The Meaning of Jeremiah 51:2 Explained

Jeremiah 51:2

KJV: And will send unto Babylon fanners, that shall fan her, and shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about.

YLT: And I have sent to Babylon fanners, And they have fanned it, and they empty its land, For they have been against it, Round about -- in the day of evil.

Darby: and I will send unto Babylon strangers, who shall fan her, and shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about.

ASV: And I will send unto Babylon strangers, that shall winnow her; and they shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And will send  unto Babylon  fanners,  that shall fan  her, and shall empty  her land:  for in the day  of trouble  they shall be against her round about. 

What does Jeremiah 51:2 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord would send foreigners to winnow the nation, as farmers tossed their grain in the air so the wind would blow the chaff away (cf. Jeremiah 49:32; Jeremiah 49:36). This enemy would oppose her on every hand and would devastate her land. The wind would not just blow the chaff away but would lay waste the entire land, like a devastating sirocco.

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 51:2 mean?

And I will send to Babylon winnowers and who shall winnow her and empty - her land for they shall be against her all around in the day of doom
וְשִׁלַּחְתִּ֨י לְבָבֶ֤ל ׀ זָרִים֙ וְזֵר֔וּהָ וִיבֹקְק֖וּ אֶת־ אַרְצָ֑הּ כִּֽי־ הָי֥וּ עָלֶ֛יהָ מִסָּבִ֖יב בְּי֥וֹם רָעָֽה

וְשִׁלַּחְתִּ֨י  And  I  will  send 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
לְבָבֶ֤ל ׀  to  Babylon 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בָּבֶל  
Sense: Babel or Babylon, the ancient site and/or capital of Babylonia (modern Hillah) situated on the Euphrates.
זָרִים֙  winnowers 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: זוּר 
Sense: to be strange, be a stranger.
וְזֵר֔וּהָ  and  who  shall  winnow  her 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural, third person feminine singular
Root: זָרָה 
Sense: to scatter, fan, cast away, winnow, disperse, compass, spread, be scattered, be dispersed.
וִיבֹקְק֖וּ  and  empty 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בָּקַק 
Sense: to empty.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אַרְצָ֑הּ  her  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
הָי֥וּ  they  shall  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
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.
מִסָּבִ֖יב  all  around 
Parse: Preposition-m, Adverb
Root: מוּסָב 
Sense: places round about, circuit, round about adv.
בְּי֥וֹם  in  the  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
רָעָֽה  of  doom 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.