The Meaning of Jeremiah 51:51 Explained

Jeremiah 51:51

KJV: We are confounded, because we have heard reproach: shame hath covered our faces: for strangers are come into the sanctuaries of the LORD'S house.

YLT: We have been ashamed, for we heard reproach, Covered hath shame our faces, For come in have strangers, against the sanctuaries of the house of Jehovah.

Darby: We are put to shame, for we have heard reproach; confusion hath covered our face: for strangers are come into the sanctuaries of Jehovah's house.

ASV: We are confounded, because we have heard reproach; confusion hath covered our faces: for strangers are come into the sanctuaries of Jehovah's house.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

We are confounded,  because we have heard  reproach:  shame  hath covered  our faces:  for strangers  are come  into the sanctuaries  of the LORD'S  house. 

What does Jeremiah 51:51 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Israelites would be ashamed because word that pagans were desecrating the site of the temple would reach them (cf. Nehemiah 1:3). This would be a testimony to their sin, which resulted in captivity and the destruction of the temple.

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 51

1  The severe judgment of God against Babylon, in revenge of Israel
59  Jeremiah delivers the book of this prophecy to Seraiah, to be cast into Euphrates,
64  in token of the perpetual sinking of Babylon

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 51:51 mean?

We are ashamed because we have heard reproach has covered Shame our faces for have come strangers into the sanctuaries of the house of Yahweh -
בֹּ֚שְׁנוּ כִּֽי־ שָׁמַ֣עְנוּ חֶרְפָּ֔ה כִּסְּתָ֥ה כְלִמָּ֖ה פָּנֵ֑ינוּ כִּ֚י בָּ֣אוּ זָרִ֔ים עַֽל־ מִקְדְּשֵׁ֖י בֵּ֥ית יְהוָֽה ס

בֹּ֚שְׁנוּ  We  are  ashamed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: בֹּושׁ 
Sense: to put to shame, be ashamed, be disconcerted, be disappointed.
כִּֽי־  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
שָׁמַ֣עְנוּ  we  have  heard 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
חֶרְפָּ֔ה  reproach 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרְפָּה  
Sense: reproach, scorn.
כִּסְּתָ֥ה  has  covered 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: כָּסָה  
Sense: to cover, conceal, hide.
כְלִמָּ֖ה  Shame 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: כְּלִמָּה  
Sense: disgrace, reproach, shame, confusion, dishonour, insult, ignominy.
פָּנֵ֑ינוּ  our  faces 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
בָּ֣אוּ  have  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
זָרִ֔ים  strangers 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: זוּר 
Sense: to be strange, be a stranger.
עַֽל־  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
מִקְדְּשֵׁ֖י  the  sanctuaries 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מִקְדָּשׁ  
Sense: sacred place, sanctuary, holy place.
בֵּ֥ית  of  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יְהוָֽה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation