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Jeremiah 51:36

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Jeremiah 51:36 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Therefore thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her fountain dry.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Therefore thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her fountain dry.
Jeremiah 51:36 — American Standard Version

Context — Jeremiah 51

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
33For thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing-floor at the time when it is trodden; yet a little while, and the time of harvest shall come for her.
34Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon hath devoured me, he hath crushed me, he hath made me an empty vessel, he hath, like a monster, swallowed me up, he hath filled his maw with my delicacies; he hath cast me out.
35The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon, shall the inhabitant of Zion say; and, My blood be upon the inhabitants of Chaldea, shall Jerusalem say.
36Therefore thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her fountain dry.
37And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwelling-place for jackals, an astonishment, and a hissing, without inhabitant.
38They shall roar together like young lions; they shall growl as lions` whelps.
39When they are heated, I will make their feast, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith Jehovah.
← Jeremiah 51:35Jeremiah 51:37 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Therefore thus saith the Lord, etc.] In answer to the prayers of the inhabitants of Zion and Jerusalem, imprecating divine vengeance on Babylon: behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; not by words only, but by deeds, inflicting punishment on their enemies: and I will dry up her sea; the confluence of waters about Babylon; the river Euphrates, the channel of which was drained by Cyrus, by which means he took the city; and this may figuratively design the abundance of riches and affluence of good things in Babylon, which should now be taken from her: and make her springs dry; deprive her of all the necessaries of life; and stop up all the avenues by which she was supplied…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“plead . . . cause-- (Jer 50:34). sea--the Euphrates (Jer 51:13; Jer 50:38). Compare Isa 19:5, "sea," that is, the Nile (Isa 21:1).”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Her sea - Probably the great lake dug by Nitocris to receive the waters of the Euphrates. Her springs - Her reservoir; the whole system of canals dug Jeremiah 51:13. The wealth of Babylonia depended upon irrigation. return to 'Top of Page'”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“Dry up - Alluding to what Cyrus did. Jeremiah 51:38”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“51:36 I will be your lawyer: In response to the people’s request (51:35), the Lord would prosecute Babylon for its brutal sins.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“I will plead: See note on Jer 50:33, Jer 50:34; Psa 140:12; Pro 22:23, Pro 23:11; Isa 43:14, Isa 47:6-9, Isa 49:25, Isa 49:26; Mic 7:8-10; Hab 2:8-17 take: Deu 32:35, Deu 32:43; Psa 94:1-3; Rom 12:19; Heb 10:30, Heb 10:31; Rev 19:1-3 and I will: Jer 50:38; Psa 107:33; Isa 44:27; Rev 16:12 Jeremiah 51:37”
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Related study paths

Read Jeremiah 51 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification