I will also break in pieces with thee the shepherd and his flock; and with thee will I break in pieces the husbandman and his yoke of oxen; and with thee will I break in pieces captains and rulers.

JEREMIAH 51:23KJV
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Jeremiah 51:23 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 51:23 mean?

Jeremiah 51:23 describes how God will use a chosen instrument to break and destroy all kinds of people and leaders in Babylon, from shepherds and farmers to military commanders and rulers. The verse emphasizes that no group or class will be spared from the coming judgment.

The prophet Jeremiah is speaking God’s words about Babylon’s downfall, addressing how thorough and sweeping the destruction will be. In this context, God is listing various roles in society—shepherds (leaders of people), husbandmen (farmers), and captains and rulers (military and government officials)—to show that every part of Babylonian life will be affected by His judgment.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 51:23

  • The word “pieces” (נָפַץ, naphats) appears several times and means to shatter or smash. This repetition stresses the total and violent nature of the destruction God is describing.
  • “Shepherd” (רָעָה, ra‘ah) often refers to leaders or those who guide others, not just literal animal herders. Here, it points to both literal and figurative leaders being judged.
  • “Flock” (עֵדֶר, ‘eder) means a group of animals, but in prophetic language, it can also refer to people under a leader’s care, highlighting that both leaders and those they lead will be affected.
  • “Husbandman” (אִכָּר, ikkar) refers to a farmer, and “oxen” (פָּר, par) are the animals used for plowing. Mentioning both shows that even the basic workers and their means of livelihood are included in the judgment.
  • “Captains” (פֶּחָה, pechah) and “rulers” (סָגָן, sagan) are terms for officials and leaders, again underlining that all authority figures will face the same fate.

Why Jeremiah 51:23 matters

  • This verse makes clear that God’s judgment on Babylon is not limited to just the kings or soldiers but will reach every level of society, including ordinary workers and leaders alike.
  • The repetition of “break in pieces” highlights the completeness and certainty of the coming destruction, leaving no room for escape or exception.
  • By naming specific roles, Jeremiah 51:23 connects the prophecy to real people and everyday life, making the warning more vivid and relatable for those who heard it.

Where else these words appear

“husbandman” Hebrew H406 · used in 7 verses

  • 2 Chronicles 26:10 Also he built towers in the desert, and digged many wells: for he had much cattle, both in the low country, and in the plains: husbandmen also, and vine dressers in the mountains, and in Carmel: for he loved husbandry.
  • Jeremiah 14:4 Because the ground is chapt, for there was no rain in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads.
  • Joel 1:11 Be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen; howl, O ye vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley; because the harvest of the field is perished.

“oxen” Hebrew H6776 · used in 15 verses

  • Judges 19:3 And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak friendly unto her, and to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought him into her father's house: and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.
  • 2 Samuel 16:1 And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine.
  • Job 1:3 His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.

“rulers” Hebrew H5461 · used in 16 verses

  • Ezra 9:2 For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.
  • Nehemiah 5:17 Moreover there were at my table an hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers, beside those that came unto us from among the heathen that are about us.
  • Jeremiah 51:28 Prepare against her the nations with the kings of the Medes, the captains thereof, and all the rulers thereof, and all the land of his dominion.

“pieces” Hebrew H5310 · used in 17 verses

  • Genesis 9:19 These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread.
  • Psalms 137:9 Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.
  • Jeremiah 22:28 Is this man Coniah a despised broken idol? is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into a land which they know not?