Jeremiah 51:7

Babylon [hath been] a golden cup in the LORD'S hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad.

Babylon {H894} hath been a golden {H2091} cup {H3563} in the LORD'S {H3068} hand {H3027}, that made all the earth {H776} drunken {H7937}: the nations {H1471} have drunken {H8354} of her wine {H3196}; therefore the nations {H1471} are mad {H1984}.

Bavel was a gold cup in the hands of ADONAI; it made the whole earth drunk - the nations drank her wine; this is why the nations have lost their senses.

Babylon was a gold cup in the hand of the LORD, making the whole earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; therefore the nations have gone mad.

Babylon hath been a golden cup in Jehovah’s hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunk of her wine; therefore the nations are mad.

Commentary

Jeremiah 51:7 graphically describes ancient Babylon as a formidable, yet ultimately controlled, instrument in God’s hands, used to exert influence and cause spiritual disorientation among the nations of the earth.

Context

This verse is part of a significant prophetic oracle against Babylon, found in Jeremiah chapters 50 and 51. These chapters meticulously detail God's impending judgment on Babylon for its overwhelming pride, rampant idolatry, and its harsh oppression of God's people, Judah, whom it had conquered. While God initially utilized Babylon as a tool for divine judgment against Judah (as referenced in Jeremiah 25:9), Babylon’s own wickedness and self-exaltation ultimately sealed its fate. The striking imagery of the "golden cup" highlights Babylon's deceptive allure and its role in spreading widespread spiritual and moral corruption.

Key Themes

  • Babylon as a Divine Instrument: The powerful phrase "a golden cup in the LORD'S hand" emphatically underscores God's absolute sovereignty. Babylon, despite its immense power, wealth, and global reach, was merely a temporary tool, momentarily wielded by God to accomplish His specific purposes. The "golden" aspect of the cup symbolizes its outward splendor, attractiveness, and material prosperity, which cunningly concealed its inherently destructive and intoxicating nature.
  • Global Intoxication and Madness: The "wine" metaphorically represents Babylon's pervasive influence—its polytheistic idolatry, oppressive political systems, and corrupting false ideologies—which the surrounding nations eagerly consumed. This consumption led to a profound state of spiritual and moral "drunkenness," causing them to act irrationally, deviate from divine truth, and ultimately descend into "madness." This concept finds a powerful echo in later prophecies concerning spiritual Babylon, particularly as described in Revelation 18:3.
  • God's Judgment on Pride and Corruption: The verse implicitly but strongly condemns Babylon's arrogant self-sufficiency and the widespread moral corruption and spiritual deception it promoted. God's impending judgment is presented as a just and direct consequence of these actions, demonstrating unequivocally that no nation or empire, regardless of its might, is beyond His ultimate reckoning.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word translated as "drunken" is shakar (שָׁכַר), which implies a state of deep intoxication leading to staggering, confusion, and a profound loss of self-control. The subsequent word "mad" (halal, הָלַל), while in some contexts meaning "to praise," here carries the significant sense of acting foolishly, raving, or being driven to a state of irrationality due to this spiritual intoxication. It powerfully emphasizes the severe moral and spiritual disorientation experienced by nations that succumbed to Babylon's influence, leading them down self-destructive paths.

Practical Application

Jeremiah 51:7 serves as a profound and timeless reminder of several enduring truths relevant for today:

  1. God's Sovereignty Over Nations: The passage reaffirms that even the most dominant global powers and influential worldly systems are ultimately under God's sovereign control. Their rise and fall are not random but are part of His overarching divine plan, as further illuminated in Daniel 4:17.
  2. Beware of Seductive Influences: Like Babylon's "golden cup," many contemporary worldly systems, ideologies, or pursuits can appear outwardly attractive, prosperous, and beneficial. However, they can subtly lead to spiritual and moral "drunkenness" and "madness," pulling individuals and societies away from God's truth. Believers are called to cultivate discernment and steadfastly resist such deceptive influences.
  3. The Consequences of Corruption: The verse underscores that nations, just like individuals, will ultimately face divine consequences for widespread moral corruption, idolatry, and a rejection of God's truth. It serves as a powerful call to righteousness, justice, and adherence to divine principles in all spheres of life.
Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Revelation 14:8

    And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

  • Revelation 17:4

    And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:

  • Revelation 17:2

    With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

  • Revelation 18:3

    For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

  • Daniel 2:32

    This image's head [was] of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,

  • Jeremiah 50:38

    A drought [is] upon her waters; and they shall be dried up: for it [is] the land of graven images, and they are mad upon [their] idols.

  • 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!
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