The Meaning of Jeremiah 51:20 Explained

Jeremiah 51:20

KJV: Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms;

YLT: An axe art thou to me -- weapons of war, And I have broken in pieces by thee nations, And I have destroyed by thee kingdoms,

Darby: Thou art my maul, my weapons of war: and with thee I will break in pieces the nations, and I will with thee destroy kingdoms;

ASV: Thou art my battle-axe and weapons of war: and with thee will I break in pieces the nations; and with thee will I destroy kingdoms;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Thou [art] my battle axe  [and] weapons  of war:  for with thee will I break in pieces  the nations,  and with thee will I destroy  kingdoms; 

What does Jeremiah 51:20 Mean?

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 51:20 mean?

Battle-ax You [are] My [and] weapons of war for I will break in pieces with you the nation and I will destroy kingdoms
מַפֵּץ־ אַתָּ֣ה לִ֔י כְּלֵ֖י מִלְחָמָ֑ה וְנִפַּצְתִּ֤י בְךָ֙ גּוֹיִ֔ם וְהִשְׁחַתִּ֥י מַמְלָכֽוֹת

מַפֵּץ־  Battle-ax 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַפֵּץ  
Sense: war club, club, battle axe, hammer.
אַתָּ֣ה  You  [are] 
Parse: Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
לִ֔י  My 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
כְּלֵ֖י  [and]  weapons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: כְּלִי  
Sense: article, vessel, implement, utensil.
מִלְחָמָ֑ה  of  war 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִלְחָמָה  
Sense: battle, war.
וְנִפַּצְתִּ֤י  for  I  will  break  in  pieces 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: נָפַץ 
Sense: to shatter, break, dash, beat in pieces.
בְךָ֙  with  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
גּוֹיִ֔ם  the  nation 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
וְהִשְׁחַתִּ֥י  and  I  will  destroy 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁחַת  
Sense: to destroy, corrupt, go to ruin, decay.
מַמְלָכֽוֹת  kingdoms 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: מַמְלָכָה  
Sense: kingdom, dominion, reign, sovereignty.