Jeremiah 51:57
And I will make drunk her princes, and her wise men, her captains, and her rulers, and her mighty men: and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.
Original Language Analysis
וְ֠הִשְׁכַּרְתִּי
And I will make drunk
H7937
וְ֠הִשְׁכַּרְתִּי
And I will make drunk
Strong's:
H7937
Word #:
1 of 16
to become tipsy; in a qualified sense, to satiate with a stimulating drink or (figuratively) influence
וַחֲכָמֶ֜יהָ
and her wise
H2450
וַחֲכָמֶ֜יהָ
and her wise
Strong's:
H2450
Word #:
3 of 16
wise, (i.e., intelligent, skilful or artful)
פַּחוֹתֶ֤יהָ
men her captains
H6346
פַּחוֹתֶ֤יהָ
men her captains
Strong's:
H6346
Word #:
4 of 16
a prefect (of a city or small district)
וְגִבּוֹרֶ֔יהָ
and her mighty men
H1368
וְגִבּוֹרֶ֔יהָ
and her mighty men
Strong's:
H1368
Word #:
6 of 16
powerful; by implication, warrior, tyrant
וְיָשְׁנ֥וּ
and they shall sleep
H3462
וְיָשְׁנ֥וּ
and they shall sleep
Strong's:
H3462
Word #:
7 of 16
properly, to be slack or languid, i.e., (by implication) sleep (figuratively, to die); also to grow old, stale or inveterate
עוֹלָ֖ם
a perpetual
H5769
עוֹלָ֖ם
a perpetual
Strong's:
H5769
Word #:
9 of 16
properly, concealed, i.e., the vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e., (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial
וְלֹ֣א
H3808
וְלֹ֣א
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
10 of 16
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
יְהוָ֥ה
is the LORD
H3068
יְהוָ֥ה
is the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
14 of 16
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
Cross References
Jeremiah 46:18As I live, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts, Surely as Tabor is among the mountains, and as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.Jeremiah 48:15Moab is spoiled, and gone up out of her cities, and his chosen young men are gone down to the slaughter, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.Jeremiah 25:27Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you.Jeremiah 51:39In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the LORD.
Historical Context
Belshazzar was killed the night Babylon fell (Daniel 5:30). Nabonidus disappeared from history. Babylon's ruling class was replaced by Persian administration. The 'perpetual sleep' was both literal (death) and metaphorical (permanent end of their dynasty and power).
Questions for Reflection
- How does the 'drunkenness' metaphor capture both literal folly (Belshazzar's feast) and spiritual blindness?
- What does 'perpetual sleep' teach about the finality of death and judgment for those outside God's covenant?
- Why does God emphasize His title 'the King' and 'LORD of hosts' in context of deposing human kings?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
And I will make drunk her princes, and her wise men, her captains, and her rulers, and her mighty men (וְהִשְׁכַּרְתִּי שָׂרֶיהָ וַחֲכָמֶיהָ פַּחוֹתֶיהָ וּסְגָנֶיהָ וְגִבּוֹרֶיהָ, v'hishkarti sareha vachamameha pachoteha us'ganeha v'gibboreha)—God will intoxicate Babylon's entire leadership: princes, sages, governors, officials, warriors. The verb shakar (make drunk) suggests stupor, inability to function. This recalls Belshazzar's feast (Daniel 5:1-4)—literal drunkenness accompanied spiritual blindness.
And they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake (וְיָשְׁנוּ שְׁנַת עוֹלָם וְלֹא יָקִיצוּ, v'yash'nu sh'nat olam v'lo yaqitsu)—Death described as eternal sleep from which there's no waking. This isn't soul-sleep doctrine but poetic description of permanent mortality. Saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts (נְאֻם־הַמֶּלֶךְ יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת שְׁמוֹ, n'um-haMelekh YHWH Tseva'ot sh'mo)—The divine King, commander of heavenly armies, decrees this. Earthly king (Belshazzar) sleeps eternally; heavenly King reigns forever.