Then shalt thou say, O LORD, thou hast spoken against this place, to cut it off, that none shall remain in it, neither man nor beast, but that it shall be desolate for ever.

JEREMIAH 51:62KJV
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Jeremiah 51:62 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 51:62 mean?

Jeremiah 51:62 describes a declaration to God, acknowledging that God has spoken against Babylon and determined its complete destruction, so that no people or animals will live there and it will remain empty forever. The verse is a recognition that Babylon’s fate is sealed by God’s word and will become a place of total desolation.

In this verse, Jeremiah instructs Seraiah (an official traveling to Babylon) to say these words to God after reading the prophecy aloud in Babylon. The setting is the final years of the Babylonian Empire, and the message is that Babylon’s downfall is not just a human prediction but something God Himself has decreed. The verse emphasizes the certainty and completeness of Babylon’s coming ruin.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 51:62

  • "LORD" (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal name of Israel’s God, highlighting that the destruction is not random but comes from the God who revealed Himself to Israel.
  • "Desolate" (שְׁמָמָה, shemamah): This word means utter ruin or devastation, stressing that Babylon will not just be defeated but left completely uninhabited.
  • "For ever" (עַד־עוֹלָם, ad-olam): This phrase means a very long duration, often understood as “perpetually” or “for all time,” showing that Babylon’s desolation is not temporary but lasting.

Why Jeremiah 51:62 matters

  • Jeremiah 51:62 makes it clear that Babylon’s destruction is not just a political event but a fulfillment of God’s spoken word, giving the prophecy divine authority.
  • The verse highlights the totality of the judgment: not only people but even animals will be gone, underlining the completeness of the desolation.
  • By instructing Seraiah to speak these words in Babylon, the verse connects the prophecy directly to the place it concerns, making the warning more direct and personal to those in Babylon.

Where else these words appear

“desolate” Hebrew H8077 · used in 54 verses

  • Exodus 23:29 I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.
  • Jeremiah 44:6 Wherefore my fury and mine anger was poured forth, and was kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted and desolate, as at this day.
  • Ezekiel 35:3 And say unto it, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O mount Seir, I am against thee, and I will stretch out mine hand against thee, and I will make thee most desolate.