Jeremiah 51:32

“And that the passages are stopped, and the reeds they have burned with fire, and the men of war are affrighted.”

Jeremiah 51:32 is a verse from the Book of Jeremiah, specifically from the prophecy concerning the downfall of Babylon. In this chapter, Jeremiah delivers a message from God, proclaiming the judgment and destruction that will befall Babylon due to its sins and oppression of God’s people.

To understand this verse in its context, it’s helpful to examine the preceding verses. Starting from Jeremiah 51:31, it says:

“One post shall run to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to shew the king of Babylon that his city is taken at one end, And that the passages are stopped, and the reeds they have burned with fire, and the men of war are affrighted.”

Here, the verse depicts a scene where messengers are sent in haste to inform the king of Babylon about the capture of his city. The “passages” refer to the strategic river crossings or gates that allowed access into the city. The mention of “reeds they have burned with fire” suggests that the enemy has set fire to the reeds or vegetation used as a defense mechanism around the passages or river banks.

The phrase “men of war are affrighted” indicates that the soldiers or warriors of Babylon are filled with fear and terror upon witnessing the enemy’s advance and the destruction of their defenses. It signifies the crumbling of Babylon’s military strength and the impending defeat that will befall them.

In the broader context of the Book of Jeremiah, this verse underscores God’s sovereignty and His judgment upon Babylon for its arrogance, idolatry, and mistreatment of His people. Babylon had become a symbol of wickedness and rebellion against God, and its downfall was a fulfillment of God’s prophetic word.