Jeremiah 51:38
They shall roar together like lions: they shall yell as lions' whelps.
Original Language Analysis
Historical Context
Historical accounts of Babylon's fall (539 BC) confirm that the city was celebrating a religious festival when Cyrus's forces entered. Herodotus and other sources describe drinking and revelry, making the military unprepared for attack. Daniel 5 provides biblical narrative of Belshazzar's feast—drunken celebration using sacred vessels from Jerusalem's temple, immediately before the handwriting on the wall announced judgment. The 'roaring like lions' captures Babylon's self-confident pride even as judgment approached. The lion was Babylon's symbol—depicted on the Ishtar Gate and in iconography. But their roar could not prevent God's appointed judgment. The irony is profound: they roared like lions but were slaughtered like lambs (v. 40). This fulfills the pattern throughout Scripture that pride precedes destruction and God humbles the arrogant (Isaiah 2:12, 1 Peter 5:5-6).
Questions for Reflection
- How does the irony of Babylon 'roaring like lions' while facing imminent judgment illustrate the blindness of pride?
- What does the connection between this verse and Daniel 5's feast teach about the danger of self-confident celebration when God's judgment is near?
- In what ways might individuals or nations today 'roar like lions' in proud defiance while standing under divine judgment?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
They shall roar together like lions: they shall yell as lions' whelps. This verse shifts imagery from Babylon's desolation (v. 37) to the behavior of Babylonians before judgment falls. The lion imagery has dual significance: it depicts Babylon's former strength and ferocity, but contextually suggests futile defiance or drunken revelry before sudden destruction. Roar together translates yakhad yiš'agu ka-kephirim (יַחְדָּו יִשְׁאֲגוּ כַּכְּפִרִים)—ša'ag denotes the roar of a lion, expressing power, confidence, or aggression. Kephirim refers to young lions in their prime strength.
They shall yell as lions' whelps uses na'aru (נָעֲרוּ, yell/growl/shake) and gure arayot (גּוּרֵי אֲרָיוֹת, lion cubs/whelps). The parallel structure suggests both adult lions and cubs roaring—comprehensive ferocity or collective noise. However, the following verse (39) indicates this 'roaring' occurs during drunken feasting, suggesting the sound represents prideful celebration rather than genuine strength. Lions often symbolize Babylon in Scripture (Jeremiah 4:7, 50:17, Daniel 7:4), but here the imagery is ironic: their roaring ends in drunken stupor and death (v. 39).
This connects to Daniel 5, where Belshazzar's feast featured drunken revelry ('roaring') immediately before Babylon's conquest. Their 'lion-like' roaring became the death rattle of a doomed empire. True strength belongs to the 'Lion of Judah' (Revelation 5:5), not earthly empires.