Original Word: בַּבֶל
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Babel
Pronunciation: BAH-vel
Phonetic Spelling: (baw-bel')
NASB: Babylon
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H894 (בָּבֶל - Babylon)]

1. Babylon

Babylon

(Aramaic) corresponding to Babel -- Babylon.

see HEBREW Babel

Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to Babel
Definition
an E. Mediterranean empire and its capital city
NASB Translation
Babylon (25).

Overview

Strong’s Hebrew 895 designates the historic city and empire of Babylon, as well as its earlier identity, Babel. From its earliest scriptural mention as the site of human pride and confusion (Genesis 11:9) to its role as the capital of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, Babylon stands as a divinely chosen backdrop against which God manifests His sovereignty over nations, idols, and kings.

Geographical Setting

Babylon lay on both banks of the Euphrates River in the heart of Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq). Its fertile plain, sophisticated canal system, and strategic position on east-west trade routes fostered wealth and political influence. The city’s famed double wall, Ishtar Gate, and ziggurat (likely inspiring the memory of “a tower whose top reached the heavens,” Genesis 11:4) symbolized security and human ingenuity while also magnifying the pride God would ultimately humble.

Historical Development in Scripture

1. Primeval Babel (Genesis 10–11) – Founded by Nimrod, the city became a monument to collective rebellion. God’s scattering of the nations from Babel foreshadowed His later judgment on imperial Babylon.
2. Neo-Babylonian Zenith – Under Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562 BC) Babylon expanded into a world empire that God used as His instrument of discipline on Judah (2 Kings 24–25; Jeremiah 25:9).
3. Persian Conquest – Cyrus the Great captured Babylon (539 BC), fulfilling Isaiah 13:19 and Jeremiah 51:31. Ezra begins during this Persian period, when exiles received permission to return and rebuild the temple.

Babylon in Ezra

The post-exilic narratives reference Babylon chiefly as the location of the sacred articles and the decree authorizing their return:

• Ezra 5:13 – “In the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of God.”
• Ezra 6:1–5 – Cyrus’s scroll is found “in the fortress of Ecbatana,” chronicling the temple’s dimensions and the restoration of gold and silver vessels Nebuchadnezzar had taken “from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to the temple of Babylon.”
• Ezra 7:16 – Freewill offerings from Jews “and from all those in Babylon” fund the renewed worship in Jerusalem.

These verses emphasize God’s providence: the same empire that had destroyed the temple becomes a conduit of restoration.

Babylon in Daniel

Daniel’s narrative embeds faithfulness to God within the heart of pagan power:

• Daniel 2 – Daniel seeks “mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery” (2:18) and is “made ruler over the entire province of Babylon” (2:48), demonstrating that wisdom and promotion originate with God, not earthly monarchs.
• Daniel 3 – The fiery furnace episode exposes Babylonian idolatry and reveals the Lord’s ability to preserve His people in hostile cultures.
• Daniel 4 – Nebuchadnezzar’s humbling fulfills the warning, “The Most High is ruler over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes” (4:17).
• Daniel 5 – Belshazzar’s fall (“That very night Belshazzar king of the Chaldeans was slain,” 5:30) confirms prophetic judgments and transitions power to the Medo-Persians.
• Daniel 7:1 – Apocalyptic visions arise “in the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon,” framing subsequent empires within God’s redemptive timeline.

Symbolic Significance

Throughout Scripture Babylon personifies human pride, idolatry, and opposition to God. Its lofty walls, ziggurats, and royal proclamations echo the tower of Babel, while its sudden downfall illustrates the futility of relying on earthly glory. Prophets speak of Babylon’s fall (Isaiah 13–14; Jeremiah 50–51) as a pattern for future divine judgments.

Prophetic and Eschatological Outlook

Old Testament oracles against Babylon prefigure the ultimate overthrow of the world system described as “Babylon the Great” in Revelation 17–18. Just as ancient Babylon fell in a single night, end-time Babylon will collapse swiftly under God’s wrath, vindicating the saints and ushering in the kingdom of Christ.

Lessons for Faith and Ministry

1. Sovereignty – God raises up and removes kingdoms according to His purpose.
2. Holiness in Exile – Like Daniel, believers may serve earthly powers without compromise, relying on God to vindicate obedience.
3. Hope of Restoration – The return from Babylon encourages trust that God disciplines to restore, not to destroy.
4. Gospel Witness – Babylon’s multi-ethnic court prefigures the global mission: the knowledge of the true God spreads even in pagan centers (Daniel 4:1).
5. Final Triumph – Babylon’s ultimate demise assures believers that all worldly systems opposed to Christ will pass, while His kingdom endures forever (Daniel 2:44).

Key Memory Verses

• Daniel 4:30 – “The king declared, ‘Is this not Babylon the Great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by my vast power and for the glory of my majesty?’”
• Jeremiah 51:57 – “I will make her officials and wise men drunk, her governors, commanders, and warriors; they will sleep forever and not awake, declares the King, whose name is the LORD of Hosts.”
• Revelation 18:2 – “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons…”

Babylon, once the epitome of human achievement, ultimately showcases the surpassing greatness of God’s kingdom, calling every generation to humility, fidelity, and enduring hope.

בְּבָבֶֽל׃ בְּבָבֶל֒ בָּבֶ֑ל בָּבֶ֔ל בָּבֶ֖ל בָּבֶ֣ל בָּבֶֽל׃ בָבֶ֑ל בָבֶ֔ל בָבֶ֖ל בָבֶ֗ל בָבֶֽל׃ בָבֶל֙ בבבל בבבל׃ בבל בבל׃ לְבָבֶ֑ל לְבָבֶֽל׃ לבבל לבבל׃ bā·ḇel ḇā·ḇel bāḇel ḇāḇel baVel bə·ḇā·ḇel bəḇāḇel bevaVel lə·ḇā·ḇel ləḇāḇel levaVel vaVelInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts