John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 51:54

"The sound of a cry from Babylon, and of great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans!" — Jeremiah 51:54 (ASV)

Jeremiah, in a way, exults over Babylon. He then brings the faithful to the very scene itself, so that—with all obstacles removed or overcome—they might feel assured that what the Prophet predicted concerning the fall of Babylon would be confirmed. He does this when he says that there would be the voice of a cry from Babylon, and great breaking or distress from the land of the Chaldeans.

We may, at the same time, render שבר, shober, here as 'crashing,' so that it corresponds with the previous clause. He had said, The voice of a cry from Babylon; now he says, a crashing from the land of the Chaldeans. They call that sound 'crashing' which is produced by some great shaking, as when a large mass falls, it does not happen without a great noise. This, then, is precisely what the Prophet means. We have already stated why he used these words: namely, that the faithful might have the event itself before their eyes—an event which was, as yet, incredible.