Bible Strands
Jeremiah 51:23
With you I shatter the shepherd and his flock; with you I shatter the farmer and his oxen; with you I shatter the governors and officials.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — God speaks through Jeremiah against Babylon, declaring judgment on its agricultural and political structures. The oracle follows a pronouncement of widespread demographic collapse and precedes a vow to repay the Chaldeans for their actions in Zion.
The words — The Hebrew verb נִפַּצְתִּי (ni.patz.ti), meaning "I smash" or "I shatter," repeats three times to target the shepherd/flock, farmer/team, and governors/officials. The noun פַּחֹת (pa.hot), rendered as "governors," denotes provincial rulers or satraps.
The thread — This dismantling of leadership appears in Jeremiah 51:57, where Babylon’s princes, wise men, governors, officials, and warriors are made to fall asleep. The judgment extends the demographic shattering of Jeremiah 51:22 to specific societal hierarchies.
Why it lands — The text states that divine action will systematically break economic producers and political authorities before executing repayment. It requires the reader to trace how structural collapse directly enables the stated judgment on Babylon in Jeremiah 51:24.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
I will also break in pieces with thee the shepherd and his flock; and with thee will I break in pieces the husbandman and his yoke of oxen; and with thee will I break in pieces captains and rulers.
Cross-references
- Jeremiah 51:57 I will make her princes and wise men drunk, along with her governors, officials, and warriors. Then they will fall asleep forever and not wake up,” declares the King, whose name is the LORD of Hosts.