Jeremiah 51:2 I will send strangers to Babylon to winnow her and empty her land; for they will come against her from every side in her day of disaster.

◄ Jeremiah 51:2 ►

New International Version
I will send foreigners to Babylon to winnow her and to devastate her land; they will oppose her on every side in the day of her disaster.

New Living Translation
Foreigners will come and winnow her, blowing her away as chaff. They will come from every side to rise against her in her day of trouble.

English Standard Version
and I will send to Babylon winnowers, and they shall winnow her, and they shall empty her land, when they come against her from every side on the day of trouble.

Berean Standard Bible
I will send strangers to Babylon to winnow her and empty her land; for they will come against her from every side in her day of disaster.

King James Bible
And will send unto Babylon fanners, that shall fan her, and shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about.

New King James Version
And I will send winnowers to Babylon, Who shall winnow her and empty her land. For in the day of doom They shall be against her all around.

New American Standard Bible
“I will send foreigners to Babylon so that they may winnow her And devastate her land; For they will be opposed to her on every side On the day of her disaster.

NASB 1995
“I will dispatch foreigners to Babylon that they may winnow her And may devastate her land; For on every side they will be opposed to her In the day of her calamity.

NASB 1977
“And I shall dispatch foreigners to Babylon that they may winnow her And may devastate her land; For on every side they will be opposed to her In the day of her calamity.

Legacy Standard Bible
I will send strangers to Babylon that they may winnow her And may empty her land to destruction; For on every side they will be against her In the day of her calamity.

Amplified Bible
And I will send foreigners to Babylon that they may winnow her And may devastate and empty her land; For in the day of destruction They will be against her on every side.

Christian Standard Bible
I will send strangers to Babylon who will scatter her and strip her land bare, for they will come against her from every side in the day of disaster.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I will send strangers to Babylon who will scatter her and strip her land bare, for they will come against her from every side in the day of disaster.

American Standard Version
And I will send unto Babylon strangers, that shall winnow her; and they shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about.

Contemporary English Version
Foreign soldiers will come from every direction, and when the disaster is over, Babylonia will be empty and worthless.

English Revised Version
And I will send unto Babylon strangers, that shall fan her; and they shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I will send people to winnow Babylon, to winnow it and strip its land bare. They will attack it from every direction on the day of trouble.

Good News Translation
I will send foreigners to destroy Babylonia like a wind that blows straw away. When that day of destruction comes, they will attack from every side and leave the land bare.

International Standard Version
I'll send foreigners to Babylon, and they'll winnow her, and devastate her land. They'll come against her from every side on the day of her disaster.

Majority Standard Bible
I will send strangers to Babylon to winnow her and empty her land; for they will come against her from every side in her day of disaster.

NET Bible
I will send people to winnow Babylonia like a wind blowing away chaff. They will winnow her and strip her land bare. This will happen when they come against her from every direction, when it is time to destroy her.

New Heart English Bible
I will send to Babylon foreigners who shall winnow her; and they shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her around.

Webster's Bible Translation
And will send to Babylon fanners, that shall fan her, and shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her on all sides.

World English Bible
I will send to Babylon strangers, who will winnow her. They will empty her land; for in the day of trouble they will be against her all around.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And I have sent fanners to Babylon, "" And they have fanned her, and they empty her land, "" For they have been against her, "" All around—in the day of evil.

Young's Literal Translation
And I have sent to Babylon fanners, And they have fanned it, and they empty its land, For they have been against it, Round about -- in the day of evil.

Smith's Literal Translation
And I sent forth to Babel those scattering, and they scattered her, and they shall empty her land: for they were against her round about in the day of evil.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And I will send to Babylon fanners, and they shall fan her, and shall destroy her land: for they are come upon her on every side in the day of her affliction.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And I will send winnowers into Babylon, and they will winnow her, and they will demolish her land. For they will overwhelm her from every side in the day of her affliction.

New American Bible
To Babylon I will send winnowers to winnow and lay waste the land; They shall besiege it on every side on the day of affliction.

New Revised Standard Version
and I will send winnowers to Babylon, and they shall winnow her. They shall empty her land when they come against her from every side on the day of trouble.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And I will send to Babylon destroyers, and they shall plunder her and tread her land under their feet; and they shall gather against her from every side in the day of trouble.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And I shall send against Babel plunderers, and they shall plunder her, and they shall tread her land and they shall be assembled against her all around her in the day of evil

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And I will send unto Babylon strangers, that shall fan her, And they shall empty her land; For in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And I will send forth against Babylon spoilers, and they shall spoil her, and shall ravage her land. Woe to Babylon round about her in the day of her affliction.

Audio Bible

Context

The Judgment on Babylon
1This is what the LORD says: “Behold, I will stir up against Babylon and against the people of Leb-kamai the spirit of a destroyer. 2I will send strangers to Babylon to winnow her and empty her land; for they will come against her from every side in her day of disaster. 3Do not let the archer bend his bow or put on his armor. Do not spare her young men; devote all her army to destruction!…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Revelation 18:2-3
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. / All the nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her immorality. The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy from the extravagance of her luxury.”

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. ...

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 21:9
Look, here come the riders, horsemen in pairs.” And one answered, saying: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon! All the images of her gods lie shattered on the ground!”

Revelation 17:1-2
Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. / The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and those who dwell on the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her immorality.”

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 18:21
Then a mighty angel picked up a stone the size of a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be cast down, never to be seen again.

Isaiah 14:22-23
“I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of Hosts. “I will cut off from Babylon her name and her remnant, her offspring and her posterity,” declares the LORD. / “I will make her a place for owls and for swamplands; I will sweep her away with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of Hosts.

Revelation 18:4-5
Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “Come out of her, My people, so that you will not share in her sins or contract any of her plagues. / For her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.

Isaiah 48:20
Leave Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! Declare it with a shout of joy, proclaim it, let it go out to the ends of the earth, saying, “The LORD has redeemed His servant Jacob!”

Revelation 16:19
The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. And God remembered Babylon the great and gave her the cup of the wine of the fury of His wrath.

Isaiah 13:1-5
This is the burden against Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz received: / Raise a banner on a barren hilltop; call aloud to them. Wave your hand, that they may enter the gates of the nobles. / I have commanded My sanctified ones; I have even summoned My warriors to execute My wrath and exult in My triumph. ...

Revelation 18:10
In fear of her torment, they will stand at a distance and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, the mighty city of Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.”

Isaiah 45:1-2
This is what the LORD says to Cyrus His anointed, whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him, to disarm kings, to open the doors before him, so that the gates will not be shut: / “I will go before you and level the mountains; I will break down the gates of bronze and cut through the bars of iron.

Revelation 18:6-8
Give back to her as she has done to others; pay her back double for what she has done; mix her a double portion in her own cup. / As much as she has glorified herself and lived in luxury, give her the same measure of torment and grief. In her heart she says, ‘I sit as queen; I am not a widow and will never see grief.’ / 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.”

Treasury of Scripture

And will send to Babylon fanners, that shall fan her, and shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about.

fanners

Jeremiah 15:7
And I will fan them with a fan in the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children, I will destroy my people, since they return not from their ways.

Isaiah 41:16
Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.

Ezekiel 5:12
A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee: and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and I will scatter a third part into all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them.

in the day

Jeremiah 51:27,28
Set ye up a standard in the land, blow the trumpet among the nations, prepare the nations against her, call together against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashchenaz; appoint a captain against her; cause the horses to come up as the rough caterpillers…

Jeremiah 50:14,15,29,32
Put yourselves in array against Babylon round about: all ye that bend the bow, shoot at her, spare no arrows: for she hath sinned against the LORD…

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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

Berean Study Bible

I will send
The phrase "I will send" indicates divine initiative and sovereignty. In the Hebrew text, the verb used here is "שָׁלַח" (shalach), which means to send or dispatch. This action underscores God's control over the events that unfold in history. It is a reminder that God is actively involved in the affairs of nations, orchestrating events according to His divine plan. This reflects the biblical theme that God raises up and brings down nations according to His purposes.

strangers
The term "strangers" refers to foreign invaders or outsiders. In the context of ancient warfare, these would be non-native peoples who come to conquer or plunder. Historically, this prophecy was fulfilled when the Medes and Persians, who were indeed foreign to Babylon, invaded and conquered the city. The use of "strangers" highlights the humiliation and vulnerability of Babylon, once a mighty empire, now subject to the whims of foreign powers.

to Babylon
Babylon, in the biblical narrative, is often symbolic of human pride and rebellion against God. It was a city known for its grandeur and its defiance of the God of Israel. The mention of Babylon here is significant as it represents the culmination of human arrogance and the eventual downfall that comes from opposing God. Archaeologically, Babylon was a real city, renowned for its impressive architecture, including the Hanging Gardens, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

to winnow her
The imagery of winnowing involves separating the wheat from the chaff, a process that involves tossing grain into the air so that the wind can blow away the lighter chaff. In Hebrew, the word "זָרָה" (zarah) is used, which means to scatter or disperse. This metaphor signifies judgment and purification. God is declaring that He will sift Babylon, removing what is worthless and leaving what is valuable. It is a powerful image of divine judgment and the purging of sin.

and to empty her land
The phrase "to empty her land" suggests complete desolation and depopulation. The Hebrew root "בָּקַק" (baqaq) means to empty or lay waste. This indicates the totality of the destruction that Babylon will face. Historically, this prophecy was realized when Babylon fell and its population was significantly reduced. It serves as a warning of the consequences of turning away from God and the inevitable emptiness that follows.

for they will come against her
This phrase emphasizes the certainty and inevitability of the coming judgment. The "they" refers to the invading forces, and the phrase underscores the relentless nature of the attack. It is a reminder that God's decrees are unstoppable and that His plans will come to fruition. The historical context shows that the Medo-Persian forces indeed came against Babylon with great force and determination.

from every side
The phrase "from every side" indicates a comprehensive and overwhelming assault. Babylon, despite its strong defenses, would be surrounded and attacked from all directions. This reflects the thoroughness of God's judgment and the inescapability of His will. It is a sobering reminder that no human power or fortification can stand against the purposes of God.

in the day of disaster
The "day of disaster" refers to the appointed time of Babylon's downfall. In Hebrew, the word "אֵיד" (eyd) is used, meaning calamity or ruin. This phrase highlights the specificity and timing of God's judgment. It serves as a warning that there is a set time for judgment, and it will come to pass as decreed by God. For believers, it is a call to remain vigilant and faithful, knowing that God's justice will ultimately prevail.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(2) Fanners, that shall fan her.--The Hebrew word as it stands means "strangers," but a change of the vowel-points would give etymologically "winnowers" or "fanners," though the word is not found elsewhere. On the whole it would seem best to accept the meaning of "strangers," the prophet connecting it with the verb for "fan," which contains the same consonants, for the sake of a rhythmical assonance. The imagery in either case is that of the familiar picture of the "threshing-floor," where the "strong wind" scatters the chaff in all directions (Psalm 1:4; Psalm 35:5; Isaiah 17:13; Isaiah 29:5). The word for "empty" is the same as that used with an emphatic significance in Jeremiah 19:7.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 2. - Farmers. This is supported by the Septuagint, Peshito, Targum, Vulgate, according to the Massoretic pointing, however, we should render "enemies." Possibly the prophet intended to suggest both meanings, a and o being so nearly related. Shall empty her land. The original has a much mere striking word, shall pour out (for the figures, comp. Jeremiah 48:12), which occurs again in similar contexts in Isaiah 24:1; Nahum 2:3 (Hebrew, 2).

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

I will send
וְשִׁלַּחְתִּ֨י (wə·šil·laḥ·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

strangers
זָרִים֙ (zā·rîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 2114: To turn aside, to be a, foreigner, strange, profane, to commit adultery

to Babylon
לְבָבֶ֤ל ׀ (lə·ḇā·ḇel)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 894: Babylon -- an eastern Mediterranean empire and its capital city

to winnow her
וְזֵר֔וּהָ (wə·zê·rū·hā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural | third person feminine singular
Strong's 2219: To toss about, to diffuse, winnow

and empty
וִיבֹקְק֖וּ (wî·ḇō·qə·qū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1238: To pour out, to empty, to depopulate, to spread out

her
אֶת־ (’eṯ-)
Direct object marker
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

land;
אַרְצָ֑הּ (’ar·ṣāh)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

for
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

they will come
הָי֥וּ (hā·yū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

against her
עָלֶ֛יהָ (‘ā·le·hā)
Preposition | third person feminine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

from every side
מִסָּבִ֖יב (mis·sā·ḇîḇ)
Preposition-m | Adverb
Strong's 5439: A circle, neighbour, environs, around

in the day
בְּי֥וֹם (bə·yō·wm)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3117: A day

of [her] disaster.
רָעָֽה׃ (rā·‘āh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil

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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 51:2 I will send to Babylon strangers who (Jer.)