King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken! how is Babylon become a desolation among the nations!
Complete Jewish Bible:
How the hammer of the whole earth lies hacked apart and shattered! What an object of horror among the nations Bavel has become!
Berean Standard Bible:
How the hammer of the whole earth lies broken and shattered! What a horror Babylon has become among the nations!
American Standard Version:
How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken! how is Babylon become a desolation among the nations!
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
How is the hammer{H6360} of the whole earth{H776} cut asunder{H1438} and broken{H7665}! how is Babylon{H894} become a desolation{H8047} among the nations{H1471}!
Cross-References (KJV):
Jeremiah 51:20
- Thou [art] my battle axe [and] weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms;
Jeremiah 51:24
- And I will render unto Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Zion in your sight, saith the LORD.
Revelation 18:16
- And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
Isaiah 14:4
- ¶ That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!
Isaiah 14:6
- He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, [and] none hindereth.
Isaiah 14:12
- How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! [how] art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
Isaiah 14:17
- [That] made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; [that] opened not the house of his prisoners?
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Jeremiah 50:23
Jeremiah 50:23 is part of a larger prophetic oracle against Babylon found in Jeremiah chapters 50 and 51. This verse encapsulates the theme of divine judgment against a powerful empire, in this case, Babylon, which is personified as a mighty hammer that has been broken and shattered. The historical context of this verse is set during a time when Babylon was the dominant world power, having destroyed Judah and the city of Jerusalem, including the First Temple, in 586 BCE. Jeremiah, the prophet, foretells the downfall of Babylon as retribution for its arrogance and cruelty.
The imagery of the "hammer of the whole earth" being cut asunder and broken conveys the sudden and complete destruction of Babylon's might. The verse speaks to the shock and awe that would accompany such a fall, as Babylon was known for its strength and influence, symbolized by the hammer, a tool associated with construction and destruction. The declaration that Babylon has become a "desolation among the nations" underscores the extent of its ruin and the loss of its status among other countries. This prophecy reflects the theological belief that God uses nations as instruments of judgment but also holds them accountable for their actions, ensuring that pride and oppression do not go unchecked.
The verse also resonates with the broader biblical theme of God's sovereignty over human history and the rise and fall of empires. It serves as a reminder of the transient nature of earthly power and the ultimate accountability to a divine moral order. For the people of Judah, this prophecy would have offered hope that their oppressor would not remain triumphant and that God had not abandoned them. The historical fulfillment of Babylon's fall came in 539 BCE when the Persian king Cyrus the Great conquered the city, an event that would have been seen as the realization of Jeremiah's prophecy.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H6360
There are 3 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: פַּטִּישׁ
Transliteration: paṭṭîysh
Pronunciation: pat-teesh'
Description: intensively from an unused root meaning to pound; a hammer; hammer. - Strong's Number: H776
There are 2739 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֶרֶץ
Transliteration: ʼerets
Pronunciation: eh'-rets
Description: from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land); [idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world. - Strong's Number: H1438
There are 23 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: גָּדַע
Transliteration: gâdaʻ
Pronunciation: gaw-dah'
Description: a primitive root; to fell a tree; generally, to destroy anything; cut (asunder, in sunder, down, off), hew down. - Strong's Number: H7665
There are 145 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שָׁבַר
Transliteration: shâbar
Pronunciation: shaw-bar'
Description: a primitive root; to burst (literally or figuratively); break (down, off, in pieces, up), broken (-hearted), bring to the birth, crush, destroy, hurt, quench, [idiom] quite, tear, view (by mistake for שָׂבַר). - Strong's Number: H894
There are 233 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בָּבֶל
Transliteration: Bâbel
Pronunciation: baw-bel'
Description: from בָּלַל; confusion; Babel (i.e. Babylon), including Babylonia and the Babylonian empire; Babel, Babylon. - Strong's Number: H8047
There are 39 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שַׁמָּה
Transliteration: shammâh
Pronunciation: sham-maw'
Description: from שָׁמֵם; ruin; by implication, consternation; astonishment, desolate(-ion), waste, wonderful thing. - Strong's Number: H1471
There are 511 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: גּוֹי
Transliteration: gôwy
Pronunciation: go'-ee
Description: rarely (shortened) גֹּי; apparently from the same root as גֵּוָה (in the sense of massing); a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts; Gentile, heathen, nation, people.