The Meaning of Jeremiah 51:6 Explained

Jeremiah 51:6

KJV: Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the LORD'S vengeance; he will render unto her a recompence.

YLT: Flee ye from the midst of Babylon, And deliver ye each his soul, Be not cut off in its iniquity, For a time of vengeance it is to Jehovah, Recompence He is rendering to her.

Darby: Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and save every man his life; be ye not cut off in her iniquity: for this is the time of Jehovah's vengeance: he shall render unto her a recompence.

ASV: Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and save every man his life; be not cut off in her iniquity: for it is the time of Jehovah's vengeance; he will render unto her a recompense.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Flee out  of the midst  of Babylon,  and deliver  every man  his soul:  be not cut off  in her iniquity;  for this [is] the time  of the LORD'S  vengeance;  he will render  unto her a recompence. 

What does Jeremiah 51:6 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Israelites should flee out of Babylon when the destruction came, because the Lord would pay Chaldea back for her sins. If they did not flee, they could get caught up in the fallout of divine judgment (cf. Genesis 19:26).

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 51:6 mean?

Flee from the midst of Babylon and save every one his life not do be cut off in her iniquity for the time vengeance that [is] of Yahweh a recompense He shall recompense her
נֻ֣סוּ ׀ מִתּ֣וֹךְ בָּבֶ֗ל וּמַלְּטוּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ ! נַפְשׁ֔וֹ אַל־ תִּדַּ֖מּוּ בַּעֲוֺנָ֑הּ כִּי֩ עֵ֨ת נְקָמָ֥ה הִיא֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה גְּמ֕וּל ה֥וּא מְשַׁלֵּ֖ם לָֽהּ

נֻ֣סוּ ׀  Flee 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: נוּס  
Sense: to flee, escape.
מִתּ֣וֹךְ  from  the  midst 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: תָּוֶךְ  
Sense: midst, middle.
בָּבֶ֗ל  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.
וּמַלְּטוּ֙  and  save 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: מָלַט 
Sense: to slip away, escape, deliver, save, be delivered.
אִ֣ישׁ  every  one 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
! נַפְשׁ֔וֹ  his  life 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
תִּדַּ֖מּוּ  do  be  cut  off 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: דָּמַם 
Sense: to be silent, be still, wait, be dumb, grow dumb.
בַּעֲוֺנָ֑הּ  in  her  iniquity 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, common singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: עָוֹן  
Sense: perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity.
עֵ֨ת  the  time 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.
נְקָמָ֥ה  vengeance 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נְקָמָה  
Sense: vengeance.
הִיא֙  that  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person feminine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
לַֽיהוָ֔ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
גְּמ֕וּל  a  recompense 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: גְּמוּל  
Sense: dealing, recompense, benefit.
מְשַׁלֵּ֖ם  shall  recompense 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁלֵם  
Sense: .
לָֽהּ  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular