And they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations; but thou shalt be desolate for ever, saith the LORD.
And they shall not take {H3947} of thee a stone {H68} for a corner {H6438}, nor a stone {H68} for foundations {H4146}; but thou shalt be desolate {H8077} for ever {H5769}, saith {H5002} the LORD {H3068}.
No one will make cornerstones or foundation-stones from you again; but you will be desolate forever," says ADONAI.
No one shall retrieve from you a cornerstone or a foundation stone, because you will become desolate forever,” declares the LORD.
And they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations; but thou shalt be desolate for ever, saith Jehovah.
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Isaiah 13:19
¶ And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. -
Isaiah 13:22
And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in [their] pleasant palaces: and her time [is] near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged. -
Jeremiah 51:43
Her cities are a desolation, a dry land, and a wilderness, a land wherein no man dwelleth, neither doth [any] son of man pass thereby. -
Jeremiah 50:12
Your mother shall be sore confounded; she that bare you shall be ashamed: behold, the hindermost of the nations [shall be] a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert. -
Jeremiah 50:13
Because of the wrath of the LORD it shall not be inhabited, but it shall be wholly desolate: every one that goeth by Babylon shall be astonished, and hiss at all her plagues. -
Jeremiah 50:40
As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour [cities] thereof, saith the LORD; [so] shall no man abide there, neither shall any son of man dwell therein. -
Jeremiah 50:41
Behold, a people shall come from the north, and a great nation, and many kings shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.
Context
Jeremiah 51:26 is part of a lengthy prophetic oracle (Jeremiah 50-51) detailing the impending judgment and utter destruction of Babylon. While Babylon had served as God's instrument to punish Judah for its idolatry and disobedience, its own pride, cruelty, and blasphemy brought about its downfall. This verse specifically highlights the completeness and permanence of Babylon's ruin. The once mighty empire, a symbol of power and human achievement, is declared by the LORD to become so utterly desolate that its very stones will be useless for any future construction, signifying an irreversible end.
Key Themes and Messages
Linguistic Insights
The Hebrew terms used reinforce the message of utter ruin:
Practical Application
Jeremiah 51:26 offers several timeless lessons for believers today: