The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon, shall the inhabitant of Zion say; and my blood upon the inhabitants of Chaldea, shall Jerusalem say.

JEREMIAH 51:35KJV
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Jeremiah 51:35 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 51:35 mean?

Jeremiah 51:35 expresses a cry for justice from the people of Zion and Jerusalem, asking that the violence and harm done to them by Babylon and the Chaldeans be returned upon those oppressors. The verse voices the pain and loss suffered by Jerusalem, calling for God to hold Babylon accountable for the bloodshed and destruction they caused.

In this verse, the inhabitants of Zion (another name for Jerusalem) are pictured as speaking out against Babylon, the empire that destroyed their city and temple. The language is personal and intense, with references to "my flesh" and "my blood," showing the deep wounds inflicted. This verse is part of a larger section where Jeremiah prophesies the downfall of Babylon as divine retribution for its cruelty toward God's people.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 51:35

  • The word for "violence" is חָמָס (ḥamas), which often means not just physical harm, but also injustice or oppression. This highlights that the complaint is about more than just war—it is about deep wrongs and abuses.
  • "Flesh" is שְׁאֵר (she'er), which can refer to one's own body or close relatives. Here, it emphasizes the personal cost and suffering experienced by the people.
  • "Blood" is דָּם (dam), a word that in Hebrew often stands for life itself or innocent bloodshed. The use of "my blood" underlines the seriousness of the wrong done.
  • "Babylon" (בָּבֶל, Bavel) and "Chaldea" (כַּשְׂדִּים, Kasdim) are both named directly, making clear who is being held responsible for the violence.

Why Jeremiah 51:35 matters

  • This verse shows that the people of Jerusalem are not just passive victims; they actively call out for justice and for God to remember their suffering.
  • The verse connects personal pain ("my flesh," "my blood") to national tragedy, making the prophecy about real people, not just abstract nations.
  • Jeremiah 51:35 sets the stage for the following verses, where God promises to answer this cry by bringing judgment on Babylon, showing that divine justice is a central theme in this chapter.

Where else these words appear

“flesh” Hebrew H7607 · used in 16 verses

  • Exodus 21:10 If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.
  • Leviticus 21:2 But for his kin, that is near unto him, that is, for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother,
  • Psalms 78:27 He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:

“violence” Hebrew H2555 · used in 59 verses

  • Genesis 6:11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
  • Psalms 58:2 Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.
  • Jeremiah 51:46 And lest your heart faint, and ye fear for the rumour that shall be heard in the land; a rumour shall both come one year, and after that in another year shall come a rumour, and violence in the land, ruler against ruler.

“Chaldea” Hebrew H3778 · used in 80 verses

  • Genesis 11:28 And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.
  • Jeremiah 32:4 And Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall behold his eyes;
  • Jeremiah 43:3 But Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on against us, for to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they might put us to death, and carry us away captives into Babylon.