The Meaning of Jeremiah 51:30 Explained

Jeremiah 51:30

KJV: The mighty men of Babylon have forborn to fight, they have remained in their holds: their might hath failed; they became as women: they have burned her dwellingplaces; her bars are broken.

YLT: Ceased have the mighty of Babylon to fight, They have remained in strongholds, Failed hath their might, they have become woman, They have burnt her tabernacles, Broken have been her bars.

Darby: The mighty men of Babylon have ceased to fight, they are sitting in the fortresses; their might hath failed, they are become as women: they have set her dwelling places on fire; her bars are broken.

ASV: The mighty men of Babylon have forborne to fight, they remain in their strongholds; their might hath failed; they are become as women: her dwelling-places are set on fire; her bars are broken.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The mighty men  of Babylon  have forborn  to fight,  they have remained  in [their] holds:  their might  hath failed;  they became as women:  they have burned  her dwellingplaces;  her bars  are broken. 

What does Jeremiah 51:30 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The strong Babylonian warriors would become exhausted, stop fighting, and retreat to their strongholds like women. Women did not normally serve as soldiers in ancient times. The enemy would set their houses on fire and would break down the gates of the city.

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 51:30 mean?

Have ceased the mighty men of Babylon fighting they have remained in their strongholds has failed their might they became [like] women they have burned her dwelling places are broken the bars of her [gate]
חָדְלוּ֩ גִבּוֹרֵ֨י בָבֶ֜ל לְהִלָּחֵ֗ם יָֽשְׁבוּ֙ בַּמְּצָד֔וֹת נָשְׁתָ֥ה גְבוּרָתָ֖ם הָי֣וּ לְנָשִׁ֑ים הִצִּ֥יתוּ מִשְׁכְּנֹתֶ֖יהָ נִשְׁבְּר֥וּ בְרִיחֶֽיהָ

חָדְלוּ֩  Have  ceased 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: חָדַל 
Sense: to stop, cease, desist, forego, cease to be, leave undone, forbear.
גִבּוֹרֵ֨י  the  mighty  men 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural construct
Root: גִּבֹּור  
Sense: strong, mighty.
בָבֶ֜ל  of  Babylon 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בָּבֶל  
Sense: Babel or Babylon, the ancient site and/or capital of Babylonia (modern Hillah) situated on the Euphrates.
לְהִלָּחֵ֗ם  fighting 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Nifal, Infinitive construct
Root: לָחַם 
Sense: to fight, do battle, make war.
יָֽשְׁבוּ֙  they  have  remained 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
בַּמְּצָד֔וֹת  in  their  strongholds 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: מְצָד  
Sense: fort, stronghold, fastness.
נָשְׁתָ֥ה  has  failed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: נָשַׁת  
Sense: to be dry, be parched.
גְבוּרָתָ֖ם  their  might 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: גְּבוּרָה  
Sense: strength, might.
הָי֣וּ  they  became 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לְנָשִׁ֑ים  [like]  women 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine plural
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
הִצִּ֥יתוּ  they  have  burned 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: יָצַת  
Sense: to kindle, burn, set on fire.
מִשְׁכְּנֹתֶ֖יהָ  her  dwelling  places 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: מִשְׁכָּן  
Sense: dwelling place, tabernacle.
נִשְׁבְּר֥וּ  are  broken 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׁבוּר 
Sense: to break, break in pieces.
בְרִיחֶֽיהָ  the  bars  of  her  [gate] 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: בְּרִיחַ  
Sense: bar.