Jeremiah 51:46

Do not let your heart grow faint, and do not be afraid when the rumor is heard in the land; for a rumor will come one year—and then another the next year—of violence in the land and of ruler against ruler.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Jeremiah addresses exiled Israel as they flee Babylon’s imminent judgment. He speaks to God’s people at the moment of departure, warning them about the chaos that will follow.

The words — The Hebrew יֵרַךְ (ye.Rakh) literally means “it should be weak,” combined with לְבַבְכֶם (le.vav.khem) for “your heart” to form the command against faintness. The phrase בַּשְּׁמוּעָה הַנִּשְׁמַעַת (ba.shemua.h ha.nishma.at) translates directly to “at the report which is being heard.”

The thread — The pattern of recurring rumors and ruler-on-ruler violence matches the description in Isaiah 19:2, where brother fights brother and city against city. The instruction to disregard frightening reports parallels the account in 2 Kings 19:7, where an enemy king hears a rumor and returns to his land.

Why it lands — The verse commands readers to maintain resolve despite escalating news of political violence and internal conflict. It requires accepting that repeated rumors of chaos are part of a divine timeline rather than a justification for panic.

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

וּפֶן־u./fen-and/ lest יֵרַ֤ךְye.Rakhit should be weak לְבַבְכֶם֙le.vav./Khemheart/ your וְתִֽירְא֔וּve./ti.re.'Uso/ you may fear בַּשְּׁמוּעָ֖הba./she.mu.'Ahat the/ report הַנִּשְׁמַ֣עַתha./nish.Ma.'atwhich/ is being heard בָּאָ֑רֶץba./'A.retzin the/ land וּבָ֧אu./Va'and/ it will come בַשָּׁנָ֣הva./sha.Nahin the/ year הַשְּׁמוּעָ֗הha./she.mu.'Ahthe/ report וְאַחֲרָ֤יוve./'a.cha.Ra/vand/ after/ it בַּשָּׁנָה֙ba./sha.Nahin the/ year הַשְּׁמוּעָ֔הha./she.mu.'Ahthe/ report וְחָמָ֣סve./cha.Masand/ violence בָּאָ֔רֶץba./'A.retz[will be] in the/ land וּמֹשֵׁ֖לu./mo.Sheland/ ruler עַל־'al-[will be] on מֹשֵֽׁל׃mo.Shelruler

King James Version

And lest your heart faint, and ye fear for the rumour that shall be heard in the land; a rumour shall both come one year, and after that in another year shall come a rumour, and violence in the land, ruler against ruler.

Cross-references

2 Kings 19:7 Behold, I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land, where I will cause him to fall by the sword.’”
Isaiah 13:3 I have commanded My sanctified ones; I have even summoned My warriors to execute My wrath and exult in My triumph.
Isaiah 19:2 “So I will incite Egyptian against Egyptian; brother will fight against brother, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, and kingdom against kingdom.
Isaiah 21:2 A dire vision is declared to me: “The traitor still betrays, and the destroyer still destroys. Go up, O Elam! Lay siege, O Media! I will put an end to all her groaning.”
Judges 7:22 And when the three hundred rams’ horns sounded, the LORD set all the men in the camp against one another with their swords. The army fled to Beth-shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.
1 Samuel 14:16 Now when Saul’s watchmen at Gibeah in Benjamin looked and saw the troops melting away and scattering in every direction,
2 Chronicles 20:23 The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction. And when they had finished off the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.
Mark 13:7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come.
Luke 21:9 When you hear of wars and rebellions, do not be alarmed. These things must happen first, but the end is not imminent.”
Luke 21:28 When these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”