Jeremiah 50:40 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 50:40 mean?

Jeremiah 50:40 says that just as God completely destroyed Sodom, Gomorrah, and their nearby cities, leaving them empty of people, so too will no one live in the place being judged here. The verse is declaring that the coming judgment will be so total that not a single person will remain.

In this verse, God (speaking through the prophet Jeremiah) is warning about the fate of Babylon. The comparison to Sodom and Gomorrah—cities famously wiped out for their wickedness—shows how severe Babylon’s destruction will be. The message is meant for the people of Judah and surrounding nations, making clear that Babylon’s fall will be absolute, with no survivors left to rebuild or repopulate it.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 50:40

• "Overthrew" (הָפַךְ, haphakh): This word means to turn over, overturn, or destroy completely. The use of this word emphasizes the total and irreversible nature of the destruction, just as happened to Sodom and Gomorrah.
• "Abide" (יָשַׁב, yashav): This verb means to sit, dwell, or remain. Its use here stresses that no one will settle or even temporarily stay in the land after the judgment.
• "Man" (אִישׁ, ish) and "son of man" (בֶּן אָדָם, ben adam): The verse uses both terms to underline that absolutely no human being—no individual or descendant—will be able to live there.

Why Jeremiah 50:40 matters

• The verse clarifies that the destruction of Babylon is not just military defeat but a complete and lasting desolation, echoing the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah.
• By using both "man" and "son of man," Jeremiah 50:40 emphasizes that this judgment leaves no exceptions—no one will escape or return.
• The comparison to Sodom and Gomorrah connects Babylon’s fate to earlier biblical examples of divine judgment, warning listeners that God’s justice is thorough and not limited to Israel’s history.