The Meaning of Jeremiah 51:27 Explained

Jeremiah 51:27

KJV: Set ye up a standard in the land, blow the trumpet among the nations, prepare the nations against her, call together against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashchenaz; appoint a captain against her; cause the horses to come up as the rough caterpillers.

YLT: Lift ye up an ensign in the land, Blow a trumpet among nations, Sanctify against it nations, Summon against it the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz, Appoint against it an infant head, Cause the horse to ascend as the rough cankerworm.

Darby: Lift up a banner in the land, blow the trumpet among the nations, prepare nations against her; call together against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz; appoint a captain against her; cause the horses to come up as the bristly caterpillars.

ASV: Set ye up a standard in the land, blow the trumpet among the nations, prepare the nations against her, call together against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz: appoint a marshal against her; cause the horses to come up as the rough canker-worm.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Set ye up  a standard  in the land,  blow  the trumpet  among the nations,  prepare  the nations  against her, call together  against her the kingdoms  of Ararat,  Minni,  and Ashchenaz;  appoint  a captain  against her; cause the horses  to come up  as the rough  caterpillers. 

What does Jeremiah 51:27 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Jeremiah called for an assembling of nations to go to war against Babylon. The kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz-all referred to in Assyrian inscriptions-were in eastern Anatolia (modern Armenia) north of Babylon. This united armed force would descend on Babylon like an army of locusts at a very destructive stage in their lifecycle (cf. Jeremiah 51:14). [1]

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 51:27 mean?

Set up a banner in the land Blow the trumpet among the nations Prepare against her the nations Call together against her the kingdoms Ararat Minni and Ashkenaz Appoint a general Cause to come up the horses like the locusts bristling
שְׂאוּ־ נֵ֣ס בָּאָ֗רֶץ תִּקְע֨וּ שׁוֹפָ֤ר בַּגּוֹיִם֙ קַדְּשׁ֤וּ עָלֶ֙יהָ֙ גּוֹיִ֔ם הַשְׁמִ֧יעוּ עָלֶ֛יהָ מַמְלְכ֥וֹת אֲרָרַ֖ט מִנִּ֣י וְאַשְׁכְּנָ֑ז פִּקְד֤וּ טִפְסָ֔ר הַֽעֲלוּ־ ס֖וּס כְּיֶ֥לֶק סָמָֽר

שְׂאוּ־  Set  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
נֵ֣ס  a  banner 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: נֵס  
Sense: something lifted up, standard, signal, signal pole, ensign, banner, sign, sail.
בָּאָ֗רֶץ  in  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
תִּקְע֨וּ  Blow 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: תֹּוקְעִים 
Sense: to blow, clap, strike, sound, thrust, give a blow, blast.
שׁוֹפָ֤ר  the  trumpet 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֹׁופָר  
Sense: horn, ram’s horn.
בַּגּוֹיִם֙  among  the  nations 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
קַדְּשׁ֤וּ  Prepare 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: קָדַשׁ  
Sense: to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate.
עָלֶ֙יהָ֙  against  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
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.
גּוֹיִ֔ם  the  nations 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
הַשְׁמִ֧יעוּ  Call  together 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
עָלֶ֛יהָ  against  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
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.
מַמְלְכ֥וֹת  the  kingdoms 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: מַמְלָכָה  
Sense: kingdom, dominion, reign, sovereignty.
אֲרָרַ֖ט  Ararat 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲרָרַט  
Sense: a mountainous region of eastern Armenia, between the river Araxes and the lakes Van and Oroomiah, the site where Noah’s ark came to rest.
מִנִּ֣י  Minni 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִנִּי  
Sense: a region in Armenia.
וְאַשְׁכְּנָ֑ז  and  Ashkenaz 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַשְׁכְּנַז  
Sense: a descendant of Japheth.
פִּקְד֤וּ  Appoint 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: פָּקַד 
Sense: to attend to, muster, number, reckon, visit, punish, appoint, look after, care for.
טִפְסָ֔ר  a  general 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: טִפְסָר  
Sense: scribe, official, marshal.
הַֽעֲלוּ־  Cause  to  come  up 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
ס֖וּס  the  horses 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: סוּס 
Sense: swallow, swift.
כְּיֶ֥לֶק  like  the  locusts 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יֶלֶק  
Sense: young locust (early stage of development).
סָמָֽר  bristling 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: סָמָר  
Sense: bristling, rough.