Jeremiah 51:26
Jeremiah 51:26 in Multiple Translations
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 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.
And they will not take from you a stone for the angle of a wall or the base of a building; but you will be a waste place for ever, says the Lord.
Nobody will be even able to find themselves a cornerstone or a foundation stone among your ruins, because you will be so utterly destroyed, declares the Lord.
They shall not take of thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations, but thou shalt be destroyed for euer, sayth the Lord.
And they take not out of thee a stone for a corner, And a stone for foundations, For desolations age-during art thou, An affirmation of Jehovah.
They won’t take a cornerstone from you, nor a stone for foundations; but you will be desolate forever,” says 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 the LORD.
And they shall not take of thee a stone for the corner, nor a stone for foundations, but thou shalt be destroyed for ever, saith the Lord.
Your city will be abandoned forever; even the stones in your city will never again be used for buildings. Your city will be completely destroyed.”
Berean Amplified Bible — Jeremiah 51:26
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Jeremiah 51:26 Interlinear (Deep Study)
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Hebrew Word Reference — Jeremiah 51:26
Study Notes — Jeremiah 51:26
- Context
- Cross References
- Jeremiah 51:26 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Jeremiah 51:26
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Jeremiah 51:26
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Jeremiah 51:26
- Trapp's Commentary on Jeremiah 51:26
- Ellicott's Commentary on Jeremiah 51:26
- Cambridge Bible on Jeremiah 51:26
- Barnes' Notes on Jeremiah 51:26
- Whedon's Commentary on Jeremiah 51:26
- Sermons on Jeremiah 51:26
Context — Babylon’s Punishment
26No one shall retrieve from you a cornerstone or a foundation stone, because you will become desolate forever,” declares the LORD.
27“Raise a banner in the land! Blow the ram’s horn among the nations! Prepare the nations against her. Summon the kingdoms against her— Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a captain against her; bring up horses like swarming locusts. 28Prepare the nations for battle against her— the kings of the Medes, their governors and all their officials, and all the lands they rule.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 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. Hyenas will howl in her fortresses and jackals in her luxurious palaces. Babylon’s time is at hand, and her days will not be prolonged. |
| 2 | Jeremiah 51:43 | Her cities have become a desolation, a dry and arid land, a land where no one lives, where no son of man passes through. |
| 3 | Revelation 18:20–24 | Rejoice over her, O heaven, O saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced for you His judgment against her. 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. And the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will never ring out in you again. Nor will any craftsmen of any trade be found in you again, nor the sound of a millstone be heard in you again. The light of a lamp will never shine in you again, and the voices of a bride and bridegroom will never call out in you again. For your merchants were the great ones of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.” And there was found in her the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who had been slain on the earth. |
| 4 | Jeremiah 50:12–13 | your mother will be greatly ashamed; she who bore you will be disgraced. Behold, she will be the least of the nations, a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert. Because of the wrath of the LORD, she will not be inhabited; she will become completely desolate. All who pass through Babylon will be horrified and will hiss at all her wounds. |
| 5 | Jeremiah 50:40–41 | As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah along with their neighbors,” declares the LORD, “no one will dwell there; no man will abide there. Behold, an army is coming from the north; a great nation and many kings are stirred up from the ends of the earth. |
| 6 | Jeremiah 51:37 | Babylon will become a heap of rubble, a haunt for jackals, an object of horror and scorn, without inhabitant. |
| 7 | Isaiah 34:8–17 | For the LORD has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion. Edom’s streams will be turned to tar, and her soil to sulfur; her land will become a blazing pitch. It will not be quenched—day or night. Its smoke will ascend forever. From generation to generation it will lie desolate; no one will ever again pass through it. The desert owl and screech owl will possess it, and the great owl and raven will dwell in it. The LORD will stretch out over Edom a measuring line of chaos and a plumb line of destruction. No nobles will be left to proclaim a king, and all her princes will come to nothing. Her towers will be overgrown with thorns, her fortresses with thistles and briers. She will become a haunt for jackals, an abode for ostriches. The desert creatures will meet with hyenas, and one wild goat will call to another. There the night creature will settle and find her place of repose. There the owl will make her nest; she will lay and hatch her eggs and gather her brood under her shadow. Even there the birds of prey will gather, each with its mate. Search and read the scroll of the LORD: Not one of these will go missing, not one will lack her mate, because He has ordered it by His mouth, and He will gather them by His Spirit. He has allotted their portion; His hand has distributed it by measure. They will possess it forever; they will dwell in it from generation to generation. |
| 8 | Jeremiah 51:29 | The earth quakes and writhes because the LORD’s intentions against Babylon stand: to make the land of Babylon a desolation, without inhabitant. |
| 9 | Isaiah 14:23 | “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. |
Jeremiah 51:26 Summary
This verse means that God is going to destroy Babylon so completely that nothing of value will be left, not even the basic stones used for building, because of its sins against God's people, similar to what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah as described in Genesis 19:24-25. It's a reminder that God is a God of justice who will judge sin, as seen in Jeremiah 51:24 where God promises to repay Babylon for its evil deeds. This destruction is not just for a time, but forever, showing the severity of God's judgment, much like the desolation of Edom in Isaiah 34:10. It teaches us that God is sovereign over all nations and will judge them for their actions, as proclaimed in Psalm 9:7-8 where it says God will judge the world in righteousness.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean for a cornerstone or foundation stone to be unretrievable from Babylon?
This means that Babylon will be so completely destroyed that not even the most basic building materials will be salvageable, a testament to God's judgment as seen in Jeremiah 51:26 and also in Isaiah 13:19 where Babylon is described as being overthrown like Sodom and Gomorrah.
Why is God declaring desolation upon Babylon?
God is declaring desolation upon Babylon because of the evil it has done, particularly against His people, as mentioned in Jeremiah 51:24, where God says He will repay Babylon for all the evil they have done in Zion, reminiscent of God's promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3 to bless those who bless His people and curse those who curse them.
How long will Babylon be desolate?
According to Jeremiah 51:26, Babylon will be desolate forever, a permanent judgment from God, similar to the desolation prophesied for Edom in Isaiah 34:10 where it is said that its land will be desolate from generation to generation.
Is this prophecy against Babylon still relevant today?
While the historical Babylon is no longer a dominant world power, the principles of God's judgment against sinful nations remain, serving as a reminder of God's sovereignty and justice, as seen in Romans 11:22 where the Apostle Paul discusses the kindness and severity of God towards both the natural branches and the grafted branches.
Reflection Questions
- What does the image of an unretrievable cornerstone or foundation stone evoke in terms of the completeness of God's judgment?
- How does this verse reflect the theme of God's sovereignty over nations, as seen in Daniel 4:32 where Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges God's dominion over all kingdoms?
- In what ways can we apply the lesson of God's judgment on Babylon to our own lives and the societies we live in, considering the warnings against idolatry in Deuteronomy 8:19-20?
- What hope can believers derive from knowing that God is a God of justice who will ultimately judge all evil, as promised in Revelation 20:12-15?
Gill's Exposition on Jeremiah 51:26
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Jeremiah 51:26
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Jeremiah 51:26
Trapp's Commentary on Jeremiah 51:26
Ellicott's Commentary on Jeremiah 51:26
Cambridge Bible on Jeremiah 51:26
Barnes' Notes on Jeremiah 51:26
Whedon's Commentary on Jeremiah 51:26
Sermons on Jeremiah 51:26
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
The End of the Wicked Contemplated by the Righteous by Jonathan Edwards | Jonathan Edwards preaches about the end of the wicked contemplated by the righteous, emphasizing the fall of Babylon, the vengeance of God executed upon her, and the eternal punish |
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The Judgment of Babylon by Zac Poonen | Zac Poonen preaches on the powerful significance of the word 'Hallelujah' in Revelation 19:1-7, emphasizing the joy in heaven when Babylon the harlot is judged and the corrupt syst |
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The Lord's Controversy Concerning Zion by David Wilkerson | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the love of Jesus and His desire to give peace and rest to His followers. He warns against the flood of sin and deception that is being sprea |
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(Revelation) the Day of Vengeance Fully Come by Willie Mullan | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the events leading up to the day of judgment as described in the book of Revelation. He highlights the battle of Armageddon, the judgment of |
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Israel by Walter Wilson | In this sermon, the speaker discusses various aspects of the Bible and its accuracy. They mention the fulfillment of prophecies, such as the destruction of Babylon and the reestabl |





