What is the meaning of Jeremiah 51:38? They will roar together • “They will roar together” (Jeremiah 51:38) pictures Babylon’s leaders and soldiers lifting their voices in unified arrogance. Just as lion packs announce their presence, the empire’s elite boast of their power during lavish banquets (Jeremiah 51:39) and military rallies (Jeremiah 50:29). • The same collective roar is heard in Jeremiah 51:55, where the LORD promises to “silence the sound of Babylon.” Psalm 104:21 notes that “the young lions roar for their prey,” highlighting a noisy confidence that presumes dominance. • Like those lions, Babylon’s roar is loud but short-lived; God’s coming judgment will mute it, as He has done to other proud nations (Isaiah 14:4-8; Nahum 2:11-13). Like young lions • Young lions symbolize raw strength, boldness, and unchecked aggression (Judges 14:5; Ezekiel 19:2-3). Babylon, at its peak, acts the same way—fearless, eager, and seemingly unstoppable. • Yet Scripture consistently reminds us that youthful vigor is no match for divine authority. Psalm 34:10 contrasts hungry young lions with those who seek the LORD and “lack no good thing.” Babylon’s youthful roar soon meets the Ancient of Days (Daniel 5:26-31). They will growl • The word “growl” (Jeremiah 51:38) shifts from a triumphant roar to a low, restless rumble—the sound of predators guarding a kill or anticipating more prey (Isaiah 5:29). • Babylon’s growl captures its insatiable appetite for conquest (Habakkuk 2:5) and its jittery fear of losing what it has seized (Jeremiah 51:58). The same noise that once intimidated now betrays anxiety as judgment approaches (Jeremiah 50:43). Like lion cubs • Lion cubs are energetic but immature. Their growl is practice for future hunts, reflecting inexperience and vulnerability (Job 4:10-11: “the teeth of the young lions are broken”). • Babylon’s warriors, though fierce, will prove unseasoned when the Medo-Persian coalition attacks (Jeremiah 51:11, 27-28). Their bravado cannot withstand the LORD’s decree, and their downfall will be as sudden as a pride scattered by a greater force (Jeremiah 50:44). summary Jeremiah 51:38 paints Babylon as a pride of lions—roaring in collective confidence, displaying youthful strength, growling with greedy anticipation, yet ultimately exposed as immature cubs before the sovereign Lion of Judah. The passage reminds us that human power, however loud or aggressive, cannot outlast God’s righteous judgment. |
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