The Meaning of Jeremiah 51:8 Explained

Jeremiah 51:8

KJV: Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed.

YLT: Suddenly hath Babylon fallen, Yea, it is broken, howl ye for it, Take balm for her pain, if so be it may be healed.

Darby: Babylon is suddenly fallen and ruined. Howl over her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed.

ASV: Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: wail for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Babylon  is suddenly  fallen  and destroyed:  howl  for her; take  balm  for her pain,  if so be she may be healed. 

What does Jeremiah 51:8 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 51:8 mean?

Suddenly has fallen Babylon and been destroyed Wail for her take balm for her pain Perhaps she may be healed
פִּתְאֹ֛ם נָפְלָ֥ה בָבֶ֖ל וַתִּשָּׁבֵ֑ר הֵילִ֣ילוּ עָלֶ֗יהָ קְח֤וּ צֳרִי֙ לְמַכְאוֹבָ֔הּ אוּלַ֖י תֵּרָפֵֽא

פִּתְאֹ֛ם  Suddenly 
Parse: Adverb
Root: פִּתְאֹם  
Sense: suddenly, surprisingly subst.
נָפְלָ֥ה  has  fallen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
בָבֶ֖ל  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.
וַתִּשָּׁבֵ֑ר  and  been  destroyed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׁבוּר 
Sense: to break, break in pieces.
הֵילִ֣ילוּ  Wail 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: יָלַל  
Sense: (Hiphil) to howl, wail, make a howling.
עָלֶ֗יהָ  for  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.
קְח֤וּ  take 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
צֳרִי֙  balm 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: צֳרִי  
Sense: a kind of balsam, balm, salve.
לְמַכְאוֹבָ֔הּ  for  her  pain 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: מַכְאֹב  
Sense: pain, sorrow.
אוּלַ֖י  Perhaps 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אוּלַי  
Sense: perhaps, peradventure.
תֵּרָפֵֽא  she  may  be  healed 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: רָפָא  
Sense: to heal, make healthful.