King James Version

What Does Jeremiah 51:39 Mean?

Jeremiah 51:39 in the King James Version says “In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep...” — study this verse from Jeremiah chapter 51 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the LORD.”

Jeremiah 51:39 · KJV

Context

37

And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwellingplace for dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing, without an inhabitant.

38

They shall roar together like lions: they shall yell as lions' whelps. yell: or, shake themselves

39

In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the LORD.

40

I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams with he goats.

41

How is Sheshach taken! and how is the praise of the whole earth surprised! how is Babylon become an astonishment among the nations!

Read Jeremiah 51 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the LORD. This verse reveals God's sovereign orchestration of Babylon's final feast, turning their celebration into death. In their heat translates be-ḥummam (בְּחֻמָּם), meaning in their excitement, passion, or heated state—possibly referring to drunken enthusiasm or the heat of revelry. The irony is profound: God Himself 'makes' their feast and drunkenness, using their indulgence as the means of judgment.

I will make their feasts shows divine sovereignty even over enemy actions—God doesn't cause their sin but uses their chosen behavior to accomplish His purposes. I will make them drunken employs wə-hiškartim (וְהִשְׁכַּרְתִּים), the causative form meaning to cause inebriation. This connects to Jeremiah's earlier prophecy of the 'cup of fury' that nations must drink (Jeremiah 25:15-17, 27, 51:7). That they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep uses bitter irony: their joyful celebration (ya'alozu, יַעֲלֹזוּ) transitions seamlessly into eternal sleep (šenat 'olam, שְׁנַת עוֹלָם)—death. And not wake (welo yaqitsu, וְלֹא יָקִיצוּ) declares the finality of judgment—no resurrection, no second chance.

This fulfilled literally in Belshazzar's feast (Daniel 5), where drunken celebration ended with conquest and death. It also echoes the broader biblical theme of God giving people over to their chosen sins as judgment (Romans 1:24-28).

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Historical & Cultural Context

Daniel 5 provides the historical narrative fulfilling this prophecy. On the night of October 12, 539 BC, King Belshazzar held a feast for a thousand nobles, drinking wine from Jerusalem's temple vessels in drunken sacrilege. During this revelry, Cyrus's forces entered the city through the diverted Euphrates River. The Babylonians were so intoxicated and distracted they didn't realize their city had fallen until it was too late. Belshazzar was killed that very night (Daniel 5:30). The 'perpetual sleep' came upon Babylon's leadership literally—many died, the empire ended, and Babylon never recovered its former glory. Ancient historians confirm the feast and the surprise conquest. The prophecy demonstrates God's sovereignty: He used Babylon's own chosen sin (drunken idolatry) as the occasion of their destruction. This principle recurs throughout Scripture—God judges people through the very sins they embrace (Judges 1:6-7, Esther 7:10, Galatians 6:7).

Reflection Questions

  1. How does God's making their feast and drunkenness demonstrate His sovereignty even over human sinful choices?
  2. What does 'perpetual sleep' teach about the finality of divine judgment when the appointed time arrives?
  3. How does Daniel 5's historical fulfillment of this prophecy strengthen confidence in God's control over history and His ability to accomplish His word?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 14 words
בְּחֻמָּ֞ם1 of 14

“In their heat”

H2527

heat

אָשִׁ֣ית2 of 14

“I will make”

H7896

to place (in a very wide application)

אֶת3 of 14
H853

properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

מִשְׁתֵּיהֶ֗ם4 of 14

“their feasts”

H4960

drink, by implication, drinking (the act); also (by implication) a banquet or (generally) feast

וְהִשְׁכַּרְתִּים֙5 of 14

“and I will make them drunken”

H7937

to become tipsy; in a qualified sense, to satiate with a stimulating drink or (figuratively) influence

לְמַ֣עַן6 of 14
H4616

properly, heed, i.e., purpose; used only adverbially, on account of (as a motive or an aim), teleologically, in order that

יַעֲלֹ֔זוּ7 of 14

“that they may rejoice”

H5937

to jump for joy, i.e., exult

וְיָשְׁנ֥וּ8 of 14

“and sleep”

H3462

properly, to be slack or languid, i.e., (by implication) sleep (figuratively, to die); also to grow old, stale or inveterate

שְׁנַת9 of 14

“sleep”

H8142

sleep

עוֹלָ֖ם10 of 14

“a perpetual”

H5769

properly, concealed, i.e., the vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e., (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial

וְלֹ֣א11 of 14
H3808

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles

יָקִ֑יצוּ12 of 14

“and not wake”

H6974

to awake (literally or figuratively)

נְאֻ֖ם13 of 14

“saith”

H5002

an oracle

יְהוָֽה׃14 of 14

“the LORD”

H3068

(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Jeremiah. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Jeremiah 51:39 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Jeremiah 51:39 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Jeremiah 51:57Jeremiah 25:27Nahum 1:10Isaiah 22:12-14Nahum 3:11Daniel 5:30

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