall lift up a shout against thee.

Contemporary English Version
I, the LORD All-Powerful, swear by my own life that enemy soldiers will fill your streets like a swarm of locusts. They will shout and celebrate their victory.

English Revised Version
The LORD of hosts hath sworn by himself, saying, Surely I will fill thee with men, as with the cankerworm; and they shall lift up a shout against thee.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The LORD of Armies has taken an oath on himself: "I will certainly fill you with many enemy armies. They will swarm like locusts. People will shout their victory over you."

Good News Translation
The LORD Almighty has sworn by his own life that he will bring many men to attack Babylonia like a swarm of locusts, and they will shout with victory.

International Standard Version
The LORD of the Heavenly Armies has sworn by himself: "I'll surely fill you with soldiers like a swarm of locusts, and they'll sing songs of victory over you."

Majority Standard Bible
The LORD of Hosts has sworn by Himself: ?Surely I will fill you up with men as with locusts, and they will shout in triumph over you.?

NET Bible
The LORD who rules over all has solemnly sworn, 'I will fill your land with enemy soldiers. They will swarm over it like locusts. They will raise up shouts of victory over it.'

New Heart English Bible
The LORD of hosts has sworn by himself, saying, "Surely I will fill you with men, as with the canker worm; and they shall lift up a shout against you."

Webster's Bible Translation
The LORD of hosts hath sworn by himself, saying, Surely I will fill thee with men, as with caterpillars; and they shall raise a shout against thee.

World English Bible
Yahweh of Armies has sworn by himself, saying, ‘Surely I will fill you with men, as with locusts, and they will lift up a shout against you.’
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
YHWH of Hosts has sworn by Himself, "" That, Surely I have filled you [with] men as the cankerworm, "" And they have cried against you—shouting.

Young's Literal Translation
Sworn hath Jehovah of Hosts by Himself, That, Surely I have filled thee with men as the cankerworm, And they have cried against thee -- shouting.

Smith's Literal Translation
Jehovah of armies sware by his soul: That if I filled thee with men as with locusts, and they struck up a shout against thee.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The Lord of hosts hath sworn by himself, saying : I will fill thee with men as with locusts, and they shall lift up a joyful shout against thee.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The Lord of hosts has sworn by himself, saying: “For I will fill you with men as with locusts, and they will sing a rhythmic chant against you.”

New American Bible
The LORD of hosts has sworn by himself: I will fill you with people as numerous as locusts, who shall raise over you a joyous shout!

New Revised Standard Version
The LORD of hosts has sworn by himself: Surely I will fill you with troops like a swarm of locusts, and they shall raise a shout of victory over you.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
The LORD of hosts has sworn by himself, saying, Surely I will fill you with men, numerous as locusts; and they shall lift up a shout against you, saying, It is done! It is done!

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
LORD JEHOVAH of Hosts has sworn in his soul: "I shall fill you with men like locusts, and they shall answer against you, and they shall say, ‘Woe! Woe!’"
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
The LORD of hosts hath sworn by Himself: Surely I will fill thee with men, as with the canker-worm, And they shall lift up a shout against thee.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For the Lord has sworn by his arm, saying, I will fill thee with men as with locusts; and they that come down shall cry against thee.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Judgment on Babylon
13You who dwell by many waters, rich in treasures, your end has come; the thread of your life is cut. 14The LORD of Hosts has sworn by Himself: “Surely I will fill you up with men as with locusts, and they will shout in triumph over you.”

Cross References
Isaiah 13:4-5
Listen, a tumult on the mountains, like that of a great multitude! Listen, an uproar among the kingdoms, like nations gathered together! The LORD of Hosts is mobilizing an army for war. / They are coming from faraway lands, from the ends of the heavens—the LORD and the weapons of His wrath—to destroy the whole country.

Habakkuk 2:13
Is it not indeed from the LORD of Hosts that the labor of the people only feeds the fire, and the nations weary themselves in vain?

Isaiah 14:24-27
The LORD of Hosts has sworn: “Surely, as I have planned, so will it be; as I have purposed, so will it stand. / I will break Assyria in My land; I will trample him on My mountain. His yoke will be taken off My people, and his burden removed from their shoulders.” / This is the plan devised for the whole earth, and this is the hand stretched out over all the nations. ...

Revelation 18:8
Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and grief and famine—and she will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.”

Isaiah 45:23
By Myself I have sworn; truth has gone out from My mouth, a word that will not be revoked: Every knee will bow before Me, every tongue will swear allegiance.

Revelation 17:16-17
And the ten horns and the beast that you saw will hate the prostitute. They will leave her desolate and naked, and they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. / For God has put it into their hearts to carry out His purpose by uniting to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.

Isaiah 10:5-7
Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger; the staff in their hands is My wrath. / I will send him against a godless nation; I will dispatch him against a people destined for My rage, to take spoils and seize plunder, and to trample them down like clay in the streets. / But this is not his intention; this is not his plan. For it is in his heart to destroy and cut off many nations.

Revelation 18:2
And he cried out in a mighty voice: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a lair for demons and a haunt for every unclean spirit, every unclean bird, and every detestable beast.

Isaiah 46:10-11
I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’ / I summon a bird of prey from the east, a man for My purpose from a far-off land. Truly I have spoken, and truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, and I will surely do it.

Revelation 19:1-2
After this I heard a sound like the roar of a great multitude in heaven, shouting: “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God! / For His judgments are true and just. He has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the blood of His servants that was poured out by her hand.”

Isaiah 47:1-3
“Go down and sit in the dust, O Virgin Daughter of Babylon. Sit on the ground without a throne, O Daughter of the Chaldeans! For you will no longer be called tender or delicate. / Take millstones and grind flour; remove your veil; strip off your skirt, bare your thigh, and wade through the streams. / Your nakedness will be uncovered and your shame will be exposed. I will take vengeance; I will spare no one.”

Revelation 14:8
Then a second angel followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, who has made all the nations drink the wine of the passion of her immorality.”

Isaiah 48:14
Come together, all of you, and listen: Which of the idols has foretold these things? The LORD’s chosen ally will carry out His desire against Babylon, and His arm will be against the Chaldeans.

Revelation 18:20
Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced for you His judgment against her.

Isaiah 13:19-22
And Babylon, the jewel of the kingdoms, the glory of the pride of the Chaldeans, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah. / She will never be inhabited or settled from generation to generation; no nomad will pitch his tent there, no shepherd will rest his flock there. / But desert creatures will lie down there, and howling creatures will fill her houses. Ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will leap about. ...


Treasury of Scripture

The LORD of hosts has sworn by himself, saying, Surely I will fill you with men, as with caterpillars; and they shall lift up a shout against you.

sworn

Jeremiah 49:13
For I have sworn by myself, saith the LORD, that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall be perpetual wastes.

Amos 6:8
The Lord GOD hath sworn by himself, saith the LORD the God of hosts, I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces: therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein.

Hebrews 6:13
For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,

himself [heb] his soul

Jeremiah 46:23
They shall cut down her forest, saith the LORD, though it cannot be searched; because they are more than the grasshoppers, and are innumerable.

Judges 6:5
For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.

Joel 1:4-7
That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten…

lift up [heb] utter

Jeremiah 50:15
Shout against her round about: she hath given her hand: her foundations are fallen, her walls are thrown down: for it is the vengeance of the LORD: take vengeance upon her; as she hath done, do unto her.

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Jeremiah 51
1. The severe judgment of God against Babylon, in revenge of Israel
59. Jeremiah delivers the book of this prophecy to Seraiah, to be cast into Euphrates,
64. in token of the perpetual sinking of Babylon














The LORD of Hosts
This title for God, "The LORD of Hosts," is a powerful and majestic designation that emphasizes His supreme authority over all heavenly and earthly armies. The Hebrew term "Yahweh Sabaoth" conveys God's omnipotence and His role as the commander of the celestial forces. In the context of Jeremiah, this title reassures the Israelites of God's ultimate control and His ability to execute judgment against Babylon. Historically, this reflects the ancient Near Eastern understanding of deities as warriors, but here it is the one true God who commands all.

has sworn
The act of swearing an oath in ancient times was a solemn and binding declaration. When God swears, it underscores the certainty and unchangeable nature of His promises. In Hebrew, the word "shaba" is used, which is related to the word for seven, symbolizing completeness and perfection. This divine oath assures the fulfillment of God's judgment against Babylon, reinforcing the reliability of His word.

by Himself
God swearing by Himself highlights His unique and unparalleled nature. In human terms, oaths are sworn by something greater, but there is nothing greater than God. This phrase emphasizes His self-existence and sovereignty. It is a reminder of His eternal and unchanging character, providing comfort and assurance to His people that His promises are trustworthy.

Surely I will fill you with men
This phrase indicates a divine promise of action. The imagery of filling suggests abundance and completeness. In the context of judgment, it implies that Babylon will be overwhelmed by invaders. The historical context is the impending conquest by the Medes and Persians, fulfilling God's prophetic word through Jeremiah.

as with locusts
Locusts in the Bible often symbolize destruction and overwhelming numbers. The comparison to locusts suggests an unstoppable and devastating force. This imagery would resonate with the Israelites, who were familiar with the destructive power of locust swarms. It serves as a vivid picture of the impending judgment on Babylon, emphasizing the totality of their defeat.

They will shout in triumph over you
The phrase "shout in triumph" conveys the idea of victory and celebration. The Hebrew root "ranan" suggests a joyful noise, often associated with victory in battle. This prophetic declaration assures that Babylon's conquerors will celebrate their victory, marking the end of Babylon's oppressive reign. It is a message of hope for the Israelites, promising the downfall of their captors and the restoration of justice.

(14) The Lord of hosts hath sworn by himself.--This is, as in Jeremiah 49:13; Amos 6:8, the most solemn form of affirmation. Compare Hebrews 6:13, and Note on Jeremiah 49:13.

Surely I will fill thee with men, as with Caterpillers.--Better, with grasshoppers or locusts, the fullest type of the swarms of the destroyer (Nahum 3:15). The "Surely" answers to the Hebrew "For if," as giving the condition on which the shouting depends. . . .

Verse 14. - Surely I will fill thee, etc. This is the rendering of Hitzig and Graf; the enemies are compared to locusts, as in Jeremiah 46:23. But the expression, "to fill a city with men," is more naturally taken of the increase of the population of the city; and it is better to render, with Ewald and Keil, "Even though [or, 'Surely even though'] I have filled thee with men, as with locusts, they shall raise over thee the cheer of the vintage;" i.e. the millions of Babylon's population will not save her from the most utter ruin. For the vintage cheer, see on Jeremiah 25:30; and for the figures, see especially, Isaiah 63:1-6.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The LORD
יְהוָ֥ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

of Hosts
צְבָא֖וֹת (ṣə·ḇā·’ō·wṯ)
Noun - common plural
Strong's 6635: A mass of persons, reg, organized for, war, a campaign

has sworn
נִשְׁבַּ֛ע (niš·ba‘)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7650: To seven oneself, swear

by Himself:
בְּנַפְשׁ֑וֹ (bə·nap̄·šōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

“Surely
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

I will fill you up
מִלֵּאתִ֤יךְ (mil·lê·ṯîḵ)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singular | second person feminine singular
Strong's 4390: To fill, be full of

with men
אָדָם֙ (’ā·ḏām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 120: Ruddy, a human being

like locusts,
כַּיֶּ֔לֶק (kay·ye·leq)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3218: A devourer, the young locust

and they will shout in triumph
וְעָנ֥וּ (wə·‘ā·nū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 6030: To answer, respond

over you.”
עָלַ֖יִךְ (‘ā·la·yiḵ)
Preposition | second person feminine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 51:14 Yahweh of Armies has sworn by himself (Jer.)
Jeremiah 51:13
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