The Meaning of Jeremiah 51:13 Explained

Jeremiah 51:13

KJV: O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness.

YLT: O dweller on many waters, abundant in treasures, Come in hath thine end, the measure of thy dishonest gain.

Darby: Thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, the measure of thy rapacity.

ASV: O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, the measure of thy covetousness.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

O thou that dwellest  {08675;07931:08804} upon many  waters,  abundant  in treasures,  thine end  is come,  [and] the measure  of thy covetousness. 

What does Jeremiah 51:13 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The end of wealthy Babylon, which stood by many waters, had come. A myriad of canals and waterways provided water and irrigation for Mesopotamia. Babylon"s great wealth had come to her largely from the temples and palaces of other nations that she had captured (cf. Jeremiah 52:12-13; Jeremiah 52:17-23; 2 Kings 24:13; 2 Kings 25:13-17; Daniel 5:2-4). Her end would come as when someone cut a piece of cloth from a loom, a common figure for death (cf. Isaiah 38:12).

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 51:13 mean?

- You who dwell by waters many Abundant in treasures has come Your end the measure of your covetousness
[שכנתי] (שֹׁכַנְתְּ֙) עַל־ מַ֣יִם רַבִּ֔ים רַבַּ֖ת אֽוֹצָרֹ֑ת בָּ֥א קִצֵּ֖ךְ אַמַּ֥ת בִּצְעֵֽךְ

[שכנתי]  - 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular construct
Root: אָבְדָן  
Sense: destruction.
(שֹׁכַנְתְּ֙)  You  who  dwell 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular construct
Root: שָׁכַן  
Sense: to settle down, abide, dwell, tabernacle, reside.
מַ֣יִם  waters 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
רַבִּ֔ים  many 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
רַבַּ֖ת  Abundant 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular construct
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
אֽוֹצָרֹ֑ת  in  treasures 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֹוצָר  
Sense: treasure, storehouse.
בָּ֥א  has  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
קִצֵּ֖ךְ  Your  end 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: קֵץ  
Sense: end.
אַמַּ֥ת  the  measure 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אַמָּה 
Sense: cubit—a measure of distance (the forearm), roughly 8 in (.
בִּצְעֵֽךְ  of  your  covetousness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: בֶּצַע  
Sense: profit, unjust gain, gain (profit) acquired by violence.