Bible Strands
Jeremiah 51:61
And Jeremiah said to Seraiah, “When you get to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud,
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jeremiah issues a direct command to Seraiah as the official prepares to travel to Babylon, instructing him to perform a specific prophetic act upon arrival. This instruction follows immediately after Jeremiah inscribed the scroll detailing the coming judgment on the city.
The words — The verb קָרָאתָ (qara'ta) translates literally as "you will read aloud," specifying the public proclamation required of Seraiah. It follows רָאִיתָ (ra'ita), meaning "you will see," which functions here as a directive to ensure the action is completed.
The thread — The command to publicly deliver written judgment parallels the administrative correspondence in Jeremiah 29:1, where Jeremiah sends a letter to the exiles. Mark 13:1 and Matthew 24:1 record disciples pointing to physical temple structures, but they do not parallel a written warning being carried or read aloud.
Why it lands — The text demands immediate obedience to a specific, time-bound instruction rather than abstract reflection. It requires the reader to recognize that prophetic words must be actively delivered and heard to fulfill their intended purpose.
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
And Jeremiah said to Seraiah, When thou comest to Babylon, and shalt see, and shalt read all these words;
Cross-references
- Mark 13:1 As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, look at the magnificent stones and buildings!”
- Jeremiah 29:1 This is the text of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets, and all the others Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.
- Matthew 24:1 As Jesus left the temple and was walking away, His disciples came up to Him to point out its buildings.
- Colossians 4:16 After this letter has been read among you, make sure that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:27 I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.
- Revelation 1:3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and obey what is written in it, because the time is near.