Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Jeremiah 51:58 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 58. 58Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken, and her high gates shall be burned with fire; and the people shall labour in vain, and the folk in the fire, and they shall be weary.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
The prophetic word through Jeremiah introduces or commands “Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken, and her high…” at Jeremiah 51:58 as “Babylon's Broad Walls Will Be Leveled” develops.
The sound of a cry, and walls that laborers built in vain
This verse is one part of that explanation in Jeremiah 51:54–58. The complete section carries the connected meaning and how it should shape life.
Read It With
- Jeremiah 51:54–58
Read Jeremiah 51:58 with 51:54–58. By itself, “Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken, and her high…” can be detached from the speaker, addressee, date, imperial horizon, poetic movement, or outcome that gives it force. The complete unit establishes: The sound of destruction, silenced waves, captured warriors, and exhausted construction labor bring the oracle toward its close.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Within the same chapter, this unit advances from “God's People Are Told to Leave amid Rumors” into “Babylon's Broad Walls Will Be Leveled.” Its non-interchangeable movement is: The sound of destruction, silenced waves, captured warriors, and exhausted construction labor bring the oracle toward its close. This verse's placement is specific: The prophetic word through Jeremiah introduces or commands “Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken, and her high…” at Jeremiah 51:58 as “Babylon's Broad Walls Will Be Leveled” develops.
What Remains True
Pride, exploitation, predation, vengeance, and imperial confidence remain morally accountable. In Jeremiah 51:58, that bounded truth is carried through this verse's role: The prophetic word through Jeremiah introduces or commands “Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken, and her high…” at Jeremiah 51:58 as “Babylon's Broad Walls Will Be Leveled” develops.
Continue in Context
Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.
Read Jeremiah 51:54–58 — Babylon's Broad Walls Will Be LeveledSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact displayed KJV wording, verse order, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and complete thought-unit coverage.
Exact location: Jeremiah 51:54–58, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM-derived repository corpus
Open source ↗hebrew text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: Jeremiah
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2; fixed commit
Supports: Masoretic Hebrew wording and morphology checked at the exact unit without treating morphology as a critical apparatus or interpretation.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/Jer.xml, OSIS 51:54–58
Open the fixed Hebrew Jeremiah file ↗translation and translator notes
NET Bible: Jeremiah with Translator, Textual, and Study Notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press; official eBible PDF distribution, NET Bible Second Edition; official PDF accessed 2026
Supports: Verse-level controls for Hebrew, syntax, older KJV language, dates, names, textual problems, and material translation alternatives.
Exact location: Official NET Bible Jeremiah PDF, pp. 1258-1459, translator, study, and textual notes attached to Jeremiah 51:54–58
Open the official NET Jeremiah PDF ↗