Jeremiah 50 commentary

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JEREMIAH 50 COMMENTARY EDITED BY GLENN PEASE A Message About Babylon 1 This is the word the Lord spoke through Jeremiah the prophet concerning Babylon and the land of the Babylonians[a]: CLARKE, " The Word that the Lord Spake Against Babylon - This is also a new head of discourse. The prophecy contained in this and the following chapter was sent to the captives in Babylon in the fourth year of the reign of Zedekiah. They are very important; they predict the total destruction of the Babylonish empire, and the return of the Jews from their captivity. These chapters were probably composed, with several additions, out of the book that was then sent by Jeremiah to the captives by the hand of Seraiah. See Jer_ 51:59-64. GILL, “The word that the Lord spake against Babylon,.... Or "to", of "of Babylon" (c); the city of Babylon, the metropolis of the Chaldean empire; sometimes it signifies the whole country, here the city only, as appears by what follows: and against the land of the Chaldeans; whither the Jews were carried captive, for whose comfort this prophecy is delivered out; and which had subdued other nations, and was become an universal monarchy; these people are mentioned last, because the rest of the nations were to drink the cup of God's wrath at their hands, and then they were to drink it after them; see Jer_25:9; this is to be understood not only of Babylon and its empire, literally taken, but of mystical Babylon and its dependencies; of Rome, and its jurisdiction; of antichrist, and the antichristian states, the last enemies of the church and people of God, who will be destroyed by the pouring out of the seven vials; see Rev_15:1. This prophecy, which is called "the word that the Lord spake", for it was from him, the thing was decreed and declared by him, came by Jeremiah the prophet, to whom the king of Babylon had been very kind; but yet he must be, and was, faithful as a prophet, to deliver what he had from the Lord 1

Transcript of Jeremiah 50 commentary

JEREMIAH 50 COMMENTARYEDITED BY GLENN PEASE

A Message About Babylon1 This is the word the Lord spoke through Jeremiah the prophet concerning Babylon and the land of the Babylonians[a]:

CLARKE, "The Word that the Lord Spake Against Babylon - This is also a new head of discourse.The prophecy contained in this and the following chapter was sent to the captives in Babylon in the fourth year of the reign of Zedekiah. They are very important; they predict the total destruction of the Babylonish empire, and the return of the Jews from their captivity. These chapters were probably composed, with several additions, out of the book that was then sent by Jeremiah to the captives by the hand of Seraiah. See Jer_51:59-64.

GILL, “The word that the Lord spake against Babylon,.... Or "to", of "of Babylon" (c); the city of Babylon, the metropolis of the Chaldean empire; sometimes it signifies the whole country, here the city only, as appears by what follows: and against the land of the Chaldeans; whither the Jews were carried captive, for whose comfort this prophecy is delivered out; and which had subdued other nations, and was become an universal monarchy; these people are mentioned last, because the rest of the nations were to drink the cup of God's wrath at their hands, and then they were to drink it after them; see Jer_25:9; this is to be understood not only of Babylon and its empire, literally taken, but of mystical Babylon and its dependencies; of Rome, and its jurisdiction; of antichrist, and the antichristian states, the last enemies of the church and people of God, who will be destroyed by the pouring out of the seven vials; see Rev_15:1. This prophecy, which is called "the word that the Lord spake", for it was from him, the thing was decreed and declared by him, came by Jeremiah the prophet, to whom the king of Babylon had been very kind; but yet he must be, and was, faithful as a prophet, to deliver what he had from the Lord

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concerning the ruin of his empire.

HENRY 1-3, “I. Here is a word spoken against Babylon by him whose works all agree with his word and none of whose words fall to the ground. The king of Babylon had been very kind of Jeremiah, and yet he must foretel the ruin of that kingdom; for God's prophets must not be governed by favour or affection. Whoever are our friends, if, notwithstanding, they are God's enemies, we dare not speak peace to them. 1. The destruction of Babylon is here spoken of as a thing done, Jer_50:2. let it be published to the nations as a piece of news, true news, and great news, and news they are all concerned in; let them hang out the flag, as is usual on days of triumph, to give notice of it; let all the world take notice of it: Babylon is taken. Let God have the honour of it, let his people have the comfort of it, and therefore do not conceal it. Take care that it be known, that the Lord may be known by those judgments which he executes, Psa_9:16. 2. It is spoken of as a thing done thoroughly. For, (1.) The very idols of Babylon, which the people would protect with all possible care, and from which they expected protection, shall be destroyed. Bel and Merodach were their two principal deities; they shall be confounded, and the images of them broken to pieces. (2.) The country shall be laid waste (Jer_50:3) out of the north, from Media, which lay north of Babylon, and from Assyria, through which Cyrus made his descent upon Babylon; thence the nation shall come that shall make her land desolate. Their land was north of the countries that they destroyed, who were therefore threatened with evil from the north (Omne malum ab aquilone - Every evil comes from the north); but God will find out nations yet further north to come upon them. The pomp and power of old Rome were brought down by northern nations, the Goths and Vandals.

JAMISON, "Jer_50:1-46. Babylon’s coming downfall; Israel’s redemption.After the predictions of judgment to be inflicted on other nations by Babylon, follows this one against Babylon itself, the longest prophecy, consisting of one hundred verses. The date of utterance was the fourth year of Zedekiah, when Seraiah, to whom it was committed, was sent to Babylon (Jer_51:59, Jer_51:60). The repetitions in it make it likely that it consists of prophecies uttered at different times, now collected by Jeremiah to console the Jews in exile and to vindicate God’s ways by exhibiting the final doom of Babylon, the enemy of the people of God, after her long prosperity. The style, imagery, and dialogues prove its genuineness in opposition to those who deny this. It shows his faithfulness; though under obligation to the king of Babylon, he owed a higher one to God, who directed him to prophesy against Babylon.Compare Isaiah 45:1-47:15. But as the time of fulfillment drew nearer, the prophecies are now proportionally more distinct than then.

K&D, "The title, "The word which Jahveh spake concerning Babylon, concerning the land of the Chaldeans, by Jeremiah the prophet," follows Jer_46:13 in choosing אשר ד instead of the usual אשר and deviates from that passage only in substituting "by the ,היהhand of Jeremiah" for "to Jeremiah," as in Jer_37:2. The preference of the expression "spake by the hand of" for "spake to," is connected with the fact that the following prophecy does not contain a message of the Lord which came to Jeremiah, that he might

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utter it before the people, but a message which he was to write down and send to Babylon, Jer_51:60. The apposition to "Babylon," viz., "the land of the Chaldeans," serves the purpose of more exactly declaring that "Babylon" is to be understood not merely of the capital, but also of the kingdom; cf. Jer_50:8, Jer_50:45, and 51, 54.

CALVIN, "Our Prophet has been hitherto speaking of neighboring nations who had cruelly harassed the chosen people; and it was some consolation when the children of Abraham understood that God undertook their cause and would be the avenger of those wrongs which they had suffered. But this of itself would have been no great consolation, yea, it might have been viewed as nothing by many, while there was no hope of restoration; for it would have been but a small consolation to have others as associates in misery. If, indeed, Jeremiah had only taught that none of the nations who had troubled God’s Church would escape unpunished, the Jews might have raised an objection, and said, that they were not freed from their own calamities, because the monarchy of Babylon still flourished, and that they were buried as it were in a perpetual grave. It was therefore necessary that what we read here should be predicted. And though this prophecy is given last, we ought to notice that the Prophet had from the beginning expressly spoken, as we have seen, of the calamity and destruction of Babylon. But this prophecy is given as the conclusion of the book, to mitigate the sorrow of the miserable exiles; for it was no small relief to them to hear that the tyranny by which they were oppressed, and under which they did live as it were a lifeless life, would not be perpetual. We now then understand why the Prophet spoke of the Babylonians and of their destruction.But a longer preface would be superfluous, because those acquainted with Scripture well know that the Jews were at length so reduced by the Babylonians that their very name seemed to have been obliterated. As then they were reduced to such extremities, it is no wonder that the Prophet here affirms that the Babylonians would be at length punished, and that not only that God might show himself to be the avenger of wickedness, but also that the miserable exiles might know that they were not wholly repudiated, but on the contrary that God had a care for their salvation. We now perceive the design of this prophecy.The word of Jehovah, he says, which he spoke concerning Babylon, concerning the land of the Chaldeans, by the hand of Jeremiah the Prophet He testifies in his usual manner that he did not bring forward what he himself had invented, but that God was the author of this prophecy. He at the same time declares that he was God’s minister; for God did not descend from heaven whenever it pleased him to reveal his favor to the Jews, but, as it is said in Deuteronomy, he was wont to speak by his servants. (Deuteronomy 18:18.) In short, Jeremiah thus recommends the things he was about to say, that the Jews might reverently receive them, not as the fictions of men, but as oracles from heaven. It follows — COFFMAN, “Verse 1

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JEREMIAH 50PROPHECY AGAINST BABYLONHere we have a collection of prophecies against Babylon and also many references to the deliverance of Israel from captivity. The chapter cannot be outlined. True to the pattern throughout Jeremiah, and also applicable to the whole book itself, it appears to be a somewhat haphazard collection of many prophecies including not only many which were previously spoken through Jeremiah, but also including a number of prophecies given through other prophets, notably Isaiah.NO VALID CRITICISMOf course, there have been assaults upon the integrity of the chapter as belonging to Jeremiah, and futile efforts to late-date it, but none of these actually has any importance. The "inherent weakness"[1] of such criticism, mentioned by Payne Smith, lies in the simple fact that there is no factual, physical, or textual evidence whatever behind any of them."This prophecy (both Jeremiah 50 and Jeremiah 51) contains nothing which Jeremiah could not have written in the fourth year of Zedekiah,"[2] this being the true date of both chapters, as given in Jeremiah 51:59. The subjective guesses and imaginations of men have no substantive weight at all against the plain Word of God. See the writings of C.F. Keil, in which many pages are devoted to a definitive refutation of critical denials regarding this long prophecy.What some consider the strongest argument against Jeremiahic authorship is the assertion that Jeremiah's writings in early chapters manifest "friendliness" to Babylon, whereas, these two chapters reveal the wrath of God poured out against Babylon. This argument is false, because, "The germ of these two chapters is found in Jeremiah 25:12,26, where God's punishment of Babylon, and his making them an everlasting desolation is categorically stated."[3] In fact, both these chapters together are but an expansion of the thought given there.All of the "hubba-hubba" about portions of Jeremiah being partly in poetry and partly in prose is absolutely useless. He was the author of both, just as Sir Walter Scott wrote both the Waverley Tales in prose and some of the best poetry in the English language. Cawley and Millard commented on all the criticisms thus: "The (alleged) reasons for rejecting the prophecy as an authentic prophecy of Jeremiah are not conclusive."[4]This writer has not discovered any reason whatever for allowing any doubt as to the date and authenticity of this extended prophecy. The destruction of the temple and the exile of Israel are predicted in this chapter; and the allegation that those events are "spoken of as past events" is simply an unsupported error invented to support

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the critical falsehood that predictive prophecy is impossible.Furthermore, Jeremiah is clearly stated to be the author of this prophecy (Jeremiah 51:60).With regard to the alleged "literary evidence," based upon similarities of language, Cheyne remarked that, "The number of parallel passages between Jeremiah 51 and Jeremiah 52 and the other writings of Jeremiah is very large, and they agree with no one more than with Jeremiah."[5]There are actually two themes in these chapters, "The fall of Babylon, and the return of the Jews from exile." a The same author also tells us that the critics who think of Jeremiah as pro-Babylonian, "misunderstand him."[7] Jeremiah did indeed urge the people to submit to Babylon, because it was his duty so to do. He was never pro-Chaldean, for he loved Israel with an undying love; and the same God who had commanded Jeremiah to advise submission earlier, has in these chapters commanded him to reveal the ultimate destruction of Babylon.Jeremiah 50:1-5"The word that Jehovah spake concerning Babylon, concerning the land of the Chaldeans, by Jeremiah the prophet. Declare ye among the nations and publish, and set up a standard; publish, and conceal not: say, Babylon is taken, Bel is put to shame, Merodach is dismayed; her images are put to shame, her idols are dismayed. For out of the north a nation cometh up against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein: they are fled, they are gone, both man and beast. In those days, and in that time, saith Jehovah, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together; they shall go on their way weeping, and shall seek Jehovah their God. They shall inquire concerning Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come ye, and join yourselves to Jehovah in an everlasting covenant that shall not be forgotten.""Babylon is taken ..." (Jeremiah 50:2). This seemed an impossible prophecy in the fourth year of Zedekiah, because, at that time, Babylon dominated the whole known world. Yet God announced her destruction."Bel is put to shame, Merodach is dismayed ..." (Jeremiah 50:2). "Merodach in the inscriptions was the tutelary god of Babylon; and Nebuchadnezzar named a son Evil-Merodach, indicating that Nebuchadnezzar was especially devoted to that god. Merodach was actually identical with Bel. He was identified with Jupiter among the planets, and he was styled, `King of heaven and earth.'"[8]"Her idols are dismayed ..." (Jeremiah 50:2). The word for idols in the Hebrew literally means "dung balls."[9] This word was a favorite of Ezekiel who used it 38 times in speaking of pagan idols. The word is also used in Leviticus 26:30.

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"Out of the north there cometh up a nation against her ..." (Jeremiah 50:3). We remember that Babylon herself was the country "out of the north" that came against Israel. In the fall of Babylon, this was literally true, because the Medes were northwest of Babylon;[10] and Cyrus captured the city, according to Herodotus, by diverting the Euphrates out of its channel, a diversion that took place up-stream from Babylon, which was northward."A mystery in the Hebrew mind attached to the north, the very word `north' in Hebrew meaning `hidden.' The burnt offering was to be sacrificed on the north side of the altar (Leviticus 1:11); and the four cherubim in the vision of Ezekiel were described as coming from the north (Ezekiel 1:4)."[11] In the prophecies, therefore, the mention of unknown future dangers might have referred also to the mysterious and hidden nature of the revelation."In those days ..." (Jeremiah 50:4). "These words show that the capture of Babylon, spoken of in Jeremiah 50:2 as a past event, is still future, and that the words there are the prophetic perfects."[12]"Thitherward ..." (Jeremiah 50:5). "These words show that the writer of this prophecy was in Jerusalem, not Babylon."[13]COKE, “Jeremiah 50:1. The word that the Lord spake against Babylon— After having announced to the Philistines, Edomites, and other people, the evils which they should suffer from Nebuchadrezzar, Jeremiah proceeds to foretel what should happen to the Chaldeans themselves from Cyrus and other princes his successors. For the fullest explication of this prophesy, the reader will refer to Isaiah on the same subject; bearing in mind that the prophesy has a further respect to that mystical Babylon mentioned in Revelation; many expressions of it being applied by St. John in that book. Merodach, mentioned in the next verse, seems to have been one of the idol-gods of Babylon; perhaps a deified king. WHEDON, “ THE TITLE, Jeremiah 50:1.1. The word… against Babylon — Rather, concerning.By Jeremiah — Literally, as in the margin, by the hand of Jeremiah, suggesting not a spoken, but a written, message. The and should be omitted, and so land of the Chaldeans is simply an appositive of Babylon, which is thus shown to be not the city but the land.The circle of the nations is completed in this prophecy against Babylon, which is much the most elaborate of all, containing one hundred verses. The genuineness of the passage is assailed by several critics on such grounds as these: 1) Elsewhere Jeremiah is the friend of the Chaldeans; here he is their enemy, and thirsts for their overthrow: 2) The style is repetitious. 3) New words and thoughts, foreign to Jeremiah, are introduced. 4) It shows a striking resemblance to certain passages in

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Isaiah 5) It displays an intimate knowledge of Babylonian topography and customs.We reply: 1) Jeremiah indeed recognises the Chaldeans as the ministers of God’s justice, but still this does not change the fact that they are the enemies of the theocracy; and Jeremiah’s loyalty as a Jew and a worshipper of the Most High cannot be questioned. 2) That the style contains repetitions is eminently characteristic of Jeremiah, the warmth of whose emotional nature continually leads him to dwell on and to repeat matters of supreme interest. 3) There is no proof that new words and thoughts, novel to Jeremiah, have been introduced. 4) The introduction of passages from other prophets, such as Isaiah, Obadiah, and Nahum, has already been illustrated; and in this Jeremiah is simply consistent with himself. 5) The knowledge of Babylon is only of such general character as every intelligent Jew must have possessed.In favor of the genuineness of this passage we may note — 1) Its own distinct and formal claim, so that if it be not genuine it is a base forgery. 2) The style is characteristically Jeremiah’s. 3) The local and historical allusions are fully in harmony with this view. One illustrative passage, the fifth verse, has been repeatedly quoted: “They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward.” The exact reading is hitherward, showing that the writer was at Jerusalem.TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:1 The word that the LORD spake against Babylon [and] against the land of the Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet.Ver. 1. The word that the Lord spake against Babylon.] Which was built by Nimrod, as Nineveh was afterwards by his nephew Ninus. [Genesis 10:11] Of the greatness of this city, besides what we read in holy writ, much may be read in Herodotus and Pliny. It was the head city of the Assyrian and Chaldean monarchy, which lasted above seventeen hundred years, till Cyrus the Persian took the kingdom. Isaiah prophesied against it in several chapters. Habakkuk maketh it his whole business. Jeremiah had set forth how Sheshach, that is, Belshazzar, should drink the dregs of the cup of God’s wrath. [Jeremiah 25:26] Here, and in the next chapter, he discourseth it more at large, showing how it was that Babylon was to drink of that cup; and for more certainty, it is spoken of in this prophecy as already done.EXPOSITOR’S BIBLE COMMENTARY, “BABYLONJeremiah 50:1-46, Jeremiah 51:1-64"Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodach is broken in pieces."- Jeremiah 50:2THESE chapters present phenomena analogous to those of Isaiah 40:1-31; Isaiah 41:1-29; Isaiah 42:1-25; Isaiah 43:1-28; Isaiah 44:1-28; Isaiah 45:1-25; Isaiah 46:1-13; Isaiah 47:1-15; Isaiah 48:1-22; Isaiah 49:1-26; Isaiah 50:1-11; Isaiah 51:1-23; Isaiah 52:1-15; Isaiah 53:1-12; Isaiah 54:1-17; Isaiah 55:1-13; Isaiah

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56:1-12; Isaiah 57:1-21; Isaiah 58:1-14; Isaiah 59:1-21; Isaiah 60:1-22; Isaiah 61:1-11; Isaiah 62:1-12; Isaiah 63:1-19; Isaiah 64:1-12; Isaiah 65:1-25; Isaiah 66:1-24, and have been very commonly ascribed to an author writing at Babylon towards the close of the Exile, or even at some later date. The conclusion has been arrived at in both cases by the application of the same critical principles to similar data. In the present case the argument is complicated by the concluding paragraph of chapter 51, which states that "Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that should come upon Babylon, even all these words that are written against Babylon," in the fourth year of Zedekiah, and gave the book to Seraiah ben Neriah to take to Babylon and tie a stone to it and throw it into the Euphrates.Such a statement, however, cuts both ways. On the one hand, we seem to have what is wanting in the case of Isaiah 40:1-31; Isaiah 41:1-29; Isaiah 42:1-25; Isaiah 43:1-28; Isaiah 44:1-28; Isaiah 45:1-25; Isaiah 46:1-13; Isaiah 47:1-15; Isaiah 48:1-22; Isaiah 49:1-26; Isaiah 50:1-11; Isaiah 51:1-23; Isaiah 52:1-15; Isaiah 53:1-12; Isaiah 54:1-17; Isaiah 55:1-13; Isaiah 56:1-12; Isaiah 57:1-21; Isaiah 58:1-14; Isaiah 59:1-21; Isaiah 60:1-22; Isaiah 61:1-11; Isaiah 62:1-12; Isaiah 63:1-19; Isaiah 64:1-12; Isaiah 65:1-25; Isaiah 66:1-24 -a definite and circumstantial testimony as to authorship. But, on the other hand, this very testimony raises new difficulties. If 50 and 51 had been simply assigned to Jeremiah, without any specification of date, we might possibly have accepted the tradition according to which he spent his last years at Babylon, and have supposed that altered circumstances and novel experiences account for the differences between these chapters and the rest of the book. But Zedekiah’s fourth year is a point in the prophet’s ministry at which it is extremely difficult to account for his having composed such a prophecy. If, however, Jeremiah 51:59-64 is mistaken in its exact and circumstantial account of the origin of the preceding section, we must hesitate to recognise its authority as to that section’s authorship.A detailed discussion of the question would be out of place here, but we may notice a few passages which illustrate the arguments for an exilic date. We learn from Jeremiah 27:1-22; Jeremiah 28:1-17; Jeremiah 29:1-32, that, in the fourth year of Zedekiah, the prophet was denouncing as false teachers those who predicted that the Jewish captives in Babylon would speedily return to their native land. He himself asserted that judgment would not be inflicted upon Babylon for seventy years, and exhorted the exiles to build houses and marry, and plant gardens, and to pray for the peace of Babylon. [Jeremiah 29:4-14] We can hardly imagine that, in the same breath almost, he called upon these exiles to flee from the city of their captivity, and summoned the neighbouring nations to execute Jehovah’s judgment against the oppressors of His people. And yet we read:-"There shall come the Israelites, they and the Jews together:They shall weep continually, as they go to seek Jehovah their God;They shall ask their way to Zion, with their faces hitherward." [Jeremiah 50:4-5]

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"Remove from the midst of Babylon, and be ye as he-goats before the flock." [Jeremiah 50:8]These verses imply that the Jews were already in Babylon, and throughout the author assumes the circumstances of the Exile. "The vengeance of the Temple," i.e., vengeance for the destruction of the Temple at the final capture of Jerusalem, is twice threatened. [Jeremiah 50:28; Jeremiah 51:11] The ruin of Babylon is described as imminent:-"Set up a standard on the earth,Blow the trumpet among the nations,Prepare the nations against her."If these words were written by Jeremiah in the fourth year of Zedekiah, he certainly was not practising his own precept to pray for the peace of Babylon.Various theories have been advanced to meet the difficulties which are raised by the ascription of this prophecy to Jeremiah. It may have been expanded from an authentic original. Or again, Jeremiah 51:59-64 may not really refer to Jeremiah 50:1 - Jeremiah 51:58; the two sections may once have existed separately, and may owe their connection to an editor, who met with Jeremiah 50:1-46; Jeremiah 51:1-58 as an anonymous document, and thought he recognised in it the "book" referred to in Jeremiah 51:59-64. Or Jeremiah 50:1-46; Jeremiah 51:1-58 may be a hypothetical reconstruction of a lost prophecy of Jeremiah 51:59-64 mentioned such a prophecy and none was extant, and some student and disciple of Jeremiah’s school utilised the material and ideas of extant writings to supply the gap. In any case. it must have been edited more than once, and each time with modifications. Some support might be obtained for any one of these theories from the fact that Jeremiah 50:1-46; Jeremiah 51:1-58 is prima facie partly a cento of passages from the rest of the book and from the Book of Isaiah. [Jeremiah 50:8; Jeremiah 51:6, with Isaiah 48:20;, Jeremiah 50:13 with Jeremiah 49:17; Jeremiah 50:41-43 with Jeremiah 6:22-24;, Jeremiah 50:44-46 with Jeremiah 49:19-21;, Jeremiah 51:15-19 with Isaiah 10:12-16]In view of the great uncertainty as to the origin and history of this prophecy, we do not intend to attempt any detailed exposition. Elsewhere whatever non-Jeremianic matter occurs in the book is mostly by way of expansion and interpretation, and thus lies in the direct line of the prophet’s teaching. But the section on Babylon attaches itself to the new departure in religious thought that is more fully expressed in Isaiah 40:1-31; Isaiah 41:1-29; Isaiah 42:1-25; Isaiah 43:1-28; Isaiah 44:1-28; Isaiah 45:1-25; Isaiah 46:1-13; Isaiah 47:1-15; Isaiah 48:1-22; Isaiah 49:1-26; Isaiah 50:1-11; Isaiah 51:1-23; Isaiah 52:1-15; Isaiah 53:1-12; Isaiah 54:1-17; Isaiah 55:1-13; Isaiah 56:1-12; Isaiah 57:1-21; Isaiah 58:1-14; Isaiah 59:1-21; Isaiah

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60:1-22; Isaiah 61:1-11; Isaiah 62:1-12; Isaiah 63:1-19; Isaiah 64:1-12; Isaiah 65:1-25; Isaiah 66:1-24. Chapters 50, 51, may possibly be Jeremiah’s swan song, called forth by one of those Pisgah visions of a new dispensation sometimes granted to aged seers; but such visions of a new era and a new order can scarcely be combined with earlier teaching. We will therefore only briefly indicate the character and contents of this section.It is apparently a mosaic, compiled from lost as well as extant sources; and dwells upon a few themes with a persistent iteration of ideas and phrases hardly to be paralleled elsewhere, even in the Book of Jeremiah. It has been reckoned that the imminence of the attack on Babylon is introduced afresh eleven times, and its conquest and destruction nine times. The advent of an enemy from the north is announced four times. [Jeremiah 50:3;, Jeremiah 50:9; Jeremiah 51:41; Jeremiah 51:48]The main theme is naturally that dwelt upon most frequently, the imminent invasion of Chaldea by victorious enemies who shall capture and destroy Babylon. Hereafter the great city and its territory will be a waste, howling wilderness:-"Your mother shall be sore ashamed,She that bare you shall be confounded;Behold, she shall be the hindmost of the nations,A wilderness, a parched land, and a desert.Because of the wrath of Jehovah, it shall be uninhabited;The whole land shall be a desolation.Every one that goeth by BabylonShall hiss with astonishment because of all her plagues." [Jeremiah 50:12; Jeremiah 13:13; Jeremiah 50:39-40; Jeremiah 51:26; Jeremiah 51:29; Jeremiah 51:37; Jeremiah 51:41-43]The gods of Babylon, Bel and Merodach, and all her idols, are involved in her ruin, and reference is made to the vanity and folly of idolatry. [Jeremiah 51:17-18] But the wrath of Jehovah has been chiefly excited, not by false religion, but by the wrongs inflicted by the Chaldeans on His Chosen People. He is moved to avenge His Temple:- [Jeremiah 50:28]"I will recompense unto BabylonAnd all the inhabitants of Chaldea

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All the evil which they wrought in Zion,And ye shall see it-it is the utterance of Jehovah". [Jeremiah 51:24]Though He thus avenge Judah, yet its former sins are not yet blotted out of the book of His remembrance:-"Their adversaries said, We incur no guilt.Because they have sinned against Jehovah, the Pasture of Justice,Against the Hope of their fathers, even Jehovah". [Jeremiah 50:7]Yet now there is forgiveness:-"The iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none;And the sins of Judah, and they shall not be foundFor I will pardon the remnant that I preserve". [Jeremiah 50:20]The Jews are urged to flee from Babylon, lest they should be involved in its punishment, and are encouraged to return to Jerusalem and enter afresh into an everlasting covenant with Jehovah. As in Jeremiah 31:1-40, Israel is to be restored as well as Judah:-"I will bring Israel again to his Pasture;He shall feed on Carmel and Bashan;His desires shall be satisfied on the hills of Ephraim and in Gilead." [Jeremiah 50:19]

PETT, “ Introductory Words (Jeremiah 50:1).Jeremiah 50:1‘The word that YHWH spoke concerning Babylon, concerning the land of the Chaldeans, by the hand of Jeremiah the prophet:The importance of these words is underlined by the fact that Jeremiah wrote them with his own hand (‘by the hand of Jeremiah the prophet’, compare Jeremiah 37:2). It is the prophecy of the downfall of Babylon and all that it stood for, the downfall of all that was anti-God, the downfall of secularism.

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Verses 1-64YHWH’s Judgment On Babylon And His Promises Concerning The Restoration Of The Remnant Of His People (Jeremiah 50:1 to Jeremiah 51:64).The series of prophecies against the nations had commenced with the prophecy against Egypt, the greatest nation of the area south of the Euphrates. It now finishes with a declaration of judgment against mighty Babylon, which at this time towered over the nations of the whole area. It was also the centre of all that was seen as debauched and debased, it magnified wealth, it engaged in all forms of idolatry and its connected features, and it was glorified by the pagan world. It is representative of much of civilisation today. Geographically Babylon was situated in the area that is now southern Iraq. At the same time, however, alongside the judgments on Babylon is the fact that the restoration of God’s people is assured. It is always God’s aim to bring His people out of ‘Babylon’ to a place where they worship Him truly.It must be recognised, as is clear from Isaiah’s prophecy, that Babylon was seen as more than just a powerful nation that arose and fell over this period. Rather to Israel it had symbolised all that was in rebellion against God from the beginning. It was the great anti-God city which had commenced its rebellion against God at the time of Nimrod and of the tower of Babel (Babylon) as far back as Genesis 10:10; Genesis 11:1-9. It had led the incursion into Palestine in the time of Abraham (Genesis 14:1 - Shinar = Babylon). And it would shortly underline its invidious position by its destruction of the Temple of YHWH, an act which would have so appalled all Israelites, that it would have been seen as confirming that Babylon was the great Anti-God. While not always independent its splendour and magnificence was renowned throughout the area, a symbol of all that was worldly and debauched. It contained over fifty temples to various gods, was at one stage 200 square miles in size, being built on both sides of the Euphrates, and had huge walls, containing 250 towers, along the top of which chariots could drive. Alexander the Great intended to make it the capital of his empire. Thus the fall of Babylon represented not only the cessation of a great empire, but the destruction of all that was anti-God from the beginning of recorded time. That is why prophecies against it always have such prominence. It was not just literal but symbolic. And it is significant that here in Jeremiah its judgment occupies almost as much space as the remainder of the prophecies against foreign nation put together. It is an indication that YHWH will not only restore His people, but will also finally deal with all that is ‘Anti-God’.Thus while Jeremiah had earlier counselled submission to Babylon (e.g. Jeremiah 29:5-7), seen as God’s instrument of chastening, it had always been in the light of the coming ultimate destruction of Babylon, and the final restoration of Israel, which are the subjects of what follows. YHWH’s purposes would finally prevail.It should be noted that unless we dogmatically assert that predictive prophecy is impossible, there are no grounds for refusing to attribute these prophecies to

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Jeremiah. There are indications of his style, and, as is revealed by his letters, he was sufficiently cognisant of what was going on in Babylon to be able to speak of it with some knowledge.One last word should be said here. The importance of these chapters lies precisely in what Babylon represented, something which is equally prevalent in the world today. Babylon turned men’s thoughts to the supernatural world which was antagonistic to God, to entering the psychic world; it turned men’s minds to the desire for building up great wealth; it raised in men’s hearts thoughts of great pride and greed. The condemnation of Babylon is therefore a condemnation of all these things. That is one of its major messages for us today. If we shy away from the continuing threats being made against Babylon, we overlook the fact that God is equally vehement in His condemnation of all these traits in our world today. Every verse of these next two chapters should hammer into us the message, ‘God will call all things into account, and here is the evidence’.PULPIT, “Jeremiah 50:1-46. AND 51. ON BABYLON.We have now reached a point at which some reference is necessary to the centre versies of the so called "higher criticism." An attempt must be made to put the reader in possession of the data which are so variously estimated by critics of different schools. Theological considerations need not, and therefore ought not, to be admitted; like every other critical question, that which we are now approaching can be argued out on purely literary grounds. At first sight, indeed, it would appear not to require a long debate, seeing that in Jeremiah 1:1 and Jeremiah 51:60 the prophecy is expressly attributed to Jeremiah. But, on the other hand, it must be observed that the authorship of the heading in Jeremiah 1:1 is altogether obscure; very possibly, like those of so many of the psalms, the heading may be incorrect. And as to Jeremiah 51:60, can we be absolutely certain that the expression, "all these words," was intended to refer to the prophecy which now precedes Jeremiah 51:59-64? No doubt Jeremiah did write a prophecy against Babylon, and give it to Seraish with the charge described in Jeremiah 51:61-64. But how do we know that this prophecy has come down to us in the form in which it was written?This attitude of reserve is not assumed without substantial grounds, derived from two sources—the epilogue (Jeremiah 51:59-64) and the prophecy itself. First, as to the epilogue. It is clear that the words, "and they shall be weary," are out of place in Jeremiah 51:64, and that they are wrongly repeated from Jeremiah 51:58. But how came they to be repeated? Because, originally, the declaration, "Thus far are the words of Jeremiah," stood at the end of verse 58. When the short narrative in verses 59-64 (ending at "I will bring upon her") was combined with Jeremiah 1:1-51:58, the declaration in question was removed from Jeremiah 51:58 to Jeremiah 51:64, and, by accident, the preceding word (in the Hebrew) was removed with it. This leaves it open to us to doubt whether the present prophecy on Babylon is really the one referred to in Jeremiah 51:60, supposing, that is, there are other reasons, derived from the prophecy itself, for questioning its Jeremianic authorship.

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The reasons which have been adduced for doing so are analogous to those which lead so many students to doubt the Isaianic authorship of Isaiah 40:1-31 :46. ‹je-5›I. The author of the latter prophecy (or the greater part thereof) writes as if he were living at the close of the Babylonian exile. So does the author of Isaiah 1:1-31 and Isaiah 51:1-23. "Yet a little while," he says (Jeremiah 51:33), "and the time of her harvest shall come" the time, that is, of that judicial interposition which (comp. Isaiah 17:5, Isaiah 17:11; Matthew 13:39) is the heavenly antitype of harvest. He urges his fellow countrymen to flee, while there is still time, from the doomed city (Jeremiah 51:6, Jeremiah 51:45). He mentions, as the instruments of the Divine vengeance, the Medes (Jeremiah 51:11, Jeremiah 51:28), and, as it would seem, refers, though obscurely, to Cyrus (Jeremiah 51:20-23).2. Although the above statement is literally true of most of Isaiah 40:1-31 :66; yet there are some passages which are much more suggestive of a Palestinian origin than of a Babylonian (see Cheyne's 'Prophecies of Isaiah,' 2:202). Precisely so in Isaiah 50:1-11 and Isaiah 51:1-23; at least according to one prevalent interpretation of Jeremiah 50:5; Jeremiah 51:50 (which are thought to imply a residence in Jerusalem); Jeremiah 50:28; Jeremiah 51:11, Jeremiah 51:35, Jeremiah 51:51 (suggestive, perhaps, of the continuance of Jerusalem and the temple); Jeremiah 1:17; Jeremiah 51:34 (implying, as some think, that Nebuchadnezzar was still alive). Still, there is so much doubt respecting the soundness of the inferences, that it is hardly safe to rely too confidently upon them. The case of Jeremiah 1:1-19, and Jeremiah 51:1-64. is, therefore, in so far rather less favourable to Jeremiah's authorship than that of Isaiah 40-66, is to that of Isaiah.3. Amongst much that is new and strange in the style of phraseology of Isaiah 40-66; there is not a little that reminds one forcibly of the old Isaiah. Similarly with Isaiah 50:1-11 and Isaiah 51:1-23, as compared with Jeremiah, "Every impartial judge," says Kuenen (who will not be suspected of a prejudice for tradition), "must admit that the number of parallel passages is very large, and that the author of Jeremiah 50:1-46 and Jeremiah 51:1-64. agrees with no one more than with Jeremiah." For instance, the formula, "Thus saith Jehovah Sabaoth, the God of Israel" (Jeremiah 1:18; Jeremiah 51:33), also occurs in Jeremiah 7:3; Jeremiah 9:15, and some twenty-six other passages; comp. also Jeremiah 1:3 with Jeremiah 9:9; Jeremiah 1:5 with Jeremiah 32:40; Jeremiah 1:7 with Jeremiah 2:3, Jeremiah 14:18, Jeremiah 17:13; and see other passages referred to in the Exposition.The probability would, therefore, appear to be that, whatever solution we adopt for the literary problems of Isaiah 40-66; an analogous solution must be adopted for Isaiah 50:1-11 and Isaiah 51:1-23. The whole question is so large, and connects itself with so many other problems, that the present writer declines to pronounce upon it here. Only it should be observedHere, in justification of

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(a) "To consecrate [or, 'sanctify']," used of persons, Jeremiah 51:27; Isaiah 13:3. Here only (elsewhere with "war" following).(b) "Lift ye up a banner," Jeremiah 50:2; Jeremiah 51:27; also Isaiah 13:2.(c) Comp. Jeremiah 50:16 with Isaiah 13:14; close phraseological agreement.(d) Comp. Jeremiah 50:6, Jeremiah 50:17 with first part of Jeremiah 13:14; agreement as to sense.(e) "Behold, I will stir up against Babylon," Jeremiah 51:1 (comp. Jeremiah 50:9); so Isaiah 13:17. Comp. also, however, Isaiah 41:25; Joel 3:1-21. (Hebrew, 4.) 7-9.(f) Comp. Jeremiah 51:3 (Jeremiah 50:14, Jeremiah 50:29) with Isaiah 13:18; agreement as to sense.(g) Comp. Jeremiah 51:11, Jeremiah 51:28 with Isaiah 13:17 (mention of the Medes).(h) Comp. Jeremiah 50:39, Jeremiah 50:40 with Isaiah 13:19-22.This last parallel may, perhaps, be questioned. At first sight it may appear that both Jeremiah 50:40 and Isaiah 13:19 are based upon Jeremiah 49:18 (which see), but when we inspect Isaiah 13:19 more closely in the Hebrew, we shall find reason to conclude that the original, both of this passage and of Jeremiah 50:40, is Amos 4:11. We must, therefore, put Jeremiah 49:18 out of the question, and learn to be on our guard against plausible inferences. The only point which remains to be decided is the relation between Jeremiah 50:40 and Isaiah 13:19; which passage is the original? One important element in our decision will be the naturalness in the mode of reference to Sodom and Gomorrah; to the present writer this seems to determine the question against Isaiah 50:1-11 and Isaiah 51:1-23. and in favour of Isaiah 13:1-22. (The imitation is limited to Isaiah 13:1-22. because Isaiah 14:1-32. passes on to another though a related subject.)And here, in justification of(a) Ideas and "motives."( α) Figure of scattered flock, Jeremiah 50:6, Jeremiah 50:7 (Ezekiel 34:1-31.).( β) Effects of the avenging Sword of Jehovah, Jeremiah 5:1-31 :35-38 (Ezekiel 21:1-32 :80; Ezekiel 33:1-6).(b) Words and phrases

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( α) No word is more distinctly peculiar to Ezekiel than gillulim, idol blocks, which occurs no less than thirty-nine times in his book, and elsewhere only once in Leviticus, once in Deuteronomy, six times in Kings, and once in Jeremiah (Jeremiah 50:2).( β) Anaq, to groan, occurs thrice in Ezekiel, once in Jeremiah (Jeremiah 51:52), and nowhere else. It is remarkable that in the latter passage we find not only a word but a phrase of Ezekiel's (see Ezekiel 26:13).( γ) Pekod, the name of a Chaldean district, occurs in Jeremiah 50:21; also Ezekiel 23:23.( δ) The striking combination, pakhoth useghanim, occurs in Jeremiah 51:28, Jeremiah 51:57; also Ezekiel 23:6, Ezekiel 23:12, Ezekiel 23:23.( ε) Kasdim for "Chaldea" (properly the Chaldeans), Jeremiah 51:10; Jeremiah 51:24, Jeremiah 51:35; also Ezekiel 16:29; Ezekiel 23:16.( ζ) Ch. 51:25, 26 seems to allude to Ezekiel 35:3-5, Ezekiel 35:9 (see the Hebrew, and verify the statement by the Hebrew concordance).(c) General characteristics of style. Granting that the style of ch. 50. and It. approaches nearest on the whole to that of Jeremiah, it must be admitted, in the words of the latest German critic, Budde, that it "frequently enough declines from the simple, plain, and rather loose style of Jeremiah, to the flowery and turgid manner of speech of Ezekiel;" also that the points of contact are such as imply the originality of Ezekiel and the dependence upon him of ch. 50 and 51.Jeremiah 50:1Against; rather, concerning.Jeremiah 50:2-10Babylon's fall and Israel's deliverance.

2 “Announce and proclaim among the nations, lift up a banner and proclaim it; keep nothing back, but say,‘Babylon will be captured;16

Bel will be put to shame, Marduk filled with terror.Her images will be put to shame and her idols filled with terror.’

CLARKE, "Declare ye among the nations - God’s determination relative to this empire.

Set up a standard - Show the people where they are to assemble.Say, Babylon is taken - It is a thing so firmly determined, that it is as good as already done.Bel - The tutelar deity of Babylon is confounded, because it cannot save its own city.Merodach - Another of their idols, is broken to pieces; it was not able to save itself, much less the whole empire.Her idols are confounded - It is a reproach to have acknowledged them.Her images - Great and small, golden and wooden, are broken to pieces; even the form of them no longer appears.

GILL, "Declare ye among the nations,.... The taking of Babylon; a piece of news, in which the nations of the world had a concern, as well as the Jews, being brought under the Babylonish yoke, from which they would now be freed; and therefore such a declaration must be very acceptable and joyful to them. Some take these words to be the words of God to the prophet; others, the words of Jeremiah to the nations; the meaning is only, that such a declaration should be made, and such things done, as follow: and publish, and set up a standard; publish, and conceal not; cause it to be heard far and near; and, that it may be heard, set up a sign or standard, to gather the people together to hear it; for this standard was not to be set up for the enlisting of men, or gathering them together, to go up and fight against Babylon, since it was now taken; but as a token of victory, and as expressive joy, on account of it; or rather for the reason given; see Isa_13:2; say, Babylon is taken; this is the thing to be declared, published, and not concealed; but with an audible voice to be pronounced, and rung throughout the several nations of the earth. Thus, when the everlasting Gospel is preached to every nation on earth, and Christ is set up in it as an ensign and standard to the people; it shall be everywhere published, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen", Rev_14:6; Bel is confounded; an idol of the Babylonians, thought by some to be the same with

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Baal by contraction; he is by the Septuagint called Belus, the name of one of their kings; who might be idolized after his death, as was usual among the Heathen lions: he is said to be "confounded", because he must have been, could he have been sensible of the taking of Babylon, where his temple stood, and he was worshipped, since he was not able to protect it; or rather, because his worshippers were confounded, that gloried in him, and put their trust in him. So the Targum, "they are confounded that worship Bel;'' See Gill on Isa_46:1. Merodach is broken in pieces; another of their idols, which signifies a "pure lord"; some of their kings had this as one of their names, Isa_39:1. The Targum is, "they are broken that worshipped Merodach;'' her idols are confounded, her images are broken to pieces; these were their lesser deities, as the other two were their greater ones; all should be destroyed along with it; as all the idols and images of the church of Rome will, when that is destroyed, Rev_9:20.

JAMISON, "Declare ... among ... nations — who would rejoice at the fall of Babylon their oppressor.

standard — to indicate the place of meeting to the nations where they were to hear the good news of Babylon’s fall [Rosenmuller]; or, the signal to summon the nations together against Babylon (Jer_51:12, Jer_51:27), [Maurer].Bel — the tutelary god of Babylon; the same idol as the Phoenician Baal, that is, lord, the sun (Isa_46:1).confounded — because unable to defend the city under their protection.Merodach — another Babylonian idol; meaning in Syria “little lord”; from which Merodach-baladan took his name.

K&D, "The fall of Babylon, and deliverance of Israel. - Jer_50:2. "Tell it among thenations, and cause it to be heard, and lift up a standard; cause it to be heard, conceal it not: say, Babylon is taken, Bel is ashamed, Merodach is confounded; her images are ashamed, her idols are confounded. Jer_50:3. For there hath come up against her a nation out of the north; it will make her land a desolation, and there shall be not an inhabitant in it: from man to beast, [all] have fled, are gone. Jer_50:4. In those days, and at that time, saith Jahveh, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together; they shall go, weeping as they go, and shall seek Jahveh their God. Jer_50:5. They shall ask for Zion, with their faces [turned to] the road hitherwards, [saying], Come, and let us join ourselves to Jahveh by an eternal covenant [which] shall not be forgotten. Jer_50:6. My people have been a flock of lost ones; their shepherds have misled them [on] mountains which lead astray: from mountain to hill they went; they forgot their resting-place. Jer_50:7. All who found them have devoured them; and their enemies said, We are not guilty, for they have sinned against Jahveh, the dwelling-place of justice, and the hope of their fathers, Jahveh. Jer_50:8. Flee out of

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the midst of Babylon, and from the land of the Chaldeans; let them go forth, and let them be like he-goats before a flock. Jer_50:9. For, behold, I will stir up, and bring up against Babylon, an assembly of great nations out of the land of the north: and they shall array themselves against her; on that side shall she be taken: his arrows [are] like [those of] a skilful hero [who] does not return empty. Jer_50:10. And [the land of the] Chaldeans shall become a spoil; all those who spoil her shall be satisfied, saith Jahveh."In the spirit Jeremiah sees the fall of Babylon, together with its idols, as if it had actually taken place, and gives the command to proclaim among the nations this event, which brings deliverance for Israel and Judah. The joy over this is expressed in the accumulation of the words for the summons to tell the nations what has happened. On the expression, cf. Jer_4:5-6; Jer_46:14. The lifting up of a standard, i.e., of a signal-rod, served for the more rapid spreading of news; cf. Jer_4:6; Jer_6:1, Isa_13:2, etc. "Cause it to be heard" is intensified by the addition of "do not conceal it." The thing is to be proclaimed without reserve; cf. Jer_38:14. "Babylon is taken," i.e., conquered, and her idols have become ashamed, inasmuch as, from their inability to save their city, their powerlessness and nullity have come to light. Bel and Merodach are not different divinities, but merely different names for the chief deity of the Babylonians. Bel = Baal, the Jupiter of the Babylonians, was, as Bel-merodach, the tutelary god of Babylon. "The whole of the Babylonian dynasty," says Oppert, Expéd. en Mésopot. ii. p. 272, "places him [Merodach] at the head of the gods; and the inscription of Borsippa calls him the

king of heaven and earth." עצבים, "images of idols," and גלולים, properly "logs," an expression of contempt for idols (see on Lev_26:30), are synonymous ideas for designating the nature and character of the Babylonian gods.CALVIN, "He predicts the ruin of Babylon, not in simple words, for nothing seemed then more unreasonable than to announce the things which God at length proved by the effect. As Babylon was then the metropolis of the East, no one could have thought that it would ever be possessed by a foreign power. No one could have thought of the Persians, for they were far off. As to the Medes, who were nearer, they were, as we know, sunk in their own luxuries, and were deemed but half men. As then there was so much effeminacy in the Medes, and as the Persians were so far off and inclosed in their own mountains, Babylon peaceably enjoyed the empire of the whole eastern world. This, then, is the reason why the Prophet expresses at large what he might have set forth in a very few words.Tell, he says, among the nations, publish, raise up a sign, and again, publish To what purpose is such a heap of words? even that the faithful might learn to raise up their thoughts above the world, and to look for that which was then, according to the judgment of all, incredible. This confidence shews that Jeremiah did not, in vain, foretell what he states; but he thundered as it were from heaven, knowing whence he derived this prophecy. And his proclamation was this, Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, and Merodach is broken I know not why some think that Merodach was an idol: for as to Bel, we know that the Babylonians trusted in that god, or rather in that figment. But the Prophet mentions here evidently the name of a king well known to the Jews, in order to show that Babylon, with all its defences and its wealth, was already devoted to destruction: for we know that men look partly to

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some god, and partly to human or temporal means. So the Babylonians boasted that they were under the protection of Bel, and dared proudly to set up this idol in opposition to the only true God, as the unbelieving do; and then in the second place, they were inebriated with confidence in their own power: and hypocrisy ever rules in the unbelieving, so that they arrogate to themselves much more than what they ascribe to their idols. It is then the same thing as though he had said, that Babylon was taken, that Bel was confounded, and that the kingdom was broken, or broken in pieces. (50)The name Merodach, as I have said, was well known among the Jews, and mention is made of a father and of a son of this name, by Isaiah and in sacred history. (Isaiah 39:1; 2 Kings 20:12.) It is no wonder, then, that the Prophet should name this king, though dead, on account of the esteem in which he was held, as we have seen in the case of the kingdom of Syria, he mentioned Ben-hadad, though no one supposes that he was then alive; but as Ben-hadad distinguished himself above other kings of Syria, the Prophet introduced his name. For the same reason, in my opinion, he names Merodach here.The sum of the whole is, that though Babylon thought itself safe and secure through the help of its idol, and also through its wealth and warlike power, and through other defences, yet its confidence would become vain and empty, for God would bring to shame its idol and destroy its king. He again returned to the idols, and not without reason; for he thus called the attention of his own nation to the only true God, and also reminded them how detestable was the idolatry which then prevailed among the Chaldeans. And it was necessary to set this doctrine before the Jews, and to impress it on them, that they might not abandon themselves to the superstitions of heathens, as it happened. But the Prophet designedly spoke of images and idols, that the Jews might know that it was the only true God who had adopted them, and that thus they might acquiesce in his power, and know that those were only vain fictions which were much made of through the whole world by the heathens and unbelieving. It now follows —Taken is Babylon, Confounded is Bel, Terrified is Merodach; Confounded are her images, Terrified are her idols.The word for “images” means labor, and refers to the labor and pains taken by those who made them; and the word for “idols” means a trunk or log of wood from which they were made. — Ed.WHEDON, “ THE FALL OF BABYLON AND DELIVERANCE OF ISRAEL, Jeremiah 50:2-10.2. Set up (rather, as the margin, lift up) a standard — As a means of spreading the good news.Bel… Merodach — These are not two separate deities, but rather two names

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suggesting two aspects of one deity. “Bel” is the Aramean divinity answering to the Phenician Baal, the Phenician and Babylonian Jupiter. “Merodach” is the same, as the tutelar god of Babylon.TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:2 Declare ye among the nations, and publish, and set up a standard; publish, [and] conceal not: say, Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodach is broken in pieces; her idols are confounded, her images are broken in pieces.Ver. 2. Declare ye among the nations.] Let all take notice of the good news; there shall be a general jail delivery, sing therefore Io triumphe.Say, Babylon is taken.] So Isaiah 21:9.Bel is confounded.] This Bel was Nimrod, whose nephew Ninus set him up for a god. Merodach (a restorer of their empire, (a) whereof Nimrod had been founder) was likewise idolised. They are called "dirty deities" - foedites et stercora, a name good enough for them - and said to be confounded. See Isaiah 46:1. "Sorrows" also; because "their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another God." [Psalms 16:4] PETT, “Verses 2-5The Fall Of Babylon Will Lead On To The Spiritual Restoration Of Israel (Jeremiah 50:2-5).What is to come on Babylon is to be a warning to God’s people not to trust in Babylon or enjoy its debauchery and its false religious ideas. Rather they are to take heed to YHWH’s words and return to Him in repentance and tears. For God’s purpose is not only the destruction of Babylon, but the spiritual restoration of His people. And this is equally true for us today.Jeremiah 50:2-3“Declare you among the nations and publish,And set up a standard (or ‘signal’),Publish, and conceal not,Say, ‘Babylon is taken!’Bel is put to shame,Merodach (Marduk) is dismayed,

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Her images are put to shame,Her idols are dismayed.For out of the north there comes up a nation against her,Who will make her land desolate,And none will dwell in it,They are fled, they are gone, both man and beast.”The prophet looks ahead and speaks as though Babylon’s defeat has just occurred. It is such an important and exciting event that the news has to be spread far and wide, by messenger, by signal fire, and by every other means. And the message is that ‘Babylon is taken’. It was news for which the world of that day had long waited. And not only is Babylon taken but also her chief god, Bel/Marduk, is put to shame (as he had been once before when Sennacherib had borne him off to Nineveh along with Nebo - Isaiah 46:1-2), along with all her other idols. The humiliation of the gods of these nations is an important aspect of Jeremiah’s prophecies (Jeremiah 46:25; Jeremiah 48:7; Jeremiah 49:3). They had been seen by these nations as rivals of YHWH. Now they were being revealed for what they were.Nebuchadrezzar himself boasted of himself as a ‘worshipper of Marduk’, and confirmed it by naming his son ‘Amel-marduk (Evil-merodach)’, whilst in inscriptions at Borsippa Marduk is described as ‘the great lord, the most ancient of the gods, the lord of the gates of heaven --’. Here ‘he’ is being brought down to size.The antagonists who will do this will come ‘out of the north’ (compare Jeremiah 1:14; Jeremiah 4:6; Jeremiah 6:1; Jeremiah 10:22; Jeremiah 13:20; Jeremiah 46:20’ Jeremiah 47:2; Jeremiah 50:9; Jeremiah 50:41; Jeremiah 51:48). From the point of view of Palestine Egypt was to the south. The ‘neighbouring nations’ were east and west. Any invaders must therefore come ‘from the north’. (To Babylon the Persians came from the east, bur from the Palestinian viewpoint from the north. Cyrus did not destroy Babylon, but sought to preserve its ancient structures. It was finally destroyed by Xerxes in 478 BC). These invaders will make her land desolate and uninhabited.‘None will dwell in it. They are fled, they are gone, both man and beast.’ For this compare Jeremiah 46:19; Jeremiah 49:18; Jeremiah 49:33. What Babylon have done to others, will be done to them. Alexander the Great planned to restore the city, but died before it could be accomplished, and it began to deteriorate further. By the Christian era Babylon had virtually disappeared, although according to cuneiform texts the temple of Bel continued in existence until at least 75 AD.PULPIT, “Jeremiah 50:2, Jeremiah 50:3

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The prophet, with the eye of faith, sees his revelation accomplished. Babylon (like Moab) is taken; her idols are destroyed. In his exuberant joy, he calls on the bystanders to proclaim the good news to the sympathetic nations, and to set up (or rather, lift up) a standard (as Jeremiah 4:6), to call the attention of those who might not be within hearing of the proclamation. The idols have been convicted of false pretensions; they are ashamed and dismayed (so we should render rather than confounded and broken in pieces) at the terrible result to their worshippers. Bel and Merodach are not different deifies, but merely different names of one of the two principal gods of the later Babylonian empire. Bel, it is true, was originally distinct from Merodach, but ultimately identified with him. Merodach was the tutelary god of Babylon, and Nebuchadnezzar seems to have been specially addicted to his worship, though, indeed, he mentions Nebo also with hardly less honour. This is the beginning of an inscription of this king's, preserved at the India House:—"Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, glorious prince, worshipper of Marduk, adorer of the lofty one, glorifier of Nabu, the exalted, the possessor of intelligence" (Mr. Rodwell's translation, 'Records of the Past,' 5:113). Elsewhere Nebuchadnezzar speaks of Marduk as "the god my maker," "the chief of the gods," and of himself as "his (Marduk's) eldest son, the chosen of his heart." Her images. It is a very peculiar word (gillulim), specially frequent in Ezekiel, and also found in a chapter of Leviticus with which Ezekiel has affinities (Le 26:30). It evidently involves a sore disparagement of idol worship. The etymological meaning is "things rolled," which may be variously interpreted as "idol blocks" (Gesenius), or "doll images" (Ewald).

3 A nation from the north will attack her and lay waste her land.No one will live in it; both people and animals will flee away.

BARNES, "Out of the north - Media lay to the northwest of Babylon. This constant use of the north, the quarter where the sun never shines, and therefore the region of darkness, is symbolic of the region from where danger ever comes.

They shall remove ... - Translate it (as in Jer_9:10): “from man even to cattle they are fled, they are gone.”

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CLARKE, "Out of the north there cometh up a nation - The Medes, who formed the chief part of the army of Cyrus, lay to the north or north-east of Babylon.

Shall make her land desolate - This war, and the consequent taking of the city, began those disasters that brought Babylon in process of time to complete desolation; so that now it is not known where it stood, the whole country being a total solitude.GILL, "For out of the north there cometh up a nation against her,.... The Medes and Persians, which under Cyrus were one nation; and which not only lay north of Judea, where this prophecy came, but of Babylon, against which they were to come; and might lay more north to it, before the enlargement of their dominions; and besides, Cyrus came through Assyria to Babylon, which lay north of it; see Isa_41:25. Thus, as Rome Pagan was sacked and taken by the Goths and Vandals, that came out of the north; so Rome Papal, and the antichristian states, will be destroyed by the Christian princes of the north, or those who have embraced what the Papists call the northern heresy; tidings out of the north shall trouble antichrist, Dan_11:44; which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein; that is, in process of time; for this desolation was not made at once; it was begun by Cyrus, made greater by Darius, and completed by Seleucus Nicator; they shall remove, they shall depart, both man and beast; or, "from man to beast" (d); such as were not slain should either flee away or be carried captive; so that in time none should remain, either of man or beast; see Isa_13:19; and for the accomplishment of it on mystical Babylon see Rev_18:2.

JAMISON, "a nation — the Medes, north of Babylon (Jer_51:48). The devastation of Babylon here foretold includes not only that by Cyrus, but also that more utter one by Darius, who took Babylon by artifice when it had revolted from Persia, and mercilessly slaughtered the inhabitants, hanging four thousand of the nobles; also the final desertion of Babylon, owing to Seleucia having been built close by under Seleucus Nicanor.CALVIN, "Let what I have before said be borne in mind, that the Prophet makes use of many words in describing the ruin of Babylon; for it was not enough to predict what was to be; but as weak minds vacillated, it was necessary to add a confirmation. After having then spoken of the power of Babylon and its idols, he now points out the way in which it was to be destroyed — a nation would come from the north, that is, with reference to Chaldea. And he means the Medes and Persians, as interpreters commonly think; and this is probable, because he afterwards adds that the Jews would then return. As then Jeremiah connects these two things together, the destruction of Babylon and the restoration of God’s Church, it is probable that he refers here to the Medes and Persians. If, at the same time, we more narrowly view things, there is no doubt but that this prophecy extends further, and this will appear more evident as we proceed.

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He simply says now that a nation would come from the north, which would turn the land to a waste This clause shews that this prophecy could not be fitly confined to the time when Babylon was taken by Cyrus; for we know that it was betrayed by two Satraps during a siege; and that it was at a time when a feast was held, as though there was peace and security, as Daniel testifies, with whom heathen writers agree. Now Xenophon testifies that Cyrus exercised great forbearanceand humanity, and that he used his victory with such moderation, that Babylon seemed as though it had not been taken. It had, indeed, changed masters, but such was the change that the citizens readily submitted to it. But it was afterwards more hardly dealt with, when Darius recovered it by the aid of Zopyrus; for Babylon had revolted from the Persians, and shook off the yoke. Darius having in vain stormed it, at length recovered it by the help of one man; for Zopyrus, having cut off his nose, and mutilated his ears and his face, pretended, in this deformed manner, to be a fugitive, and complained of the cruelty and barbarity of his king, with whom yet he was most intimate. The city was soon afterwards taken by treachery in the night. Then about four thousand of the Persians were hung in the middle of the Forum, nor did Darius spare the people. The Prophet then seems to include this second destruction when he predicted that the whole land would be made desolate. Nor ought this to be deemed unreasonable, for the Prophets so spoke of God’s judgments, that they extended what they said further than to the commencement, as was the case in the present instance.When, therefore, Babylon was taken by the Persians, it received the yoke; and she which ruled over all other nations, was reduced to a state of servitude. For the Persians, as it is well known, were very inhuman, and Isaiah describes them so at large. In the meantime, the city, as I have said, retained its external appearance. The citizens were robbed of their gold and silver, and of their precious things, and were under the necessity of serving strangers: this was bitter to them. But when Darius punished their perfidy and hung so many of the chief men, about four thousand, and also shed indiscriminately the blood of the people, and subjected the city itself to the plunder of his soldiers, then doubtless what the Prophet says here was more fully accomplished. It was yet God’s purpose to give only a prelude of his vengeance, when he made the Babylonians subject to the Medes and Persians. It now follows — TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:3 For out of the north there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein: they shall remove, they shall depart, both man and beast.Ver. 3. For out of the north there cometh up a nation against her,] i.e., Out of Media and Persia, which lay northward from Chaldea. The Jews had their bane out of the north (as had been foretold, Jeremiah 1:14-15), scil., from Babylon. And now Babylon is to be baned from the same quarter. This was some comfort, doubtless, to the poor Jews in captivity.Which shall make her land desolate.] This was not fulfilled till many years after. Cyrus indeed began it, but Seleucus Nicanor finished it, by building near unto it

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another great city called Seleucia. (a) PULPIT. “Out of the north. There was a peculiar mystery attaching to the north in the Hebrew mind, as, in fact, the word very for "north" in Hebrew (literally, the hidden) indicates. The burnt offering was to be sacrificed on the north side of the altar (Le Jeremiah 1:11), and the four cherubim, in the vision of Ezekiel, are described as coming from the north (Ezekiel 1:4). The horror with which Babylon was regarded was intensified, apparently, by its northern position (Jeremiah 1:14), and now the "hidden" north again pours forth its swarms of warriors against Babylon herself. They shall remove, they shall depart; rather, they are fled, they are gone; almost the same clause occurs in Jeremiah 9:10. The prediction is realized as past.

4 “In those days, at that time,” declares the Lord,“the people of Israel and the people of Judah together will go in tears to seek the Lord their God.

BARNES, "The fall of Babylon is to be immediately followed by the return of the exiles homewards, in tearful procession, because they go as penitents; and yet with joy, because their faces are toward Zion. The cessation moreover of the schism between Israel and Judah is one of the signs of the times of the Messiah Isa_11:12-13, and symbolically represents the gathering together of the warring empires of the world under the peaceful scepter of the Church’s King.

Going and weeping: they shall go - Omit the colon; i. e., “they go ever onward weeping.”

CLARKE, "The fall of Babylon is to be immediately followed by the return of the exiles homewards, in tearful procession, because they go as penitents; and yet with joy, because their faces are toward Zion. The cessation moreover of the schism between Israel and Judah is one of the signs of the times of the Messiah Isa_11:12-13, and symbolically represents the gathering together of the warring empires of the world under the peaceful scepter of the Church’s King.

Going and weeping: they shall go - Omit the colon; i. e., “they go ever onward 26

weeping.”

GILL, "In those days, and at that time, saith the Lord,.... When Babylon shall be taken and destroyed, then what follows shall be accomplished; which, as it respects the conversion of the Jews, shows that this prophecy is not to be restrained to literal Babylon: the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together: upon the taking of Babylon, in a literal sense, by Cyrus, the children of Israel, or the ten tribes, carried away by the Assyrians, did not return; only the children of Judah, or the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, with the Levites, and a few of the other tribes, that might be mixed among them: but when mystical Babylon is fallen, then the whole body of the Jews will be converted, and return to their own land, Israel and Judah; which is foretold in other prophecies, as here, which speak of their general conversion; see Jer_30:3, Hos_1:11; going and weeping; which is another circumstance, which shows that this does not respect the return of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity; for that was attended with joy, and not with tears; see Psa_126:1; unless it is to be understood of weeping for joy, and of tears of joy, as Kimchi interprets it; but it is better to understand it of that godly sorrow and mourning for sin, which will appear in the Jews at the time of their conversion; particularly for their fathers' ill treatment of the Messiah, their unbelief and rejection of him, and their continued obstinacy and perverseness, and other sins; see Jer_31:9; they shall go and seem the Lord their God; even David their King, the true Messiah, who is Lord and God; to him they shall seek for peace, pardon, righteousness, and eternal life; and acknowledge him to be the Messiah, their Lord, and their God; embrace his Gospel, and submit to his ordinances; see Jer_30:9. The Targum is, "when they were carried captive, they went weeping; but when they return from the land of their captivity, they shall seek the worship of the Lord their God.''

HENRY 4-5, “Here is a word spoken for the people of God, and for their comfort, both the children of Israel and of Judah; for many there were of the ten tribes that associated with those of the two tribes in their return out of Babylon. Now here,

1. It is promised that they shall return to their God first and then to their own land; and the promise of their conversion and reformation is that which makes way for all the other promises, Jer_50:4, Jer_50:5. (1.) They shall lament after the Lord (as the whole house of Israel did in Samuel's time, 1Sa_7:2); they shall go weeping. These tears flow not from the sorrow of the world as those when they went into captivity, but from godly sorrow; they are tears of repentance for sin, tears of joy for the goodness of God, in the dawning of the day of their deliverance, which, for aught that appears, does more towards the bringing of them to mourn for sin than all the calamities of their captivity; that prevails to lead them to repentance when the other did not prevail to drive them to it. Note, It is a good sign that God is coming towards a people in ways of mercy when they begin to be tenderly affected under his hand. (2.) They shall enquire after the Lord;27

they shall not sink under their sorrows, but bestir themselves to find out comfort where it is to be had: They shall go weeping to seek the Lord their God. Those that seek the Lord must seek him sorrowing, as Christ's parents sought him, Luk_2:48. And those that sorrow must seek the Lord, and then their sorrow shall soon be turned into joy, for he will be found of those that so seek him. They shall seek the Lord as their God, and shall now have no more to do with idols. When they shall hear that the idols of Babylon are confounded and broken it will be seasonable for them to enquire after their own God and to return to him who lives for ever. Therefore men are deceived in false gods, that they may depend on the true God only. (3.) They shall think of returning to their own country again; they shall think of it not only as a mercy, but as a duty, because there only is the holy hill of Zion, on which once stood the house of the Lord their God (Jer_50:5): They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward. Zion was the city of their solemnities; they often thought of it in the depth of their captivity (Psa_137:1); but, now that the ruin of Babylon gave them some hopes of a release, they talk of nothing else but of going back to Zion. Their hearts were upon it before, and now they set their faces thitherward. They long to be there; they set out for Zion, and resolve not to take up short of it. The journey is long and they know not the road, but they will ask the way, for they will press forward till they come to Zion; and, as they are determined not to turn back, so they are in care not to miss the way. This represents the return of poor souls to God. Heaven is the Zion they aim at as their end; on this they have set their hearts; towards this they have set their faces, and therefore they ask the way thither. They do not ask the way to heaven and set their faces towards the world; nor set their faces towards heaven and go on at a venture without asking the way. But in all true converts there are both a sincere desire to attain the end and a constant care to keep in the way; and a blessed sight it is to see people thus asking the way to heaven with their faces thitherward. (4.) They shall renew their covenant to walk with God more closely for the future: Come, and let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant. They had broken covenant with God, had in effect separated themselves from him, but now they resolve to join themselves to him again, by engaging themselves afresh to be his. Thus, when backsliders return, they must do their first works, must renew the covenant they first made; and it must be a perpetual covenant, that must never be broken; and, in order to that, must never be forgotten; for a due remembrance of it will be the means of a due observance of it.JAMISON, "Fulfilled only in part when some few of the ten tribes of “Israel” joined

Judah in a “covenant” with God, at the restoration of Judah to its land (Neh_9:38; Neh_10:29). The full event is yet to come (Jer_31:9; Hos_1:11; Zec_12:10).weeping — with joy at their restoration beyond all hope; and with sorrow at the remembrance of their sins and sufferings (Ezr_3:12, Ezr_3:13; Psa_126:5, Psa_126:6).seek ... Lord — (Hos_3:5).

CALVIN, "The Prophet now explains more clearly the purpose of God, that in punishing so severely the Chaldeans, his object was to provide for the safety of his Church. For had Jeremiah spoken only of vengeance, the Jews might have still raised an objection and said, “It will not profit us at all, that God should be a severe judge towards our enemies, if we are to remain under their tyranny.” Then the Prophet shews that the destruction of Babylon would be connected with the deliverance of the chosen people; and thus he points out, as it were by the finger, the

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reason why Babylon was to be destroyed, even for the sake of the chosen people, so that the miserable exiles may take courage, and not doubt but that God would at length be propitious, as Jeremiah had testified to them, having, as we have seen, prefixed the term of seventy years. He was derided by the Jews, who had so habituated themselves to hardness of heart, that they counted as nothing, or at least regarded as fables, all the reproofs and threatenings of God, and also gave heed, as we have seen, to the flatteries of the false prophets.Jeremiah now promises that God would be their liberator after the time of exile had passed, of which he had spoken. Thus we perceive the design of this passage, in which the Prophet, after having referred to the destruction of Babylon, makes a sudden transition, and refers to God’s mercy, which he would show to the Jews after they had suffered a just punishment: In those days, he says, and at that time — he adds the appointed time, that the Jews might not doubt but that the Chaldeans would be subdued, because God had appointed them to destruction.He says, Come shall the children of Israel, they and the children of Judah together; and he says this, that they might still suspend their desires. He commends here the greatness of God’s favor, because the condition of the Church would be better after the exile than it was before. The ten tribes, as we know, had separated from the kingdom of Judah; and that separation was as it were the tearing asunder of the body. For God had adopted the seed of Abraham for this end, that they might be one body under one head; but they willfully made a defection, so that both kingdoms became mutilated. The kingdom of Israel became indeed accursed, for it had separated from the family of David, and this separation was in a manner an impious denial of God. As then the children of Israel had alienated themselves from the Church, and the kingdom of the ten tribes had become spurious, their condition was doubtless miserable (though the Jews as well as the Israelites were alike inebriated with their own lusts).But what does our Prophet now say? They shall return together, the children of Israel and the children of Judah; that is, God will not only gather the dispersed, but will also apply such a remedy, that there will no more be any separation; but that on the contrary a brotherly concord will prevail between the ten tribes and the tribe of Judah, when God shall restore them again to himself. We now then perceive what the Prophet had in view: there is, indeed, here an implied comparison between their former state and that which they could yet hardly hope for, after their return from exile; for there is nothing better than brotherly concord, as it is said in the Psalms,“How good and how pleasant it is for brethrento dwell together in unity.” (Psalms 133:1)For the kingdom and the priesthood, the pledges, as it were, of the people’s safety, could not stand together, without the union of the Israelites with the Jews. But they had been long alienated from one another, so that the chief favor of God had been extinguished by this separation. The Prophet says now, that they would come

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together.And he adds, Going and weeping they shall come This may seem contrary to what is said in the Psalms,“Going they shall go, and weep as those who sow; but coming they shall come with joy, carrying their handfuls.” (Psalms 126:6)The Prophet says here, that they shall come with tears. How can these two things be consistent? even because weeping may be taken for that which flows from joy or from admiration; for we know that tears gush out not only through sorrow, but also through rejoicing; and further, when anything unexpected happens, tears will flow from our eyes. We can then take the Prophet’s words in this sense, that they would come weeping, because they would then find God merciful to them. But it is better to regard sorrow as simply meant; and the two things may be thus reconciled, — that the Jews would come with joy, and also with sorrow, not only because the memory of their exile could not be immediately obliterated from their minds, but because it behooved them to remember their sins: they saw the Temple overthrown, the land wasted — sights sufficient to draw tears a hundred times from the hardest. On one side there were reasons for joy; and on the other, reasons for tears. We know that there were tears shed; for the Prophet Haggai expressly tells us, that the old men, who had seen the former Temple, were much cast down, because there was then no such glory as they had seen. (Haggai 2:0.)However this may have been, the Prophet means, that though the return would not be without many troubles, yet the Jews would come;coming, he says, they shall come, that is, going they shall go, and weep, as it is said in the Psalms, that they would come through desert and dry places. (Psalms 84:6.) The meaning then is, that though the journey would be hard and laborious, yet the Jews would return with alacrity into their own country, so that no labors would so fatigue them as to make them to desist from their course.He subjoins the main thing, that they would come to seek their God Their change of place would have been useless, had they not come animated with the desire of worshipping God; for the worship had ceased during the time of exile, as it is said again in another Psalm,“How shall we sing songs to our God in a foreign land?” (Psalms 137:4)Then the Prophet here reminds them, that God’s favor would be real and complete, because the Jews would not only return to their own country, so as to possess it, but that they would also set up the worship of God, and dwell as it were under his protection. It follows — COKE, “Jeremiah 50:4. In those days, and in that time— The return of the ten tribes with that of Judah and Benjamin could not have been marked out more

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expressly. "They shall return to their country amid tears of joy, of tenderness and compunction." See Calmet. But from the next verse we may conclude, that a future and more general restoration of the Jews is also and particularly referred to. See Luke 9:51; Luke 9:53. Jeremiah 42:17; Jeremiah 44:12.TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:4 In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the LORD their God.Ver. 4. In those days, and at that time.] Destructio Babel salus est populo Dei; so shall it be at the ruin of Rome.The children of Israel shall come, and the children of Judah together.] In better times they could not agree; but when they were both in a weeping condition, misery bred unity, as it did also between Hooper and Ridley, when they were both in prison for the truth.Going and weeping.] Tears of sorrow for their sins, and tears of joy for their deliverance by Cyrus, but especially by Christ.They shall go and seek the Lord their God.] Whom they had long been without, and do now long and linger after.PETT, “Jeremiah 50:4“In those days, and in that time,The word of YHWH,The children of Israel will come,They and the children of Judah together,They will go on their way weeping,And will seek YHWH their God.The future of the people of Israel/Judah is directly contrasted with the fate of Babylon. ‘In those days and at that time’ ( the time when God will do His work of restoration) Israel and Judah together will come in weeping and repentance, seeking YHWH their God. This coming together of Israel and Judah is a fulfilment of Jeremiah 3:18. Note that the weeping and repentance is prior to their looking towards Jerusalem There will be a new attitude of heart resulting in a new beginning. We can see a partial fulfilment of this in Ezra 3:13; Ezra 8:21-23. A greater fulfilment occurred at the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ. It is a reminder to us that however grievously we have sinned we can always turn to God in weeping

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and repentance with the assurance that we will be accepted as long as we intend to commence a new beginning.PULPIT, “In those days, etc. The destruction of Babylon is immediately followed by the deliverance of Israel. But the description of the latter is a remarkable one. We are by no means to regard it as an idealized picture of the return of the Jews under Zerubbabel, any more than we can suppose the glowing promises in the second part of Isaiah to have their sole fulfilment in that disappointing event. No; it is the characteristic of Messianic prophecy that, with "foreshortened perspective," the prophets represent as equally near events which are really separated by ages. In the Book of Isaiah, for instance, preliminary judgments are repeatedly described in terms which, properly speaking, only apply to the great final judgment. In fact, each great political revolution is a stage in the Divine drama of judgment, which will reach its close in the final cataclysm. And so too here (as well as in Isaiah 40-46.) the promise of mercy to Israel, which began to be fulfilled in the edict of Cyrus, is represented as if the still future conversion of the people of Israel were actually accomplished. The description reminds us of Jeremiah 3:18-21. Notice the penitence of the returning exiles, and the reunion of Israel and Judah (see on Jeremiah 3:18). Going and weeping; they shall go; rather, they shall go, weeping as they go.

5 They will ask the way to Zion and turn their faces toward it.They will come and bind themselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten.

BARNES, "Fulfilled only in part when some few of the ten tribes of “Israel” joined Judah in a “covenant” with God, at the restoration of Judah to its land (Neh_9:38; Neh_10:29). The full event is yet to come (Jer_31:9; Hos_1:11; Zec_12:10).

weeping — with joy at their restoration beyond all hope; and with sorrow at the remembrance of their sins and sufferings (Ezr_3:12, Ezr_3:13; Psa_126:5, Psa_126:6).seek ... Lord — (Hos_3:5).

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CLARKE, "Let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant - All our former covenants have been broken; let us now make one that shall last for ever. He shall be the Lord Our God, and We will no more worship idols. This covenant they have kept to the present day; whatever their present moral and spiritual state may be, they are no idolaters, in the gross sense of the term.

The description that is here given of the state of this people, their feelings and their conduct, finely exhibit the state of real penitents, who are fervently seeking the salvation of their souls.1. In those days when Jesus Christ is manifested in the flesh; and in that time, when through him is preached the remission of sins, and the people who hear are pricked in their conscience.2. The children of Israel and the children of Judah together. - No distinctions being then felt or attended to; for all feel themselves sinners, who have come short of the glory of God. Even national distinctions and religious differences, which bind men fastest, and hold them longest, are absorbed in the deep and overpowering concern they feel for their eternal interests.3. Going and weeping shall they go. - Religious sorrow does not preclude activity and diligence. While they are weeping for their sins, they are going on in the path of duty, seeking the Lord while he may be found, and calling upon him while he is near.4. They shall ask the way to Zion. - Real penitents are the most inquisitive of all mortals; but their inquiries are limited to one object, they ask the way to Zion. What shall we do to be saved? How shall we shun the perdition of ungodly men, etc.5. With their faces thitherward. - They have turned from sin, and turned To God. They have left the paths of the destroyer, and their hearts are towards God, and the remembrance of his name. Thus they are profiting by that light which has convinced them of sin, righteousness, and judgment.6. Come, and let us join ourselves to the Lord. - Religion is a social principle, and begets a social feeling in the soul. No man who feels his own sore, and the plague of his heart, wishes to venture alone in the way to heaven. He feels he wants counsel, support, comfort and the company of those who will watch over him in love. Like David, the true penitent is a companion of all those who fear the Lord. These heavenly feelings come from one and the same Spirit, and lead to the same end; hence they say, -7. Let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant. It is said, that to be undecided, is to be decided. They who are not determined to go to heaven, will never reach it. If the heart be not laid under obligation, it will do nothing. “I hope I am in earnest; I trust I shall be in earnest about the salvation of my soul, it is very proper I should be so;” and such like, show an irresolute soul. Such persons are ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.Let us therefore bind ourselves. We have trifled too long; been indecisive too long; have halted too long between two opinions. We know now that Jehovah is God; let us, therefore, enter into a covenant with him. Let this covenant be a perpetual one: let us not make it for a day, for any particular time, but for ever; and let it never be broken. Let our part be kept inviolable: we Are and Will Be thy people; and God’s part will never fail, I

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Am and Will Be your God.The covenant requires a sacrifice. - Hence ברית berith signifies both. Christ crucified

is the great covenant sacrifice. By him God becomes united to us, and through him we become united to God.

GILL, "They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward,.... Either to Jerusalem, near to which Mount Zion was; or to the land of Israel, so called, from a principal part of it: and this also is not to be understood of their return thither, upon the taking of Babylon by Cyrus, and the liberty he gave them; for they had no need to inquire their way thither, nor do we find any where that they did; for though there might be many among them born in the captivity, who knew not the way; yet there were others that did, and could direct and go before them, even such who had seen the former temple, Ezr_3:12; but this suits better with the Jews in the latter day, upon the fall of mystical Babylon, when they shall be converted and return to their own land, and shall ask their way thither; being under a strong impulse of mind, and being bent upon it, and having full resolution to go thither: or else by Zion may be meant the church of God in Gospel times, as it often is; the way into which the converted Jews will ask, being deter mined to give up themselves to it, and become members of it; which way is not a religious education, mere morality, or a bare attendance on worship; but faith in Christ, and a profession of it, and submission to the ordinance of baptism; saying, come, and let us join ourselves unto the Lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten; and then may they be said to "join themselves to the Lord", when, under a divine influence, they shall give up themselves to Christ, to be saved by him; when they shall lay hold on him, embrace him, and believe in him; when they shall follow him in his own ways, and cleave unto him with full purpose of heart; and also when they shall join themselves to his people, to the churches of Christ, and abide by his truths and ordinances; to all which they shall stir up and encourage one another; either laying hold on the covenant of grace, which is an everlasting one, and will never be forgotten by the Lord; he is ever mindful of it, and keeps it; which is done when men join themselves to the Lord, Isa_56:6; or making an agreement or covenant with one another, and the churches to which they join themselves, to walk together in all the ways, ordinances, and commandments of the Lord; which agreement or covenant ought to be perpetually observed, and never forgotten. Kimchi owns that this part of the verse belongs to the days of the Messiah. The Targum is, "they shall come and be added unto the people of the Lord, and he shall make with them an everlasting covenant, which shall not cease.''

JAMISON, "thitherward — rather, “hitherward,” Jeremiah’s prophetical standpoint being at Zion. “Faces hitherward” implies their steadfastness of purpose not to be turned aside by any difficulties on the way.

perpetual covenant — in contrast to the old covenant “which they brake” (Jer_31:31, etc.; Jer_32:40). They shall return to their God first, then to their own land.

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CALVIN, "He explains himself more at large, that they would ask those they met the way, that their faces would be towards Sion, that they would also exhort one another to seek God and join themselves to him by a perpetual covenant. The Prophet includes here all the tribes, and says that the Jews and the Israelites would not only return into their own country, to partake of the produce of that rich and fruitful land, but that they would also render to God the worship due to him, and then that nothing would be so vexatious to them but that they would be able to overcome all difficulties and all obstacles.He says first, that they would ask the way — a proof of perseverance; that they would ask the way to Sion, that is, ask how they were to proceed that they might come to Sion. By these words, the Prophet, as I have just said, denotes their constancy and indefatigable resolution, as though he had said, that though they journeyed through unknown lands, yea, through many devious places, they would yet be in no way disheartened so as not to inquire of those they met with until they came to Sion. This is one thing. Then he adds to the same purpose, Thither their faces We indeed know, that plans are often changed when adverse events impede us; for he who undertakes an expedition, when he sees his course very difficult, turns back again. But the Prophet declares here that there would be no change of mind that would cause the Jews to relinquish their purpose of returning, because their faces would be towards Sion, that is, they would turn their eyes thither, so that nothing would be able to turn them elsewhere. There is added, in the third place, an exhortation, Come ye; and they shall join themselves to Jehovah their God, by a perpetual covenant Here the Prophet first shews, that the Jews would be so encouraged as to add stimulants to one another; and hence it is said, Come ye; and, secondly, he adds, they shall cleave (there is here a change of person) to Jehovah by a perpetual covenant which shall not by oblivion be obliterated (51)He again repeats what he had said, that the exiles would not return to their own country, that they might there only indulge themselves, but he mentions another end, even that they might join themselves to God. He means, in short, that God would do for them something better and more excellent than to allure them by earthly pleasures.But we must notice the words, they shall cleave (so it is literally) to Jehovah by a perpetual covenant; for there is an implied contrast between the covenant they had made void and the new covenant which God would make with them, of which Jeremiah spoke in Jeremiah 31:0. God’s covenant was, indeed, ever inviolable; for God did not promise to be the God of Abraham for a certain term of years; but the adoption, as Paul testifies, remains fixed, and can never be changed. (Romans 11:29.) Then on God’s part it is eternal. But as the Jews had become covenant-breakers, that covenant is called, on this account, weak and evanescent: and for this reason the Prophet said,“In the last days I will make a covenant with you, not such as I made with your fathers, for they have broken, he said, that covenant.” (Jeremiah 31:31)

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Jeremiah now repeats the same thing, though more briefly, that the Jews would return to favor with God, not only for a moment, but that his covenant might continue and remain valid; and the way by which this would be done is expressed in Jeremiah 21:0, even because God would inscribe his law on their inward parts, and engrave it on their hearts. For it is not in man’s power to continue so constant as that God’s covenant should never fail; but what the Prophet omits here must be supplied from the former passage, that when the Jews returned, God’s covenant would again become so valid and fixed, that it would never fail, even because their hearts would be renewed, so that they would be faithful to God, and never become apostates any more like their fathers.He then adds, This covenant shall not be forgotten. We hence conclude, that the perpetuity of which he speaks, was founded rather on the mere benevolence of God than on the virtue of the people. He calls then the covenant which God would never forget, perpetual, because he would remember his mercy towards the chosen people; and though they were unworthy to receive such a favor, yet he would continue perpetually his mercy towards them to the coming of Christ; for the passage clearly shows that this prophecy cannot be otherwise explained than of Christ’s spiritual kingdom. The Jews indeed returned to their own country, but it was only a small number; and besides, they were harassed by many troubles; God also visited their land with sterility, and they were lessened by various slaughters in wars: how then came the prophets thus to extol in such high terms the favor of God, which yet did not appear among the people? even because they included the kingdom of Christ; for whenever they spoke of the return of the people, they ascended, as we have said, to the chief deliverance. I do not yet follow our interpreters, who explain these prophecies concerning the spiritual kingdom of Christ allegorically; for simply, or as they say, literally, ought these words to be taken, — that God would never forget his covenant, so as to retain the Jews in the possession of the land. But this would have been a very small thing, had not Christ come forth, in whom is founded the real perpetuity of the covenant, because God’s covenant cannot be separated from a state of happiness; for blessed are the people, as the Psalmist says, to whom God shows himself to be their God. (Psalms 144:15.) Now, then, as the Jews were so miserable, it follows that God’s covenant did not openly appear or was not conspicuous; we must therefore come necessarily to Christ, as we have elsewhere seen, that this was commonly done by the Prophets. The Prophet now enters on a new argument, —To Zion will they ask the way, Hither their faces; They shall come and be joined to Jehovah, By an everlasting covenant, which shall not be forgotten.“Hither” and not “thither,” for the Prophet was at Jerusalem; and so the particle means, and it is so given in the Sept. and Vulg. The last clause requires “which” in our translation, though not in Welsh, for, like the Hebrew, it can do without it — (lang. cy) nad anghofir literally the Hebrew. What is here predicted was literally accomplished, as recorded by Nehemiah, (Nehemiah 9:38; Nehemiah 10:29.) — Ed.

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TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:5 They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, [saying], Come, and let us join ourselves to the LORD in a perpetual covenant [that] shall not be forgotten.Ver. 5. They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward,] (a) As intent upon it, and minding nothing else in comparison. It is good for a man to have his face set towards heaven, and to make religion his business, looking at other things by the by, and out at the eye’s end, as it were.Come and let us join ourselves to the Lord.] Be so joined to the Lord, so glued unto him, as to be one spirit with him in a conjugal perpetual covenant. (b)PETT, “Jeremiah 50:5“They will enquire concerning Zion,With their faces turned towards it (literally ‘hitherward’),Saying, ‘Come you, and join yourselves to YHWH,In an everlasting covenant which will not be forgotten.’ ”Their weeping and repentance will result in their looking towards Zion, calling on all His people to join themselves to YHWH in an everlasting covenant, one that will not be ‘forgotten’ as the old one had been. We have here a reminder of the new covenant promised in Jeremiah 31:31-34, the covenant written in the heart. Note the use of the term ‘hitherward’ indicating that the author was in Palestine.This commenced fulfilment when Israelites returned to Palestine in repentance from all parts of the world during the inter-testamental period, and continued when our Lord Jesus Christ came into the world and entered Jerusalem calling men and women to respond to the new covenant (Luke 22:20; Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24; 1 Corinthians 11:25; Hebrews 8:6-13). It continues as men continually respond to Jesus Christ and become partakers in that new covenant, turning their backs on ‘Babylon’, as members of the true Israel of God (Galatians 3:29; Galatians 6:16).PULPIT, “Thitherward; rather, hitherward: The prophet is evidently writing from Jerusalem (comp. Jeremiah 51:50). Let us join ourselves. A conjectural emendation (nilveh for nilvu, a difficult reading, meaning, perhaps, "join yourselves"). A perpetual covenant. The same phrase occurs in Jeremiah 32:40. The addition, "that shall not be forgotten," reminds us of "the ark of the covenant," which was "not to be remembered" (Jeremiah 3:16).

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6 “My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray and caused them to roam on the mountains.They wandered over mountain and hill and forgot their own resting place.

BARNES, "Their shepherds ... mountains - Some translate it: Their shepherds, i. e., civil rulers (Jer_2:8 note) “have led them astray upon the seducing moutains.” - the mountains being the usual places where idolatry was practiced.

Their restingplace - Their fold Psa_23:2.

CLARKE, "My people hath been lost sheep - He pities them; for their pastors, kings, and prophets have caused them to err.

They have gone from mountain to hill - In all high places they have practiced idolatry.

GILL, "My people hath been lost sheep,.... like lost sheep, without a shepherd, going astray the fold, wandering from place to place, having none to take care of them, guide and direct them, or to go in and out before them, and lead them into suitable pastures; so it was with the Jews in the Babylonish captivity, and so it is with them now, and yet the Lord's people still in some sense; he has a design of grace concerning them, a store of mercy for them, and thoughts of peace towards them, which will take place in due time; and such is the case of all God's elect in a state of nature, they are sheep, but lost sheep, and yet his people; their shepherds have caused them to go astray; from God and his worship, from the true religion; so their civil and ecclesiastical governors, their kings, princes, priests, and prophets, were the causes of leading them into errors, by their laws, doctrines, and examples; so Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it of their kings; but the Targum seems to understand it of other kings, that carried them captive, "kings carried them away, rulers spoiled them;'' so their priests and Rabbins now cause them to err from the true Messiah, his Gospel

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and ordinances, as their false Christs and false prophets have done in all ages since the times of Christ; they have turned them away on the mountains; or, "to" them (e); where idols were worshipped, as Jarchi; this was their case before and at the Babylonish captivity, though never since: or, "from the mountains" (f); from the mountains of Israel, and the good pastures there; from the Gospel of Christ, and the ordinances of it; they have gone from mountain to hill; from one religion to another, from duty to duty, seeking rest and happiness there, in the law of Moses, and traditions of the elders; or from kingdom to kingdom, wandering about from place to place, as they do to this day; they have forgotten their resting place; either the land of Canaan, which was their rest, Deu_12:9; or rather God himself, the resting place of his people, Psa_116:7; or the Lord Jesus Christ, in whose person, blood, righteousness, sacrifice, and fulness, is the true rest of his people; and which is forgotten when men rest in themselves and their duties, and seek elsewhere than in Christ for peace and comfort.

HENRY 6-7, “Their present case is lamented as very sad, and as having been long so: “My people” (for he owns them as his now that they are returning to him) “have been lost sheep (Jer_50:6); they have gone from mountain to hill, have been hurried from place to place, and could find no pasture; they have forgotten their resting-place in their own country and cannot find their way to it.” And that which aggravated their misery was, (1.) That they were led astray by their own shepherds, their own princes and priests; they turned them from their duty, and so provoked God to turn them out of their own land. It is bad with a people when their leaders cause them to err, when those that should direct them, and when those that should secure and advance their interests are the betrayers of them. (2.) That in their wanderings they lay exposed to the beasts of prey, who thought they were entitled to them, as waifs and strays that had no owner (Jer_50:7); it is with them as with wandering sheep, all that found them have devoured them and made a prey of them; and when they did them the greatest injuries they laughed at them, telling them it was what their own prophets had many a time told them they deserved; that was far from justifying those who did them wrong, yet they bantered them with this excuse, We offend not, because they have sinned against the Lord; but they could not pretend that they had sinned against them. And see what notion they had of the Lord they had sinned against, not as the only true and living God, but only as the habitation of justice and the hope of their fathers; they had put a contempt upon the temple and upon the tradition of their ancestors, and therefore deserved to suffer these hard things. And yet it was indeed an aggravation of their sin, and justified God, though it did not justify their adversaries in what was done to them, that they had forsaken the habitation of justice and him that was the hope of their fathers.

JAMISON, "(Isa_53:6).on the mountains — whereon they sacrificed to idols (Jer_2:20; Jer_3:6, Jer_3:23).resting-place — for the “sheep,” continuing the image; Jehovah is the resting-place of His sheep (Mat_11:28). They rest in His “bosom” (Isa_40:11). Also His temple at

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Zion, their “rest,” because it is His (Psa_132:8, Psa_132:14).CALVIN, "THE, Prophet in the sixth verse compares God’s people to lost sheep: he therefore says, that the Jews wandered on the mountains and went from mountain to hill He throws the blame on the shepherds, by whom the miserable people had been led astray. Notwithstanding, God does not extenuate the fault of the people; nor did he accuse the pastors as though their wickedness and perfidy absolved the people; but on the contrary, he commends the greatness of his own grace, that he had mercy on a flock that was lost and without hope. We now then understand the design of the Prophet when he thus spoke in the person of God, My people have become lost sheep, and the shepherds have seduced them, on the mountains have they made them to go astray, from mountain to hill have they gone; and he says, that they had forgotten their lying down; (52) for when there is no fixed station, the sheep have no place to rest. Flocks, we know, return in the evening to their folds. But the Prophet says that the Jews, when scattered, forgot their lying down, because they had no settled habitation. It afterwards follows, —6.Lost sheep have become my people; Their shepherds have caused them to err, Having turned them here and there on the mountains; From mountain to hill have they gone; They have forgotten their resting-place.The meaning of שובבים is given by the Sept. and Vulg., “causing them to wander;”the verb שב is to turn; being here a reduplicate, it means to turn much, or again and again, or here and there; and this is confirmed by what follows — they went, through the teaching of their pastors, from “mountain to hill,” that is, from one form of idolatry to another; and “forgotten their resting-place,” which was God. —EdCOFFMAN, “"My people have been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray; they have turned them away on the mountains; they have gone from mountain to hill; they have forgotten their resting place. All that found them have devoured them; and their adversaries said, We are not guilty, because they have sinned against Jehovah, the habitation of righteousness, even Jehovah, the hope of their fathers. Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as the he goats before the flocks. For, lo, I will stir up and cause to come up against Babylon a company of great nations from the north country; and they shall set themselves in array against her; from thence she shall be taken: their arrows shall be as of an expert mighty man; none shall return in vain, And Chaldea shall be a prey: all that prey upon her shall be satisfied, saith Jehovah.""Their shepherds have caused them to go astray ..." (Jeremiah 50:6). These evil shepherds here blamed for Israel's apostasy were their kings, judges, priests, and false prophets."I will cause to come against Babylon ... they shall set themselves against her ... she

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(Babylon) shall be taken" (Jeremiah 50:9). There are no less than six verbs, all in the future tense, which here announce that Babylon "shall be taken," making it an absolute certainty that Jeremiah 50:2 is in the prophetic past perfect tense."Be as the heights of the flocks ..." (Jeremiah 50:8). Judah here was admonished to be the leader (like the heights) in fleeing from Babylon. They did not heed this. As a matter of fact, they were hardly willing to leave at all, and many never left. The metaphor here is drawn from the fact that, "Once the sheepfold was opened, the male goats would rush from the enclosure first."[14]"All that prey upon her shall be satisfied ..." (Jeremiah 50:10). The total destruction of Babylon is here promised, including the destruction even of her walls (Jeremiah 50:15, below). It is known that when Cyrus took the city, he did not need to break down the walls; and some careless commentators have faulted the prophecy in this instance; but they are in error. "Cyrus did not destroy Babylon when he took it; but a little later in the Persian period the city revolted; and Darius Hystaspis captured it and destroyed its walls in 514 B.C. That was the beginning of the final and total ruin that eventually came to Babylon."[15]WHEDON, “ 6. Lost sheep — So they have the most urgent reasons for seeking again the fold.They have forgotten their resting place — Alas, how universally true! And here is the great secret of unrest, this perpetual going from mountain to hill. The only proper resting-place of the flock of God is in his fold.“‘Tis there, with the lambs of thy flock,There only, I covet to rest,To lie at the foot of the rock,Or rise to be hid in thy breast:‘Tis there I would always abide,And never a moment depart,Concealed in the cleft of thy side,Eternally held in thy heart.” — C. Wesley.TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:6 My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away [on] the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace.

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Ver. 6. My people have been lost sheep.] Per avis peccatorum aberrantes; lost in the maze of sin and misery.Their shepherds have caused them to go astray.] True also of Papists and sectaries, miserably misled by their pretended pastors - impostors rather.PETT, “Verses 6-10God’s Call To His Errant People To Flee From Babylon Because The Wrath Of YHWH Is Coming On It (Jeremiah 50:6-10).Israel’s plight is described as resulting from her backslidden condition, a plight seen by onlookers as totally deserved because of her disobedience to God. Now, however, she is called on to flee from Babylon because Babylon faces judgment. God’s people should not become caught up in Babylon’s ways. Rather they should flee from them.This call to flee from Babylon because of the disaster that is to come upon it echoes Isaiah 48:20 which referred not specifically to the return from exile (which was an ordered march not a flight) but to the need to come out from Babylon with all its evil and perverted ways, and to do it in haste because of the judgment that was coming on it. It did, of course, include the fact that when the opportunity arose to leave Babylonia they should take advantage of it. Babylon was exalted in men’s eyes, the seat of all that was against God (Isaiah 13:19; Isaiah 47:8-15), and men flocked there because of the pleasures and wealth that it offered. But God’s people are called on to flee such things, recognising that they can only finally lead to judgment.Jeremiah 50:6-7“My people have been lost sheep,Their shepherds have caused them to go astray,They have turned them away on the mountains,They have gone from mountain to hill,They have forgotten their resting-place,All who found them have devoured them,And their adversaries said, ‘We are not guilty,Because they have sinned against YHWH,YHWH, the habitation of righteousness,

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Even YHWH, the hope of their fathers.’ ”The backslidden state of Israel/Judah is described. They are ‘lost sheep’ (compare Isaiah 53:6; Ezekiel 34:5), something later emphasised by Jesus (Matthew 9:36; Matthew 10:6; Matthew 15:24; Matthew 18:12-14; Luke 15:3-7; Luke 19:10). They have been led astray by their shepherds (their kings, priests, prophets and wise men) who have caused them to go astray. Thus they find themselves facing the danger of the diversified ‘mountains’ in which they find themselves, going from one mountain to another, lost and alone. They have ‘forgotten their resting-place’, their place of peace and security. This could be a covert reference to the Temple (2 Chronicles 6:41), or to God’s land in which they had had security when they were obedient to the covenant (Isaiah 65:10; Exodus 33:14; Deuteronomy 12:9-10; Deuteronomy 25:19; Joshua 1:13). But it was probably not true that they had forgotten either, as Jeremiah well knew. In the end it was their covenant God Whom they had forgotten, their God Who should have been their resting place as Jeremiah 50:7 makes clear.And those who have ‘devoured’ them have been able to do so with a good conscience, because they were able to declare that what had come on Israel/Judah was due to its own failure in sinning against YHWH, their covenant God, against YHWH Who was the dwellingplace of righteousness and was the One to Whom their fathers had looked. They had forsaken Him and His way of righteousness in spite of all the promises which He had made to them, promises in which they gloried while worshipping other gods. They had ceased to be true to YHWH. They had still clung to the outward form of their religion, but they had ceased to observe its very essence, genuine spiritual response and obedience to their covenant God. As Jesus would later put it, ‘why do you call Me Lord, Lord, and do not do the things which I say?’ (Luke 6:46).‘YHWH, the habitation of righteousness.’ This in contrast with Babylon which was the habitation of all evil and idolatry.‘YHWH, the hope of their fathers.’ It was YHWH in Whom all the promises rested, and therefore in Whom their hopes should have lain. It was YHWH to Whom, in their best moments, their fathers had looked with such expectancy. Above all it was to YHWH that their founding fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had looked, as they had laid the foundation for what was to come. All their hopes had lain in Him.PULPIT, “Lost sheep. Not merely with reference to the scattering of the Captivity (as in Isaiah 27:13, where the Authorized Version has "ready to perish"), but to the transgressions of the Law of God, of which the Jews had been constantly guilty (comp. Psalms 119:176; Isaiah 53:6). Their shepherds … mountains. This is the marginal correction in the Hebrew Bible; the text has, "Their shepherds have caused them to go astray upon the seducing mountains"—a strange expression, which is, however, defended by Naegelsbach on the ground of Jeremiah 2:20; Jeremiah 3:2, Jeremiah 3:23; Jeremiah 17:2. Their resting place; literally, their

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couching place; i.e. their pasture, Jehovah, at once their Pasture (Jeremiah 17:7) and their true Shepherd (Psalms 23:1).

7 Whoever found them devoured them; their enemies said, ‘We are not guilty,for they sinned against the Lord, their verdant pasture, the Lord, the hope of their ancestors.’

BARNES, "Offend not - i. e., “are not guilty.” Israel having left the fold, has no owner, and may therefore be maltreated with impunity.

Habitation of justice - In Jer_31:23 applied to Jerusalem: here, Yahweh alone is the true pasturage, in whom His people will find safety, rest, and plenty.

CLARKE, "Their adversaries said, We offend not - God has abandoned them; we are only fulfilling his designs in plaguing them.

GILL, "All that found them have devoured them,.... As lost and wandering sheep are liable to be found, and to be devoured, by every beast of prey, lions, wolves, and bears; so the Jews were found by their neighbours, their enemies, and especially by the Chaldeans, having forsaken God, and being forsaken by him; and which is their case now, and are often found and seized upon by their enemies, and made a prey of under one pretence or another: and their adversaries said, we offend not; we are not guilty of any evil, in taking away their lives, or stripping them of their substance: because they have sinned against the Lord; and therefore are justly punished in this way; and it is no other than what the Lord threatened them with, and foretold by his prophets should come upon them: this they said, not that they feared the Lord, or had any regard to his honour and glory, but to excuse themselves, which would not do; for though they sinned against the Lord, they had not sinned against them, and they had no right to destroy them, and plunder them of their substance; and so it is now, many think it no crime to injure the Jews in their persons and property, because they have sinned

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against Christ, and rejected him as the Messiah, who is the habitation of justice; the dwelling place of the saints, the city of refuge and strong tower, whither the righteous run and are safe: even the Lord, the hope of their fathers; whom their fathers hoped for and expected, he being spoken and prophesied of by all the prophets that were from the beginning of the world, and therefore called the Hope of Israel, Jer_14:8.

JAMISON, "devoured — (Psa_79:7). “Found them” implies that they were exposed to the attacks of those whoever happened to meet them.

adversaries said — for instance, Nebuzara-dan (Jer_40:2, Jer_40:3; compare Zec_11:5). The Gentiles acknowledged some supreme divinity. The Jews’ guilt was so palpable that they were condemned even in the judgment of heathens. Some knowledge of God’s peculiar relation to Judea reached its heathen invaders from the prophets (Jer_2:3; Dan_9:16); hence the strong language they use of Jehovah here, not as worshippers of Him themselves, but as believing Him to be the tutelary God of Judah (“the hope of their fathers,” Psa_22:4; they do not say our hope), as each country was thought to have its local god, whose power extended no farther.habitation — (Psa_90:1; Psa_91:1). Alluding to the tabernacle, or, as in Eze_34:14, “fold,” which carries out the image in Jer_50:6, “resting-place” of the “sheep.” But it can only mean “habitation” (Jer_31:23), which confirms English Version here.hope of their fathers — This especially condemned the Jews that their apostasy was from that God whose faithfulness their fathers had experienced. At the same time these “adversaries” unconsciously use language which corrects their own notions. The covenant with the Jews’ “fathers” is not utterly set aside by their sin, as their adversaries thought; there is still “a habitation” or refuge for them with the God of their fathers.

CALVIN, "Jeremiah goes on with the same subject; for he tells us how miserable was the condition of the people until God looked on them to relieve them from their evils. And this comparison, as I have before said, more fully sets forth the favor of God, because he raised up his people as it were from hell at a time when they were reduced to despair.He says first, All who found them devoured them; that is, all who came in contact with them thought them a prey. He, in short, means that they were plundered by all who met them; and then that enemies were so far from sparing them that they gloried in their cruelty towards them. Hence he adds, Their enemies said, We sin not, because they have acted wickedly against Jehovah. By these words the Prophet intimates, that their enemies indulged in greater wantonness, because they thought that what they did would not be punished. Almost the same sentiment is found in Zechariah, where it is said,“All who devoured them sinned not, and they who devoured them said, Blessed be the Lord who has enriched us.” (Zechariah 11:5)But we must more closely consider the design of the Holy Spirit. The Prophet indeed

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shows that the Jews were reduced to extremities, so that they were not only cruelly treated by their enemies, but were also exposed to the greatest contempt. He, however, reminded them at the same time of their duty to repent, for when the whole world condemned them, it was but right that God should call them to an account for their sins. As then he had set over them all men as their judges, he indirectly touched and goaded their consciences, so that they might know that they had to do with God. When therefore Zechariah said,“All who devoured thee said, Blessed be the Lord,”he meant, that the sins of the people were so manifest to all, that all the heathens declared that they deserved extreme punishment; for by the words, “Blessed be the Lord who hath enriched us,” he intimated that heathens, in spoiling and plundering the Jews, would be so far from feeling any shame, that they would rather glory in being enriched with prey as it were by the hand of God. So also in this place, All who found them devoured them, and their enemies said, We sin, not, — and why? because they have acted wickedly against Jehovah.In short, the Prophet means, that the Jews would not only be exposed to the rapacity, avarice, and cruelty of enemies, but also to the greatest contempt and reproach. At the same time he exhorted them to repent; for if they were thus condemned by the judgment of the whole world, it was not unreasonable to direct their thoughts to the tribunal of God. Nor was it a strange thing that the unbelieving referred to God, for it is what we commonly meet with in all the prophets; and it was ever a principle held by all nations, that there is some supreme Deity; for though they devised for themselves various gods, yet they all believed that there is one supreme God. So the name, Jehovah, was known in common by all nations: and hence the Prophet here introduced the Chaldeans as speaking, that the Jews had acted wickedly against Jehovah; not indeed that they ascribed to God his honor, but because this opinion, that there is some God, was held by all; and this God they all indiscriminately worshipped according to their own forms of religion, but they still thought that they worshipped God.What follows, interpreters explain as though the Prophet in the person of enemies intended to exaggerate the sin of the chosen people; they therefore connect the words thus, “They have been wicked against Jehovah, who is the habitation of justice, and has always been the hope of their fathers.” If we take this meaning, it is no wonder that their sin is amplified, because the Jews had forsaken not some unknown God, whose favor and power they had not experienced, but because they had been perfidious against the God who had by many proofs testified his paternal love towards them. It was then an impiety the more detestable, because they had thus dared to forsake the only true God.But I approve of a different meaning, — that the Prophet answers by God’s command, that their enemies deceived themselves, when they thus confidently trod under foot the chosen people, and thought that everything was lawful for them. The

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Prophet, I doubt not, now checks the wantonness of which he speaks, as though he had said, “Ye think that this people are wholly rejected by me, and hence there are no limits to your cruelty; but I have so adopted them, that my covenant can never be rendered void.” We may better understand what Jeremiah means by a similar example: when Isaiah answered King Hezekiah that God would be the defender of the city, when they recited to him the words of Sennacherib or of Rabshakch, who brought his orders, (Isaiah 37:24) he said,“But he thinks not that I have founded Sion.” )53(That answer seems to me to be wholly like this passage. Sennacherib said, “I will go up and take the city and the temple;” he, in short, triumphed as though he was a conqueror; but God, on the other hand, restrained his confidence in these words,“But that impious and proud enemy knows not that I have created Sion, and have been from the beginning its maker: can I then now bring upon it such a destruction as would wholly cut off the memory of it? Many cities have indeed perished, and there is no place so illustrious which may not sometime be destroyed; but the condition of the holy city (says God) is different.” And he adds the reason, Because he had created it. So in this place, Jehovah is the habitation, of justice and the hope of their fathers For God’s enemies almost always form their judgment according to the present state of things; for in prosperity they are inflated with so much pride that they dare insolently to utter blasphemies against God. For though the Chaldeans had spoken thus, that they sinned not, because the Jews had been wicked, there is yet no doubt but that their boasting was insulting to God, as it is said in Isaiah 37:22,“The virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath despised and derided thee, and drawn out the tongue against thee; me, the God of hosts, he says, hath he despised.”By these words God shows that he was derided in the person of his Church. For this reason, then, God himself now comes forth and declares that he is the habitation of justice and the hope of his chosen people, in order that the Chaldeans might not promise themselves prosperity perpetually.We hence see that these sentences are set in opposition one to another rather than connected together, and spoken in the person of the ungodly. The Chaldeans said, “We sin not, because they have acted wickedly against Jehovah;” then the Prophet responds and shows that they deceived themselves if they thought that God’s covenant was abolished, because he for a time chastised his people, as it is said by Isaiah,“What shall the messengers of the nations declare?”or,“What shall be told by the messengers of the nations? that God hath founded Sion.”

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(Isaiah 14:32)When he spoke of the deliverance of the people and city, he added this acclamation, that it would be a memorable benefit, the report of which would be known among all nations, that is, that God had founded Sion, that it had been wonderfully delivered as it were from present destruction.He first calls God the habitation of justice; and he alludes, as I think, to the tabernacle; and then he more clearly expresses himself, that God was the hope of their fathers The Jews were indeed unworthy of being protected by God; but he speaks not here of their merits, but, on the contrary, God himself affirms the perpetuity of his covenant, and the constancy of his faithfulness, in opposition to the ungodly. For since the Chaldeans had already possessed the greater part of the country, and had taken all the cities except Jerusalem, they thought that the people were forsaken by their God; and this tended to cast reproach on God himself. Hence he declares here, that though the Jews had been wicked, yet his covenant was so far from being extinct, that he was a habitations, that is, like a place of refuge. And he calls him the habitation of justice, that is, firm or faithful; for justice is not to be taken here in its proper sense, but, as in many other places of Scripture, it means firmness or rectitude; as though he had said, “God has once extended his wings to cherish his people, (as it is said elsewhere;) he will therefore be always a sure habitation.”He had also been the hope of their fathers, according to what is said by Isaiah, that he had created Sion from the beginning; but he renews the memory of his covenant, as though he had said, “It is not today that I have first received this people into favor, but I made a covenant with their father Abraham, which will remain fixed.”So, also, he says in this place, that he was the hope of their fathers, even because he had adopted the whole race of Abraham, and showed them mercy through all ages. Then the Prophet indirectly infers that it would not be possible for their enemies perpetually to possess power over them, because God, after having chastened his people, would again gather the dispersed, and thus heal all their evils. (54)A useful doctrine may be hence gathered, that whenever the Church seems to be so oppressed by enemies as to exclude any hope of restoration, this ought always to be borne in mind by us, that as God has once chosen it, it cannot be but that he will manifest his faithfulness even in death itself, and raise from the grave those who seem to have been already reduced to ashes. Let this passage, then, come to our minds, when the calamities of the Church threaten utter ruin, and nothing but despair meets us; and when enemies insolently arrogate everything to themselves, and boastingly declare that we are accursed. But God is a habitation of justice, and was the hope of our fathers; let us, then, recumb on that grace which he has once promised, when he deigned to choose us for himself, and to adopt us as his peculiar people. Such is the import of the passage. It follows, —Because they have sinned against Jehovah, The habitation of righteousness; And the

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hope of their fathers was Jehovah.By calling God the habitation of righteousness, what is implied is, as Lowth suggests, that they would not have been banished, had they not justly deserved to be so treated, God being the seat or dwelling-place of justice or righteousness. And in addition to this, he had been the hope of their fathers. See Jeremiah 40:3, where we have an example of what their enemies alleged. — Ed.COKE, “Jeremiah 50:7. Their adversaries said, We offend not— "In making them captives." Jeremiah introduces the Chaldean speaking thus by the truest prosopopoeia; for it could not be but the Chaldeans must have known those things which the prophets had foretold concerning the future captivity of the Jews: Nebuchadrezzar himself is a witness, who gave his captains orders to preserve Jeremiah. See Houbigant.TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:7 All that found them have devoured them: and their adversaries said, We offend not, because they have sinned against the LORD, the habitation of justice, even the LORD, the hope of their fathers.Ver. 7. All that found them have devoured them.] As ravenous creatures do wandering sheep. Stragglers are a fit prey for seducers.And their adversaries said, We offend not,] i.e., God will have it so; [Jeremiah 40:2] but this was no good plea. [Jeremiah 2:3]The habitation of justice.] Or, In the habitation of justice; in a land of uprightness have they dealt unjustly, [Isaiah 26:10] which was no small aggravation of their sin.Even the Lord, the hope of their fathers.] But these, as degenerate children, have no such hope.PULPIT, “We offend not; rather, we incur no guilt. As long as Israel lived a life consecrated to Jehovah, "all that devoured him incurred guilt" (Jeremiah 2:3). But now that he had wandered from Jehovah, and so forfeited his protection, his adversaries denied that they could be brought to account. Habitation of justice; strictly, pasture of righteousness. The same title is applied in Jeremiah 31:23 to Jerusalem. But Jerusalem's spiritual efficacy is only derivative; rest and life flow from Jehovah alone, who is, therefore, the true Pasture of his people. In the Hebrew, "Jehovah" is placed emphatically at the end of the verse. The hope of their fathers (comp. Psalms 22:4). To forsake Jehovah was an act of treason to the former generations.

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8 “Flee out of Babylon; leave the land of the Babylonians, and be like the goats that lead the flock.

BARNES, "So firmly did the Jews settle themselves in Babylon under Jeremiah’s counsels, that they were the last to abandon the place.

He goats - See Isa_14:9 note.

CLARKE, "Remove out of the midst of Babylon - The sentence of destruction is gone out against it; prepare for your flight, that ye be not overwhelmed in its ruin.

Be as the he-goats before the flocks - Who always run to the head of the flock, giving the example for others to follow. This may be addressed to the elders and persons of authority among the people.

GILL, "Remove out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans,.... This, in the literal sense, is a call to the Jews in Babylon, and in other parts of Chaldea, to go out from thence upon the proclamation of Cyrus; and especially to the chief of them, to animate the rest, and set them an example; such as Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Ezra, and others: and, in the mystical sense, is a call to the people of God in Rome, and the antichristian states, to come out from thence, a little before the destruction thereof, as in Rev_18:4; which seems to refer to this passage: and be as the he goats before the flocks; which walk stately and nimbly, cheerfully and readily, without fear and dread, boldly and confidently, and encourage others to follow them. The Targum is, "as princes at the head of their people.''

HENRY, "They are called upon to hasten away, as soon as ever the door of liberty was opened to them (Jer_50:8): “Remove, not only out of the borders, but out of the midst of Babylon; though you be ever so well seated there, think not to settle there, but hasten to Zion, and be as the he-goats before the flocks; strive which shall be foremost, which shall lead in so good a work:” a he-goat is comely in going (Pro_30:31) because he goes first. It is a graceful thing to be forward in a good work and to set others a good example.

JAMISON, "(Jer_51:6, Jer_51:45; Isa_48:20; Zec_2:6, Zec_2:7; Rev_18:4). 50

Immediately avail yourselves of the opportunity of escape.be as ... he-goats before ... flocks — Let each try to be foremost in returning, animating the weak, as he-goats lead the flock; such were the companions of Ezra (Ezr_1:5, Ezr_1:6).

CALVIN, "This verse confirms the exposition which I have given; for God does not now reprove his people, nor does he condemn their sins; but on the contrary, he exhorts them to entertain good hope, though they were overwhelmed with extreme miseries, he then pursues the same subject when he bids them to flee from Babylon and to go forth from Chaldea; for he promises deliverance to the faithful, and at the same time reminds them of the coming ruin of the Chaldean empire, so that they who went the farthest off would best consult their own safety. For the Prophet intimates that all found in Chaldea would be exposed to the violence of enemies; hence he bids them to flee and to go forth quickly. But as I have before said, he promises a free exit to the Jews; for he would have in vain exhorted them to depart had they been shut up, for we know that they had been confined as within inclosures. Had they then been thus captives, the Prophet would have spoken in mockery by saying to them, Flee and go forth But he shows that their captivity would not be perpetual, because God would remove all obstacles and open a way for the miserable exiles to return to their own country.He bids them to be as he-goats before the flocks: by which he means that they were to hasten with all confidence. For the he-goats possess more boldness than sheep, and they go before the flock because no fear restrains them. So God takes away every fear of danger from the Jews when he bids them to be as he-goats before the flock; as though he had said that they were no more to fear, lest the Chaldeans should punish them for avowing their wish to return to their own country; for it was a capital offense to speak of their return as long as the Chaldeans ruled over the Jews. But God now promises a change, for he would dissipate the terror by which they had been for a time restrained. It follows, —COKE, “Jeremiah 50:8. Be as the he-goats before the flocks— "Let each of the princes of Judah endeavour to lead the way to others, and give them an example of speedily obeying God's call, without shewing any fondness to the place, or to the idolatries there practised." See Zechariah 10:3. Homer frequently compares his heroes to rams, bulls, and he-goats. WHEDON, “Verse 99. I will raise — Stir up.An assembly of great nations — A very just description of these heterogeneous oriental monarchies.From thence — From the place where these nations come together against her.

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Their arrows — Literally, his arrows, implying the union of all these peoples as one enemy.TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:8 Remove out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as the he goats before the flocks.Ver. 8. Remove out of the midst of Babylon.] "Ho, ho, come forth." {as Zechariah 2:6} "Away, this is not your rest, for it is polluted." [Micah 2:10] See Isaiah 48:20, Revelation 18:4.Be as the he-goats.] That lead the flocks, generose et festinanter, freely and readily. Sheep are fearful, and therefore go behind; goats are not so, and therefore go before. There is good hope, saith one, that we are going out of Babylon, when the he-goats go before the flock; when men of public place and authority are active for reformation.PETT, “Jeremiah 50:8“Flee out of the midst of Babylon,And go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans,And be as the he-goats,In front of the flocks.”Thus they are to be the first to flee from Babylon, and from Babylonia, with the same eagerness as he-goats or rams lead out the flock, giving an example to others. It is the thought of escaping from the clutches of Babylon that is pre-eminent here, not the idea of return to the homeland, although that may be seen as included. It was because Babylon was facing coming judgment. Thus they are to lead themselves and others to safety. The wording is remarkably similar to Isaiah 48:20; Isaiah 52:11 from which no doubt Jeremiah at least partly obtained these ideas.We in this modern day are just as much in danger of God’s judgment on the Babylon that surrounds us, we too therefore need to flee from its corrupting influence and so escape that judgment. We might reinterpret John as saying, ‘Love not Babylon, nor the things that are in Babylon, for if any man loves Babylon, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in Babylon, the desires of the flesh, and the desire of the eyes, and the vainglory of life is not of the Father but is of Babylon. And Babylon passes away and its desires, but he who does the will of God abides for ever’ (see 1 John 2:15-16). In these chapters we have a picture of God’s judgment on that Babylon.

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9 For I will stir up and bring against Babylon an alliance of great nations from the land of the north.They will take up their positions against her, and from the north she will be captured.Their arrows will be like skilled warriors who do not return empty-handed.

BARNES, "I will raise - Or, stir up.An assembly of great nations - The Medo-Persian empire was as much an aggregate of discordant nations as that of Babylon.From thence - From the north, i. e., by the great nations coming thence.Return in vain - A proverbial expression for ill success (compare Isa_55:11). Here the skillful warrior returns not empty.

GILL, "For, lo, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon,.... The work was of the Lord; it was he that would give a commission and a command to the enemies of Babylon; that would incline them, and stir them up, to come against her; that would direct their motions and guide them thither, so that it would assuredly be; wherefore it behooves the people of God to make haste out of it: an assembly of great nations from the north country; the Medes and Persians, with their allies and auxiliaries which came with them from the north; as also a collection of Christian nations from the north of Europe against antichrist: and they shall set themselves in array against her; draw up their army in form of battle, or prepare and dispose their instruments of war for the siege of Babylon: from thence shall she be taken; on the north side, from which quarter the enemy should come; or from the place where their army is drawn up in battle array; or suddenly, and at once: so Babylon was destroyed by Cyrus; and the destruction of Rome, or mystical Babylon, will be sudden and at an unawares, Rev_18:8; their arrows shall be as of a mighty expert man; or "that bereaves" (g) women of their husbands, and parents of their children: the Medes and Persians were famous for

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archery, strong to draw the bow, and skilful to guide and direct the arrow. Strabo (h)says of Media major, that it sometimes furnished out thirteen thousand archers to the Elymaeans, or Persians, against the Susians and Babylonians; none shall return in vain; not one of the arrows but shall do execution, kill a man: or "it", or "he, which" or "who, shall not return in vain" (i); the assembly of nations, or anyone of the archers or soldiers.

HENRY, "God is here by his prophet, as afterwards in his providence, proceeding in his controversy with Babylon. Observe,

I. The commission and charge given to the instruments that were to be employed in destroying Babylon. The army that is to do it is called an assembly of great nations(Jer_50:9), the Medes and Persians, and all their allies and auxiliaries; it is called an assembly, because regularly formed by the divine will and counsel to do this execution. God will raise them up to do it, will incline them to and fir them for this service, and then he will cause them to come up, for all their motions are under his conduct and direction: he shall give the word of command, shall order them to put themselves in array against Babylon (Jer_50:14), and then they shall put themselves in array (Jer_50:9), for what God appoints to be done shall be done; and thence she shall be quickly taken; from their first sitting down before it they shall be still gaining ground against it till it be taken. God shall bid them shoot at her and spare no arrows (Jer_50:14), and then their arrows shall be as of a mighty expert man, that has both skill and strength, a good eye and a good hand (Jer_50:9); none shall return in vain. When God gives commission he will give success. Nay, they are bidden not only to shoot at her (Jer_50:14), but to shout against her (Jer_50:15) with a triumphant shout, as those that are already sure of victory. Those whom God directs to shoot may do so with shouting, for they are sure not to miss the mark.JAMISON, "from thence — that is, from the north country.expert — literally, “prosperous.” Besides “might,” “expertness” is needed, that an arrow may do execution. The Margin has a different Hebrew reading; “destroying,” literally, “bereaving, childless-making” (Jer_15:7). The Septuagint and Syriac support English Version.In vain — without killing him at whom it was aimed (2Sa_1:22).

CALVIN, "Here, again, God declares that enemies would come and overthrow the monarchy of Babylon; but what has been before referred to is here more clearly expressed. For he says, first, that he would be the leader of that war — that the Persians and Medes would fight under his authority. I, he says (the pronoun אנכי , anki, is here emphatical,) I am he, says God, who rouse and bring, and then he adds, an, assembly of great nations The Chaldeans, as we know, had devoured many kingdoms, for Babylon had subjugated all the neighboring nations. Except, then, this had been distinctly expressed, they might have disregarded the prophetic threatenings. But Jeremiah speaks here of the assembly of great nations, lest the Chaldeans, relying on their power, the largeness of the monarchy, and the multitude of their men, should promise themselves victory, and thus lie asleep in their

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indulgences. God then, in these words, shortly intimates that there would be ready at hand those who in number and power would surpass the Chaldeans.He afterwards adds, They will set in order against her. Something is to be here supplied — that they would set the battle in order. Now, by this expression, the Prophet sets forth the boldness of the Persians and Medes, as they would be immediately ready for the conflict; they would not long consult, but quickly advance to the fight. In short, he refers to the quickness and boldness of the Persians and Medes, when he says, They shall set in order against her; for they who distrust their own strength, take convenient positions, or contrive ambushes, or withdraw for a time until they know all the plans of their enemies; but the Prophet says that the Persians would by no means be such, because they would be prepared for battle at the first onset, and have the army set in order against the Babylonians.It follows, thence taken shall be Babylon. The word משם, mesham, means from that place. But the Prophet intimates that the Persians would become conquerors by one battle only, so that the Chaldeans would no more dare to resist. We indeed know that those once put to flight, do often prepare new forces and renew the battle; this is indeed usually the case, and it seldom happens that any one is conquered in one battle. But the Prophet here declares that Babylon would be taken at one time; as soon, he says, as the fight begins, the enemies shall not only overcome, but shall by one assault take Babylon, so as to make it captive.We now, then, perceive the design of the Prophet; but, doubtless, this prophecy was a derision to the unbelieving, for he seemed to speak of a thing impossible: thus he sang a fable to the deaf. But God, however, did not without reason predict that Babylon would be so taken, that it would, as it were, in one moment fall into the hands of enemies. We said, indeed, yesterday, that it was long besieged and taken by treachery in the night; but we also said that this prophecy is not to be confined to one period; for Babylon was often taken. It was taken through the contrivance of Zopyrus, as we said yesterday, when it thought itself sufficiently strong to resist, and Darius had nearly despaired. We shall therefore find nothing inconsistent in this prophecy, when we consider how great and how supine was the security of that people even at the time when they were suddenly overthrown.He now adds, Its arrows as of a valiant man; some render it, as of a bereaving man, because some put the point on the right side and some on the left. The word שכל, shecal, means to act prudently, to be prosperous, and also to be bereaved. But I agree with those who take the first sense, for it immediately follows, it shall not return in vain Those who render the word “bereaved,” understand thereby that the arrows of the Persians would be deadly or fatal. But the context does not correspond, for an explanation is afterwards given, that it would not return in vain. It seems, then, that by this word Jeremiah denotes their dexterity, as though he had said that the Persians would be so skillful in throwing arrows, that they would not discharge one arrow in vain; as those who are well exercised in that art always aim directly at an enemy, and never shoot their arrows here and there without effect. So

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then the Prophet says that the arrows of the Persians would be those of men shooting skillfully, who know how to take a right aim. (55) And he calls them valiant or strong; for it is not enough to send arrows straight against an enemy, except there be also nerve and strength to shoot them; for arrows might touch one, but not penetrate into his body, or hardly hurt his skin. But the Prophet refers to both these things — that arrows would be hurled with sufficient force to strike and wound the Chaldeans — and that they would also have always a direct aim, so that no one would miss its object. It afterwards follows, —TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:9 For, lo, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the north country: and they shall set themselves in array against her; from thence she shall be taken: their arrows [shall be] as of a mighty expert man; none shall return in vain.Ver. 9. From the north country.] See on Jeremiah 50:3.Their arrows shall be as a mighty expert man.] Or, Of a potent prosperous man, that can hit where he pleaseth, and that without fail.None shall return in vain.] No shaft shall, or no soldier shall miss of booty; for whereas Babylon, like a sea, had taken in the wealth of all nations, so it was meet that it should be exhausted, like as Rome was by the Goths and Vandals, and as Constantinople was by the Turks and Tartars.PETT, “Jeremiah 50:9-10“For, lo, I will stir up and cause to come up against Babylon,A company of great nations from the north country,And they will set themselves in array against her,From there she will be taken,Their arrows will be as of an expert mighty man,None will return in vain.And Chaldea will be a prey,All who prey on her will be satisfied,The word of YHWH.”The instruments of God’s judgment are now described. They consist of a company of great nations from the area around Babylonia (the north country as far as

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Palestine was concerned), stirred up by YHWH, who will set themselves in array against her and take her. They will include expert bowmen (Media, Elam and Persia were renowned for their bowmen), and all will obtain satisfactory spoils. Chaldea will be like a prey being hunted down by the hunter, and the hunters will come away satisfied, loaded with spoils. And all this according to the prophetic word of YHWH, and as a result of YHWH’s prompting in order to bring judgment on Babylon.‘None will return in vain.’ This may refer to the men themselves, or it may refer to their arrows. In the former case it refers to the fact that they will return loaded with spoils. In the latter case the point is that each will have reached its target however skilful the bowman. God will have guided his hand. Arrows were valuable and would often be collected up after a battle. Thus when they were collected they would be reveal by where they were found that they had achieved their purpose.PULPIT, “I will raise; literally, I will stir up (or, awaken); comp. Jeremiah 6:22; Isaiah 13:17. An assembly of great nations. So in a parallel prophecy, "the kingdoms of nations gathered together" (Isaiah 13:4). Callias in Ebers' learned story, 'The Egyptian Princess,' speaks of "an empire so casually heaped together, and consisting of seventy populations of different tongues and customs, as that of Persia." From thence; i.e. from the headquarters of the array of nations. As of a mighty expert man; rather, as of an expert warrior (or, mighty man). The marginal rendering of the Authorized Version represents a various reading of the Hebrew found in three old editions, and presupposed in the Targum and Vulgate, "one making childless," i.e. "a destroyer." The received reading, however, is self-evidently right. None shall return in vain. It seems doubtful whether this refers to the arrow or to the mighty man. The arrow may be said to "return [or, 'turn'] in vain" when it misses its aim or strikes the mark without piercing it; the mighty man when he retires from the field defeated. This wider use of the phrase is sanctioned by Isaiah 55:11.

10 So Babylonia[b] will be plundered; all who plunder her will have their fill,”declares the Lord.

BARNES, "Or, “Chaldaea shall become a spoil ... for thou wast glad, thou exultedst, 57

ye plunderers of mine heritage.”Because ye are grown fat - Rather, for thou leapedst, skippedst as an animal does when playing.As the heifer at grass - Or, as a heifer threshing. When threshing cattle were allowed to eat their fill Deu_25:4, and so grew playful.Bellow as bulls - Better as in the margin.

CLARKE, "Chaldea shall be a spoil - She has been a spoiler, and she shall be spoiled. They had destroyed Judea, God’s heritage; and now God shall cause her to be destroyed.

GILL, "And Chaldea shall be a spoil,.... The land of the Chaldeans, as the Targum, should become a spoil to the enemy, and be plundered of all its riches and treasures; not only Babylon principally, but the whole country it was the metropolis of: all that spoil her shall be satisfied, saith the Lord; for though spoilers are generally insatiable, yet so great should be the riches found in Babylon and in Chaldea, that they should have enough, and desire no more; see Rev_18:17.

HENRY 10-12, “The desolation and destruction itself that shall be brought upon Babylon. This is here set forth in a great variety of expressions. 1. The wealth of Babylon shall be a rich and easy prey to the conquerors (Jer_50:10): Chaldea shall be a spoil to all her destroyers, who shall enrich themselves by plundering her, and, which is strange, all that spoil her shall be satisfied; they shall have so much that even they themselves shall say that they have enough. 2. The country of Babylon shall be depopulated and lie uninhabited: It shall be wholly desolate (Jer_50:13) to such a degree that every one who goes by shall triumph in her fall, and, instead of condoling with them, shall hiss at all her plagues, Jer_50:13. 3. Their ancestors shall be ashamed of their cowardice, in fleeing from the first onset (Jer_50:12), or, Your mother, Babylon itself, the mother-city, shall be confounded, when she sees herself deserted by those that should have been her guards. Thus the former ages of Christians may justly be confounded and ashamed to see how unlike them the latter ages are, and how wretchedly they have degenerated; and no sin brings a surer and sorer ruin upon persons, or people, than apostasy. 4. The great admirers of Babylon shall see it rendered very despicable: the last of kingdoms, the very tail of the nations, shall it be, a wilderness, a dry land, a desert, Jer_50:12. The country that was populous shall be dispeopled, that was enriched with a fertile soil shall become barren. 5. The great city, the head of it, shall be quite ruined. Her foundations have fallen, and therefore her walls are thrown down; for how can the walls stand when divine vengeance is at the door and shakes the very foundations? It is the vengeance of the Lord, which nothing can contend with either in law or battle. 6. There shall not be left in Babylon so much as the poor of the land, for vine-dressers and husbandmen, as there was in Israel (Jer_50:16): The sower shall be cut off from Babylon, and he that handles the sickle; the country shall be so emptied of people that there shall be none to till the ground and gather in the fruits of it. Harvest shall come, and there shall be no reapers; seed-time shall come, but there shall be no sower; God will do his part, but

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there shall be no men to do theirs. 7. All their auxiliary forces, which they have hired into their service, shall ??desert them, as mercenary men often do upon the approach of danger (Jer_50:16): For fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people. This was threatened before concerning Egypt, Jer_46:16.CALVIN, "Here he mentions the effect of the victory, that he might more fully confirm what he had said; for it is sometimes the case, that they who are conquered flee to their cities. The country is indeed laid waste, but the enemies depart with their spoils. But the Prophet here says, that the whole of Chaldea would be plundered: he further adds, that the plunderers would be satiated, as though he had said, “The enemies shall not only seize on all sides, as it sometimes happens, on what may fall into their hands, but they shall heap together all the treasures of Chaldea until they shall be satiated.” He means, in short, that Chaldea would be wholly emptied; for these two things ought to be deemed as set in opposition the one to the other, — that the enemies would be filled to satiety, and that the Chaldeans would be reduced to poverty. Then the satiety of which the Prophet speaks, implies that the Chaldeans would be brought to extreme penury and want. It follows, —

11 “Because you rejoice and are glad, you who pillage my inheritance,because you frolic like a heifer threshing grain and neigh like stallions,

CLARKE, "As the heifer at grass - Ye were wanton in the desolations ye brought upon Judea.

GILL, "Because ye were glad, because ye rejoiced, O ye destroyers of mine heritage,.... This is addressed to the Chaldeans who destroyed Jerusalem and the land of Judea, once the heritage of the Lord; when they rejoiced at the destruction of God's people, and insulted them in their miseries; and which is the cause and reason assigned of their ruin; for though they had a commission to destroy, yet they exceeded that, and especially by exulting at the ruin of that people, which showed great inhumanity. So the Papists will rejoice at the slaying of the witnesses, but will be repaid in their own coin, Rev_11:10; because ye are grown fat as the heifer at grass: which feeds all the day, and so grows fat. Some copies read, "as the heifer that treads out" (k) the corn; which,

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according to the law, was not to be muzzled, and so was continually feeding, and grew plump and sleek; and so these Chaldeans, having enriched themselves with the spoils of Judea and other nations, gave themselves up to ease and luxury; and it was at one of their festivals their city was taken, to which there may be some allusion: and bellow as bulls: or, "neigh as horses" (l); having got the victory, of which war horses are sensible; or it may denote their impetuous lust after women, whom they forced and ravished, when taken captives by them.

JAMISON, "(Isa_47:6).grown fat — and so, skip wantonly.at grass — fat and frisky. But there is a disagreement of gender in Hebrew reading thus. The Keri is better: “a heifer threshing”; the strongest were used for threshing, and as the law did not allow their mouth to be muzzled in threshing (Deu_25:4), they waxed wanton with eating.bellow as bulls — rather, “neigh as steeds,” literally, “strong ones,” a poetical expression for steeds (see on Jer_8:16) [Maurer].

CALVIN, "God shows here, that though the Chaldeans insolently exulted for a time, yet their joy would not continue; and at the same time he points out the cause of their ruin, even because they dealt so arrogantly with the people of God. He then says in the former clause, Ye exulted and rejoiced in plundering my heritage; and then he adds, Ye became fat (for to be multiplied means here to become fat) as a heifer, well fed, or of the grass; for some think that the word is used for דשאה, deshae; but some render it, “herbified,” or fed on grass; while others derive the word from דוש, dush, to thresh or tread out corn. (56) It is then added, Ye neighed like strong horses, or ye bellowed like bulls, as some render the words; for אבירים, abirim, sometimes mean bulls, and sometimes strong horses; and the verb צהל, tzal, means to cry aloud, but is taken sometimes in the sense of neighing, as we have seen in Jeremiah 5:0, “Every one neigheth on his neighbor’s wife;” the Prophet said so in condemning the people for their lusts; and they who apply this passage to bulls are obliged to change the meaning of the verb — for bellowing, and not neighing, is what belongs to bulls. (57)Now it was necessary, for two reasons, for the Prophet to speak thus; first, it was hardly credible, that the Chaldeans, after so many and so remarkable victories, could be broken down and laid prostrate by new enemies; for they had been terrible to the whole world, they had subdued all their neighbors, they had extended on all sides their borders; it was then the same as though they had set their nest in the clouds. Then the Prophet says here, that though they exulted and gave loose reins to their joy, yet this state of things would not be perpetual, because they should at length be brought to shame. This is one thing. And the second reason why the Prophet spoke thus was, because God intended that it should be testified to his own people, that though he permitted so much liberty to the Chaldeans, he had not yet forgotten his covenant; and for this reason he mentioned the word heritage. Though then the calamity of his people was apparently a sort of repudiation, as though God

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designed to have nothing more to do with them, yet he says that they were his own heritage; and thus he shows, that God would give a specimen of his favor towards the Jews, by thus severely chastising the Chaldeans. This then is the reason why he says, Ye have rejoiced in plundering my heritage, but your mother is ashamed. He expresses here more than if he had said, “Ye shall at length lie down confounded with shame;” but he names their mother, that he might intimate the destruction of the whole of that monarchy, which had been so terrible to all the neighboring nations. (58)11.When ye shall rejoice, when ye shall exult, Ye plunderers of mine heritage, When ye shall skip as a fed heifer, And neigh like steeds,12.Ashamed greatly shall be your mother, Confounded shall she be who bare you; Behold, the last of the nations shall she be, A desert, a dry land, and a wilderness.The reference seems to be to the rejoicings of Babylon, when it was taken. — Ed.COFFMAN, “"Because ye are glad, because ye rejoice, O ye that plunder my heritage, because ye are wanton as a heifer that treadeth out the grain, and neigh as strong horses; your mother shall be utterly put to shame; she that bare you shall be confounded: behold, she shall be the hindermost of the nations, a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert. Because of the wrath of Jehovah she shall not be inhabited, but shall be wholly desolate; everyone that goeth by Babylon shall be astonished, and hiss at all her plagues. Set yourselves in array against Babylon round about, all ye that bend the bow; shoot at her, spare no arrows: for she hath sinned against Jehovah. Shout against her round about: she hath submitted herself; her bulwarks are fallen, her walls are thrown down; for it is the vengeance of Jehovah: take vengeance upon her; as she hath done, do unto her. Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn everyone to his people, and they shall flee everyone to his own land."The reasons for God's anger against Babylon are noted here. They rejoiced with a sadistic hatred against the calamities of Israel, aggravating their sorrows in every possible way. They were having a high old time destroying God's heritage and are compared here to a well-fed heifer, or neighing horses."Your mother shall be utterly put to shame ..." (Jeremiah 50:12). The mother here is the city of Babylon."The hindermost of the nations ..." (Jeremiah 50:12). A study of the prophecies reveals that, although God prophesied the total and final desolation of Babylon, he did not prophecy that this would happen immediately. There would be a long period of her decline: (1) She would be the hindermost of the nations, but still a nation. (2) Then she would be: (a) a wilderness, (b) a dry land and (c) a desert. Many centuries were involved in the complete fulfillment of all that.

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WHEDON, “Verse 11BABYLON’S HUMILIATION AND ISRAEL’S GLORY, Jeremiah 50:11-20.11. Ye were glad… ye destroyers of mine heritage — They not only executed God’s will of just judgment, but their own will of selfish ambition and bitter hate. This verse assigns the reason why Chaldea is given over to destruction.Because ye are grown fat… bellow — Better, Though thou leapedst proudly like a heifer threshing, and neigh like strong horses.TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:11 Because ye were glad, because ye rejoiced, O ye destroyers of mine heritage, because ye are grown fat as the heifer at grass, and bellow as bulls;Ver. 11. Because ye were glad, because ye rejoiced,] (a) scil., In a thing of naught, {as Amos 6:13} and in the miseries of my people ye were madly merry; therefore shall ye be let bleed in the vena cava, hollow vein.Because ye are grown fat.] Ye have laughed yourselves fat, you have fatted yourselves as in a day of slaughter or of good cheer. It was at a feast that Babylon was taken.And bellow as bulls.] Or, Neigh as steeds, lusty steeds. PETT, “Verses 11-13The Reason Why Babylon Is To Be Destroyed (Jeremiah 50:11-13).We now learn the reason why Babylon is to be destroyed. It is because of YHWH’s wrath at (His sense of aversion to) her sins. In the first place she was exulting in having brought God’s people into subjection, exacting from them heavy tribute, thus ‘plundering God’s heritage’, and treading them down with wild abandon like a heifer wantonly treads the grain, whilst at the same time she was making wild neighs as an indication of her supremacy. And secondly she is therefore to receive in accordance with how she has behaved towards others (Jeremiah 50:15). What she has sown she will reap.Today in various parts of the world God’s people are effectively trodden down because they are not ‘of Babylon’. Here they are assured that in the end God will bring all things into judgment, and will reward His people.Jeremiah 50:11-13“Because you are glad, because you rejoice,

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O you who plunder my heritage,Because you are wanton as a heifer which treads out the grain,And neigh as strong horses,Your mother will be utterly put to shame,She who bore you will be confounded,Behold, she will be the hindermost of the nations,A wilderness, a dry land, and a desert.Because of the wrath of YHWH she will not be inhabited,But she will be wholly desolate,Every one who goes by Babylon will be astonished,And hiss at all her plagues.”The Babylonians are pictured as exulting in their conquests and the spoils that they thereby achieve, and as overlooking the fact that they are trespassing on God’s heritage. The idea of Israel/Judah as God’s inheritance, and its land as being God’s own heritage given to His people is prominent in Scripture (e.g. Genesis 15:7-8; Genesis 28:4; Exodus 15:17; Exodus 34:9; Deuteronomy 4:20; Deuteronomy 9:29; Deuteronomy 12:9-10; Deuteronomy 25:19; Deuteronomy 32:9; etc). Thus the Babylonians have insulted God and have counted Him as of nothing worth. Furthermore they have done it wantonly and regardlessly, like a heifer treads the grain, and with an overshow of boasting like loud neighing ‘strong horses’. Therefore their mother (Babylon/Babylonia) will be put to shame and totally confounded. She will become the least of the nations, becoming a wilderness, an arid land, and a desert. And this will be because of the wrath of YHWH, His antipathy against their sins. Indeed she will be so desolate that those who pass by what was once a great city will be astonished, and will draw in their breath at what has happened. This was eventually literally fulfilled. Travellers could even pass by the mound that was Babylon and not even be aware that it had once been a great city.PULPIT, “Jeremiah 50:11-20Babylon's desolation and Israel's glorification.Jeremiah 50:11, Jeremiah 50:12Because ye were glad, etc.; rather, Truly ye may be glad; truly ye may rejoice, ye

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spoilers of mine heritage; truly ye may leap as a heifer at grass, and neigh as steeds; yet your mother, etc. Your triumph shall be of short duration; disgrace follows closely upon its heels. "Your mother" is a term for the nation regarded as a whole (comp. Isaiah 51:1; Hosea 2:2; Hosea 4:5). "At grass" is the reading adopted by the Septuagint and Vulgate; the pointed text has (the vowels alone are different), "(a heifer) that thresheth," i.e. allowed to eat its fill of corn, agreeably to the direction in Deuteronomy 25:4. It is not clear why the Authorized Version deserted the received pointing. Behold, the hindermost of the nations shall be a wilderness; rather, Behold, the hindermost of the nations! a wilderness, etc. The subject understood in the first part is obviously the people, in the second the land, of Babylon.

12 your mother will be greatly ashamed; she who gave you birth will be disgraced.She will be the least of the nations— a wilderness, a dry land, a desert.

BARNES, "Your mother - i. e., Babylon. Confounded ... ashamed. Or, ashamed ... blush.Behold ... - Translate, “Behold she is the hindermost of the nations, a desert, a thirsty land, and a waste:” - the reason why Babylon is to blush. Once the head of gold Dan_2:32, she is now the lowest of earthly powers.

CLARKE, "Your mother - Speaking to the Chaldeans: Babylon, the metropolis, or mother city, shall be a wilderness, a dry land, a desert, neither fit for man nor beast.

GILL, "Your mother shall be sore confounded,.... The monarchy of the Chaldeans; so the Targum and jarchi, your congregation; or rather their metropolis, their mother city, the city of Babylon; which would be confounded when taken, none of her sons being able to defend her: the same will be true of mystical Babylon, the mother of harlots, Rev_17:5; she that bare you shall be ashamed; which is the same as before, in different

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words: behold, the hindermost of the nations shall be a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert; or, as the Vulgate Latin version, "she shall be the last among the nations"; she that was the head of them, signified by the head of gold in Nebuchadnezzar's image, shall now be the tail of them, and become like a dry land and desert, without inhabitants, having neither men nor cattle in it; see Jer_50:3; or, as Jarchi and Kimchi, their end, "the latter end" (m) of the kingdom of Babylon; or what should befall that people in their last days would be, that their land should become a wilderness, the habitants being slain, and none to till it; or Babylon is called the last of the nations, because her punishment, in order of time, was last, as Gussetius (n) thinks; Jer_25:26.

JAMISON, "Your mother — Babylon, the metropolis of the empire.hindermost — marvelous change, that Babylon, once the queen of the world, should be now the hindermost of nations, and at last, becoming “a desert,” cease to be a nation!

CALVIN, "WE explained yesterday why the Prophet denounced shame and reproach on the Babylonians, even because they had arrogantly exulted over the children of God. And he says that Babylon would be the extremity of the Nations.The Chaldeans had flourished in power and wealth, and possessed the empire of the East. It was then an extraordinary revolution to be reduced to the lowest condition, to be, as it were, the dregs of all the nations. And to the same purpose he adds, a barren land, a desert, and a solitude It now follows, —TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:12 Your mother shall be sore confounded; she that bare you shall be ashamed: behold, the hindermost of the nations [shall be] a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert.Ver. 12. Your mother shall be sore confounded,] i.e., Babylon, your mother city, or Babylonia, your country; or your monarchical greatness, which being in the last place laid waste after other nations, {as Jeremiah 25:25-26 was foretold} shall with shame cry out, Heu tam cito me quae primas obtinebam, &c. How is it that I, who was the head of nations, am now the tail, &c.

13 Because of the Lord’s anger she will not be inhabited but will be completely desolate.All who pass Babylon will be appalled; they will scoff because of all her wounds.65

GILL, "Because of the wrath of the Lord, it shall not be inhabited,.... That is, Babylon; which the Targum expresses, "because thou, Babylon, hast provoked the Lord;'' by their idolatry, luxury, ill usage of his people, and profanation of the vessels of the sanctuary; therefore it should be destroyed, and left without an inhabitant in it: but it shall be wholly desolate; as it now is. Pausanias says (o), in his time there was nothing but a wall remaining; and Jerom (p) says, he had it from a brother Elamite, or Persian, that Babylon was then a park or place for royal hunting, and that beasts of every kind were kept within its walls: of mystical Babylon, see Rev_16:19; everyone that goeth by Babylon shall be astonished, and hiss at all her plagues; any traveller that had seen it in its glory would now be astonished to see the desolation of it; and, by way of scorn and derision, hiss at the judgments of God upon it, and rejoice at them, and shake their head, as the Targum.

HENRY 13-18, “The procuring provoking cause of this destruction. It comes from God's displeasure; it is because of the wrath of the Lord that Babylon shall be wholly desolate (Jer_50:13), and his wrath is righteous, for (Jer_50:14) she hath sinned against the Lord, therefore spare no arrows. Note, It is sin that makes men a mark for the arrows of God's judgments. An abundance of idolatry and immorality was to be found in Babylon, yet those are not mentioned as the reason of God's displeasure against them, but the injuries they had done to the people of God, from a principle of enmity to them as his people. They have been the destroyers of God's heritage (Jer_50:11); herein indeed God made use of them for the necessary correction of his people, and yet it is laid to their charge as a heinous crime, because they designed nothing but their utter destruction. 1. What they did against Jerusalem they did with pleasure (Jer_50:11): You were glad, you rejoice. God does not afflict his people willingly, and therefore takes it very ill if the instruments he employs afflict them willingly. When Titus Vespasian destroyed Jerusalem he wept over it, but these Chaldeans triumphed over it. 2. The spoils of Jerusalem they made use of to feed their own luxury: “You have grown fat as the heifer at grass, and bellow as bulls; your having conquered Jerusalem has made you very wanton and proud, easy to yourselves and formidable to all about you, and therefore you must be a spoil.” Those that have thus swallowed down riches must vomit them up again. Therefore they have given their hand (Jer_50:15); they have surrendered themselves to the conqueror, have tamely yielded so that now you may take vengeance on her, now you may make reprisals and do unto her as she hath done. 3. They aimed at nothing less than the utter ruin of God's Israel: Israel is a scattered sheep, as before (Jer_50:6), that is not only barked at and worried by dogs, but even lions, the most potent adversaries, have roared upon him and driven him away, Jer_50:17. One king of Assyria carried the ten tribes quite away and devoured them; another invaded Judah,

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and plundered and impoverished it, tore the fleece and flesh of this poor sheep; and now at last this Nebuchadnezzar, that is the terror and plague of all his neighbours, has taken advantage of the low condition to which he is reduced, and he has fallen upon him and broken his bones, has quite ruined him, and therefore the king of Babylon must be punished as the king of Assyria was, Jer_50:18. Note, Those who pursue and prosecute the sins of their predecessors must expect to be pursued and prosecuted by their plagues; if they do as they did, let them fare as they fared.JAMISON, "Summons to the Median army to attack Babylon.against the Lord — By oppressing His people, their cause is His cause. Also by profaning His sacred vessels (Dan_5:2).

CALVIN, "Jeremiah again repeats that the destruction of Babylon would be an evidence of God’s vengeance, because the Chaldeans had unjustly raged against the Church. But the name of God seems also to have been designedly mentioned, that the faithful might more readily receive this prophecy: for had they thought that what Jeremiah said came from man, they would have hardly believed his words, for what he said exceeded the comprehension of men. He then mentioned the indignation of God, that the faithful might know that it was absurd to form an opinion concerning the ruin of Babylon according to the present aspect of things, because God would do a work there beyond the common course of things.He then says, that it would become a waste, so that every one passing through it would be astonished, and yet would not pity it. This way of speaking often occurs in the Prophets, when they wish to describe a waste exceeding what is common. In the meantime, what follows ought to be noticed, that this arrangement would excite no commiseration, but rather mockery, which the Prophet denotes by the word hissing. It then follows, —COKE, “Jeremiah 50:13. Because of the wrath of the Lord, it shall not be inhabited— See Isaiah 13:19 to which the following remarkable passage from Rollin's Ancient History, vol. 2: book 4: may be added: "After its capture by Cyrus, Babylon ceased to be a royal city; the kings of Persia choosing some other place for their residence. The Macedonians, who succeeded the Persians, did not only neglect it, but built Seleucia in its neighbourhood, on purpose to draw away its inhabitants, and caused it to be deserted: the new kings of Persia completed its ruin by building Ctesiphon, which carried away all the remainder of its inhabitants. She was so totally forsaken, that, in the time of Pausanias, nothing remained but the bare walls. The kings of Persia, finding the place deserted, converted it into a park, chace, or menagerie, in which they kept wild beasts for hunting. But it was still too much that the walls of Babylon were standing: at length they fell down in several places, and never were repaired. The animals which were kept for the pleasure of the Persian monarchs, abandoned the place, and were succeeded by serpents and scorpions. In the time of Alexander the Great, the river had quitted its ordinary channel by means of the sluices made by Cyrus; which sluices and outlets being ill-stopped, had occasioned a great inundation, and the place where Babylon stood was covered by

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an inaccessible pool. By all these changes Babylon became an absolute desart, and all the country round fell into the same state of horror and desolation; so that the most able geographers at this day cannot ascertain the place where it stood." TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:13 Because of the wrath of the LORD it shall not be inhabited, but it shall be wholly desolate: every one that goeth by Babylon shall be astonished, and hiss at all her plagues.Ver. 13. It shall not be inhabited, but be wholly desolate.] Babylon standeth not now in the same place as of old, nor is there hardly any ruins of the old city remaining, as travellers tell us. Pausanias saith that in his time there was nought to be seen of it but the walls only; and Jerome saith (a) that in his it was turned into a park for deer. Omne in medio spatium solitude est. See on Jeremiah 50:3.

14 “Take up your positions around Babylon, all you who draw the bow.Shoot at her! Spare no arrows, for she has sinned against the Lord.

GILL, "Put yourselves in array against Babylon round about,.... This is directed to the Medes and Persians, to dispose of their army in proper places round about the city of Babylon, to besiege it; and to order their instruments of war, fit for that purpose, a convenient manner; since they might be sure of victory, the Lord being wroth with it, and having so severely threatened its ruin: all ye that bend the bow, shoot at her, spare no arrows; the Elamites, or Persians, as before observed, were well skilled in archery; and, as Xenophon (q) reports, Cyrus had in his army, when he came to Babylon, a great number of archers and slingers; and the archers are called upon to draw the bow, who were expert at it, and not spare their arrows, since they would everyone do execution, as in Jer_50:9; and the slingers to "cast their stones at her" (r), for so may be rendered; and thus it is interpreted, by Jarchi and by Kimchi, of casting either arrows or stones: for she hath sinned against the Lord; which brought the wrath of God upon her; and chiefly the ill treatment of his people was the sin against him he resented.

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JAMISON, "Summons to the Median army to attack Babylon.against the Lord — By oppressing His people, their cause is His cause. Also by profaning His sacred vessels (Dan_5:2).

CALVIN, "The Prophet now turns to address the Medes and Persians, and instigates them, in the name of God, to destroy Babylon. We have already said, why the Prophets assume authority over all nations, even that they might show that God’s power is connected with his word. For men do not easily apprehend the efficacy of God’s word, and think that the air is to no purpose beaten by an empty sound. Hence the Prophets show that God has his hand extended whenever he speaks, so that nothing is announced in vain. This then is the reason why the Prophet now, as before, commands the Persians and Medes strenuously to exert themselves in attacking Babylon.He says, first,Set in order, that is, the battle, or the assault; set in order against Babylon; and then, around, so that no escape might be open to them. He adds, All ye who bend the bow, for this mode of fighting was common among the Medes and Persians, as it appeared elsewhere; and the Orientals still follow the same practice, for they throw darts at their enemy, and move here and there, for they do not engage in pitched battles. he afterwards says, Throw or shoot at her, spare not the arrow; the singular is here used for the plural, he adds the reason, because they have acted wickedly against God. (59)Though the iniquity of Babylon was manifold, there is yet no doubt but that God here undertakes the cause of his Church. Then, of all the sins of the Chaldeans, the chief was this, that they had oppressed the Church of God; for we know with what favor God regards his children, so that he who hurts them toucheth the apple of his eye, as he testifies elsewhere. (Zechariah 2:8.) This singular effect of love Jeremiah sets forth when he says, that the Chaldeans had acted wickedly against Jehovah, even because they had tyrannically oppressed his Church.Now God will have nothing, as it were, apart from his children: and hence we learn a useful doctrine, — that the salvation of his Church is so precious in the sight of God, flint he regards the wrong done to the faithful as done to himself. Thus there is no reason why we should torment ourselves, when the ungodly harass us, because God will at length really show that our salvation is not less dear to him than their own eyes are to men. It afterwards follows, —HEDON, “Verses 14-1614-16. Put yourselves in array, etc. — These verses are a command to the nations to gather themselves together to execute the purposes of Jehovah. The language is vivid and graphic, and the picture truthful and impressive. The battle array, the bended bow, the thickly flying arrows, the shout of battle, the shattered buttresses, the falling walls and the wholesale and indiscriminate slaughter, are all crowded into this brief description.

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She hath given her hand — Ordinarily a pledge of faithfulness; here a sign of submission.Foundations — The original occurs only here, but cannot mean “foundations,” as that is quite unsuitable to the connexion. Better, buttresses or battlements.Sower… handleth the sickle — No fields are richer than those on the plains of Babylon. Herodotus represents them as yielding two hundred fold. But sower and reaper shall be cut off, and these rich fields shall remain untilled.TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:14 Put yourselves in array against Babylon round about: all ye that bend the bow, shoot at her, spare no arrows: for she hath sinned against the LORD.Ver. 14. For she hath sinned against the Lord.] Yea, she is a sink of sins, the contagion of the world, the shop of Satan, the adversary of the saints, &c. So, and much more than so, is spiritual Babylon, Cito itidem casura, ei essetis viri (said Petrarch long since), that groaneth for a downfall.PETT, “Verses 14-16The Call For Its Destruction (Jeremiah 50:14-16).In view of the heinousness of her sins God will exact vengeance on Babylon, by exacting from her what she has exacted from others. And this was not only a message to Babylon, but to all who overrode others. Today it is a warning to all whose main interest is in secularism, self-interest and wealth that one day God will call them to account for their failure to listen to His voice.Jeremiah 50:14-15“Set yourselves in array against Babylon round about,All you who bend the bow,Shoot at her, spare no arrows,For she has sinned against YHWH,Shout against her round about,She has submitted herself,Her bulwarks are fallen, her walls are thrown down,For it is the vengeance of YHWH,

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Take vengeance on her,As she has done, do to her.”The invading armies are called on to surround Babylon, setting themselves in array against her, giving out warlike cries against her, whilst the archers are called on to pour in arrows on her in large numbers. And this because she and her inhabitants have sinned against YHWH. It is the vengeance of YHWH. For they are accountable for what they have done to His people. The consequence is then seen. Her bulwarks fall, her walls are thrown down. And this is because YHWH is taking vengeance on her on behalf of all against whom she has sinned. What she has done to others will now be done to her (compare Psalms 137:8). It is a reminder that, in the end, all, however great, come under YHWH’s judgment.When Cyrus the Persian took Babylon his general did so by his troops diverting the river and entering the city along the dried up river bed. The main buildings were preserved, and in line with his policy (which also resulted in the restoration of official worship at Jerusalem) the national gods were restored to prominence and the new year festival became once more prominent (both had suffered decline under Nabonidus and Belshazzar). It would be later under Xerxes that the city was finally destroyed in accordance with Jeremiah’s prophecy.‘She has submitted herself.’ Literally, ‘she has given her hand’ in submission. Compare the use of the phrase in Ezra 10:19; 1 Chronicles 29:24; 2 Chronicles 30:8; Lamentations 5:6.

15 Shout against her on every side! She surrenders, her towers fall, her walls are torn down.Since this is the vengeance of the Lord, take vengeance on her; do to her as she has done to others.

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BARNES, "Shout - i. e., spoken of the war-cry. So in Isa_42:13, where God is compared to a warrior, it is said He shall shout (the King James Version cry), i. e., raise the war-cry.

Site hath given her hand - The sign of submission (compare 1Ch_29:24 margin).Foundations - Or, buttresses. The Septuagint: “battlements.”

CLARKE, "Shout against her round about - Encompass her with lines and with troops; let none go in with relief, none come out to escape from her ruin.

GILL, "Shout against her round about,.... As soldiers do when they make an assault upon a place, to encourage one another, and dismay the besieged; just as the Israelites did when they surrounded Jericho: she hath given her hand; submitted to the conqueror, and sued for mercy. The Targum is, "she is delivered into her hand;'' the hand of the Persians, by two princes of Babylon, who went off to Cyrus, and showed him how to take the city; or rather it was delivered by Zopyrus into the hands of Darius: her foundations are fallen, her walls are thrown down; not at the taking of it by Cyrus, but afterwards by Darius; for this respects the conclusion of its destruction, which was progressive and gradual: for it is the vengeance of the Lord: which he decreed, threatened, and took, and that on account of his people, who had been ill treated here; so the Targum, "for it is the vengeance of the people of the Lord:'' and her enemies are called upon to take vengeance upon her; as she hath done, do unto her; that is, to execute the Lord's vengeance, of which the Persians were the instruments; and who were to go according to the law of retaliation, which is a just one; to do to Babylon as she had done to Jerusalem, and other places, she had utterly destroyed. These words seem to be referred to, and much the same are used of mystical Babylon, Rev_18:6.

JAMISON, "Shout — Inspirit one another to the onset with the battle cry.given ... hand — an idiom for, “submitted to” the conquerors (1Ch_29:24, Margin;Lam_5:6).as she hath done, do unto her — just retribution in kind. She had destroyed many, so must she be destroyed (Psa_137:8). So as to spiritual Babylon (Rev_18:6). This is right because “it is the vengeance of the Lord”; but this will not justify private revenge in kind (Mat_5:44; Rom_12:19-21); even the Old Testament law forbade this, though

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breathing a sterner spirit than the New Testament (Exo_23:4, Exo_23:5; Pro_25:21, Pro_25:22).CALVIN, "Jeremiah proceeds in exhorting the Persians and the Medes, not that he had ever spoken to them; but this mode of speaking, as it has been said, availed to confirm the minds of the godly, so that they might feel assured that what had proceeded from the mouth of Jeremiah was not vain. Here, then, he assumes the person of God himself, and with authority commands the Persians and the Medes as to what they were to do. He says again, Cry aloud against her. By crying aloud or shouting, he means the cry of triumph which soldiers send forth when a city is taken, or rather, as I think, the encouraging cries, by which soldiers rouse one another when they make an attack; for battles are never without shoutings, nor the storming of cities. God titan bids the soldiers to animate one another in their usual way to make a strenuous effort. Shout, he says, and then adds, all around.He then says, She hath given her hand By these words he intimates that Babylon would not be able to resist. Hands are wont to be given as a token of union; but he is also said to give his hand who confesses himself to be conquered. In this sense we may take the words of Jeremiah, that Babylon had given her hand, because she could not defend herself against the Medes and Persians. But as we know flint the city was taken by treachery, in this manner also was fulfilled what Jeremiah had announced, when two Satraps, in order to revenge private wrongs, sent for Cyrus: for thus it happened that Babylon, or those within it, willingly stretched forth the hands.It is added, her foundations have fallen, and her walls have been overthrown; not that Cyrus attacked the city with warlike engines, for he entered in by the fords; but still the soldiers readily mounted the walls. Jeremiah then speaks figuratively, as though he had said, that the Chaldeans were mistaken in thinking that they had strong fortresses, because the walls would avail them nothing, however high and wide they were. And we know what ancient historians relate of these walls and towers. The event was almost incredible; for no one could have thought it possible that a city so fortified could be taken by assault. But the Prophet derides this confidence, and declares that the walls would be overthrown, together with their foundations (60) But as it was a thing difficult to be believed, he again adds a confirmation, that it would be the vengeance of Jehovah; as though he had said, that the destruction of Babylon ought not to be estimated according to the thoughts of men, because God would there put forth his wonderful power. In the meantime, he animates again the Persians and the Medes to take vengeance, and to render to the Babylonians what they had deserved. The Prophet in short intimates that the Persians and the Medes would be armed to execute God’s vengeance on the Babylonians.But we must notice the last clause, Do to her as she has done to others; for we hence learn, what we have also observed elsewhere, that a reward is rendered to every one,

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so that they who have been cruel to others, do find how dreadful is God’s judgment. God does not always execute his judgment by men; but still this is ever true,“Woe to thee who plunderest, for thou shalt be plundered;”and also this,“Judgment without mercy shall be to himwho hath showed no mercy;”and still further,“With what measure any one measures,the same shall be rendered to him.”(Isaiah 33:1; James 2:13; Matthew 7:2.) This truth, then, remains fixed and unchangeable. But God in various ways renders to the ungodly their reward; for he sometimes punishes them by the hand of man, and sometimes he suspends his judgment. Here he shows that the Persians and the Medes would be the executioners of his vengeance, even as the Chaldeans themselves had been as it were his scourges when he chastised his people for their sins; for he had employed the Chaldeans in carrying on war against the Jews. But God has many ways by which he calls each one to an account. Thus at length he punished the Chaldeans, because they indulged only their avarice and ambition in oppressing the Jews; for it was not their purpose to punish the Jews as they deserved; but their own lust, as I have just said, led them to cruelty and slaughter. It was, therefore, but just that they should in their turn be chastised by God’s hand. It follows, —COKE, “Jeremiah 50:15. She hath given her hand— Giving the hand, is a token of consenting to any conditions offered. See 2 Kings 10:15 and Lamentations 5:6. Dare manus, (to give the hand,) in Latin signifies, to yield; and most probably alludes to the act of the vanquished, who, throwing down his arms, and stretching forth his defenceless hands, acknowledges himself to be in the victor's power. TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:15 Shout against her round about: she hath given her hand: her foundations are fallen, her walls are thrown down: for it [is] the vengeance of the LORD: take vengeance upon her; as she hath done, do unto her.Ver. 15. Shout against her round about.] As they did once at Jericho; she shall come down assuredly.She hath given her hand,] (a) i.e., She hath yielded, and cried quarter; add hereunto that two princes of Babylon, being displeased by Belshazzar, sent for Cyrus to take the city, and showed him how he might best do it. This was "giving the hands" saith Calvin.

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As she hath done, do unto her.] Neque enim lex iustior ulla est. See 1:5. {See Trapp on " 1:5"}“ Victum tendere palmasAusanii videre. ” - Virg.PULPIT, “Shout against her; i.e. raise the battle cry (comp. Joshua 6:16; Isaiah 42:13). She hath given her hand. This action is generally mentioned as a pledge of friendship or a ratification of a promise (2 Kings 10:15; Ezekiel 17:18; Ezra 10:19); but the notion of surrender or submission would naturally follow (so in 1 Chronicles 29:24; 2 Chronicles 30:8). Dr. Payne Smith well quotes the words of Turnus, when begging his life of AEneas, "Vicisti, et victum tendere palmas Ausonii videre" ('AEneid,' 12.936). Her foundations. The word is difficult, but a comparison with the Syriac suggests the rendering, her walls. "Foundations" is obviously wrong.

16 Cut off from Babylon the sower, and the reaper with his sickle at harvest.Because of the sword of the oppressor let everyone return to their own people, let everyone flee to their own land.

BARNES, "The population is to be destroyed so utterly that the rich fields of Babylonia are to remain untilled.

They shall turn - The full force of the words will be seen if it be remembered that it had been the policy of Nebuchadnezzar to compel citizens selected from the vanquished nations to settle in Babylonia.

CLARKE, "Cut off the sower - Destroy the gardens and the fields, that there may be neither fruits nor tillage.

GILL, "Cut off the sower from in Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle 75

in the time of harvest,.... Both sower and reaper: the walls of Babylon took in a large compass of land, where there were corn fields; and which, as Curtius (s) observes, would yield a sufficiency to hold out a siege against an enemy; but being taken, the husbandman would not be spared, as used to be, but should be cut off, and so none to till the ground, or to reap what was upon it; and thus, in course, would be, desolate, as before threatened. The Targum understands this in a figurative sense, "destroy the king out of Babylon, and take hold of the sword in the time of slaughter;'' and Cocceius interprets the sower of any doctor or bishop in mystical Babylon, and the reaper of such that gather the fruits, and exact obedience; see Rev_18:14; for fear of the oppressing sword; of the Medes and Persians: they shall turn everyone to his people, and they shall flee everyone to his own land; not those of other nations, as the Jews, who were detained captives there, as Kimchi thinks; for these were not in such fear of the Persians, nor did they flee because of them; but were let go by them, and sent into their own land honourably: but either such who, of other nations, were come to traffic at Babylon; or rather the auxiliaries of other nations, who were either hired or forced into the service of Babylon; these, finding the city taken, would make the best of their way into their own country.

JAMISON, "Babylon had the extent rather of a nation than of a city. Therefore grain was grown within the city wall sufficient to last for a long siege [Aristotle, Politics, 3.2; Pliny, 18.17]. Conquerors usually spare agriculturists, but in this case all alike were to be “cut off.”

for fear of ... oppressing sword — because of the sword of the oppressor.every one to his people — from which they had been removed to Babylon from all quarters by the Chaldean conquerors (Jer_51:9; Isa_13:14).

CALVIN, "He still addresses the Medes and the Persians, and bids them cut off from Babylon both the sowers and the reapers; but by stating a part for the whole he includes also all others. Husbandmen in a manner preserve the life of men, as other arts and occupations are not capable of doing so. Were there no sowing and reaping, all would of necessity perish. When, therefore, the Prophet bids them take away those who sowed and reaped, it was the same as though he had said, “ Strike with the sword and kill all the inhabitants, so that nothing may remain but the land reduced to solitude.” He then commands the Chaldeans to be slain, so that no husbandmen should remain to sow and reap.This, indeed, was not fulfilled by Cyrus, as we have elsewhere seen. But what I then reminded you of ought to be borne in mind, that the Prophet extends his threatenings much further, for Babylon was often smitten by God’s hand, and at length wholly destroyed. The assault of Cyrus was a prelude, but other calamities followed, when it was more severely oppressed.

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He adds, From the face of the oppressing or wasting sword every one shall flee to his people and to his own land As that country was wealthy, many strangers had come there, and they had also drawn together captives from all parts. Thus many foreigners no doubt dwelt in Chaldea when the empire flourished. There were there many husbandmen and many artificers. The Chaldeans ruled, and yet many were content with small means, and even paltry; or it may be that the Chaldeans compelled conquered nations to do servile work in agriculture and in works of art. The Prophet now says, that in the revolution which was to happen, each would look to his own land and flee there, as there could be no delight in a country deserted and desolate. Then from the face of the oppressing sword shall every one look to his own people and to his own land; and those who before pretended to be wholly devoted to the Chaldeans, would forsake them in their necessity, because nothing would be better for them than to consult their own safety. It follows, —COKE, “Jeremiah 50:16. Cut off the sower from Babylon— Babylon resembled a country walled in, rather than a city; the walls, according to Herodotus, being sixty miles in compass. Within this large circuit a great deal of ground was cultivated with corn; so that enough grew within the walls to support the inhabitants during a long siege. Others understand by Babylon here, not the city only, but the whole province: the latter part of the verse is spoken of the Babylonish allies. See Isaiah 13:14. TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:16 Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land.Ver. 16. Cut off the sower.] Leave not so much as a husbandman alive, who yet are generally spared, as harmless and useful; they were left and let alone by the Chaldeans when they carried away the Jews. [2 Kings 25:12] But here is enjoined a more severe execution.PETT, “Jeremiah 50:16“Cut off the sower from Babylon,And him who handles the sickle in the time of harvest,For fear of the oppressing sword they will turn every one to his people,And they will flee every one to his own land.”The idea of the sower and the sickle-bearer being cut off is an indication of hard times ahead when all fruitfulness will cease. There will be no joy in harvest, for there will be no harvesters. They will have been slaughtered. This was an inevitable consequence of long term invasion, but few had thought that it would ever happen to Babylon. But now it would. Babylon would find itself under siege, with food

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supplies growing short. Yet there would still be time for people to flee as the invading armies approached.For Babylon was a centre to which people flocked from many nations in order to enjoy its way of life, a life of luxury, idolatry and debauchery, and in order to engage in trade (see Isaiah 47:15). Now the fear of what was coming through ‘the oppressing sword’ would cause them to desert the city and return to their own peoples and to their own lands. Babylon would find herself forsaken by her erstwhile friends. The way of the transgressor is always hard in the end.PULPIT, “Cut off the sower, etc. "Babylon" here probably means Babylonia, for it is clear from Jeremiah 50:12 that the curse belongs to the country as well as the city of Babylon; indeed, "Babylon" in Jeremiah 50:13 seems to be used in the wider sense. Others think of the open spaces within the walls of Babylon, in which it is said that crops were raised to provision the city in case of a siege (see Rawlinson, 'Ancient Monarchies,' 2:518); but this is less natural. They shall turn, etc. The subject is, not the husbandmen, but the strangers in Babylonia; comp. the parallel passage, Isaiah 13:14, on which this passage is based. AEsehylus ('Pers.,' 53) speaks of the πάμμικτος ὄχλος in Babylon. Whether brought by force from their homes, like the Jews, or voluntary residents for the sake of commerce, all should hurry from the doomed city.

17 “Israel is a scattered flock that lions have chased away.The first to devour them was the king of Assyria;the last to crush their bones was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.”

BARNES, "Israel is a scattered sheep - i. e., is like a flock which has been scared and driven in all directions, for lions have chased him.

First the king ... - Rather, the first lion “ate him, even the king of Assyria; and this one, the last, heath picked his bones, even Nebuchadrezzar etc.” The constant wasting of the land by the Assyrians had so lessened the number of Israel, that Nebuchadnezzar 78

had but the bones to pick.

CLARKE, "Israel - All the descendants of Jacob have been harassed and spoiled, first by the Assyrians, and afterwards by the Chaldeans. They acted towards them as a lion to a sheep which he has caught; first he devours all the flesh, next he breaks all the bones to extract the marrow.

GILL, "Israel is a scattered sheep,.... Or like a sheep that is frightened and drove from the fold, and is dispersed, and wanders about here and there; Israel includes all the twelve tribes: the lions have driven him away; from his own land, and carried him captive, and scattered him among the nations; these lions are afterwards interpreted of the kings of Assyria and Babylon: so the Targum, "kings have removed them;'' comparable to lions for their strength, fierceness, and voraciousness: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; eaten up his flesh; meaning Shalmaneser king of Assyria, who carried captive the ten tribes, that never returned, and therefore said to be devoured: and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones; or, "boned him" (t); took out his bones, all his strength and substance; or took the flesh off of them, stripped him of all his wealth and riches, reduced him to his bones, made a mere skeleton of him: we, with Kimchi and Ben Melech, and others, read "broke his bones"; to get the very marrow out, that nothing may be left of him: he took Jerusalem, burnt the temple, and carried captive the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, the strength of Israel; so, between the one and the other, all Israel were like a scattered sheep, dispersed among the nations. Nebuchadrezzar was the then reigning king in Babylon when this prophecy was delivered, and therefore called "this Nebuchadrezzar".

JAMISON, "lions — hostile kings (Jer_4:7; Jer_49:19).Assyria — (2Ki_17:6, Shalmaneser; Ezr_4:2, Esar-haddon).Nebuchadnezzar — (2Ki_24:10, 2Ki_24:14).

CALVIN, "Here the Prophet more clearly shows what he had briefly referred to, even that God was thus incensed against the Babylonians, because he had undertaken the cause of the people whom he had chosen. Then Jeremiah’s design was to show to the faithful, that though God severely chastised them for a time, he had not wholly divested himself of his paternal regard towards them, because he would at length make it openly evident that they to whom he had been so rigid were

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dear to him. He then mitigates the severity of punishment, that the Jews might not succumb to despair, but call upon God in their miseries, and hope that he, after having turned them, would at length be propitious to them.The sum of what is said is, that whatever punishments God inflicts on his Church are temporary, and are also useful for salvation, being remedies to prevent them from perishing in their vices. Let us then learn to embrace the promises whenever we are wounded with extreme sorrow under the chastisements of God: let us learn, I say, to look to his mercy; and let us be convinced of this, that though signs of his wrath may appear on every side, yet the punishments we suffer are not fatal, but on the contrary, medicinal. For this reason, the Prophet exhorted the faithful of his time to be patient, by showing that God, after having been a Judge, would be again a Father to them.He then says that Israel was like a scattered flock, or a straying sheep, which is the same thing. He expresses how they became so, the first who devoured them was the king of Assyria; for we know that the kingdom of Israel was overthrown by the Assyrians, and the land of Judah was also very much pillaged by them; a small portion remained. Then God says, that the people had been consumed by the calamities which the Assyrians had occasioned. But he compares what remained to bones, as though a wild beast devoured a sheep, and left only the bones. There was then no flesh or skin in Israel after the Assyrians had cruelly treated them, and that often. But as the kingdom of Judah remained, he says that it was like bones; and hence he adds, and this last, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, hath broken, his bones, (61) that is, hath broken in pieces and devoured the bones which remained.We now perceive the meaning of the Prophet. Moreover, he exaggerates the miseries of the chosen people, that he might in a manner open a way for mercy. God, then, here assumes the feeling of man, who is touched with a sad spectacle, when he sees a miserable and harmless sheep devoured, and the bones cast away, and then sees another wild beast, still more savage, who breaks the bones with his teeth and devours them. Since God then thus speaks, there is no doubt but that he meant to express with what tender feeling he regarded his chosen people, and that he also meant to give the godly the hope of salvation. It afterwards follows,—COFFMAN, “"Israel is a hunted sheep; the lions have driven him away; first, the king of Assyria devoured him; and now at last Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon hath broken his bones. Therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, Behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, as I have punished the king of Assyria. And I will bring Israel again to his pasture, and he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied upon the hills of Ephraim and in Gilead. In those days, and at that time, saith Jehovah, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I leave as a remnant."This paragraph mentions two past events, the destruction of Samaria and the

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Northern Israel in 722 B.C., and that by Nebuchadnezzar in 597 B.C., at which time the first wave of captives were carried to Babylon and Zedekiah became regent king for Nebuchadnezzar. This was four years later.The message is that God had humiliated and destroyed the king of Assyria at Nineveh, and that he would bring a similar destruction upon Babylon."In those days ..." (Jeremiah 50:20)."These words are the usual Messianic formula,"[16] indicating that the pardon and forgiveness promised to Israel will come in the times of the Messiah in their acceptance and obedience to the Gospel of Christ.COKE, “Jeremiah 50:17. Israel is a scattered sheep— See Jeremiah 50:6. "As a lion coming among a flock of sheep scatters them one from another; so have these foreign invaders served my people." See chap. Jeremiah 2:15, Jeremiah 5:6. Instead of, A scattered sheep, Houbigant reads, a dispersed flock; and he reads the latter part of the verse thus, First the king of Assyria devoured him, and last this Nebuchadrezzar—hath eaten up his bones; the first lion devoured his flesh, the last his bones. TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:17 Israel [is] a scattered sheep; the lions have driven [him] away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones.Ver. 17. First the king of Assyria hath devoured him.] Many Assyrian kings successively, but especially Sennacherib.Hath broken his bones.] Heb., Hath boned him hath left nothing of him but the bare bones.PETT, “Verses 17-20Those Who Misuse God’s People Will Be Punished Accordingly Whilst The Restoration Of His People Is Sure (Jeremiah 50:17-20).Babylon’s great crime lay in what it had done to God’s people. Like Assyria before it, its armies had descended on hapless Israel/Judah like a pack of lions separating off one of the sheep from the flock and hunting it down to its death. The king of Assyria had done it first, devouring the sheep so that northern Israel ceased to be. Now Nebuchadrezzar had done the same, breaking what was left of its bones by destroying Jerusalem and annexing Judah.But the king of Assyria had been punished and his empire had collapsed. Now in the same way the king of Babylon and his land will be punished. He will die and the land will become barren and fruitless. This was because, in spite of being YHWH’s chosen instruments of chastening, in both cases they had exceeded YHWH’s

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purpose for them (Jeremiah 50:11; Isaiah 10:5-15), and now they would suffer the consequences. In contrast the remnant of God’s people will be restored to fruitfulness and will once again enjoy fruitful fields and vineyards. The ‘dead sheep’ will live and pasture on Carmel (a fruitful area west of Jordan) and Bashan (a fruitful area east of Jordan), and on the hills of Ephraim (central Israel west of Jordan) and in Gilead (the land east of Jordan).Jeremiah 50:17-19“Israel is a hunted sheep,The lions have driven him away,First, the king of Assyria devoured him,And now at last Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon has broken his bones.Therefore thus says YHWH of hosts,The God of Israel,Behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land,As I have punished the king of Assyria,And I will bring Israel again to his pasture,And he will feed on Carmel and Bashan,And his soul will be satisfied,On the hills of Ephraim and in Gilead.”Lions would warily approach a flock, guarded by its shepherds, with the aim of separating off one of the sheep and then hunting it down and devouring it, afterwards picking its bones. In the same way had hapless Israel been treated, first by the king of Assyria who had devoured the northern kingdom (2 Kings 15:29; 2 Kings 17:1-6), and then by Nebuchadrezzar who had done the same with Israel/Judah. It is interesting that the lion was a symbol that both nations applied to themselves. The sculptured winged lion is a prominent feature of both empires. But both had overlooked the fact that YHWH, Who is the Lord of all hosts both in Heaven and on earth, was also especially the God of Israel. Thus they had dishonoured Him by their behaviour. In consequence YHWH will exact retribution on Babylon as He had on Assyria. Nineveh was destroyed in 612 BC at the hands of the Babylonians and their allies. But instead of recognising that this was the fate of all such empires Babylon had pursued similar tactics and would now itself suffer

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similar consequences.And what is more YHWH will restore the remnant of Israel to its own land, where they will feed on Carmel, the fruitful upland on the west coast, and Bashan, the fruitful land in Transjordan, famous for its trees. And also on the hills of Ephraim, the central highlands, and in Gilead to the east of Jordan. The fulfilment of this took place in the inter-testamental period so that by the time of Jesus Israel was restored to its own land and was prospering.PULPIT, “Israel is a scattered sheep, etc. Here a pause in the discourse occurs. The prophet returns to the present condition of Israel, who is likened to a sheep scared away from its fold by lions. The ruin wrought by the lions is described first as "devouring" and then as "breaking the bones" of Israel—in either case it is complete destruction, but the completeness is more emphasized by the second figure. In fact, when the "ten tribes" were carried captive, the elements of the theocracy still remained in the southern kingdom.BI 17-20, “Israel is a scattered sheep.I. View God’s people, the spiritual Israel, as scattered sheep (Jer_50:17).

1. They were sheep going astray. Scattered over the world.2. Marked, noted, contemplated by the Divine eye, the Divine foreknowledge, the Divine purpose.3. Found in different regions of the earth, yet advancing to one heavenly home—the better country.

II. View the people of the Most High, the spiritual Israel, as a forgiven people (Jer_50:20).1. Divine forgiveness.2. A forgiveness dependent upon a Divine redemption.3. A forgiveness is righteousness.4. A complete forgiveness.5. A forgiveness, and more than forgiveness. Inseparable from justification, acceptance in a righteousness of God, unto all and upon all them that believe.6. A forgiveness never separate from sanctification.

III. View the chosen of the Most High, the spiritual Israel, as assailed and persecuted by lion-like foes (Jer_50:17).1. They who are effectually called, and set apart for God, are exposed at once to special enmities. All the enemies of Gospel truth, holiness, spirituality, godliness are their enemies.2. The enemies of the spiritual Israel are formidable, but vincible.3. The days of open persecution have emphatically illustrated the ferocity of anti-

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Christian persecution.4. The foes of the spiritual Israel are vanquished foes. Christ hath already overcome them. They have all been vanquished in principle.5. The spiritual Israel hath mighty resources engaged, mighty friendship and support pledged on its behalf. In Isa_31:1-9. Jehovah compares Himself to a lion in the succour and defence of His Zion (Isa_31:4).

IV. View the spiritual Israel as a reserved inheritance for Christ (verse 20).1. Purchased and redeemed in order to be reserved.2. Effectually called and regenerated in order to be reserved.3. Separated from the world in order to be reserved.4. Reserved, that the Saviour may take delight in them.5. Reserved, as the gift of the Father to the Son.6. Reserved to be witnesses for God and His Christ.7. Reserved as first-fruits to God and to the Lamb.8. Reserved to inherit exceeding riches of grace, and ultimate riches of glory.

V. View the people of the Most High, the spiritual Israel, as feeding in the pastures of grace under the “Great Shepherd of the sheep” (verse 19).1. The Shepherd of this fold is mightier than all the devouring lions that can threaten His redeemed. He can curb them at His pleasure. The Shepherd of this fold is wiser than all the opponents of His Church. Neither might nor craft can defeat the purposes of His grace. (D. R. Morris.)

The iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none.—Sin completely removedI. Sin is completely removed, in that the guilt of it is all forgiven, and the punishment due to it entirely remitted.II. Sin is completely removed, in that the sinner is perfectly restored to the love and favour of God.III. Sin is completely removed, in that the pardoned sinner obtains a blessed restoration of character, state, and hope.IV. The way in which so complete a pardon and restoration of guilty sinners is effected.V. This complete forgiveness of sin is alone worthy of God, and sufficient for man.VI. This complete forgiveness is necessary for us all, and ought to be most earnestly sought by us all. (Essex Remembrancer.)

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18 Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says:“I will punish the king of Babylon and his land as I punished the king of Assyria.

CLARKE, "As I have punished the king of Assyria - The Assyrians were overthrown by the Medes and the Chaldeans. The king is here taken for all their kings, generals, etc., Tiglath-pileser, Shalmaneser, Sennacherib, Esar-haddon, etc. To them succeeded the Chaldean or Babylonish kings. Nebuchadnezzar came against Judea several times; and at last took the city and burnt it, profaned and demolished the temple, wasted the land, and carried the princes and people into captivity.

GILL, "Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel,.... Because of this cruel treatment of his people, whose God he was; and being the Lord of hosts, and able to avenge himself on their enemies, he threatens as follows: behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land; not Nebuchadnezzar, but a successor of his, Belshazzar, who was slain the night Babylon was taken: as I have punished the king of Assyria; not Shalmaneser, that carried the tribes captive; but a successor of his, Chynilidanus, the last king of Assyria; who was killed when Nineveh was taken, the metropolis of Assyria, and which was done before this prophecy was delivered. These two kings may figuratively design the Turk and Pope, who will both be destroyed at, or just before, the conversion of the Jews, and their return to their own land; which is prophesied of in Jer_50:19.JAMISON, "

punish ... king of Babylon — Nabonidus, or Labynitus.as ... punished ... Assyrian — Sennacherib and other kings [Grotius] (2Ki_19:37).

CALVIN, "What I have said may hence with more certainty be inferred — that the similitude which God employed was intended for this end, that having assumed the person of one in sorrow, he might represent as it were to their eyes his sympathy, he then shows that he would be the avenger of the cruelty which the Chaldeans had

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practiced, as he had already been the avenger of all the evils which the Assyrians had done to his people.We must bear in mind the time — for the meaning of this passage depends on history. The Assyrians were stronger than the Chaldeans when they harassed the kingdom of Israel: for we know that in the time of Hezekiah the king of Babylon sent to him to seek his favor, and to allure him to a confederacy. While then the monarchy of Assyria was formidable, the Assyrians were very hostile to the Israelites and also to the Jews: what followed? Nineveh was overthrown, and Babylon succeeded in its place; and so they who had ruled were constrained to bear the yoke, and thus Babylon made the Assyrians captive to itself. God now refers to this judgment, which was known to all. The Assyrians themselves did not indeed think that the God of Israel was the avenger of his people, but yet it was so. Hence God here declares that he had already given a manifest proof of the solicitude which he had for the welfare of his people: as then he had punished Assyria, so he declares that he would take vengeance on the Babylonians. And thus, by an example, he confirms what might have appeared incredible. For who could have thought that that monarchy could so suddenly fall? And yet it happened beyond what any could have anticipated. God here repeats what had taken place, that the faithful might feel assured that the judgment which the Assyrians had experienced, awaited the Babylonians. This is the plain meaning of the Prophet. It follows, — TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:18 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, as I have punished the king of Assyria.Ver. 18. As I have punished the king of Assyria.] And accordingly so he did; for as Sennacherib first lost his army, and then his life, and then soon after that monarchy was dissolved; so after that Belshazzar was slain, the empire was translated unto the Persians.

19 But I will bring Israel back to their own pasture, and they will graze on Carmel and Bashan;their appetite will be satisfied on the hills of Ephraim and Gilead.

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BARNES, "Or, “I will bring Israel (the scared sheep) back to his pasturage (see Jer_50:7) and he shall graze etc.” The places named are the districts of Palestine most famous for their rich herbage.

CLARKE, "I will bring Israel again - This seems to refer wholly to the ten tribes; for Carmel, Bashan, Mount Ephraim, and Gilead, were in their territories.

GILL, "And I will bring Israel again to his habitation,.... Or "fold" (u), or place of pasturage; for the metaphor of sheep is still continued. Israel designs not the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and the Levites, and a few of the other tribes mixed with them only, but all Israel, together with Judah, as appears from Jer_50:20; and so this prophecy had not its full accomplishment at the Jews' return from the Babylonish captivity; but respects their future conversion, when all Israel shall be saved, and they will return to their own land. Kimchi says this refers to time yet to come; which he prefers to the other sense he mentions, of the return of the captivity of Babylon; and he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied upon Mount Ephraim and Gilead; which, as they were all fruitful places, and had good pasturage, so they belonged to the ten tribes; which shows that it respects the return of them and the fulness of blessings, both temporal and spiritual, they shall then enjoy.

HENRY 19-20, “The mercy promised to the Israel of God, which shall not only accompany, but accrue from, the destruction of Babylon. 1. God will return their captivity; they shall be released out of their bondage, and brought again to their own habitation as sheep that were scattered to their own fold Jer_50:19. They still retained a title to the land of Canaan; it is their habitation still. The discontinuance of their possession was not the destruction of their right. But now they shall recover the enjoyment of it again. 2. He will restore their prosperity; they shall not only live, but live comfortably, in their own land again; they shall feed upon Carmel and Bashan, the richest and most fruitful parts of the country. These sheep shall be gathered from the deserts to which they were dispersed, and put again into good pasture, which their soul shall be satisfied with though they shall come hungry to it, having been so long stinted, and straitened, and kept short, yet they shall find enough to satiate them and shall have hearts to be satiated with it. They enquired the way to Zion (Jer_50:5), where God was to be served and worshipped. This was what they chiefly aimed at in their return; but God will not only bring them thither, but bring them also to Carmel and Bashan, where they shall abundantly feed themselves. Note, Those that return to God and their duty shall find true satisfaction of soul in so doing; and those that seek first the kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof, that aim to make their habitation in Zion, the holy hill, shall have other things added to them, even all the comforts of Ephraim and Gilead,the fruitful hills. 3. God will pardon their iniquity; this is the root of all the rest (Jer_50:20): In those days the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none.Not only the punishments of their iniquity shall be taken off, but the offence which it

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gave to God shall be forgotten, and he will be reconciled to them. Their sin shall be before him as if it had never been; it shall be blotted out as a cloud, crossed out as a debt, shall be cast behind his back; nay, it shall be cast into the depth of the sea, shall be no longer sealed up among God's treasures, nor in any danger of appearing again or rising up against them. This denotes how fully God forgives sin; he remembers it no more.Note, Deliverances out of trouble are then comforts indeed when they are the fruits of the forgiveness of sin, Isa_38:17. Judah and Israel were so fully forgiven when they were brought back out of Babylon that they are said to have received of the Lord's hand double for all their sins, Isa_40:2. This may include also a thorough reformation of their hearts and lives, as well as a full remission of their sins. If any seek for idols or any idolatrous customs among them, after their return, there shall be none, they shall not find them; their dross shall be purely purged away, and by that it shall appear that their guilt is so; for I will pardon those whom I reserve; I will be propitious to them (so the word is) and that must be through him who is the great propitiation. Note, Those whose sins God pardons he reserves for something very great; for whom he justifies them heglorifies.

JAMISON, "(Isa_65:10; Eze_34:13, Eze_34:14).CALVIN, "Jeremiah pursues here the same subject, and sustains the minds of the faithful in their miseries, lest they should wholly despond. It is then the same as though he stretched forth his hand to the shipwrecked, or gave support to those lying down as it were lifeless; for exile to God’s children was not only sad, but was like death, because they perceived the vengeance of God as though they had been wholly repudiated. It was therefore necessary to give them some consolation, that they might not altogether despair. The object, then, of our Prophet now is, to encourage the Jews to bear patiently their troubles, and not to think the stroke inflicted on them to be fatal. Hence God promises a restoration to their own country, which would be an evidence of pardon and of mercy; for when God gathered his people, it was the same as though he had openly showed that their adoption remained unchanged, and that the covenant which seemed for a time to fail was still valid.We now then see why Jeremiah spoke of the restoration of the people; and then he adds, totheir own folds, or to their own habitation. This mode of speaking, we know, is found everywhere in the Prophets, for they compare God to a shepherd, and the Church to a flock of sheep. This similitude then is sufficiently common, nor could God better express how much he was concerned for the welfare of his people, than by setting himself forth as their shepherd, and by testifying that he would take care of his flock. But as we said at the beginning of the book, Jeremiah had a special reason for using this similitude, because he was from a town of pastures, and had been from his childhood among shepherds: there is therefore no wonder that he often uses expressions to which he had been accustomed; for education in a great measure forms the language of men. Though then the Prophet speaks according to the usual phraseology of Scripture, there is yet no doubt but that he retained, as it

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has been said elsewhere, his own habitual mode of speaking.He then says, that after the people had been gathered, they would inhabit, rich and fertile mountains, even Carmel and Bashan. The fruitfulness of these mountains is spoken of in many places, but it is not necessary to quote them. The meaning however is, that God, after having again gathered his chosen people, would be as it were a faithful shepherd to them, so that they might feel assured that there would be not only a free return to their own country, but that God would be also the guardian of their safety, so as ever to protect them, to exercise care over them, to defend them against their enemies.But that God might more fully set forth his kindness, he adds, and satisfied shall be his soul Soul here is to be taken for desire, as in many other places. Now the former doctrine ought to be borne in mind, that God is never so angry or displeased with his Church but that he remembers his covenant. Then, as to the faithful, after they have undergone their temporary punishment, God at length stretches forth his hand to them; nor is he once only propitious to them, but continues his mercy, and so cherishes them, that he is not less solicitous for their welfare than a shepherd is, to whom his flock is not less dear than his own life, so that he watches in the night, endures cold and heat, and also exposes himself to many dangers from robbers and wild beasts in order that he might protect his flock. But the Prophet points out as by the finger the very fountain of all this when he adds, —

20 In those days, at that time,” declares the Lord,“search will be made for Israel’s guilt, but there will be none,and for the sins of Judah, but none will be found, for I will forgive the remnant I spare.

BARNES, "Those days - The days of the Messiah.89

Reserve - Or, permit to remain: hence, the remnant, a word pregnant with meaning in the language of the prophets. See Isa_8:18 note (2).

CLARKE, "In those days and in that time - This phrase appears to take in the whole of an epoch, from its commencement to its end. See Jer_50:4.

I will pardon them - So as to deliver them from their captivity, and exact no more punishment from them whom I reserve, namely, the remnant left in the Babylonish captivity.

GILL, "In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord,.... When mystical Babylon shall be destroyed, and the Jews will be converted and brought into their land, and be in possession of every temporal and spiritual mercy; it will then most clearly appear that they are the favourites of heaven, and all their sins are forgiven them, as follows: the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found; not that they will be wholly free from sin; or there will be none in them; or none committed by them; or that their sins are no sins; or that God has no sight or knowledge of them; but that they will not be found upon them, so as to be charged on them in a judicial way; having been removed from them to Christ, and satisfaction made for them by him; who has finished them, and made an end of them, so as that no condemnation or punishment can be inflicted on them for them; wherefore, should they be sought for by Satan, or by the law and justice of God, they will never be found, so as to be brought against them to their condemnation. The reason is, for I will pardon them whom I reserve; the remnant, according to the election of grace, whom God has chosen in Christ, preserved in him, and reserved for himself, for his own glory, and for eternal happiness; these are pardoned freely for Christ's sake; and being pardoned, no sin is imputed to them; all is removed from them, as far as the east is from the west; covered out of the sight of God; hid from the eye of avenging justice; blotted out as a debt book, which is not legible, or as a cloud which is no more; cast by the Lord behind his back, and into the depths of the sea, and entirely forgotten; never remembered or seen more, but buried in everlasting oblivion and obscurity; see Rom_11:27.

JAMISON, "The specification of “Israel,” as well as Judah, shows the reference is to times yet to come.

iniquity ... none — not merely idolatry, which ceased among the Jews ever since the Babylonian captivity, but chiefly their rejection of Messiah. As in a cancelled debt, it shall be as if it had never been; God, for Christ’s sake, shall treat them as innocent (Jer_31:34). Without cleansing away of sin, remission of punishment would be neither to the honor of God nor to the highest interests of the elect.whom I reserve — the elect “remnant” (Isa_1:9). The “residue” (Zec_14:2; Zec_

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13:8, Zec_13:9).CALVIN, "As I have already said, the Prophet now shows the primary cause why God purposed to deal so kindly and mercifully with his people, even because he would remit their sins. And doubtless whatever is said of the remission of sins is cold and unmeaning, except we be first convinced that God is reconciled and propitious to us. The unbelieving indeed seek no other thing than to be relieved from their evils, as the sick who require nothing from their physician but that he should immediately remove pain. If the sick man thirsts, “Take away thirst,” he will say. In short, they regard only the symptom, of the disease they do not say a word. Such is the case with the ungodly, they neglect the chief thing, that God should pardon them and receive them into favor. Provided they are exempted from punishment, this is enough for them. But as to the faithful, they can never be satisfied until they feel assured that God is propitious to them. In order, then, to free from disquietude and all misgivings the minds of the godly, our Prophet says that God would be propitious, so that he would bury all the sins of Israel and Judah, so that they might no more be remembered or come to judgment.This passage is remarkable, and from it we especially learn this valuable truth, that when God severely chastises us, we ought not to stop at the punishment and seek only a relief from our troubles, but on the contrary we ought to look to the very cause of all evils, even our sins. So David, in many places, when he seeks from God a relaxation of evil, does not only say, “Lord, deliver me from mine enemies; Lord, restore to me my health; Lord, deliver me from death;” — he does not simply speak thus, but he earnestly flees to God and implores his mercy. And on the other hand, when God promises deliverance from punishment, he does not simply say, “I will restore you from exile or captivity, I will restore you to your own country;” but he says, “I will forgive you your sins.” For when the disease is removed, the symptoms also which accompany the disease disappear. So also it happens in this case, for when God shows that he is propitious to us, we are then freed from punishment, that is, what we have for a time suffered, or what awaited us, had not God spared us according to his infinite mercy and goodness. (62)The iniquity of Israel was false worship, the worship of the calves, and the sins of Judah were especially idolatry and the rejection of God’s messages by his prophets. For these evils more particularly they were banished, and their exile proved a remedy for them, as they never afterwards fell into these sins. — Ed. TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:20 In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and [there shall be] none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve.Ver. 20. The iniquity of Jacob shall be sought for, and there shall be none.] Because to the justified no sin is imputed. Nihil oblivisci solet praeter iniurias. He forgetteth nothing but injuries only, said Cicero of Caesar, flatteringly, say we of God truly.

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This to have known is to feed in those soul fatting pastures. [Jeremiah 50:19]For I will pardon them whom I reserve.] Tegam quod fuit; quod erit, regam. I will cover what was; which will be, for I will rule.PETT, “Jeremiah 50:20“In those days, and in that time,The word of YHWH,The iniquity of Israel will be sought for,And there will be none,And the sins of Judah,And they will not be found,For I will pardon them,Whom I leave as a remnant.”But the promise included more. Israel would be restored to purity of heart. Its iniquity would be removed, and its sins found no more. For the pardon of YHWH would reach out to the remnant of Israel. This found its glorious fulfilment in the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ, Who called out a remnant of Israel to be purified and cleansed through His cross and resurrection, and became the foundation of the new restored Israel, ‘the congregation’ (church), the true Vine (Matthew 16:18; John 15:1-6).‘In those days and at that time.’ Compare Jeremiah 50:4. The reference is to the future days (future to Jeremiah) when God will commence His work of restoration. It is not time specific. It found its fulfilment in the coming of Jesus Christ and His ministry.

21 “Attack the land of Merathaim and those who live in Pekod.Pursue, kill and completely destroy[c] them,”92

declares the Lord. “Do everything I have commanded you.

BARNES, "The land of Merathaim - of double rebellion. Like Mitsraim, i. e., the two Egypts, Aram-Naharaim, i. e., Syria of the two rivers, or Mesopotamia, it is a dual. It may have been a real name; or - the dual ending being intensive - it may mean the land of very great rebelliousness.

Pekod - Possibly a Babylonian town.Waste - Rather, slay, Jer_50:27.

CLARKE, "Go up against the land of Merathaim - and against the inhabitants of Pekod - No such places as these are to be found any where else; and it is not likely that places are at all meant. The ancient Versions agree in rendering the first as an appellative, and the last as a verb, except the Chaldee, which has Pekod as a proper name. Dr. Blayney translates: -

“Against the land of bitternesses, go up:Upon it, and upon its inhabitants, visit, O sword!”Dr. Dahler renders thus: -

“March against the country doubly rebellious,And against its inhabitants worthy of punishment.”The latter of these two versions I take to be the most literal. The words are addressed to the Medes and Persians; and the country is Chaldea, doubly rebellious by its idolatry and its insufferable pride. In these two, it was exceeded by no other land.

GILL, "Go up against the land of Merathaim,.... Thought to be the country of the Mardi, which lay part of it in Assyria, and part of it in Armenia; expressed in the dual number, because one part of it lay on one side the Tigris, and the other on the other side. Cyrus, with his army of Medes and Persians, is here called upon; who, according to Herodotus, passed through Assyria to Babylon: and so it may be agreeably rendered, "go by the land of Merathaim"; or the country of the Mardi. Many interpreters take it for an appellative, and not the proper name of a country. The Vulgate Latin version renders it, "the land of rulers"; and the Targum, "the land of the rebellious people;'' and so Kimchi (w): and to the same sense Jarchi, the land

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"that hath exasperated me, and provoked me to anger;'' meaning the land of the Chaldeans, which had ruled over others, rebelled against the Lord, and provoked him to wrath against it. The word, being in the dual number, may, in the mystical sense, respect the two antichrists, the eastern and western, that have ruled over the nations, and rebelled against God, and provoked him; the Turks and Papists, those two rebels, the beast and false prophet, Rev_19:20; against whom the Christian princes will be bid to go up; even against it, and against the inhabitants of Pekod; the name of a place in Assyria; see Eze_23:23; by which also Cyrus might go up to Babylon, so Jarchi; and the Targum takes it to be the name of a place: but Kimchi and others take it to be an appellative; and so it may be rendered, "the inhabitants of visitation" (x); because the time was come to visit and punish them for their sins; and may particularly design the inhabitants of Babylon, the city to be visited for its iniquities; and especially mystical Babylon, which shall come up in remembrance before God, Rev_16:19; waste and utterly destroy after them, saith the Lord; either after the destruction of the places before mentioned; or pursue after those that flee and make their escape from thence, and destroy them; or rather their posterity, the remnant of them, as the Targum: and do according to all that I have commanded thee; either Cyrus, according to all the Lord commanded him by the Prophet Isaiah, as Jarchi; or the seven angels, that are to pour out the vials of wrath on antichrist; the kings of the earth, who are to fulfil the will of God upon the man of sin, Rev_16:1. HENRY 21-32, “Jeremiah 50:21-32

Here, 1. The forces are mustered and commissioned to destroy Babylon, and every thing is got ready for a descent upon that potent kingdom: Go up against that land by Merathaim, the country of the Mardi, that lay part in Assyria and part in Armenia; and go among the inhabitants of Pekod, another country (mentioned Eze_23:23) which Cyrus took in his way to Babylon. The forces of Cyrus are called to go up against Babylon (Jer_50:21), to come against her from the utmost border. Let all come together, for there will be both work and pay enough for them all, Jer_50:26. Distance of place must not be their hindrance from engaging in this work. The archers particularly must be called together against Babylon, Jer_50:29. Thus the Lord hath opened his armoury(Jer_50:25), his treasury (so the word is), and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation, as great princes fetch out of their magazines and stores all necessary provisions for their armies when they undertake any great expedition. Media and Persia are now God's armoury; thence he fetches the weapons of his wrath, Cyrus and his great officers and armies, whom he will make use of for the destruction of Babylon. Note, Great men are but instruments which the great God makes use of to serve his own purposes. He has variety of instruments, has them at command, has armouries ready to be opened according as the occasion is. This is the work of the Lord God of hosts. Note, When God has work to do he will make it appear that he is God of hosts, and will not want instruments to do it with. 2. Instructions are given them what to do. In general, Do 94

according to all that I have commanded thee, Jer_50:21. It was said of Cyrus (Isa_44:28), He shall perform all my pleasure, in his expedition against Babylon. They must waste and utterly destroy after them; when they have destroyed once they must go over them again, or destroy their posterity that should come after them. They must open her store-houses (Jer_50:26), rifle her treasures, and turn her artillery against herself. They must cast her up as heaps; let all the wealth and pomp of Babylon be shovelled up in a heap of ruins and rubbish. Tread her down as heaps (so the margin reads it) and destroy her utterly. See how little account the great God makes of those things which men so much value and value themselves so much upon. Their princes and great men, who are fat and bulky, shall fall by the sword, not as men of war in the field of battle, which we call a bed of honour, but as beasts by the butcher's hand (Jer_50:27): Slay all her bullocks, all her mighty men; let them go down sottishly and insensibly, as an ox to the slaughter. Woe unto them! their case is the more sad for the little sense they have of it. Their day has come to fall, the time when they must be reckoned with, and they are not aware of it. 3. Assurances are given them of success. Let them do what God commands, and they shall accomplish what he threatens. A great destruction shall be made, Jer_50:22. Babylon shall become a desolation (Jer_50:23); her young men and all her men of war shall be cut off in that day which should have been her defence, Jer_50:30. God is against her (Jer_50:31); he has laid a snare for her (Jer_50:24); he has formed this enterprise against her, that she should be surprised as a bird taken in a snare. Cyrus shall no doubt prevail, for he fights under God. God will kindle a fire in the cities of Babylon (Jer_50:32); and who can stand before him when he is angry, or quench the fire that he has kindled? 4. Reasons are given for these severe dealings with Babylon. Those that are employed in this war may, if they please, know the grounds of it, and be satisfied in the justice of it, which it is fit all should be that are called to such work. (1.) Babylon has been very troublesome, vexatious, and injurious, to all its neighbours; it has been the hammer of the whole earth (Jer_50:23), beating, beating down, and beating to pieces, all the nations far and near. It has done so long enough; it is time now that it be cut asunder and broken. Note, He that is the god of nations will sooner or later assert the injured rights of nations against those that unjustly and violently invade them. The God of the whole earth will break the hammer of the whole earth. (2.) Babylon has bidden defiance to God himself: Thou has striven against the Lord (Jer_50:24), hast joined issue with him (so the word signifies) as in law or battle, hast openly opposed him, set up rivals with him, raised rebellion against him; therefore thou art now found, and caught, as in a snare. Note, Those that strive against the Lord will soon find themselves over-matched. (3.) Babylon ruined Jerusalem, the holy city, and the holy house there, and must now be called to an account for that. This is the manifesto published in Zion, in the day of Babylon's visitation; it is the vengeance of the Lord our God, the vengeance of his temple, Jer_50:28. The burning of the temple, and the carrying away of its vessels, were articles in the charge against Babylon on which greater stress was laid than upon its being the hammer of the whole earth; for Zion was the joy and glory of the whole earth. Note, Whatever wrong is done to God's church (his temple in the world) it will certainly be reckoned for; and no vengeance will be sorer nor heavier than the vengeance of the temple. (4.) Babylon has been very haughty and insolent, and therefore must have a fall; for it is the glory of God to look upon those that are proud and to abase them, Job_40:12. I am against thee, O thou most proud! Jer_50:31 and again Jer_50:32. Thou pride (so the word is), as proud as pride itself. Note, the pride of men's hearts sets God against them and ripens them apace for ruin; for God resists the proud and will bring them down. The most proud shall stumble and fall; they 95

shall fall not so much by others' thrusting them down as by their own stumbling; for they hold their heads so high that they never look under their feet, to choose their way and avoid stumbling-blocks, but walk at all adventures. Babylon's pride must unavoidably be her ruin; for she has been proud against the Lord, against the Holy One of Israel (Jer_50:29), has insulted him in insulting over his people; she has made him her enemy, and therefore, when she has fallen, none shall raise her up, Jer_50:32. Who can help those up whom God will throw down?JAMISON, "Merathaim — a symbolical name for Babylon, the doubly rebellious,

namely, against God. Compare Jer_50:24, “thou hast striven against the Lord”; and Jer_50:29, “proud against the Lord.” The “doubly” refers to: first, the Assyrian’soppression of Israel; next, the kindred Chaldean’s oppression of Judah (compare Jer_50:17-20, Jer_50:33; especially Jer_50:18).Pekod — (Eze_23:23); a chief province of Assyria, in which Nineveh, now overthrown, once lay. But, as in Merathaim, the allusion is to the meaning of Pekod,namely, “visitation”; the inhabitants whose time of deserved visitation in punishment is come; not, however, without reference to the now Babylonian province, Pekod. The visitation on Babylon was a following up of that on Assyria.after them — even their posterity, and all that is still left of Babylon, until the very name is extinct [Grotius]. Devastate the city, after its inhabitants have deserted it.all ... I ... commanded — by Isaiah (Isa_13:1, etc.).K&D 21-28, “The pride and power of Babylon are broken, as a punishment for thesacrilege he committed at the temple of the Lord. Jer_50:21. "Against the land, -Double-rebellion, - go up against it, and against the inhabitants of visitation; lay waste and devote to destruction after them, saith Jahveh, and do according to all that I have commanded thee. Jer_50:22. A sound of war [is] in the land, and great destruction. Jer_50:23. How the hammer of the whole earth is cut and broken! how Babylon has become a desolation among the nations! Jer_50:24. I laid snares for thee, yea, and thou hast been taken, O Babylon; but thou didst not know: thou wast found, and also seized, because thou didst strive against Jahveh. Jer_50:25. Jahveh hath opened Histreasure-house, and brought out the instruments of His wrath; for the Lord, Jahveh of hosts, hath a work in the land of the Chaldeans. Jer_50:26. Come against her, [all of you], from the last to the first; open her storehouses: case her up in heaps, like ruins, and devote her to destruction; let there be no remnant left to her. Jer_50:27. Destroy all her oxen; let them go down to the slaughter: woe to them! for their day is come, the time of their visitation. Jer_50:28. [There is] a sound of those who flee and escape outof the land of Babylon, to declare in Zion the vengeance of Jahveh our God, the vengeance of His temple."The punishment of Babylon will be fearful, corresponding to its crimes. The crimes of Babylon and its punishment Jeremiah has comprised, in Jer_50:21, in two names specially formed for the occasion. The enemy to whom God has entrusted the execution

of the punishment is to march against the land מרתים. This word, which is formed by the prophet in a manner analogous to Mizraim, and perhaps also Aram Naharaim, means "double rebellion," or "double obstinacy." It comes from the root מרה, "to be rebellious" against Jahveh and His commandments, whence also מרי, "rebellion;" Num_17:1-13 :25, Eze_2:5, Eze_2:7, etc. Other interpretations of the word are untenable: such

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is that of Fürst, who follows the Vulgate "terram dominantium," and, comparing the Aramaic מרא, "Lord," renders it by "dominion" (Herschaft). Utterly indefensible, too, is the translation of Hitzig, "the world of men" (Menschenwelt), which he derives from the Sanskrit martjam, "world," on the basis of the false assumption that the language of the Chaldeans was Indo-Germanic. The only doubtful points are in what respect Babylon showed double obstinacy, and what Jeremiah had in his mind at the time. The view of Hitzig, Maurer, Graf, etc., is certainly incorrect, - that the prophet was thinking of the double punishment of Israel by the Assyrians and by the Babylonians (Jer_50:17 and Jer_50:33); for the name is evidently given to the country which is now about to be punished, and hence to the power of Babylon. Nägelsbach takes a twofold view: (1) he thinks of the defiance shown by Babylon towards both man and God; (2) he thinks of the double obstinacy it exhibited in early times by building the tower, and founding the first worldly kingdom (Gen_10:8.), and in later times by its conduct towards the theocracy: and he is inclined rather to the latter than to the former view, because the offences committed by Babylon in early and in later times were, in their points of origin and aim, too much one and the same for any one to be able to represent them as falling under two divisions. This is certainly correct; but against the first view there is also the important consideration that מרה is pretty constantly used only of opposition to God and the word of God. If any one, notwithstanding this, is inclined to refer the name also to offences against men, he could yet hardly agree with Nägelsbach in thinking of the insurrections of Babylon against the kings of Assyria, their masters; for these revolts had no meaning in reference to the position of Babylon towards God, but rather showed the haughty spirit in which Babylon trod on all the nations.

The opinion of Dahler has most in its favour: "Doubly rebellious, i.e., more rebellious than others, through its idolatry ad its pride, which was exalted it against God, Jer_50:24, Jer_50:29." Rosenmüller, De Wette, etc., have decided in favour of this view. Although the dual originally expresses the idea of pairing, yet the Hebrew associates with double, twofold, the idea of increase, gradation; cf. Isa_40:2; Isa_66:7. The object is prefixed for the sake of emphasis; and in order to render it still more prominent, it is resumed after the verb in the expression "against it." ד an infinitive in form, "to visit ,פקwith punishment, avenge, punish," is also used as a significant name of Babylon: the land that visits with punishment is to be punished. Many expositors take חרב as a denominative from חרב, "sword," in the sense of strangling, murdering; so also in Jer_50:27. But this assumption is far from correct; nor is there any need for making it, because the meaning of destroying is easily obtained from that of being laid waste, or destroying oneself by transferring the word from things to men. חרים ,to proscribe" ,הput under the ban," and in effect "to exterminate;" see on Jer_25:9. On "after them," cf. Jer_49:37; Jer_48:2, Jer_48:9,Jer_48:15, etc.Jer_50:22

After the command there immediately follows its execution. A sound of war is heard in the land. The words are given as an exclamation, without a verb. As to שבר, which is an expression much used by Jeremiah, see on Jer_4:6.Jer_50:23

Babylon, "the hammer of the whole earth," i.e., with which Jahveh has beaten to pieces the nations and kingdoms of the earth (Jer_51:20), is itself now being beaten to pieces and destroyed. On the subject, cf. Isa_14:5-6. Babylon will become the 97

astonishment of the nations, Jer_51:41. "How!" is an exclamation of surprise, as in Zep_2:15 -a passage which probably hovered before the mind of the prophet.Jer_50:24-28

This annihilation will come unexpectedly. As the bird by the snare of the fowler, so shall Babylon be laid hold of by Jahveh, because it has striven against Him. The Lord lays the snare for it, that it may be caught. ש פח to lay snares;" cf. Psa_141:9, where" ,יקis also found. ולא , "and thou didst not perceive," i.e., didst not mark it: this is a paraphrase of the idea "unexpectedly," suddenly; cf. Jer_51:8; Isa_47:11. This has been literally fulfilled on Babylon. According to Herodotus (i. 191), Cyrus took Babylon by diverting the Euphrates into a trench he had dug. By this stratagem the Persians threw themselves so unexpectedly on the Babylonians (ἐξ ἀπροσδοκήτου σφι παρέστησαν οἱ Πέρσαι), that when the outmost portions of the city had been already seized, those who lived in the middle had not observed at all that they were captured (τοὺς τὸ μέσονοἰκέοντας ου μανθάνειν ἑαλωκότας). Similarly, when the city was taken under Darius Hystaspes, they were surprised that Zopyrus traitorously opened the gates to the besiegers (Herodotus, iii. 158). Babylon has contended against Jahveh, because, in its pride, it refused to let the people of God depart; cf. Jer_50:29 and Jer_50:33. In Jer_50:25 the sudden devastation of Babylon is accounted for. Jahveh opens His armoury, and brings out the instruments of His wrath, in order to execute His work on the land of the Chaldeans. צר magazine, treasure-chamber," is here applied to an armoury. The" ,א"instruments of His wrath" are, in Isa_13:5, the nations which execute the judgment of god-here, the instruments of war and weapons with which Jahveh Himself marches into battle against Babylon. On 'מלאכה cf. Jer_48:10. The business which the Lord has ,וגוthere regards the chastisement of Babylon for its insolence. For the transaction of this business He summons His servants, Jer_50:26. באו־לה, as in Jer_46:22; Jer_49:9, is substantially the same as באו from the end," or from" ,מקץ .Jer_49:14; Jer_48:8 ,עליה the last hitherwards, the same as מקצה, Jer_51:31, i.e., all together on to the last; cf. Gen_19:4; Gen_47:2, etc. "Open her (Babylon's) barns" or granaries; "heap it up (viz., what was in the granaries) like heaps" of grain or sheaves, "and devote it to destruction," i.e., consume it with fire, because things on which the curse was imposed must be burnt; cf. Jos_11:12 and Jos_11:13. All the property found in Babylon is to be collected in heaps, and then burnt with the city. The use of the image is occasioned by the granaries. מאבסיה is ἅπ. λεγ., from אבס, to give fodder to cattle, - properly a stall for fodder, then a barn, granary. ערמה is a heap of grain (Son_7:3), sheaves (Rth_3:7), also of rubbish (Neh. 3:34). As Jer_50:26 declares what is to be done with goods and chattels, so does Jer_50:27 state what is to be done with the population. The figure employed in Jer_50:26 is followed by the representation of the people as oxen destined for slaughter; in this Jeremiah had in his mind the prophecy found in Isa 34, in which the judgment to come on Edom is depicted as a slaughter of lambs, rams, and he-goats: the people of Edom are thus compared to cattle that may be offered in sacrifice. This figure also forms the basis of the expression ירד לטבח in Jer_48:15, where this style of speaking is used with regard to the youths or the young troops; cf. also Jer_51:40. The פרים, accordingly, designate not merely the chief among the people, or the men of rank, but represent the whole human population. In the last clause ("for their day is come," etc.), there is a transition in the discourse from the figure to the real subject itself. The suffix in עליהם

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does not refer to the oxen, but to the men over whose murder there is an exclamation of woe. In like manner, "their day" means the day of judgment for men, viz., the time of their visitation with punishment; see on Jer_46:21. Fugitives and escaped ones will bring to Zion, and proclaim the news of the execution of this fearful judgment, that the Lord has fulfilled the vengeance of His temple, i.e., avenged on Babylon the burning of His temple by the Chaldeans. The fugitives and escaped ones are the Israelites, who were summoned to flee from Babylon, Jer_50:3. On "the vengeance of Jahveh," cf. Jer_50:15and Jer_51:11.

CALVIN, "The Prophet here undertakes the office of a herald, and animates the Persians and the Medes to make war with Babylon. This prophecy indeed never came to these nations, but we have stated why the Prophets proclaimed war and addressed at one time heathen nations, at another time the Jews — now one people, then another; for they wished to bring the faithful to the very scene of action, and connected the accomplishment with their predictions. By this mode of speaking, the Prophet then teaches us, that he did not scatter words into the air, but that the power of God was connected with the word which he spoke, as though God had expressly commanded the Medes and the Persians to execute his vengeance on Babylon. And doubtless Jeremiah did not thus speak; according to his own thoughts, nor did he thus speak in the person of man; but on the contrary, he introduced God as the speaker, as it appears front the end of the verse.He then says, Ascend on the land of the exasperating; others read, “of bitterness,”but improperly. God indeed calls the Chaldeans rebellious, for though they were for a time the scourges of his wrath, they yet had cruelly treated many nations, being impelled only by their own pride and avarice; he justly calls them “the exasperating,” and then adds, Slay the inhabitants of visitation Some regard פקוד, pekud, as a proper name; and they first imagine that it was a town of some note in Chaldea, which is groundless; and then they give a frigid explanation by saying that it was some mean and obscure place. There is then no doubt but that the Prophet calls the Chaldeans the inhabitants of visitation, because God’s vengeance awaited them, nay, it was even suspended over their heads, as he afterwards declares. But this way of speaking frequently occurs in the Prophets. (63)He afterwards adds, and destroy after or behind them There is an alliteration in the words החרם אתריהם, etherem acheriem; and he means that the slaughter would be extreme, so that the Medes and Persians would not cease to destroy until they had extinguished the name of Babylon. Yet we know that this was not done by Cyrus and Darius; for as we have already stated several times, the city was taken by fraud and treachery in the night, and the king and the princes were slain, for Darius, or rather Cyrus, spared the rest of the people; for though Darius had the name of being king, yet Cyrus was by far the most renowned, as he was a valiant soldier, and only on account of his fame accompanied his father-in-law and uncle. As then the sword did not destroy all the Chaldeans when Babylon was taken, we conclude that

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the Prophets, when they denounced slaughter and destruction on Babylon, did not confine what they said to that time, but included also other slaughters; for Babylon was often taken. It revolted from the Persians; and when it was recovered, it suffered very severe punishment; for, by way of reproach, those who were first in power and authority were hung, and there was also great cruelty exercised towards men and women. There is no doubt then but that the Prophets, in speaking of the destruction of Babylon, referred to God’s judgments inflicted at various times. However this may have been, we learn that though God may long connive, or suspend extreme judgments, yet the ungodly cannot possibly escape his hand, though they may long be spared.He then adds, Do to them as I have commanded thee This prophetic mode of speaking ought also to be noticed; for the Medes and the Persians never thought that they fought under the authority of God; why then is the word “commanded”used? even because God rules by his secret power ungodly men, and leads them wheresoever he pleases, though nothing of the kind is ever thought of by them. To explain the matter more fully, we must observe flint God commands in two ways; for he commands the faithful when he shows to them what is right and what they ought to follow. Thus daily God may be said to exercise his authority or right of ruling, when he exhorts us to do our duty, when he sets his law before us. And it is the proper way of commanding, or of exercising authority, when God expresses what he would have us to do, or what he requires from us. But God commands the unbelieving in another way; for though he does not declare to them what he would have them to do, he yet draws them, willing or unwilling, where-ever he pleases. Thus, by his secret operation, he induced Cyrus and Darius to take up arms against Babylon.We now then understand what the Prophet meant by this expression; for he did not mean that Darius and Cyrus obeyed God from the heart, because they knew not that he was the leader and author of that war; no such thing ever entered into their minds. The former mode of commanding, as I have said, is peculiar to the Church; for God is pleased to bestow on us a peculiar privilege and favor, when he shows to us what is right, and prescribes the rule of life. But yet his hidden providence, by which he influences the ungodly, takes the place of a command, as it is said,“The king’s heart is in the hand of God.” (Proverbs 21:1)But Solomon speaks of a king rather than of common men, because, if there be any liberty among mankind, it belongs to kings, for they seem exempt from every yoke; and Solomon declares that the hearts of kings are ruled by God. Though then Darius and Cyrus were carried away by their own cupidity when they made war, yet God, as we shall hereafter see more clearly, guided their hearts. So also he is said to command the heavens and the earth-not that the heavens, being without ears and reason, hear his voice, but because God powerfully moves and influences the heavens; for when he intends to punish us, he commands the heaven not to rain. This command of God the heaven executes, and the earth also obeys God; but there

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is no word of command given to them, — what then? it is God’s providence which is hid from us. It follows, —21.Against the land of the most rebellious, against her ascend, And to the inhabitants of visitation; Slay and utterly destroy their posterity, saith Jehovah, And do according to all that I have commanded thee.As to Babylon being “rebellious,” see Jeremiah 50:24. “Inhabitants of visitation”were such as were to be visited, i.e., with judgment; see Jeremiah 50:31. The repetition, “against her,” is emphatical. “posterity,” i.e., children, or young men, as in Jeremiah 50:30. See 1 Kings 16:3. — Ed.COFFMAN, “"Go up against the land of Merathaim, even against it, and against the inhabitants of Pekod: slay and utterly destroy after them, saith Jehovah, and do according to all that I have commanded thee. A sound of battle is in the land, and of great destruction. How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken! How is Babylon become a desolation among the nations! I have laid a snare for thee, and thou art also taken, O Babylon, and thou wast not aware: thou art found, and also caught, because thou hast striven against Jehovah. Jehovah hath opened his armory, and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation; for the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, hath a work to do in the land of the Chaldeans. Come against her from the utmost border; open her store-houses; cast her up as heaps, and destroy her utterly; let nothing of her be left. Slay all her bullocks; let them go down to the slaughter: woe unto them, for their day is come, the time of their visitation. The voice of them that flee and escape out of the land of Babylon, to declare in Zion the vengeance of Jehovah our God, the vengeance of his temple.""The land of Merathaim... land of Pekod ..." (Jeremiah 50:21). Some scholars try to locate these places as provinces of Babylonia, but Keil suggested that the words were invented by Jeremiah,[17] and Graybill gave their meaning as "double bitterness" for Merathaim, and "punishment" for Pekod.[18] The names therefore are symbols of the punishment coming upon them."The hammer of the whole earth ..." (Jeremiah 50:23). Babylon is here called the "hammer of the whole earth," and that is a name which historically has been used of "(1) Judas Maccabaeus for his victory over Syria, (2) of Charles Martel, which means `Charles the Hammer,' the victor in the Battle of Tours in 732 A.D., and (3) of Edward I of England, upon whose tomb in Westminster Abbey are the words (in Latin) `Hammer of the Scots.'"[19]"I have laid a snare for thee ..." (Jeremiah 50:24). "Babylon imagined herself impregnable; but, according to Herodotus, Cyrus took the city by stratagem, diverting the Euphrates out of its channel, and entering the city beneath the gates over the river."[20]"Bullocks ..." (Jeremiah 50:27). This word is used figuratively "for warriors."[21]

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COKE, “Jeremiah 50:21. Go up, &c. The two places here mentioned, though unknown, are supposed to have been situate in the Babylonish dominions. The meaning of the words is, the land of the rebels—and the inhabitants of visitation: and some understand them of the Babylonians in the sense here given. These are the commands of God to Cyrus, though then unborn. Instead of after them, the Hebrew might be rendered their posterity; "Cut off from Babylon the name and remnant," as God threatens, Isaiah 14:22. WHEDON, “ PUNISHMENT FOR SIN, Jeremiah 50:21-28.21. Land of Merathaim — Not rebels, as in the margin, but double rebellion, a dual word. But why is Babylon called so? Various answers have been given. 1) Double, as against both God and man. But this has nothing in favour of it, and is opposed to Old Testament usage. 2) Double, first, in the tower of Babel experience, and now in this last assault upon the theocracy. This is less unsatisfactory, and yet seems too artificial to comport with the general usage of the Old Testament. 3) Double, in the sense of beyond ordinary bounds, an intensive form. This is the view to be preferred.Pekod — Literally, to visit with punishment; here used as a name of Babylon and suggestive of its immediate future.TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:21 Go up against the land of Merathaim, [even] against it, and against the inhabitants of Pekod: waste and utterly destroy after them, saith the LORD, and do according to all that I have commanded thee.Ver. 21. Go up against the land of Merathaim, and against the inhabitants of Pekod.] Two Babylonian provinces. [Ezekiel 23:23] Calvin rendereth it, The land of exasperators, and the inhabitation of visitation, i.e., that deserve to be punished. This is God’s commission to Cyrus.Utterly destroy after them,] i.e., Their posterity. {as Daniel 4:11}PETT, “Verses 21-32YHWH Calls On The Nations To Fulfil His Will As Regards Babylon (Jeremiah 50:21-32).We should note here how personal God’s involvement is seen to be in the judgment coming on Babylon. It is in accordance with His commands (Jeremiah 50:22). It is He Who has laid a snare for, and has ensnared Babylon (Jeremiah 50:24). It is He Who has opened His armoury and brought forth His weapons (Jeremiah 50:25). It is He Who is against them and it is the time of His visitation (Jeremiah 50:31). It is He Who kindles a fire in their cities (Jeremiah 50:32). It is He Who gives rest to the earth and disquiet to the inhabitants of Babylon (Jeremiah 50:34). This is a

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reminder of the fact that while it might sometimes not outwardly appear so, God is in control of history. Nothing happens outside His cognisance, and all will eventually work out in accordance with His will.Jeremiah 50:21-22“Go up against the land of Merathaim,Even against it, and against the inhabitants of Pekod,Slay and utterly destroy after them,The word of YHWH,And do according to all that I have commanded you.A sound of battle is in the land,And of great destruction.”YHWH’s command to the nations is that they ‘go up against the land of Merathaim, even against it and the inhabitants of Pekod’. The two together are probably intended to indicate the whole of Babylonia. There was a region in southern Babylonia near the mouth of the Tigris and Euphrates called ‘Nar Marratu’, a name which means ‘bitter river’. It may be that Merathaim, which means ‘twofold rebellion’ or ‘two rebellions’ is a deliberate word play on the name Marratu indicating a land that was in total rebellion against YHWH. Alternatively the writer may simply be indicating by the name that Babylonia was a ‘land of double rebellion’ against YHWH. Instead of being ‘the land of two rivers’, as it was popularly known, it had become ‘the land of two rebellions’. Pekod, which means ‘punishment’ or ‘visitation’, was the name of a small Aramean tribe east of the lower Tigris (see Ezekiel 23:23), mentioned in Assyrian records as Puqudu. It thus indicated that YHWH Himself was ‘visiting’ Babylonia to carry out His will against it. So the two name are probably intended to indicate the whole of Babylonia, being chosen because of the significance of the names, indicating a land in total rebellion against YHWH which was being visited by Him.It is made clear that the armies of the nations who come against Babylonia are under YHWH’s command. They are to slay and utterly destroy (cherem - ‘devote to destruction, devote to YHWH’) in the way that YHWH has commanded them. And this will result in the sound of battle in the land and great destruction. The fact that Babylon itself was spared destruction due to the clever strategy of Cyrus’ general does not alter the fact of how much Babylonia as a whole suffered. The land was filled with the sound of battle. Violence was everywhere. Babylon itself would experience its total destruction under a later Persian king, Xerxes.

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PULPIT, “The land of Merathaim; i.e. of double rebellion. Probably enough an actual geographical name may lie at the root of this singular expression; but we are not able at present to say what it was. The prophet has, at any rate, modified it in such a way as to convey a definite meaning, symbolic of the character of Babylon (comp. on Jeremiah 50:31). What was this meaning? According to Gesenius, there is an allusion to the two great blows inflicted on Israel and Judah by Assyria and Babylon respectively; but as these two powers were but the instruments of a higher Hand, this explanation would seem to be inconsistent with the prophetic teaching. Dahler, De Wette, and Keil take the two rebellions to be the spiritual ones of idolatry and pride; and there is no obvious objection to this. But the dual may be simply intended to express intensity; comp. Jeremiah 17:18, "Destroy them with double destruction" (see note). The inhabitants of Pekod; i.e. of punishment. But here too a geographical name very probably lies underneath. The Taylor cylinder inscription of Sennacherib mentions a Pukudu (= Pekod), together with Havrann (Hauran) and Nabatu (Nabathaeans); but this was the name of a tribe. In Ezekiel 23:23 we read, "The Babylonians, and all the Chaldeans, Pekod, and Shoa, and Koa," etc.; and in 'Records of the Past,' 11.92, we find a town Pikudu mentioned, lying to the south of Babylon, which may, perhaps, have given its name to a district, and to this district the prophet not improbably alludes. M. Halevy conjectures that the event which corresponds to the prophecy is the decisive battle which virtually terminated the Babylonian empire. According to the newly discovered Cyrus inscription, this battle was fought near a place called Rutu, which appears to have been situated in the neighbourhood of Pukudu ('Records,' l.c.). About the symbolic meaning there can be no doubt: Pekod is a worthy pendant to Merathaim. Sin and punishment are so closely connected in the prophetic mind that one word sometimes covers both notions. It is doubtful, for instance, whether the better rendering of Isaiah 5:18 is "draw sin as with a cart rope" or "draw punishment."

22 The noise of battle is in the land, the noise of great destruction!

GILL, "A sound of battle is in the land,.... In the land of the Chaldeans, as it is expressed in the Septuagint and Arabic versions; the noise of warriors, the clashing of arms, and sound of trumpets, both of the enemy entered into the land, and of the Chaldeans arming themselves in their own defence: and of great destruction; in the same land; or in Babylon, as Abarbinel supplies it;

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this is the consequent of the former.JAMISON, "K&D, "CALVIN, "The Prophet continues the same style of speaking, for he says that there would be the voice or the sound of battle Could he rouse up the Medes and the Persians? not indeed by his own power, but here he exalts the efficacy of his doctrine; as though he had said, that the vengeance he denounced on the Babylonians would be in readiness when the time came, as Paul says that the ministers of the gospel had vengeance ready at hand for all those who despised it. We now then see why the Prophet mentions the word battle, and says that breaking, or ruin, would be great in the land. It now follows, —

23 How broken and shattered is the hammer of the whole earth!How desolate is Babylon among the nations!

BARNES, "The hammer - Babylon, by whose instrumentality Yahweh had crushed the nations, is now cut asunder, i. e., the head of iron or bronze is cut away from the wooden handle, and broken.

CLARKE, "The hammer of the whole earth - Nebuchadnezzar dashed to pieces the nations against whom he warred. He was the scourge of the Lord.

GILL, "How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken!.... The Targum is, "how is the king cut down and broken that moved the whole earth!'' The king of Babylon, or the kingdom of Babylon, which was like a hammer for its hardness and strength; and being an instrument, in the hand of God, of beating to pieces and destroying the kingdoms and nations around it; but is now destroyed itself. These

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are the words either of the prophet, or rather of the people of other nations, wondering how this destruction came about, and rejoicing at it; how is Babylon become a desolation among the nations! this explains who and what is meant by the hammer of the earth, and by its being cut asunder and broken; even the utter destruction of the city and kingdom of Babylon.

JAMISON, "hammer — that is, Babylon, so called because of its ponderous destructive power; just as “Martel,” that is, “a little hammer,” was the surname of a king of the Franks (Isa_14:6).CALVIN, "Here, in the first place, Jeremiah asks in astonishment how it happened that the hammer of the whole earth was broken, when it had before broken all nations. God afterwards gives an answer, even because “I am he who have taken Babylon.” The question availed to rouse the people to a greater attention. We neglect God’s judgments or are blind to them, even because we do not carefully consider them; for little things often excite us, when that which God works in an unusual manner is deemed by us as nothing. As then our apathy as to the works of God is so great, it is necessary to stimulate us. And this is what is done now by Jeremiah, when he says in astonishment, How? for he intimates that to cut down Babylon would be incredible, for no one could have thought that that monarchy could have ever fallen; for it had arrived to the highest eminence, and was surrounded on all sides by so many fortresses, that no danger could be feared. In short, all thought that Babylon could not be endangered without a concussion of heaven and earth.Then the Prophet here wonders at a thing unusual, and says, How is the hammer of all the earth broken and shattered to pieces? (64) and then, How has Babylon become a waste among the nations? for it had subjugated to itself not only the neighboring nations, but the remotest parts of the earth. And in this manner he animated the faithful to entertain hope, lest they should despond, for the power of that monarchy was terrible.23.How has the hammer of all the earth Been cast off and broken! How has Babylon become a wonder among nations!“A wonder” or astonishment, for so the word is evidently to be taken here, according to the Syr., though rendered “extinction” by the Sept., and “desert” by the Vulg. and Targ. Blayney and Henderson render it “astonishment.” — Ed.COKE, “Jeremiah 50:23. How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder, &c.—Divided and broken. Houbigant. "How is that oppressive empire which smote the nations with a continual stroke, broken and destroyed!" The figure is strong and expressive. TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:23 How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and

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broken! how is Babylon become a desolation among the nations!Ver. 23. How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder!] Babylon was the maul or hammer of many nations, Nimrod began it, and his successors took after him. Charles Martel, King of France, was so called for like cause. Augustine also was worthily styled Haereticorum malleus, the hammer of heretics; and Mr Arthur Hildersam, Schismaticorum malleus, the maul of schismatics.PETT, “Jeremiah 50:23-24“How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken!How is Babylon become a desolation among the nations!I have laid a snare for you, and you are also taken, O Babylon,And you were not aware,You are found, and also caught,Because you have striven against YHWH.”YHWH here, as it were, exults over the fact that He has caught Babylonia in a cleverly laid snare, one of which they had not been aware. In spite of their pride in themselves as ‘the hammer of the whole earth’ they have been taken by surprise. He has proved to be cleverer than they. In consequence, even though they were ‘the hammer of the whole earth’, they have been cut asunder and broken. How the mighty have fallen. The nation of Babylon has become a desolation among the nations. And this because they had striven against YHWH. ‘The hammer of the whole earth’ had come up against YHWH’s word, which was itself the ‘hammer which breaks the rock in pieces’ (Jeremiah 23:29). And YHWH’s word would prevail.Babylon is paralleled by the growing secularism of our day. That too sees itself as conquering the whole world with its ideas. But it too will come under the hammer of God.PULPIT, “The hammer of the whole earth. So in Isaiah (Isaiah 14:5), "Jehovah hath broken the staff of the wicked, the rod of the rulers; which smote peoples in passion with an unceasing stroke." In the next chapter a similar title is conferred upon Israel, with the right to retaliate upon Babylon all the evil which Babylon had done to Zion (Jeremiah 51:20-24). Compare the epithet Martel, "The Hammer," given to Charles, Duke of the Franks, on account of his great victory over the Saraoens at Tours; it is tempting to add "Makkabi," the epithet of Judas (Maccabaeus), but the k is not the same letter as that in maqqab, hammer.

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24 I set a trap for you, Babylon, and you were caught before you knew it;you were found and captured because you opposed the Lord.

BARNES, "I have laid a snare for thee - Babylon, the impregnable, was taken (according to Herodotus) by Cyrus by stratagem. Having diverted the waters of the Euphrates, he entered the city by the river channel: but see Dan_5:1 note.

And thou wast not aware - Better literally, and thou didst not know it.

CLARKE, "I have laid a snare for thee - It was not by storm that Cyrus took the city. The Euphrates ran through it; he dug a channel for the river in another direction, to divert its stream; he waited for that time in which the inhabitants had delivered themselves up to debauchery: in the dead of the night he turned off the stream, and he and his army entered by the old channel, now void of its waters. This was the snare of which the prophet here speaks. See Nerodotus, lib. i., c. 191.

GILL, "I have laid a snare for thee, and thou art also taken, O Babylon,.... Retorting to the stratagem that Cyrus used, in draining the river Euphrates, and marching his army up through it into the midst of the city of Babylon, and took it by surprise, while the inhabitants at night were feasting and revelling: this is said to be a snare laid by the Lord, because it was according to the counsel of his will, and through his directing and overruling providence: and thou wast not aware; of what the enemy had done, of his march into the city, and taking of it; for, as Herodotus and Aristotle report, one part of the city was seized and taken before the other knew anything of it: thou art found, and also caught; as wild beasts in a net, or birds in a snare. The Targum is, "thy sins are sought, and are found, and also thou art taken:'' because thou hast striven against the Lord; as persons litigate a point with each other in courts of judicature, or as warriors strive against each other in battle; she sinned

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against the Lord, and offended him, not only by her idolatry and luxury, but by her oppression of his people, and profaning the vessels of his house; as Belshazzar did, the night Babylon was taken. The Targum is, "for with the people of the Lord thou hast strove.''

JAMISON, "I have laid a snare for thee, and thou art also taken, O Babylon,.... Retorting to the stratagem that Cyrus used, in draining the river Euphrates, and marching his army up through it into the midst of the city of Babylon, and took it by surprise, while the inhabitants at night were feasting and revelling: this is said to be a snare laid by the Lord, because it was according to the counsel of his will, and through his directing and overruling providence: and thou wast not aware; of what the enemy had done, of his march into the city, and taking of it; for, as Herodotus and Aristotle report, one part of the city was seized and taken before the other knew anything of it: thou art found, and also caught; as wild beasts in a net, or birds in a snare. The Targum is, "thy sins are sought, and are found, and also thou art taken:'' because thou hast striven against the Lord; as persons litigate a point with each other in courts of judicature, or as warriors strive against each other in battle; she sinned against the Lord, and offended him, not only by her idolatry and luxury, but by her oppression of his people, and profaning the vessels of his house; as Belshazzar did, the night Babylon was taken. The Targum is, "for with the people of the Lord thou hast strove.''CALVIN, "He then immediately answers in the person of God, I have ensnared thee, and therefore thou Babylon art taken Here God declares, that though it could not be possible that Babylon and its empire should fall through human means, yet its destruction was in his hand. Thou, he says, art taken, even because I ensnared thee; as though he had said, that the Chaldeans would not have to do with men, because he himself would carry on the war and guide and direct the Persians and the Medes, and also endue them with power: He would, in short, fight himself until he had overcome the Babylonians.When he says, thou knewest not, he not only reproves the insensibility of that people, but at the same time derides their security, as though he had said, “Thou thinkest thyself beyond the reach of harm, but thou wilt find that no one can escape my hand.” We now then perceive the meaning of the Prophet. It is indeed true that the unbelieving, when God punishes them for their wickedness, do not acknowledge his hand; but the Prophet means another thing, — that though Babylon trusted in its strength and feared nothing, it would yet be taken, because it could not evade the snares.

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He adds, Thou art found and therefore caught; and he states the reason, because she had contended with God. We shall presently explain how Babylon contended or litigated with or against God, even because God had taken under his protection and patronage the Israelites. This, then, is said with reference to the Church, as I shall presently explain more at large. It must be here briefly observed, that God so undertakes the cause of his people, as though he himself were injured, according to what he promises that they would be to him as the apple of his eye. (Zechariah 2:8.) It now follows, —COKE, “Jeremiah 50:24. I have laid a snare for thee— Cyrus took the city by surprise, entering it when the walls were intire, the city full of provisions, and the people in high spirits, to their utter consternation, by having drained the Euphrates. See Jeremiah 50:38.TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:24 I have laid a snare for thee, and thou art also taken, O Babylon, and thou wast not aware: thou art found, and also caught, because thou hast striven against the LORD.Ver. 24. I have laid a snare for thee.] Thou wild bull. [Jeremiah 50:27] Babylon was unexpectedly taken by a stratagem, while they were in the midst of their revels.And thou wast not aware.] The palace was suddenly seized upon; but some parts of the city knew not that the enemy was entered till three days after; for it was the greatest city that ever the sun beheld, saith Pausanias, (a) and the most suddenly surprised.Because thou hast striven against the Lord.] Heb., Hast mingled thyself with the Lord, in certamen scilicet, to wrestle a fall with him, and to try masteries. PULPIT, “Jeremiah 50:24I have laid a snare for thee. It was very natural, as long as Cyrus's own account of the capture of Babylon was unknown, to refer for a fulfilment to the stratagem which, as Herodotus relates, that king employed, viz. diverting the waters of the Euphrates into an already existing reservoir, and entering the city unexpectedly by the river channel (Herod; 1.191). But the cylinder inscription, translated by Sir H. Rawlinson in 1880, shows that Babylon opened its gates of its own accord, on hearing the defeat and capture of Nabonidus. There is no occasion to look for any further fulfilment of the prophecy than the surprise which must ever come upon the bystander when he sees a mighty empire suddenly pass into the hands of its enemies. The tenses in this verse are not very happily rendered. It would be better to translate, I laid a snare for thee, and thou wast taken, O Babylon, unawares; thou wast found, etc; because thou hadst striven against the Lord.

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25 The Lord has opened his arsenal and brought out the weapons of his wrath,for the Sovereign Lord Almighty has work to do in the land of the Babylonians.

BARNES, "By a grand figure the prophet describes Yahweh arming Himself that in person He may execute justice upon the wicked city.

For this is the work - Rather, for my Lord Yahweh of hosts hath a work to do in the land of the Chaldaeans.

GILL, "The Lord hath opened his armoury,.... Alluding to the manner of kings, who have some particular edifice built for an armoury; see Son_4:4; wherein are provided and laid up all sorts of armour, small and great, which are fetched out from thence, in time of need. This armoury is to be understood of Media and Persia, and other parts, from whence a mighty army, well accoutred, was brought by the powerful providence of God; and indeed the whole world is his armoury, from whence he can raise up instruments to do his will at pleasure; or, "his treasury" (y); so the Targum; and some think this is said with reference to the treasure of the Lord's house the king of Babylon had seized upon, and now by way of retaliation the Lord would open his treasury to his ruin: and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation; as a king, when he goes to war, opens his armoury, and takes out armour of every kind, both offensive and defensive, swords, spears, shields, &c. so the Lord would now bring the Medes and Persians, well armed, to be the instruments of his wrath and vengeance on Babylon: or, "the vessels of his indignation" (z); having some view to the vessels of the sanctuary, as some think, the king of Babylon had taken away and profaned; these may well be applied to the vials of wrath poured out on the antichristian states by the angels, called forth out of the temple, Rev_15:1; for this is the work of the Lord God of hosts in the land of the Chaldeans; which he decreed and ordered to be done; and which, without his power and providence, could never have been done: compare with this Rev_18:8.

JAMISON, "weapons of his indignation — the Medes and Persians (Isa_13:5).CALVIN, "The Prophet here expresses more clearly what he bad touched upon,

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even that this war would not be that of the Persians, but of God himself. He then says, that God had opened his treasure, even because he has various and manifold ways and means, which cannot be comprehended by men, when he resolves to destroy the ungodly. That monarchy was impregnable according to the judgment of men; but God here says that he had hidden means by which he would lay waste Babylon and reduce it to nothing. Then what is by a similitude called the treasure of God, means such a way as surpasses the comprehension of men, that is, when God executes his judgments in a way hidden and unexpected.As, then, the faithful could hardly conceive what Jeremiah said, he raises up their thoughts to God’s providence, which ought not to be subjected to human judgment; for it is absurd in men to judge of God’s power according to the perceptions of the flesh; it is the same as though they attempted to include heaven and earth in the hollow of their hand. God himself says, that he takes heaven and earth in the hollow of his hand. When, therefore, men seek to comprehend the power of God, it is like a fly attempting to devour all the mountains. Hence the Prophet reproves this presumption to which we are all by nature inclined, even to determine according to the comprehension of our minds what God is about or ought to do, as though his power were not infinite.This is the reason why the Prophet says, God hath opened his treasury; and then, he hath thence brought forth the instruments of his wrath, that is, from his treasury, even in a way and manner which was then incomprehensible. (65) And subjoined is the reason, Because this is the work of God alone, the God of hosts, in the land of the Chaldeans (66) Here the Prophet briefly concludes, intimating, that the faithful ought quietly to wait until what he taught came to pass, even because it was the work of God. And there is nothing more absurd than for men to seek to measure God’s power, as it has been said, by their own judgment. It follows, — but I cannot explain the verse now.For a work — this the Lord Jehovah of hosts has In the land of the Chaldeans.— Ed. TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:25 The LORD hath opened his armoury, and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation: for this [is] the work of the Lord GOD of hosts in the land of the Chaldeans.Ver. 25. The Lord hath opened his armoury.] Heb., Treasury. Now God’s armoury is omne id sub coelo, usque ad diabolos; all things, both in heaven and under the cope of heaven, as far as the very devils, whereby he is able to subdue his enemies, and to bring them to nothing. Out of this treasury God took Darius and Cyrus, with their forces, and set them upon this expedition.PETT, “Jeremiah 50:25

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“YHWH has opened his armoury,And he has brought forth the weapons of his indignation,For the Lord, YHWH of hosts, has a work,In the land of the Chaldeans.”We are left in no doubt that this was to be seen directly as YHWH’s doing. He Himself had opened His armoury and brought forth therefrom the weapons of His anger, which were to be found in the armouries of many nations. And this was because as the Sovereign Lord, YHWH of the hosts of heaven and earth, He had a work to accomplish in the land of the Chaldeans. He wanted it left in no doubt as to Who was responsible for the destruction of this evil empire in accordance with its deserts.PULPIT, “Jeremiah 50:25Hath opened his armoury. A truly grand figure. The north country (the "hidden" part of the earth, as it was called in Hebrew) is regarded by the prophet as a storehouse of young and "inexhaustible" nations, from which Jehovah can at any time "bring forth weapons of his indignation." The latter phrase, occurs again in the parallel prophecy (Isaiah 13:5), where it is evidently applied to the army of Medo-Persian invaders. For this is the work, etc.; rather, For the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, hath a work.

26 Come against her from afar. Break open her granaries; pile her up like heaps of grain.Completely destroy her and leave her no remnant.

BARNES, "Against her - Or, to her, in order to plunder her. Her storehouses (literally granaries) are to burst open, the grain piled up in heaps, and finally they are to devote her to destruction, i. e., to burn her wealth with fire.

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From the utmost border - (Or, “from the first of you even to the last”).Let nothing of her be left - literally, let her have no remnant. Contrast Jer_5:10.

CLARKE, "Open her store-houses - At the time that Cyrus took the city, it was full of provisions and treasures of all kinds; the walls had suffered no injury; and when the inhabitants heard that the enemy was within, they thought they must have arisen out of the earth in the center of the city!

GILL, "Come against her from the utmost border,.... Or, "from the end" (a); from the end of the earth; from the Persian gulf, and the Caspian sea, on which the Persians and Medes bordered; from the most distant countries; for the Medes and Persians, who are here called unto, brought others along with them in their army from places still more remote; for this is not to be understood, with the Targum, of entering into Babylon on one "side"; or, with Jarchi, of beginning at one "end" of the city, that it might not be known, and be taken suddenly: open her storehouses; where her gold, silver, jewels, and other precious things, lay: or, her barns or "granaries" (b), as the Targum and Kimchi; where the fruits and increase of the earth were laid up; and may figuratively design her cities and fortified places, full of inhabitants, as well as of riches and stores of all kinds: cast her up as heaps; as heaps of rubbish to make a causeway of, and then tread upon them to make it smooth: or, "as heaps", or "sheaves" (c) of corn; tread upon them as oxen do, and thereby thresh them out; so Jarchi interprets it, "thresh her as grains of wheat;'' and to this sense the Targum refers, "consume her substance as they consume heaps of wheat;'' see Rev_18:12; and destroy her utterly: let nothing of her be left; of the city of Babylon, its inhabitants, wealth, and riches; so complete should the destruction be, Rev_18:8.

JAMISON, "from the utmost border — namely, of the earth. Or, from all sides [Ludovicus De Dieu].

storehouses — or, “her houses filled with men and goods” [Michaelis]. When Cyrus took it, the provisions found there were enough to have lasted for many years.as heaps — make of the once glorious city heaps of ruins. Vast mounds of rubbish now mark the site of ancient Babylon. “Tread her as heaps of corn which are wont to be trodden down in the threshing-floor” [Grotius].

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CALVIN, "The Prophet again addresses the Persians and the Medes, and encourages them to come against Babylon. We stated yesterday that the prophets are went to speak with authority, because they sustained the person of God; and we mentioned how necessary this mode of speaking was, for the world does not acknowledge that God speaks effectually.Then he says first, Come ye against her; (67) and then, Open her storehouses The word מאבס, meabes, means a cornhouse or a repository of any kind: hence some render it “granaries.” But it seems to me that the word is thus too much restricted, for the Prophet no doubt speaks of the treasures of Babylon. Now storehouses, (apothecas,) the Greeks call those repositories which contain all sorts of things, not only wine and oil, but goods of merchants, and also money. We call them in French, Arrieres-boutiques, or, magasins. But this word is to be extended to wine, to every kind of fruit, and then to treasures, and also to arms; for they were repositories of arms, of weapons of every kind. It is the same as though Jeremiah had said, that nothing would be so hidden among the Chaldeans but that the Medes and the Persians would find it out.He then adds, Tread her as heaps. The word ערמים, oremim, means not heaps of stones, but on the contrary, of sheaves. Then he intimates that the Persians and the Medes would act cruelly, and tread them as corn is trodden on the floor. (68) He lastly says, Destroy her utterly, that there way be to her no remnant He seems indirectly to set this in contrast with what God promised always to his people, that there would be some remnant, he then says that nothing would remain when God had executed his vengeance on the Chaldeans. The sum of what is said is, that the punishment of which the Prophet speaks would be such as would obliterate the very name of the Babylonian monarchy. This, as we said yesterday and also previously, was not completed in one day. But when the Prophets speak of God’s judgments, they do not regard only the preludes, but their words extend to the last judgment that awaits all the reprobate. It now follows, —COKE, “Jeremiah 50:26. Cast her up as heaps— The marginal rendering of our Bibles, which is followed by Houbigant, seems preferable; Tread her as heaps, that is to say, as the corn is trodden down when it is threshed. The phrase alludes to the eastern way of threshing. WHEDON, “Verse 2626. From the utmost border — And all intervening. The meaning is, let all come.Storehouses — Literally, granaries.Cast her up as heaps — Rather, “cast” it — namely, the grain — into heaps, that it may be devoted to destruction.TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:26 Come against her from the utmost border, open her

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storehouses: cast her up as heaps, and destroy her utterly: let nothing of her be left.Ver. 26. Come against her.] This he speaketh to the Medes and Persians, who, though they were farther remote than they that could hear the prophet, yet God, who spake by him, could and did speak home to their hearts, stirring them up by a secret instinct to do this execution.PETT, “Jeremiah 50:26-27“Come against her from the furthest border,Open her store-houses,Cast her up as heaps, and destroy her utterly,Let nothing of her be left (literally ‘let there be no remnant’).Slay all her bullocks,Let them go down to the slaughter,Woe to them! for their day is come,The time of their visitation.”The fate of Babylonia was to be total and complete. The enemy would come from her furthest borders, they would open up her granaries and empty them, they would ravage the country leaving no remnant. This last in direct contrast with the remnant of Israel who would be left who would be pardoned by YHWH (Jeremiah 50:20). Here there would be none who would seek pardon. All would come under judgment.All her livestock would be slain, or alternatively all her choicest sons, portrayed as bullocks (compare Jeremiah 50:8; Jeremiah 51:40; Psalms 22:12; Isaiah 34:7; Ezekiel 39:18). Her people would go down to the slaughter (compare Jeremiah 48:15). It was the day that was coming on them, the day of woe. It was the time when their sins would be visited on them in the day of God’s visitation. The whole passage is a constant reminder that in the end God calls sin into account.PULPIT, “Come against her; rather, Come to her. Dr. Payne Smith infers that Babylon has already fallen, and that the persons addressed are not warriors only, but plunderers of every kind. This is almost too subtle. The prepositions "to" and "against' (literally, upon) are so frequently interchanged (comp. Jeremiah 46:22; Jeremiah 49:9). From the utmost border; rather, all together; it is an idiom expressing universality. Those who are spoken of are regarded as a totality, "from the utmost end" of which its members come. Cast her up as heaps; rather, Cast it up as sheaves; i.e. ransack the repositories of Babylon's wealth, and heap it up like

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corn; last of all, destroy her (rather, it) utterly. The verb is a very emphatic one. Its primary meaning is "to cut off, or shut off." Hence kherem, a devoted thing, is applied in the Law to that which is "tabooed," as it were, cut off from any but sacred uses. In Le Jeremiah 27:21 it is used of a field wholly appropriated to the sanctuary, and in 1 Samuel 15:21 and 1 Kings 20:42 to living beings doomed to destruction. Destruction is generally a part of the meaning; but it is not merely destruction, but an act of homage to the Divine justice.

27 Kill all her young bulls; let them go down to the slaughter!Woe to them! For their day has come, the time for them to be punished.

GILL, "Slay all her bullocks,.... Or, "all her mighty ones", as the Targum and Vulgate Latin version; her princes and great men, as Jarchi, Kimchi, and Abarbinel; compared to bullocks for their strength, fatness, and fierceness; see Psa_22:12; this may well be applied to the slaughter of kings, captains, and mighty men, at the battle of Armageddon, Rev_19:18; let them go down to the slaughter; to the place slaughter, as oxen do, insensible, and whether they will or not: woe unto them, for their day is come, the time of their visitation; the time of their destruction, of visiting or punishing them for their sins, appointed by the Lord, which they could not pass; and so a woeful and dreadful time to them.

JAMISON, "bullocks — that is, princes and strong warriors (Jer_46:21; Psa_22:12; Isa_34:7).

go down to ... slaughter — The slaughterhouses lay low beside the river; therefore it is said, “go down”; appropriate to Babylon on the Euphrates, the avenue through which the slaughterers entered the city.CALVIN, "He goes on with the same subject; he bids the Persians and the Medes to slay every strong man in Chaldea; for by bullocks he no doubt means by a metaphor all those who excelled in strength, or in power, or in wealth. The sum of what he

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says is, that the vengeance of which he now speaks, would not only be against the common people, but also against the highest and the choicest among them. He includes then the nobles as well as all the men of war; for he refers not only to strength of body, but also to power and authority.Slay, then, he says, all her bullocks, that is, whatever is most valued in Chaldea: that was to perish when the day of vengeance came. (69) He afterwards says, let them descend to the slaughter We must ever bear in mind what I have said, that the Prophet gave orders as though he had the Medes and the Persians under his own hand and authority, because the whole world is subject to God’s word. He says, Woe to them! for their day is come, and the time of their visitation This was added, because the faithful might have disputed with themselves and said, “How can it be that Babylon should perish so quickly?” For God seemed to have favored that monarchy for a long time, as though he intended to protect it perpetually. Hence the Prophet speaks here of the time of visitation, so that the faithful might not doubt respecting this prophecy, because God had not as yet put forth his band. He then reminded them that God has his fixed times, and that he does not every day visit nations, that is, that he does not execute his judgments every moment, but at the time which he has appointed. Whenever, then, the ungodly securely exult and triumph, let us ever remember this truth, that the time is not yet come for God to execute his judgment; how so? because there is a fixed time of visitation, and that is dependent on God’s will. Let us then learn to bear patiently all our trials until it shall please God to show that he is the judge of the world. It follows,—Slay ye all her fruit (or offspring;)Let them descend to the slaughter.It is descending to the slaughter that led critics to render פרי bullocks, but we find this expression unconnected with bullocks in Jeremiah 48:15; where “chosen young men” are said to “descend to the slaughter.” To descend denotes degradation, and to ascend dignity. The Targ. has, “Let them be delivered to the slaughter.” — Ed. PULPIT, “In this verse we are told that the kherem, i.e. the Divine ban, falls upon the entire male population, as in the holy wars of Joshua (Joshua 6:21; Joshua 11:11, Joshua 11:20). All her bullocks. As in Jeremiah 51:40 and Isaiah 34:6, the doomed people is likened to sacrificial victims (comp. Jeremiah 46:10). The same fact is described without figure in Jeremiah 48:15. Go down to the slaughter; i.e. be forced down to the slaughtering trough.

28 Listen to the fugitives and refugees from Babylon118

declaring in Zionhow the Lord our God has taken vengeance, vengeance for his temple.

BARNES, "The voice of them ... - i. e., There is a sound of fugitives escaping from Babylonia. The Jews saw in the fall of Babylon Yahweh’s vengeance for His temple.

CLARKE, "Declare in Zion the vengeance of the Lord - Zion was desolated by Babylon; tell Zion that God hath desolated the desolator.

The vengeance of his temple - Which Nebuchadnezzar had pillaged, profaned, and demolished, transporting its sacred vessels to Babylon, and putting them in the temple of his god Bel.

GILL, "The voice of them that flee and escape out the land of Babylon,.... The Jews that were captives in Babylon, upon the taking of it, took that opportunity to flee out Of it, and make their escape to their own land, which some of them might do before the proclamation of Cyrus; whose voice declaring to their brethren in Judea what God had done to Babylon, and rejoicing at it, was as if it was heard by the prophet in vision, or under a spirit of prophecy; this also is true of them who will be called out of mystical Babylon, and escape from thence, just before its destruction, Rev_18:4; to declare in Zion the vengeance of the Lord our God, the vengeance of his temple; the vengeance which God took on the Chaldeans for their ill usage of his people, and for plundering and burning his temple; this the Jews, when they came to their own land, declared to their brethren there with joy and pleasure; and a like joy will be expressed when God shall avenge his people on antichrist, for his blasphemy against him, his name, his tabernacle, and them that dwell in it, Rev_13:6.

JAMISON, "declare in Zion ... temple — Some Jews “fleeing” from Babylon at its fall shall tell in Judea how God avenged the cause of Zion and her temple that had been profaned (Jer_52:13; Dan_1:2; Dan_5:2).

CALVIN, "The Prophet again shows, that God in punishing Babylon, would give a sure proof of his favor towards his Church. For this prophecy would have been uninteresting to the faithful, did they not know that God would be an enemy to that great monarchy, because he had undertaken the care of their safety. Then the Prophet often calls the attention of the faithful to this fact, that God’s vengeance on

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the Babylonians would be to them a sure proof of God’s favor, through which he had once embraced them, and which he would continue to show to them to the end.This, then, was the design of the Prophet, when he said, The voice officers and of those who escape from the land of Babylon, etc.; as though he had said, “Babylon is on many accounts worthy of destruction, but God in destroying it will have a regard to his own people, and will effectually show that he is the Father of the people whom he has adopted.” Jeremiah afterwards exhorts the faithful to show their gratitude. There are here, then, two things; the first is, that when God destroyed Babylon, the people would hence with certainty perceive how dear they were to God; and secondly, from this truth flows an exhortation, that the faithful were not to be mute at such a singular benefit of God, but were to proclaim their deliverance. Hence he says, The voice of fleers and of those who escape from the land of Babylon, to announce in Sion, etc. By saying in Sion, he shows for what end God intended to gather his people, even that he might again be worshipped as formerly-in his own Temple.He adds, to announce in Sion the vengeance of our God The vengeance of God is to be taken here in an active sense, signifying the vengeance which God would execute. The vengeance of the Temple, which immediately follows, is to be taken passively, as meaning the vengeance by which God would avenge the indignity offered to the Temple. God then takes vengeance, and God’s Temple is defended from contempt and reproach.We now then see the meaning of this passage. The Prophet first teaches us, that God would have a regard to his people in so rigidly punishing Babylon; and secondly, he adds an exhortation, lest the faithful should be unthankful to God, but acknowledge that God, for the sake of their deliverance had undertaken war against that monarchy; and lastly, he shows the end, even that the people who had been scattered, as it is said in Psalms 147:2,“God is he who gathers the dispersed of Israel,”might again be collected together. As, then, the Jews were as a mutilated body among the Chaldeans, the Prophet shows that that monarchy would be dispersed, in order that the faithful might again be gathered, and that all might worship God together in the Temple, or on mount Sion. It follows, —COKE, “, “Jeremiah 50:28. The voice of them that flee, &c.— Some of those who were more than ordinarily zealous for the welfare of God's church and people, were ready, upon the first news of the taking of Babylon, to bring the glad tidings to Judaea, that God had avenged his people, and executed his judgments on those who destroyed his temple. Compare ch. Jeremiah 51:51 and Daniel 5:1-2; Daniel 5:30. TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:28 The voice of them that flee and escape out of the land of Babylon, to declare in Zion the vengeance of the LORD our God, the vengeance of

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his temple.Ver. 28. The vengeance of his temple.] Spoiled and burnt by the Chaldeans, those wasters, as their name also signifieth. Woe, then, to such as destroy God’s living temples!PETT, “Jeremiah 50:28“The voice of those who flee,And escape out of the land of Babylon,To declare in Zion the vengeance of YHWH our God,The vengeance of his temple.”Escaping refugees would arrive in Palestine from Babylonia acting as heralds, declaring that YHWH had at last exacted His vengeance on Babylonia (compare Ezekiel 33:21). The destruction of YHWH’s Temple, which to an Israelite would have been seen as one of the most devastating moments in Israel’s history, and one which had seemed inexplicable, had been avenged.So those of His people who had heeded YHWH’s warning and had taken the opportunity to flee from Babylon (Jeremiah 50:8) would arrive in Palestine and declare in Zion that YHWH their God had indeed taken His vengeance. He had avenged the destruction of His Temple. To a people to whom the Temple had meant everything, and who had been unable to comprehend how YHWH could allow His Temple to be destroyed, this would mean so much. It would be clear that YHWH was triumphant after all.We must recognise that the invasion of Babylon would, for the first time, have enabled those who would to flee from it. The restrictions which had previously been placed on them would no longer have been binding. So this may well have been the initial returning of refugees, prior to the more official one which would follow (Ezra 1:1). They were the firstfruits. But the emphasis here is not so much on the returning of the refugees, but on the exacting by YHWH of His vengeance on those who had sinned against Him. It had taken 48 years (587 BC to 539 BC), but it had come at last.PULPIT, “The voice of them that flee, etc.; rather, Hark! those that flee, etc. A confused murmur indicates the approach of the fugitives with their great tidings. The vengeance of his temple; i.e. the punishment due to Babylon for burning the temple; comp. next verse, also Jeremiah 50:15, "The vengeance of the Lord," and Jeremiah 51:11.

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29 “Summon archers against Babylon, all those who draw the bow.Encamp all around her; let no one escape.Repay her for her deeds; do to her as she has done.For she has defied the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.

BARNES, "Or, “Summon the archers to Babylon, even all who bend the bow: encamp against her etc.” In this portion of the prophecy the capture of Babylon is regarded as the punishment due to her for burning the temple Jer_50:28.

CLARKE, "Call together the archers - The preceding verses are the prediction: here, God calls the Medes and Persians to fulfill it.

GILL, "Call together the archers against Babylon,.... The Medes and Persians, who were well skilled in archery, especially the Elamites; see Isa_22:6; hence Horace (d)makes mention of "Medi pharetra"; and Cyrus in Xenophon (e) says, that he had under his command sixty thousand men that wore targets and were archers; See Gill on Jer_50:9. Some render it "many", as the Targum; and the sense is, either gather many together against Babylon, a large army; or cause many to hear the vengeance against Babylon; publish this good news; so the word used by the Targum signifies; and this will be done by Gospel preachers, with respect to mystical Babylon, Rev_14:6; all ye that bend the bow, camp against it round about; let none thereof escape; surround it on every side; besiege it so closely that none may be able to escape: recompence her according to her work: according to all that she hath done, do unto her; which is the law of retaliation; See Gill on Jer_50:15; and with it compare Rev_18:6;

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for she hath been proud against the Lord, against the Holy One of Israel; behaved haughtily and contemptuously towards the Lord and his people; burning the city and temple of Jerusalem; profaning the vessels of it, and ill treating the captive Jews; so the Targum, "because she hath spoken ill against the people of the Lord, saying words which were not right before the Holy One of Israel;'' which may fitly be applied to antichrist the man of sin, sitting in the temple of God, showing himself as God; opening his mouth in blasphemy against him and his saints, 2Th_2:4. \

JAMISON, "archers — literally, “very many and powerful”; hence the Hebrew word is used of archers (Job_16:13) from the multitude and force of their arrows.

according to all that she hath done — (See on Jer_50:15).proud against the Lord — not merely cruel towards men (Isa_47:10).

K&D, "The pride of Babylon is humbled through the utter destruction of the people and the land. - Jer_50:29. "Summon archers against Jerusalem, all those who bend the bow; encamp against her round about. Let there be no escape for her; recompense to her according to her work; according to that which she hath done, do ye to her: for she hath presumed against Jahveh, against the Holy One of Israel. Jer_50:30. Therefore shall her young men fall in her streets, and all her men of war shall fail in that day, saith Jahveh. Jer_50:31. Behold, I am against thee, O Pride! said the Lord, Jahveh of hosts; for thy day hath come, the time [when] I visit thee. Jer_50:32. And Pride shallstumble and fall, and he shall have none to lift him up; and I will kindle fire in his cities, and it shall devour all that is round about him. Jer_50:33. Thus saith Jahveh of hosts, the Children of Israel and the children of Judah are oppressed together, and all who led them captive kept hold of them; they refused to let them go. Jer_50:34. Their Redeemer is strong; Jahveh of hosts is His name: He shall surely plead their cause, that He may give rest to the earth, and make the inhabitants of Babylon tremble. Jer_50:35. A sword [is] against the Chaldeans, saith Jahveh, and against the inhabitants ofBabylon, and against her princes, and against her wise men. Jer_50:36. A sword [is] against the liars, and they shall become fools; a sword is against her heroes, and they shall be confounded. Jer_50:37. A sword [is] against his horses, and against his chariots, and against all the auxiliaries which [are] in the midst of her, and they shall become women; a sword is against her treasures, and they shall be plundered. Jer_50:38. A drought is against her waters, and they shall become dry; for it is a land of graven images, and they are mad upon idols. Jer_50:39. Therefore shall wild beasts dwell [there] with jackals, and ostriches shall dwell in it; and it shall no more be inhabited for ever, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation. Jer_50:40. As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and their inhabitants, saith Jahveh, no man shall dwell there, nor shall a son of man sojourn in it."

Further description of the execution of God's wrath. Archers shall come and besiege Babylon round about, so that no one shall escape. The summons, "Call archers hither," is a dramatic turn in the thought that the siege is quickly to ensue. השמיע is used here as in

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Jer_51:27, to summon, call by making proclamation, as in 1Ki_15:22. רבים does not signify "many," as the ancient versions give it; this agrees neither with the apposition which follows, "all that bend the bow," nor with Jer_50:26, where all, to the last, are summoned against Babylon. Raschi, followed by all the moderns, more correctly renders it "archers," and derives it from רבה ,רב Gen_49:23, cf. with Jer_21:10, like ,רבב =Job_16:13. The apposition, "all those who bend the bow," gives additional force. חנהwith accus. means to besiege; cf. Psa_53:6. "Let there be no escape" is equivalent to saying, "that none may escape from Babylon." The Qeri לה after יהי is unnecessary, and merely taken from Jer_50:26. On the expression "render to her," etc., cf. Jer_25:14; and on "according to all," etc., f. Jer_50:15. "For she hath acted presumptuously against Jahveh," by burning His temple, and keeping His people captive: in this way has Babylon offended "against the Holy One of Israel." This epithet of God is taken from Isaiah, cf. Isa_51:5. This presumption must be punished.CALVIN, "The Prophet adopts various modes of speaking, and not without reason, because he had to thunder rather than to speak; and then as he spoke of a thing incredible, there was need of no common confirmation; the faithful also, almost pining away in their miseries, could hardly entertain any hope. This is the reason why the Prophet dwells so long and so diffusely on a subject in itself not obscure, for there was not only need of amplifying, but also of great vehemence.Then, as though he had many heralds ready to obey, he says, Call together the mighty against Babylon Some read “many,” but the word רבים , rebim, means both; and I think that “the mighty” or strong are meant here. Why some render it“arrows” I know not. It is, indeed, immediately added, all who bend the bow, כל-דרכי קשת , caldereki koshet. But the word, without anything added to it, never means an arrow. They refer to a place in Genesis 21:20, where Ishmael is said to be “an archer,” ”rebe; but the word “bow ,רבה follows it. We cannot then take רבים, rebim here but as signifying many or the mighty; and the latter is the most suitable word. Then the Prophet bids the strong and the warlike to come together, and then he mentions them specifically, — all who bend the bow, even all skillful archers. For the Persians excelled in this art, they were archers of the first order. It was indeed a practice common among eastern nations, but the Persians surpassed all others. The Prophet then points them out when he bids archers to assemble. (70)He adds, encompass or besiege her around, that there may be no escape This also was a thing difficult to be believed, for Babylon was more like a country than a city. Then one could have hardly thought that it could have been besieged around and at length taken, as it happened. Therefore the Prophet here testifies that what exceeded the opinion of all would take place. But he had said before that this would be the work of God, that the faithful might not form a judgment according to their own measure, for nothing is more absurd, as it has been said, than to measure the power of God by our own understanding. As then the Prophet had before declared that the siege of Babylon would be the work of God, he bids them now, with more confidence, to besiege it around, that there might not be an escape

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It is then added, Render to her according to her work; according to what she has done, do to her By these words the Prophet shows that the vengeance which God would execute on the Chaldeans would be just, for nothing is more equitable than to render to one what he had done to others.“With what measure ye mete to others,” says Christ, “it shall be rendered to you.”(Luke 6:38)As, then, nature itself teaches us that the punishment is most just which is inflicted on the cruel themselves, hence the Prophet reminds us here that God would be a just avenger in his extreme violence against the Babylonians. But he looks farther, for he assumes this principle, that God is the judge of the world. Since he is so, it follows that they who unjustly oppress others must at length receive their own reward; as also Paul says, that the judgment of God, otherwise obscure, will be made evident, when he shall give relief and rest to the miserable who are now unjustly afflicted, and when he shall render their reward to oppressors. (2 Thessalonians 1:6.) The Prophet then takes occasion of confidence from this truth to animate the faithful and to encourage them to entertain hope. How so? Since God is the judge of the world, the Jews ought to have considered what sort of people the Babylonians had been; nay, they had already sufficiently experienced how cruel and barbarous they were. As, then, the avarice and cruelly of the Chaldeans were sufficiently apparent, the Prophet here reminds them, that as God is in heaven, it could not be otherwise but that he would shortly call them to judgment, for otherwise he would not be God. Surely he would not be the judge of the world, were he not to regard the miserable unjustly oppressed, and bring them help, and stretch forth his hand to relieve them; and were he not also, on the other hand, to punish the avaricious and the proud and the cruel. We now understand the meaning of the Prophet.He adds, in the last place, because she has acted proudly against Jehovah, against the Holy One of Israel By saying that the Babylonians had acted proudly, he means that they had not only been injurious to men, but had been also insolent towards God himself; for the verb here used denotes a sin different from that which happens through levity or want of thought. When any one sins inconsiderately, he is said to have erred; but when one sins knowingly, it is a deliberate wickedness, and he is said to be proud; and this we learn from Psalms 19:12; for David there sets pride in opposition to errors:“errors,” he says, “who can understand?”and then he asks God to cleanse him from all pride. David indeed had not designedly raised his horns against God, but he yet feared lest the wantonness of the flesh should lead him to pride. When, therefore, the Prophet now says that the Chaldeans had acted proudly towards God, it is the same as though he accused them of sacrilegious pride, even that they designed to be insolent towards God himself, and not only cruel to his people.

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But an explanation follows, against the Holy One of Israel The Babylonians might have raised an objection, and said, that it was not their purpose to act proudly towards God. But the Prophet here brings forward the word Israel, as though he had said, “If there be a God in heaven, our religion is true; then God’s name dwells with us. Since, then, the Babylonians have basely oppressed the people whom God has chosen, it follows that they have been sacrilegious towards him.” And he meant the same thing when he said before, the vengeance of Jehovah our God Why did he add, our God? that the Jews might know that whatever wrongs they had suffered, they reached God himself, as though he were hurt in his own person. So also in this place the Prophet takes away from the Babylonians all means of evasion when he says, that they had acted proudly towards the Holy One of Israel When, therefore, the ungodly seek evasions and say that they do not contend with God, their pretenses are disproved, when they carry on war with his Church, and fight, against his faithful people, whose safety he has undertaken to defend. For God cannot be otherwise the protector of his Church than by setting himself up as a shield in its defense whenever he sees his people unjustly attacked by the reprobate. It follows, —Proclaim ye to the many at Babylon, To all who bend the bow, — “Encompass her around, Let there be no escape,” etc.The first part is a charge like what we find in the second verse; and the second states what they were to do. “Proclaim ye to,” is literally, “‘Make ye to hear,” — “Make ye the many at Babylon to hear,” etc. — Ed.COFFMAN, “Verse 29"Call together the archers against Babylon, all of them that bend the bow; encamp against her round about; let none thereof escape: recompense her according to her work; according to all that she hath done, do unto her; for she hath been proud against Jehovah, against the Holy One of Israel. Therefore shall her young men fall in her streets, and all her men of war shall be brought to silence in that day, saith Jehovah.. Behold, I am against thee, O thou proud one, saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts; for the day is come, the time that I will visit thee. And the proud one shall stumble and fall, and none shall raise him up; and I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it shall devour all that are round about him."Barnes, stressing Jeremiah 50:28, believed that the capture of Babylon, "was regarded as the vengeance of God upon them for burning the temple";[22] but "in the fourth year of Zedekiah' (the date of this prophecy), the temple had not yet been burned. The holy vessels had been carried away to Babylon, but the burning of the temple occurred a few years later when Jerusalem again fell and Zedekiah was captured.Jeremiah 50:30 here is the same as Jeremiah 49:26. Jeremiah often repeated his own

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words.TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:29 Call together the archers against Babylon: all ye that bend the bow, camp against it round about; let none thereof escape: recompense her according to her work; according to all that she hath done, do unto her: for she hath been proud against the LORD, against the Holy One of Israel.Ver. 29. According to all that she hath done.] See Jeremiah 50:15.For she hath been proud against the Lord.] Who setteth himself in battle array against the proud. [1 Peter 5:5]PETT, “Jeremiah 50:29-30“Call together the archers against Babylon,All those who bend the bow,Encamp against her round about,Let none from her escape,Recompense her according to her work,According to all that she has done, do to her,For she has been proud against YHWH,Against the Holy One of Israel,Therefore will her young men fall in her streets,And all her men of war will be brought to silence in that day,The word of YHWH.”Once again we are given a vivid picture of the final investment. The archers are brought together to rain death on Babylon (see Jeremiah 50:9; Jeremiah 50:14). The armies encamp round about her. She is to receive full recompense for what she has done. As she has done, so will be done to her (compare Jeremiah 50:15). And this is because she has exalted herself against YHWH, against the very ‘Holy One of Israel’. This use of a title common in Isaiah but rare elsewhere (only twice in Jeremiah) emphasises what is at stake. The uniqueness of YHWH in His holiness and righteousness is being set against the background of the debased attitudes and behaviour of His enemies, and especially against the background of her ‘pride’ as she exalts herself against God, a pride revealed by her promulgation of idolatry and

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all its evil accompaniments such as sorcery, enchantments, witchcraft, astrology, penetration of the unseen world, etc. (see Isaiah 47:9; Isaiah 47:12-13). They have opposed His holiness and His righteousness. Now they will receive what is their due. That is why her young men will fall in the streets, and all her men of war will be silenced. And this is the word of YHWH.In the event the initial taking of Babylon was far milder than this. Of course there was inevitably death and destruction, and many would die as the city was initially invested before it was taken, but by diverting the Euphrates Cyrus’ general was able to enter the city along the river bed almost unopposed. The need for water always made cities vulnerable (compare 2 Samuel 5:8). And thus the city was taken by surprise, and mercy shown to its inhabitants, many of whom actually welcomed the invaders as preferable to Nabonidus and Belshazzar, who were seen as blasphemers because of their attitude towards Babylon’s chief god, Marduk. We have an interesting cameo of the last night of the siege in Daniel 5. But the relief was only temporary. In the days of Xerxes the final destruction would take place. God does not always exact all His judgments at once. He gives men time to think over their position and repent.We must not stop short at just thinking of ancient Babylon. The message is relevant to all ages. It is the case of the world in its pride in opposition to God, and is a reminder that in the end God will prevail with His remnant. To the prophets Babylon represented man’s pride, man’s greed and man’s false ideas. Its destruction was therefore necessary. Note especially the emphasis on Babylon’s pride in the following verses. Indeed she is ‘the Proud one’.

30 Therefore, her young men will fall in the streets; all her soldiers will be silenced in that day,”declares the Lord.

GILL, "Therefore shall her young men fall in the streets,.... Or "surely" (f); it is the form of an oath, according to Jarchi Cyrus, when he took Babylon, ordered proclamation to be made that the inhabitants should keep within doors; and that whoever were found in the streets should be put to death (g), as doubtless many were: and all her men of war shall be cut off in that day, saith the Lord; as

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Belshazzar and his guards were (h); see Dan_5:30; compare with this Rev_19:18.

JAMISON, "(See on Jer_49:26).in the streets — The Babylonians were so discouraged by having lost some battles that they retired within their walls and would not again meet Cyrus in the field.

K&D, "Jer_50:30-32Jer_50:30 is a repetition of Jer_49:26. - Jer_50:31. The Lord will now visit the presumption of Babylon. The day of punishment has arrived. On "behold, I am against thee," cf. Jer_21:13. "O arrogance, pride!" is directly addressed to Babylon: in Jer_50:32also there is a like designation of Babylon as the personification of pride. On the words "for thy day is come," cf. Jer_50:27. "And I will kindle a fire," etc., stands as in Jer_21:14, where, however, "in its forest" is found instead of "in his cities." The former, indeed, is the reading rendered by the lxx in this passage; but they have acted quite arbitrarily in this, since Jeremiah, for the most part, varies individual words when he repeats a thought. "In his cities" does not suit very well, inasmuch as the other cities of

the country belonged to Babylon, the μητρόπολις as hers, and in Jer_51:43 they are spoken of as hers; cf. Jer_19:15; Jer_34:1; Jer_49:13, etc.CALVIN, "He confirms the same thing, and shows that the destruction of Babylon would be such, that everything valuable would be destroyed. Fall, he says, shall her strong men in the streets; which is worse than if he had said, “They shall fall in battle.” Babylon was so taken that all her armed men were slain in the middle of the city. Cyrus indeed spared, as it has been already said, the common people; but he slew all the chief men and the armed soldiers. As the Babylonians were taken while keeping a feast, as we read in Daniel, hence Jeremiah mentions the streets. He afterwards adds, —

31 “See, I am against you, you arrogant one,” declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty,“for your day has come, the time for you to be punished.

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BARNES, "Babylon is here called Pride, just as in Jer_50:21 she was called Double-rebellion.

CLARKE, "O thou most proud - zadon. Pride in the abstract; proudest of all זדוןpeople.

GILL, "Behold, I am against thee, O thou most proud, saith the Lord God of hosts,.... Or, O "pride", or O "man of pride" (i); intolerably proud, superlatively so, as the kings of Babylon were, as Nebuchadnezzar, and Belshazzar likewise, the present king; so the Targum interprets it of a king, "behold, I send my fury against thee, O wicked king;'' and is applicable enough to the man of sin, that monster of pride, that exalts himself above all that is called God, or is worshipped, 2Th_2:4; and therefore it is no wonder that the Lord is against him, who resists all that are proud; and woe to him and them that he is against: for the day is come, the time that I will visit thee; in a way of vindictive wrath and justice, for pride and other this; see Jer_50:27.

JAMISON, "most proud — literally, “pride”; that is, man of pride; the king of Babylon.

visit — punish (Jer_50:27).

CALVIN, "Jeremiah, in order more fully to confirm what he had said, again introduces God as the speaker. And we have stated how necessary this was, because he could have hardly gained credit otherwise to his prophecy; but when he introduced God, he removed every doubt. Behold, he says, I am against thee, O proud one He again calls the Babylonians proud, even because they had not been led to war by levity or folly, or vain ambition, but because they had assailed God and men without any reverence and without any regard to humanity.He says that the time had come, because the faithful would have otherwise interrupted him and said, “How is this, that God so long delays?” That they might then sustain and cherish hope until the time which God had prescribed for his vengeance, he says, that the day had come, and the time of visitation Whenever this mode of speaking occurs, let us know that all the natural instincts of our flesh are checked; for there is no one of us who does not immediately jump to take vengeance when we see the faithful oppressed, when we see many unworthy things done to our brethren, when we see innocent blood shed, and the miserable cruelly treated by the

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ungodly. When, therefore, all these instances of barbarity happen, none of us can contain himself; hence God puts on us a bridle, and exhorts us to exercise patience, when he says, that the time of visitation is not yet completed.As long then as God delays, let us know that the fit time is not yet come, because he has a fixed day of visitation, unknown to us. It follows, — TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:31 Behold, I [am] against thee, [O thou] most proud, saith the Lord GOD of hosts: for thy day is come, the time [that] I will visit thee.Ver. 31. Behold, I am against thee, O most proud.] Heb., O pride, in the abstract -i.e., O Belshazzar; as of a certain Pope was said,“ Conditur hoc tumulo et scelus et vitium. ”PETT, “Jeremiah 50:31-32“Behold, I am against you, O you proud one,The word of the Lord, YHWH of hosts,For your day is come,The time that I will visit you.And the proud one will stumble and fall,And none will raise him up,And I will kindle a fire in his cities,And it will devour all who are round about him.”Babylon is not only proud in the general sense but is also ‘proud against YHWH’ (Jeremiah 50:30). It is thus here given the name of PROUD (translated above as ‘you proud one’). Note how it is contrasted with ‘sovereign Lord’ in an expansion of the usual phrase ‘word of YHWH’, and contrasts with the previous reference to ‘the Holy One of Israel’. Babylon is a religious usurper. But now its day has come and it is to be ‘visited’ in judgment (see also Jeremiah 50:27). Then he who is so proud will stumble and fall (see Proverbs 16:18), and ‘none will raise him up’. He will be left to himself with no one willing to come to his aid. Furthermore all his daughter cities will be put to the torch, so that all who are round about him will be devoured. Putting their trust in Babylon would prove their downfall.Compare here Jeremiah 21:13-14 where similar things were threatened against Judah. All come under similar judgment in the end, whether rampant secularism, or

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perverted religion. Babylon will receive what she had brought upon others.

32 The arrogant one will stumble and fall and no one will help her up;I will kindle a fire in her towns that will consume all who are around her.”

CLARKE, "And the most proud - zadon, as before. Here pride is personified זדוןand addressed, as if possessing a being and rational powers.

GILL, "And the most proud shall stumble and fall,.... Or "pride", as before; "the man of pride", who is so proud that he may be called pride itself. The Targum, as before, interprets it a wicked king; and Abarbinel understands it of Belshazzar particularly, who was slain the night that Babylon was taken. It may be understood of the whole kingdom and monarchy of Babylon, which was a superb state; but all its grandeur and glory were brought down and laid in the dust at once, as mystical Babylon will; when it will be said, "Babylon the great", the proud and the haughty, is fallen, Rev_18:2; and none shall raise him up; the kingdom of Babylon shall not be restored train, nor the king of it have any successor, nor the city be rebuilt; compare with this Rev_18:21; and I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it shall devour all round about him; in Babylon, the metropolis of the kingdom, and in all others round about it: it denotes the utter destruction of the whole monarchy. It may be applied to the burning of Rome with fire, and the ruin of its whole jurisdiction; for, when that is destroyed, the cities of the nations all around shall fall, which belong unto it; see Rev_18:8.CALVIN, "The Prophet continues the same subject: as then he had announced in God’s name that the time of visitation would come when God would rise up against the Chaldeans, he now adds, stumble shall the proud, and fall The verb כשל, cashel, means also to fall; but as it is added, ונפל , vanuphel, and fall, it ought to be rendered stumble here. Stumble, then, shall the proud, and fall — for the Prophet denotes a gradation. Some render the words, “Fall shall the proud and tumble down:” but more suitable is the rendering I have given, that the proud would stumble, and then

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that he would fall. And no one, he says, shall raise him up By these words, God intimates, that though Babylon had many nations under its authority, yet there would be no help given to it, when the time of visitation came. It indeed often happens that many busy themselves, and make every effort to assist the wicked, but without any success. When, therefore, God declares that there would be no one to raise up Babylon when fallen, the meaning is not, that courage would be wanting to all, but that the efforts of all would be of no avail, even because God, when Babylon fell, would be against her, so that were the whole world to unite for her relief, all their attempts would be useless.And for the same purpose, he adds, I will kindle a fire which will consume or devour all his cities God calls slaughter, by a metaphor, fire; for slaughter, like fire, raged so as to consume the whole monarchy — not only the city, but also all the neighboring nations — for the war reached even to Asia. Cyrus, as it is well known, passed over the sea and depopulated Phrygia. In short, though victory might have been mild, yet it was no doubt like fire, as it devoured all the neighboring nations. It follows,— TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:32 And the most proud shall stumble and fall, and none shall raise him up: and I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it shall devour all round about him.Ver. 32. And the most proud shall stumble.] Heb., Pride, or that man of pride. Praefractarius ille, so Oecolampadius rendereth it, that stubborn man, who will do wickedly against conviction of conscience.

33 This is what the Lord Almighty says:“The people of Israel are oppressed, and the people of Judah as well.All their captors hold them fast, refusing to let them go.

BARNES, "Were oppressed - are “oppressed together: and all their captors have 133

laid firm hold upon them: they have refused to let them go.” The restoration of Israel and Judah to their land is necessary. As Babylon will not let them go, it must be broken, and its empire destroyed.

GILL, "Thus saith the Lord of hosts,.... This is a preface to another prophecy, detached from the former, respecting the redemption of the Lord's people by the Messiah; and is used to excite the attention to it, as well as, to assure the truth of it: the children of Israel and the children of Judah were oppressed together; which cannot be well understood of the ten tribes of Israel, and of the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, or the whole body of the Jewish people; since these were not oppressed at one and the same time, nor by one and the same monarch and monarchy. The children of Israel, or the ten tribes, were carried captive by Shalmaneser the Assyrian monarch; and the children of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar the Babylonian monarch, a hundred and fifty years after; to say that some of the ten tribes were mixed with the children of Judah, at the time when carried captive into Babylon, and so oppressed together with them, can hardly be thought to answer the import of the phrase, "the children of Israel"; which seems to design the body of that people. It is better therefore to understand it of the whole mystical Israel of God, as in their nature state oppressed by sin and Satan, being under their dominion; or as labouring under the oppressions and persecutions of antichrist; or else of the Jewish people in their present captivity, who will be redeemed from it, and converted, and all Israel shall be saved: and all that took them captives held them fast; they refused to let them go; as the Assyrians and Chaldeans took and held fast literal Israel and Judah; so the elect of God, the Israel he has chosen for himself, are taken captive by sin and Satan, and are held by them, till they are snatched from them by powerful and efficacious grace; and as many of God's Israel are taken and held captive under the antichristian yoke; and as the Jews to this day are in a state of exile and captivity, from which they cannot free themselves.

HENRY, "We have in these verses,I. Israel's sufferings, and their deliverance out of those sufferings. God takes notice of the bondage of his people in Babylon, as he did of their bondage in Egypt; he has surely seen it, and has heard their cry. Israel and Judah were oppressed together, Jer_50:33. Those that remained of the captives of the ten tribes, upon the uniting of the kingdoms of Assyria and Chaldea, seem to have come and mingled with t hose of the two tribes, and to have mingled tears with them, so that they were oppressed together. They were humble suppliants for their liberty, and that was all; they could not attempt any thing towards it, for all that took them captives held them fast, and were much too hard for them. But this is their comfort in distress, that, though they are weak, their Redeemer is strong (Jer_50:34), their Avenger (so the word signifies), he that has a right to them, and will claim his right and make good his claim. He is stronger than their enemies that hold them fast; he can overpower all the force that is against them, and put strength into his own people though they are very weak. The Lord of hosts is his name, and he will answer to his name, and make it to appear that he is what his people call him, and will be that to them for which they depend upon him. Note, It is the unspeakable comfort of the

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people of God that, though they have hosts against them, they have the Lord of hosts for them and he shall thoroughly plead their cause, pleading he shall plead it, plead it with jealousy, plead it effectually, plead it and carry it, that he may give rest to the land, and to his people's land, rest from all their enemies round about. This is applicable to all believers, who complain of the dominion of sin and corruption, and of their own weakness and manifold infirmities. Let them know that their Redeemer is strong; he is able to keep what they commit to him, and he will plead their cause. Sin shall not have dominion over them; he will make them free, and they shall be free indeed; he will give them rest, that rest which remains for the people of God.JAMISON, "Israel and ... Judah were oppressed — He anticipates an objection,

in order to answer it: Ye have been, no doubt, “oppressed,” therefore ye despair of deliverance; but, remember your “Redeemer is strong,” and therefore can and will deliver you.

K&D, "Jer_50:33-38Further description of the guilt and punishment of Babylon. The presumptuous pride manifests itself in the fact that Israel and Judah still languish in exile. All those who have

been seized and carried away they have kept hold of. שביהם is used as in Isa_14:2. They refuse to let them go, as Pharaoh once did, Exo_7:14, 27; Exo_9:2; cf. Isa_14:17. Jahveh, the deliverer of Israel, cannot endure this. As the strong One, the God of hosts, He will lead them in the fight; as their advocate, He will obtain their dues for them; cf. Jer_25:31; Isa_49:25. Dahler, Ewald, and Umbreit follow the Vulgate and the Chaldee in taking 'למען הרגיע as synonymous with הרגיז, in the sense of shaking, rousing, a meaning which רגע has in the Kal, but which cannot be made out for the Hiphil. In the Hiphil it means to give rest, to come to rest, Deu_28:65; Isa_34:14; Isa_61:4; Jer_31:2; and in the Niphal, to rest, keep quiet, Jer_47:6. This is the meaning given by the Syriac, Raschi, Kimchi, Rosenmüller, Maurer, Hitzig, etc., and supported by a comparison with Isa_14:7, Isa_14:3,Isa_14:16. Babylon has hitherto kept the earth in unrest and anxiety (Isa_14:16); now it is to get rest (Isa_14:3, Isa_14:7), and trembling or quaking for fear is to come on Babylon. The two verbs, which have similar sounds, express a contrast. On the form of the infinitive הרגיע, cf. Ewald, §238, d. In order to conduct the case of Israel as against Babylon, the Lord (Jer_50:35-38) calls for the sword against the Chaldeans, the inhabitants of Babylon, on their princes, wise men, heroes, and the whole army, the treasures and the waters. There is no verb following חרב, but only the object with על, the words being put in the form of an exclamation, on account of the passion pervading them. The sword is to come and show its power on the Chaldeans, i.e., the population of the rural districts, on the inhabitants of the capital, and further, on the princes and wise men (magicians). A special class of the last named are the בדים, properly "babblers," those who talk at random, here "soothsayers" and lying prophets, the astrologers of Babylon; see Delitzsch on Isa_44:25 [Clark's translation, For. Theol. Lib.]. נאלו , "And they shall be as fools;" see on Jer_5:4. Further, on the warriors, the horses, and war-chariots, the main strength of the Asiatic conquerors, cf. Jer_46:9, Isa_43:17; Psa_20:8. כל־הערב, "all the mixed multitude" in the midst of Babylon: these are here the mercenaries ad allies (as to this word, see on Jer_25:20). These shall become women, i.e., weak and incapable of resistance; see Nah_3:13. The last objects of vengeance are

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the treasures and the waters of Babylon. In Jer_50:38 the Masoretes have pointed חרב, because חרב, "sword," seemed to be inapplicable to the waters. But indeed neither does the sword, in the proper sense of the word, well apply to treasures; it rather stands, by synecdoche, for war. In this improper meaning it might also be used with reference to the waters, in so far as the canals and watercourses, on which the fertility of Babylonia depended, were destroyed by war. Hence many expositors would read חרב here also, and attribute the employment of this word to the rhetorical power connected with enumeration. Others are of opinion that חרב may also mean aridity, drought, in Deu_28:22; but the assumption is erroneous, and cannot be confirmed by that passage. Neither can it be denied, that to confine the reference of the expression "her waters" to the canals and artificial watercourses of Babylonia seems unnatural. All these received their water from the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, the volume of water in which remained uninfluenced by war. We therefore follow Hitzig in holding that חרב is the correct punctuation; in the transition from חרב into חרב, with its similar sound, we neither perceive any injury done to rhetorical force, derived from an enumeration of objects, nor any need for referring the following clause, which assigns the reason merely to such rhetorical considerations as Graf does. In the drying up of the water there is no allusion to the diversion of the Euphrates, by which Cyrus opened up for himself an entrance into the city (Herodotus, i. 190); the drying up is merely appointed by God, as a consequence of continued drought, for the purpose of destroying the land. Hitzig's opinion neither suits the context, nor can be justified otherwise; he holds that water is the emblem of the sea on nations, the surging multitude of people in the streets of the city, and he refers for proof to Jer_51:36 and Isa_21:1 (!). The clauses in Jer_50:38, which assign the reason, refer to the whole threatening, Jer_50:35-38. Babylon is to be destroyed, with its inhabitants and all its means of help, because it is a land of idols (cf. Jer_51:52 and Isa_21:9), and its inhabitants suffer themselves to be befooled by false gods. לל התה means to act or behave like a madman, rave, Jer_25:16; here, to let oneself be deprived of reason, not (as Graf thinks) to fall into a sacred frenzy. אימים, terrors, Psa_88:16; here, objects of fear and horror, i.e., idols.

CALVIN, "Our Prophet returns again to his former subject — that God, in destroying the Babylonian monarchy, would have a regard to his chosen people. But the comparison made here is very important; for in the first place, the Prophet refers to an occasion of diffidence and even of despair, which might have closed up the way against all his prophecies. For this objection might have always been made,“We are driven into exile, we are in a far country, and in places distant from one another; it is the same as though we were in another world, and we can hardly move a foot without our conquerors being enraged against us.” Thus the Jews, according to the aspect of things at that time, could not otherwise than despair of returning to their own country. This, then, is the reason why the Prophet says here, by way of concession, “It is, indeed, true that the children of Judah and the children of Israel are oppressed with cruel tyranny:” as when we wish to secure faith, we state what seems to be opposed to us, and then dissipate it; so now the Prophet does in this place, as though he had said, “I see what his own mind may dictate to every one,

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even that the children of Judah, as well as the children of Israel, are held captive, and shut up by such fastnesses that no way of escape is open to them.”When he speaks of the children of Israel and of the children of Judah, we must remember that the ten tribes had been led into exile, and also that the whole kingdom had been destroyed; and at length, after a considerable time, the Chaldeans took possession also of the kingdom of Judah. Hence then it was, that both the Israelites and the Jews became subject to a cruel oppression. He therefore adds, They who led them captive have prevailed, or, as some render the last word, “have held them;” for חזק , chesek, means to hold, to lay hold; but the Prophet seems to mean another thing, even that their conquerors so prevailed as securely to rule over them; and hence it is added, they have refused to let them go; and we learn the same thing from the next verse, in which the strength and power of God is set in opposition to the power of their enemies. As far as things appeared to men, there was certainly no way of deliverance for the people. The Prophet then concedes what might have taken away every hope from them. COFFMAN, “Verse 33"Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: The children of Israel and the children of Judah are oppressed together; and all that took them captive hold them fast; they refuse to let them go. Their Redeemer is strong; Jehovah of hosts is his name: he will therefore plead their cause, that he may give rest to the earth, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon. A sword is upon the Chaldeaus, saith Jehovah, and upon the inhabitants of Babylon, and upon her princes, and upon her wise men. A sword is upon the boasters, and they shall become fools; a sword is upon her mighty men, and they shall be dismayed. A sword is upon their horses, and upon their chariots, and upon all the mingled people that are in the midst of her; and they shall become as women: a sword is upon her treasures, and they shall be robbed. A sword is upon her waters, and they shall be dried up; for it is a land of graven images, and they are mad over idols. Therefore the wild beasts of the desert with the wolves shall dwell there, and the ostriches shall dwell therein: and it shall be no more inhabited forever; neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation. As when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbor cities thereof, saith Jehovah, so shall no man dwell there, neither shall any son of man sojourn therein.""They refuse to let them go ..." (Jeremiah 50:33). Although Babylon will not let God's people go, God Himself will deliver them. He is here called "Their Redeemer." The reference is to the concept of the [~go'el] (Leviticus 25:25 and Numbers 35:21), or the near kinsman who was pledged to serve as the protector or avenger of one enslaved, or murdered. Only here, God Himself will be the [~go'el] (the Redeemer) to rescue Israel. Much of this paragraph is found elsewhere in Jeremiah and Isaiah. On Jeremiah 50:34, cf. Isaiah 43:14; 44:6. On Jeremiah 50:39,40, see Isaiah 13:19-22. Jeremiah 50:40 also corresponds with Jeremiah 49:18. It should be noted here that Jeremiah quoted from Isaiah, from both the First Isaiah and the alleged Deutero-Isaiah, a strong evidence of the unity of Isaiah.

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"A sword upon thy waters, and they shall be dried up ..." (Jeremiah 50:38). This, of course, is another reference to the method of Cyrus' capture of Babylon by diverting the Euphrates out of its channel. Both Babylon and Nineveh were on mighty rivers, Nineveh upon the Tigris, and Babylon upon the Euphrates. Yet the prophets of God made this distinction in their prophecies against the two cities. Nahum declared of Nineveh that God prophesied, "With an overrunning flood will I make a full end of thee" (Nahum 1:8), whereas Jeremiah here declares that "The waters of Babylon shall be dried up!" What a remarkable proof that what we have here is the Word of God, not the word of men.TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:33 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The children of Israel and the children of Judah [were] oppressed together: and all that took them captives held them fast; they refused to let them go.Ver. 33. The children of Judah and the children of Israel were oppressed together.] Or, Were oppressed alike - scil., in their several deportations; and God, mindful of his covenant, showeth himself sensible of it, though for the present he seemed not to care what became of either of them; -“ Ille dolet quoties cogitur esse ferox. ”PETT, “Verse 33-34YHWH Will Act On Behalf Of His People (Jeremiah 50:33-34).One reason why it was necessary to bring judgment on Babylon was because otherwise God’s people would not be released. While they had a certain amount of freedom, there were apparently strict regulations which prevented them from returning to their homeland. This applied both to the children of Israel exiled under the Assyrian empire, and the children of Judah exiled under the Babylonian. All were now being oppressed. And those who were oppressing them refused to let them go. However there was One Who purposed to deliver them, a strong Redeemer (Deliverer, Payer of a Price) Who would set them free from their obligations. He was about to plead their cause in order to bring rest to the earth, and if that involved disquieting the inhabitants of Babylon, so be it. This was why Babylon had to be destroyed as a ruling power, because it stood in the way of God’s purposes.Jeremiah 50:33“Thus says YHWH of hosts,The children of Israel and the children of Judah are oppressed together,And all who took them captive hold them fast,

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They refuse to let them go.”‘Thus says YHWH of hosts.’ In this passage this phrase demonstrates an important action about to take place in which God is directly involved, in this case His intention to plead on behalf of His people.And the reason for His action is that His whole people, both Israel and Judah, are still under oppression. They are being forced to stay in a foreign land (even though with a certain amount of freedom as a reading of Ezekiel makes clear) by those who refuse to let them go. They are forbidden to return to their own land.PULPIT, “At the end of Jeremiah 50:32 a pause occurs in the discourse. Then the prophet takes up the theme again with renewed emphasis. Were oppressed; rather, are oppressed. Because the oppression of Israel and Judah still continues, whereas Israel has by this time been amply punished ("received double," Isaiah 40:2) for her transgressions, Jehovah will himself interpose. He is, in fact, Israel's Goel ("Redeemer"), i.e. charged, like the next of kin, with the duty of recovering thy rights and avenging thy wrongs (comp. Isaiah 41:14; Isaiah 47:4). On the Goel, see Le Jeremiah 25:25; Ruth 4:6; Numbers 30:1-16 :19.

34 Yet their Redeemer is strong; the Lord Almighty is his name.He will vigorously defend their cause so that he may bring rest to their land, but unrest to those who live in Babylon.

BARNES, "Redeemer - i. e., גאל gā'al. Yahweh is Israel’s next relative, bound by law to avenge him, as well as to ransom him from captivity. It was the Go’el’s duty also to plead his kinsman’s cause. How thoroughly Yahweh will execute this duty for Israel is shown in the Hebrew by the triple repetition of the same word; literally “in pleading He will plead their plea.”

The land ... - Rather, “the earth.” Babylon has hitherto by its ambition kept the world in unrest: now by its fall men everywhere can dwell in security.

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CLARKE, "Their Redeemer is strong - And it was not that he wanted power, and that Nebuchadnezzar had much, that Jerusalem was taken; but because the people had sinned, and would not return; and therefore national sins called for national punishments. These have taken place; and now the Lord of hosts shows them that the power of the Chaldeans is mere weakness against his might.

GILL, "Their Redeemer is strong, the Lord of hosts is his name,.... And seeing his name is the Lord of hosts or armies, and has all the armies of heaven and earth at his command; and especially since he is Jehovah, the everlasting and unchangeable I AM; he must be strong and mighty, yea, the Almighty, and so able to redeem his Israel, as the Messiah was, who is here intended; from sin, Satan, and the world; from the law, its curse and condemnation; from death and hell, and wrath to come; as well as to deliver his people from the Romish yoke, and to avenge them on all their enemies: he shall thoroughly plead their cause; with God and man; he that is the Redeemer of men is their advocate with the Father; with whom he pleads on their behalf his blood, righteousness and sacrifice, for all blessings of grace and glory; and to all charges of law and justice, and their own hearts, and the condemnings of them; and he pleads their cause with men, and rights their wrongs, and avenges the injuries done them by antichrist and others, Rev_19:2; that he may give rest to the land; not to the land of Judea only, but to the whole world; which will be at rest and in peace upon the destruction of mystical Babylon, and the conversion of the Jews, and their return to their own land; as well as the Messiah will give spiritual rest to all the redeemed ones here, and eternal rest, which remains for the people of God, hereafter: and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon; by the destruction of it and them; and rendering tribulation to them that trouble his people; and by punishing antichrist with the vials of his wrath, and with everlasting damnation, the smoke of whose torment shall ascend for ever and ever, 2Th_1:6.

HENRY, "II. Babylon's sin, and their punishment for that sin.1. The sins they are here charged with are idolatry and persecution. (1.) They oppressed the people of God; they held them fast, and would not let them go. They opened not the house of his prisoners, Isa_14:17. This was God's quarrel with them, as of old with Pharaoh; it cost him dear, and yet they would not take warning. The inhabitants of Babylon must be disquieted (Jer_50:34) because they have disquieted God's people, whose honour and comfort he is jealous for, and therefore will recompense tribulation to those that trouble them, as well as rest to those that are troubled, 2Th_1:6, 2Th_1:7. (2.) They wronged God himself, and robbed him, giving that glory to others which is due to him alone; for (Jer_50:38) it is the land of graven images. All parts of the country abounded with idols, and they were mad upon them, were in love with them and doted on them, cared not what cost and pains they were at in the worship of them, were unwearied in paying their respects to them; and in all this they were wretchedly infatuated and acted like men out of their wits; they were carried on in their idolatry

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without reason or discretion, like men in a perfect fury. The word here used for idols properly signifies terrors - Enim, the name given to giants that were formidable, because they made the images of their gods to look frightful, to strike a terror upon fools and children. Their idols were scarecrows, yet they doted on them. Babylon was the mother of harlots (Rev_17:5), the source of idolatry. Note, It is the maddest thing in the world to make a god of any creature; and those who are proud against the Lord, the true God, are justly given up to strong delusions, to be mad upon idols that cannot profit. But this madness is wickedness, for which sinners will be certainly and severely reckoned with.

JAMISON, "strong — as opposed to the power of Israel’s oppressor (Rev_18:8).plead ... cause — as their advocate. Image from a court of justice; appropriate as God delivers His people not by mere might, but by righteousness. His plea against Satan and all their enemies is His own everlasting love, reconciling mercy and justice in the Redeemer’s work and person (Mic_7:9; Zec_3:1-5; 1Jo_2:1).give rest ... disquiet — There is a play on the similarity of sounds in the two Hebrew verbs to express more vividly the contrast: “that He may give quiet to the land of Judah (heretofore disquieted by Babylon); but disquiet to the inhabitants of Babylon” (heretofore quietly secure) (Isa_14:6-8).

CALVIN, "But he immediately after removes this ground of despair, and says, Their redeemer is strong He then sets this strong, חזק, chesek, in opposition to the verb used before, “prevailed” or ruled, החזיקו בם, echesiku beem, “prevailed” or domineered “over them, ” so that they were stronger. But now, on the other hand, he calls the Redeemer of Israel strong; for were you only to consider, he seems to say, how great the power of Babylon is, you might despond; but can God, in the meantime, do nothing? Is there any power on earth which can overrule him? Since then their redeemer was strong, he would prove superior to the Chaldeans.He afterwards adds what is of the same import, His name is Jehovah of hosts; that is, neither Babylon nor all other nations have so much power as can resist the infinite power of God, for he is always like himself, and perfect; he is the God of hosts. He at length adds, Their strife by litigating he will litigate, or, by pleading he will plead the cause of his people, even so as to cut off or destroy the land The verb, rego, means indeed sometimes to rest, and so almost all give this rendering, “so ,רגעas to make to rest the land:” but as I take “land” and “the inhabitants of Babylon”to be the same, I doubt not but that this verb is to be taken here in its proper sense. Then it is, so as to cut off or destroy the land, (71) and to make to tremble the inhabitants of Babylon. H e then speaks of the Chaldeans in mentioning the land, and afterwards explains himself by adding, the inhabitants of Babylon.So as to render the land still,And to terrify the inhabitants of Babylon.The promise is to make the land quiet so as not to oppose the return of the Jews, and for the same purpose, to terrify Babylon. — Ed.

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TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:34 Their Redeemer [is] strong; the LORD of hosts [is] his name: he shall throughly plead their cause, that he may give rest to the land, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon.Ver. 34. Their Redeemer is strong.] Or, But their strong avenger, whose name is the Lord of hosts; he shall thoroughly plead their cause - i.e., right their wrongs.That he may give rest to the land.] See on 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9.PETT, “Jeremiah 50:34“Their Redeemer is strong,YHWH of hosts is his name,He will thoroughly plead their cause,That he may give rest to the earth,And disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon.”But their position is not desperate because they have a strong Redeemer, Whose name is YHWH of Hosts. The idea of a Redeemer is of one Who steps in on behalf of another in order to obtain their relief either by the exertion of effort or by the paying of a price (Leviticus 25:25; Leviticus 25:35; Leviticus 25:47-49; Ruth 4:1; Ruth 4:8; Job 19:25). Here YHWH will step in to plead their cause, and it is made clear that this will involve the people of Babylon in some ‘disquiet’. And this is because they have disquieted others.However His overall purpose is to bring ‘rest to the earth’ through His people. Whilst Babylon was around there could be no permanent rest, thus its cessation would result in a period of rest (under the Persian empire which was much more humane). But we must never overlook the fact that Israel were chosen in order that they might bring blessing to the world (Genesis 12:3; and often). Thus the purpose in their deliverance was to be blessing for the world. And when they were re-established in the land the process began. Many Gentiles responded to their teaching in synagogues around the world and became proselytes (those who were circumcised and became full Jews) and God-fearers (those who accepted their teachings and partook with them in worship but refused to be circumcised). The light was reaching out to the Gentiles. Then came God’s crowning solution. Our Lord Jesus Christ came into the world and offered Himself up outside Jerusalem in order to obtain salvation and redemption for all who would turn to Him, and then established a remnant who would go out into the world from Jerusalem proclaiming the Gospel. Rest was indeed being given to the earth as a consequence of deliverance from Babylon.

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PULPIT, “That he may give rest to the land; rather, to the earth. Babylon was one of the great world empires; we can hardly dispense with this convenient Germanism. It was the wont of the Chaldeans, as Habakkuk puts it (Habakkuk 1:6), "to walk through the breadth of the earth, to possess dwelling places that were not theirs." Observe the striking contrast—"rest" to the world which has been too long deprived of it, and "disquiet" to those who have hitherto spread it far and wide (comp. Isaiah 14:2, Isaiah 14:3).

35 “A sword against the Babylonians!” declares the Lord—“against those who live in Babylon and against her officials and wise men!

BARNES, "Omit “is.” A summons comes from Yahweh, Israel’s Goel, to the sword to fall upon all the elements of Babylon’s greatness. The princes were her rulers at home and her generals in war. The wise men were those upon whose learning she so prided herself (Dan_1:4 note).

CLARKE, "A sword - War and its calamities, or any grievous plague; and so in the following verses.

GILL, "A sword is upon the Chaldeans, saith the Lord,.... Or, "shall be" (k) or, "O sword, be thou on the Chaldeans" (l); that is, the sword of the Medes and Persians; those that kill with the sword, as the Targum; in the mystic sense, the Christian princes that shall draw the sword against the antichristian states: and upon the inhabitants of Babylon; the metropolis of Chaldea; the common people in it, as distinguished from those of high rank and degree following: and upon her princes; Belshazzar and his nobles, who were slain the night Babylon was taken: and upon her wise men; prime ministers, politicians, and counsellors of state; neither high birth nor great wisdom can secure from the sword of the enemy, when it has a commission from God, as it had here.

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HENRY 35-37, “ The judgments of God upon them for these sins are such as will quite lay them waste and ruin them.

(1.) All that should be their defence and support shall be cut off by the sword. The Chaldeans had long been God's sword, wherewith he had done execution upon the sinful nations round about: but now, they being as bad as any of them, or worse, a sword is brought upon them, even upon the inhabitants of Babylon (Jer_50:35), a sword of war; and, as it is in God's hand, sent and directed by him, it is a sword of justice. It shall be, [1.] Upon their princes; they shall fall by it, and their dignity, wealth, and power, shall not secure them. [2.] Upon their wise men, their philosophers, their statesmen, and privy-counsellors; their learning and policy shall neither secure them nor stand the public in any stead. [3.] Upon their soothsayers and astrologers, here called the liars(Jer_50:36), for they cheated with their prognostications of peace and prosperity; the sword upon them shall make them dote, so that they shall talk like fools, and be as men that have lost all their wits. Note, God has a sword that can reach the soul and affect the mind, and bring men under spiritual plagues. [4.] Upon their mighty men. A sword shall be upon their spirits; if they are not slain, yet they shall be dismayed, and shall be no longer mighty men; for what stead will their hands stand them in when their hearts fail them? [5.] Upon their militia (Jer_50:37): The sword shall be upon their horses and chariots; the invaders shall make themselves masters of all their warlike stores, shall seize their horses and chariots for themselves, or destroy them. The troops of other nations that were in their service shall be quite disheartened: The mingled people shall become as weak and timorous as women. [6.] Upon their exchequer: The sword shall be upon her treasures, which are the sinews of war, and they shall be robbed, and made use of by the enemy against them. See what universal destruction the sword makes when it comes with commission.JAMISON, "The repetition of “A sword” in the beginning of each verse, by the figure

anaphora, heightens the effect; the reiterated judgment is universal; the same sad stroke of the sword is upon each and all connected with guilty Babylon.wise men — (Isa_47:13). Babylon boasted that it was the peculiar seat of wisdom and wise men, especially in astronomy and astrology.

CALVIN, "THE Prophet proceeds with the same subject, and employs the same manner of speaking. He denounces war on the Chaldeans as a celestial herald; and then that what he says might have more force and power, he sets the Persians and the Medes before us in the act of assailing and destroying Babylon. He therefore says now in general, A sword on the Chaldeans; and, secondly, he mentions the inhabitants of Babylon, for that city was the seat and head of the kingdom, as it is well known; but as the power of that monarchy was deemed by men unassailable, the Prophet adds, that though the chief men excelled in counsel and strength, and in the art of war, yet a sword would be upon them; and in the last place, that though Babylon had its diviners, their knowledge would yet be in vain. He, indeed, uses an honorable name, yet he no doubt refers to astrologers and soothsayers, and other kinds of prophets. For we know that the whole nation was given to many superstitions; but they boasted themselves to be the chief of all astrologers; and

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hence soothsayers, who practice their impostures, are called Chaldeans, and it was formerly a common designation.Then the Prophet means, that neither power nor warlike skill, nor knowledge of any kind, would be a defense to the Chaldeans, nor the arts in which they gloried, even though they thought that they were familiarly acquainted with God; for by the stars they were wont to divine whatever was to be. It follows, — PETT, “Verses 35-40The Coming Judgment On Babylon In Accordance With YHWH’s Purpose (Jeremiah 50:35-40).The opening verses could be called ‘the Song of the Sword’. The sword is mentioned five times.Jeremiah 50:35-37“A sword is upon the Chaldeans,The word of YHWH,And upon the inhabitants of Babylon,And upon her princes,And upon her wise men.A sword is upon the boasters,And they will become fools,A sword is upon her mighty men,And they will be dismayed.”A sword is upon their horses,And upon their chariots,And on all the mingled people who are in the midst of her,And they will become as women,A sword is upon her treasures,

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And they will be robbed.”The sword will bereft Babylon and Babylonia (the Chaldeans) of all that it holds dear, in accordance with the prophetic word of YHWH, whether they be princes, wise men, mighty men, battle horses, chariots, foreign mercenaries or treasures. Their boasters will become fools, because their boasting will prove to be folly; their mighty men will lose heart and shrink before the enemy; their foreign mercenaries will become like weak women, pathetic and clinging to each other in the face of what is coming; their great treasures will be stolen. All in which they gloried will collapse. Let us not be in any doubt. This is the destiny of all those who oppose God.PULPIT. “A sword is, etc; should rather be, Sword upon the Chaldea, it is an exclamation equivalent to "Let the Sword come upon the Chaldeans"—that sword which never "returns empty." The wise men are, partly the astronomers and astrologers at the various observatories in Babylonia, whose duty it was to send in monthly reports of the appearances in the sky, which were regarded as having an occult political significance (comp. Isaiah 47:13). In the next verse they are called liars, or praters. In Isaiah 44:25 this word stands parallel to "diviners." Possibly "liars" may be a wider term than "wise men," and includes an inferior grade of pretenders to "wisdom."

36 A sword against her false prophets! They will become fools.A sword against her warriors! They will be filled with terror.

GILL, "A sword is upon the liars,.... Some render it "bars" (m), as the word sometimes signifies; and interpret it of great men, who are the strength and security of cities and commonwealths; but these are mentioned both before and after. The Targum renders it "diviners"; and so Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it (n); of which there were many among the Chaldeans, who were a lying set of men, who imposed upon and deceived the people; these with their divinations and soothsayings could not save the land, nor themselves, from the devouring sword; nay, their sorceries and divinations were the cause of the ruin of it; see Isa_47:9; and they shall dote; or, that they may "become foolish" (o); be infatuated, and act a mad part, and be at their wits' end; not knowing what course to take for their own safety, and much less be able to give direction and advice to others:

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a sword is upon her mighty men, and they shall be dismayed; the soldiers and their officers, the most valiant and courageous of them; these would be in the utmost fright and consternation at the approach of the enemy; especially when they perceived the city taken, and the carnage made of the king and his nobles. JAMISON, "liars — Those whom he before termed “wise men,” he here calls “liars”

(impostors), namely, the astrologers (compare Isa_44:25; Rom_1:21-25; 1Co_1:20).CALVIN, "He repeats the same thing, but in other words; and in the first clause he mentions diviners whom he before called wise men; and he calls them now by their true and proper name; for בדים , bedim, mean mendacious men as well as falsehoods. He then calls those now impostors to whom he conceded before the name of wise men. But when he called them wise men, he spoke according to the common opinion, and he was unwilling to contend with the Chaldeans as to the character of their wisdom: he, however, at the same time made known the impositions of those who boasted that they had a familiar intercourse with God and angels, whilst they pronounced by the stars what was to be. (72) That art itself is indeed worthy of praise, were men to preserve moderation. But as the curiosity of men is insatiable, so they wandered here and there, and overleaped all limits, and thus perverted the whole order of nature. The Chaldeans, then, were not genuine, but, on the contrary, spurious astrologers.This is the reason why the Prophet calls them now liars; for we have before seen, that it was a mere imposition, when the Chaldeans held that the whole life of man is subject to the influence of the stars. Hence he exhorted the faithful to fear no dangers from the stars. It is then no wonder that the Prophet now charges all the diviners with falsehoods, who yet proudly arrogated to themselves the name of wise men, they shall be infatuated, he says. The verb יאל, ial, means indeed to begin, but in Niphal it means to become foolish, or to be infatuated. (73)Then he says, The sword shall be on her valiant men; whom before he called chief men or princes, שרים , sherim, he now calls strong, גברים, geberim, or those who excelled in valor. The amount of the whole is, — that whatever wisdom Babylon arrogated to itself would become folly, and that the valor in which it prided, would vanish away. For he says, that they would be broken in pieces The verb חתת, chetat, means to be broken, but as we have elsewhere seen, it is often applied to the mind, and then it means to dread, or to be terrified. He then says, that the valiant would not be able to stand when the sword was upon them, for they would become, as it were, lifeless, or, at least, they would become so effeminate as to think of nothing but flight. TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:36 A sword [is] upon the liars; and they shall dote: a sword [is] upon her mighty men; and they shall be dismayed.Ver. 36. A sword is upon the liars,] i.e., The prognosticators and wizards. Mendaces nominat divines, as it was wont here to be said - a friar, a liar.

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37 A sword against her horses and chariots and all the foreigners in her ranks! They will become weaklings.A sword against her treasures! They will be plundered.

BARNES, "The mingled people - i. e., the foreigners serving as mercenaries in her army.GILL, "A sword is upon their horses, and upon their chariots,.... Upon the horsemen, and those that rode in chariots; upon the whole cavalry, which should fall into the enemies' hands, and be cut to pieces; see Rev_19:18; and upon all the mingled people that are in the midst of her; those of other nations that sojourned in Babylon, or came thither for merchandise; the word having, as Kimchi observes, such a signification; or rather her auxiliaries, troops consisting of other people that were her allies, or in her pay and service: and they shall become as women; timorous, faint hearted, quite dispirited, unable to act, or defend themselves: a sword is upon her treasures, and they shall be robbed; or they that slay with the sword, as the Targum, the soldiers, shall seize upon her treasures, and plunder them: thus should she be exhausted of men and money, and become utterly desolate.

JAMISON, "as women — divested of all manliness (Nah_3:13).CALVIN, "The Prophet, indeed, changes the gender of the pronouns, and seems to refer to the king; but there is no ambiguity in the meaning, he then declares that the horses as well as the chariots would perish; for the sword would consume all the things used in war. And at the beginning he generally declared that destruction was nigh all the Chaldeans, so he repeats the same now, on all the promiscuous multitude, which is in the midst of Babylon. He says that they would be without courage, for the Lord would dishearten them by terror, as it will be hereafter stated again. Then he joins, and on her treasures, and they shall be a prey to enemies. It

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follows, — TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:37 A sword [is] upon their horses, and upon their chariots, and upon all the mingled people that [are] in the midst of her; and they shall become as women: a sword [is] upon her treasures; and they shall be robbed.Ver. 37. A sword is upon their horses.] Upon all their military preparations; whereof see Herodot., lib. i.They shall become as women.] Elumbes, cowardly and crest fallen.A sword is upon her treasures.] Which bow inestimable they were, see Strabo, lib. xv., and Plin., lib. xxxiii, cap. 3.

38 A drought on[d] her waters! They will dry up.For it is a land of idols, idols that will go mad with terror.

BARNES, "A drought - Rather, “a sword,” i. e., military skill and forethought.They are mad upon their idols - Omit their. The word for idols, literally terrors Psa_88:16 is used in this one place only of objects of worship. Probably it refers to those montrous forms invented as representations of their deities.

CLARKE, "A drought is upon her waters - May not this refer to the draining of the channel of the Euphrates, by which the army of Cyrus entered the city. See on Jer_50:24 (note). The original is, however, חרב chereb, a sword, as in the preceding verses, which signifies war, or any calamity by which the thing on which it falls is ruined.

GILL, "A drought is upon her waters, and they shall be dried up,.... Either on the waters of the land of Chaldea in general, from whence should follow barrenness, and so a want of the necessaries of life; hence Kimchi interprets it of a consumption of riches, and all good things; or on the waters of Babylon, the river Euphrates, which ran through

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it; the channel of which was diverted by Cyrus, and drained and made so dry, that he marched his army up it into the city. Some say Babylon was taken three times, by this stratagem of turning the river Euphrates another way; first by Semiramis; and after Cyrus by Alexander: this may well be applied to the drying up of the river Euphrates, upon the pouring out of the sixth vial, and to the destruction of the antichristian states, signified by the many waters on which the great whore of Babylon or Rome sitteth, Rev_16:12; for it is the land of graven images; much given to idolatry; had idols of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone, Dan_5:2; and they are mad upon their idols; greatly affected, and much devoted to them; superstitiously mad upon them: or, "they gloried in them"; as the Targum, Vulgate Latin version, and others (p); they praised and extolled them as true deities; as Belshazzar and his nobles did the very night Babylon was taken, Dan_5:4; and this their idolatry was one cause of their ruin. The word (q) for "idols" signifies "terrors", or terrible things; because their worshippers stood in fear of them, as Kimchi observes.

HENRY 38-46, “The country shall be made desolate (Jer_50:38): The waters shall be dried up, the water that secures the city. Cyrus drew the river Euphrates into so many channels as made it passable for his army, so that they got with ease to the walls of Babylon, which, if was thought, that river had rendered inaccessible. “The water likewise that made the country fruitful shall be dried up, so that it shall be turned into barrenness, and shall be no more inhabited by the children of men, but by the wild beasts of the desert,” Jer_50:39. This was foretold concerning Babylon, Isa_13:19-22. It shall become like Sodom and Gomorrah, Jer_50:40. The same was foretold concerning Edom, Jer_49:18. As the Chaldeans had laid Edom waste, so they shall themselves be laid waste.

(3.) The king and kingdom shall be put into the utmost confusion and consternation by the enemies' invading them, Jer_50:41-43. All the expressions here used to denote the formidable power of the invaders, the terrors wherewith they should array themselves, and the great fright which both court and country should be put into thereby, we met with before (Jer_6:22-24) concerning the Chaldeans' invading the land of Judah. The battle which is there said to be against thee, O daughter of Zion! is here said to be against thee, O daughter of Babylon! to intimate that they should be paid in their own coin. God can find out such as shall be for terror and destruction to those that are for terror and destruction to others; and those who have dealt cruelly, and have shown no mercy, may expect to be cruelly dealt with, and to find no mercy. Only there is one difference between these passages; there it is said, We have heard the fame thereof and our hands wax feeble; here it is said, The king of Babylon has heard the report and his hands waxed feeble, which intimates that that proud and daring prince shall, in the day of his distress, be as weak and dispirited as the meanest Israelites were in the day of their distress.(4.) That they shall be as much hurt as frightened, for the invader shall come up like a lion to tear and destroy (Jer_50:44) and shall make them and their habitation desolate(Jer_50:45), and the desolation shall be so astonishing that all the nations about shall be terrified by it, Jer_50:46. These three verses we had before (Jer_49:19-21) in the prophecy of the destruction of Edom, which was accomplished by the Chaldeans, and

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they are here repeated, mutatis mutandis - with a few necessary alterations, in the prophecy of the destruction of Babylon, which was to be accomplished upon the Chaldeans, to show that though the distributions of Providence may appear unequal for a time its retributions will be equal at last; when thou shalt make an end to spoil thou shalt be spoiled, Isa_33:1; Rev_13:10.

JAMISON, "drought — Altering the pointing, this verse will begin as the three previous verses, “A sword.” However, all the pointed manuscripts read, “A drought,” as English Version. Cyrus turned off the waters of the Euphrates into a new channel and so marched through the dried-up bed into the city (Jer_51:32). Babylonia once was famed for its corn, which often yielded from one to two hundredfold [Herodotus]. This was due to its network of water-courses from the Euphrates for irrigation, traces of which [Layard] are seen still on all sides, but dry and barren (Isa_44:27).

their idols — literally, “terrors.” They are mad after idols that are more calculated to frighten than to attract (Jer_51:44, Jer_51:47, Jer_51:52; Dan_3:1). Mere bugbears with which to frighten children.CALVIN, "Here the same word is used in a different sense: he had often before used the word חרב, chereb, “sword;” but now by changing only a point, he uses it in the sense of waste, or drought. (74) But as he mentions waters, the Prophet, no doubt, means drought; nor was it without reason that he mentioned this, because the Euphrates, as it is well known, flowed near the city, and it was also divided into many streams, so that there were many islands, as it were, made by the skill and hand of men. Thus the city was in no ordinary way fortified, for it was difficult of access, being on one side surrounded by so large a river: it had also trenches full of water, and it had many channels. But Cyrus, as Xenophon relates, when attempting to take the city, used the same contrivance, and imitated those who had fortified Babylon, but for a different purpose; for he diverted the streams, so that the river might be forded. Thus, then, he dried up that great river, which was like a sea; so that Babylon was taken with no great trouble. Cyrus, indeed, entered in by night, and unexpectedly invaded Babylon, while they were securely feasting, and celebrating a festival, as we find in the book of Daniel. However, the way by which Cyrus contrived to take the city was, by dividing the Euphrates into many streams. Hence it was, that the Prophet, in order that the Jews might see, as it were, with their own eyes, spoke nothing without reason, having not only predicted the slaughter and destruction of the city, but showed also the very way in which it was done, as though the event had been portrayed before them.The reason is added, because it is the land of carvings, or gravings. God, indeed, took vengeance on Babylon for other things, as it has before appeared; but the Prophet here speaks of carvings, that the Israelites might know that there is no certain salvation anywhere else except in the one true God, who had revealed himself to them. Jeremiah, in short, means, that when any country is destitute of God’s help, though it may excel in arms, in number, in wealth, and in wisdom, yet everything under heaven is of no avail without the blessing and favor of God. He has

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spoken of princes and of wise men, and he has named chariots, horses, and treasures, — all these have been mentioned for the purpose I have just stated, even to show, that were we supplied with all that may seem necessary to defend us, except God protected us, whatever the world may offer would be all in vain; for we shall at length find, that without God neither arms, nor chariots, nor wisdom nor counsel, nor any other helps, can avail us anything.It follows, that Chaldea gloried in images The word אימים , aimim, means terrors, and giants are called by this name in Deuteronomy 2:10, because they inspire terror by their aspect. But this name is no doubt applied to images, because they are only bugbears, des epovantailz, as we say in French. (75) As then they are mere scarecrows, which only frighten children, they are called אימים, aimim. And he says, that they gloried in, or doted on them — for הלל, elal, means both, in Hithpael, as it is found here. It means to boast or to elate one’s-self, and also to be mad or to dote. Either sense would not be unsuitable to this place; for the unbelieving gloried in their idols, and at the same time were mad: yet the first meaning seems to me the best, that they gloried in their idols, as it is said in Psalms 47:7,“Let them perish who trust in images and glory in them.”Though the verb there is indeed different, yet the meaning is the same.It was not, indeed, without reason, that the Prophet reproaches the Chaldeans, that they gloried in their idols, because they thereby robbed God of his honor; for what is ascribed to idols is taken away from God. He intimates, in short, that the Chaldeans would be justly punished as guilty of sacrilege, because they had impiously transferred the glory of God to their own idols. And this passage teaches us, that when God is purely worshipped among us, and when true religion flourishes, it will be our best protection. We shall then be more impregnable than if we had all the power and wealth of the world: nothing can hurt us, if we give to God his due honor, and strive to worship him in sincerity and truth. It now follows, —Verse 39COKE, “Jeremiah 50:38. A drought is upon her waters— A sword is upon her waters, that they may be dried up; because it is a land of idols, and they glory in vain gods. Our translators, after the example of the Vulgate and others, read חרבchoreb, in this place a drought, differently from the reading and sense given to it in the preceding verses, חרב chereb, a sword, as supposing that a sword has nothing to do with waters, But the sword is used metaphorically, to denote either the instrument of divine vengeance generally, or the operations and effects of war in particular; in either of which senses it may be applied to waters as well as to treasures. And the allusion here is evidently to the stratagem of Cyrus, who drained off the waters of the Euphrates, which ran through the city of Babylon, by means of which his troops by night marched along the bed of the river into the heart of the city, and surprised it.

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WHEDON, “ 38. A drought — The consonants of the original for “drought” are the same with those for sword in the verse preceding; the only difference is in the vowel pointings of the Masoretes. Hence there are not a few who believe that the true form of this word is sword, and not drought. But the consistency of the MSS. with one another, the general uniformity of the Versions, and the more exact fitness of the sense, vindicate the present reading, even if they do not demonstrate its correctness; and hence it is better to retain it.Waters — The canals and watercourses constituting the system of irrigation for the Babylonian plain, which system was doubtless at this time, the most perfect on the face of the earth.TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:38 A drought [is] upon her waters; and they shall be dried up: for it [is] the land of graven images, and they are mad upon [their] idols.Ver. 38. A drought is upon her waters.] Which Cyrus did so drain by many outlets, that without any great difficulty he took the city, assaulting it on two sides. Frontinius saith, (a) that thrice Babylon was taken by this stratagem; (1.) By Semiramis; (2.) By Cyrus; (3.) By Alexander the Great.And they are mad upon their idols.] (b) Deos terrificos et truces, statues of their kings and worthies, which were of a huge, vast stature. See Daniel 3:1. PETT, “Jeremiah 50:38-40A drought is upon her waters,And they will be dried up,For it is a land of graven images,And they are mad over idols.Therefore the wild beasts of the desert with the wolves will dwell there,And the ostriches shall dwell in it,And it will be no more inhabited for ever,Nor will it be dwelt in from generation to generation.As when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,And their neighbouring cities,The word of YHWH,

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So will no man dwell there,Nor will any son of man sojourn in it.”Because Babylonia was a major centre of idolatry and all that that involved (compare Isaiah 47:9; Isaiah 47:12-13) it will become barren. Its waters will be dried up (irrigation will cease), its choice places will become the habitat of wild beasts, it will cease to be inhabited, in the same way as no one ever again dwelt in Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighbouring cities whose fate it to some extent shares.There is a play on words in that ‘drought’ (horeb) is very similar to the word ‘sword’ (hereb) emphasised in Jeremiah 50:35-37. Both sword and drought were familiar means of YHWH inflicting punishment. For drought as such an instrument see Deuteronomy 28:22-24; Amos 4:7-8. Some would indeed repoint the original consonants to mean ‘sword’, but drought fits the illustration better. Once a nation became disorganised one of the first things to suffer were its systems of irrigation, systems which were so important in the Mesopotamian region in order to make use of the great rivers.‘Mad over idols.’ The word used here for ‘idols’ signifies ‘objects of terror’ and possibly even ‘gigantic objects of terror’. See its use in Psalms 88:16; Job 20:25; Genesis 14:5; Deuteronomy 2:10-11. The idea is probably that in the same way as they have allowed themselves to be terrified by their gigantic idols, so now they will be terrified by YHWH.We are not sure what kind of creatures were involved in the words used in Jeremiah 50:39. Various translations give various renderings. But the point is the same. Wild creatures will have taken over from man. The comparison with Sodom and Gomorrah is common among the prophets (e.g. Jeremiah 23:14; Jeremiah 49:18; Isaiah 1:9; Isaiah 13:19; Amos 4:11; Zephaniah 2:9). They were a symbol of God’s utter judgment. Compare for these verses Isaiah 13:19-22 (of Babylon); Jeremiah 34:11-17 (of Edom).PULPIT, “A drought. The Maasoretic critics, in their prosaic realism, were unable to see how a "sword" could be "upon the waters;" hence they altered khereb into khoreb. But the sword is merely a symbol of the Divine vengeance, and may be interpreted differently according to the exigencies of the context. Render, Sword upon the waters. They are mad upon their idols; rather, through Terrors they befool themselves. "Terrors" is a synonym for the gods of the heathen, which inspired a feeling of awe rather than affection, unlike Jehovah as he revealed himself through the authors of the psalms and prophecies.

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39 “So desert creatures and hyenas will live there, and there the owl will dwell.It will never again be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation.

BARNES, "Wild beasts of the islands - Jackals.Owls - Ostriches (marginal reference note).

CLARKE, "The wild beasts of the desert - Dahler translates these various terms, “The wild cats, the jackals, and the ostriches.” And Blayney the same. Wicklif, “Dragons, woodewoses, and ostriches.” Coverdale, “Wild beestes, apes, and estriches.”

GILL, "Therefore the wild beasts of the desert with the wild beasts of the islands shall dwell there,.... Of these creatures See Gill on Isa_13:21; and See Gill on Isa_13:22; and the owls shall dwell therein; so mystical Babylon when fallen shall become the habitation of devils, the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird, Rev_18:2; and it shall be no more inhabited for ever; neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation; interpreters observe that this was gradually accomplished: it was taken by Cyrus, and made tributary to the Persians; the seat of the empire was removed from it; its walls were demolished by Darius; it was drained both of its inhabitants and its riches through Seleucus Nicator building the city Seleucia (r) near it. In Adrian's time there was nothing but an old wall left; and in Jerom's time it was a park for the king of Persia to hunt in; See Gill on Jer_50:13; and See Gill on Isa_13:20;

JAMISON, "wild beasts of the desert — wild cats, remarkable for their howl [Bochart].

wild beasts of the islands — jackals (See on Isa_13:21).owls — rather, “female ostriches”; they delight in solitary places. Literally, “daughters

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of crying.” Compare as to spiritual Babylon, Rev_18:2.no more inhabited for ever — The accumulation of phrases is to express the final and utter extinction of Babylon; fulfilled not immediately, but by degrees; Cyrus took away its supremacy. Darius Hystaspes deprived it, when it had rebelled, of its fortifications. Seleucus Nicanor removed its citizens and wealth to Seleucia, which he founded in the neighborhood; and the Parthians removed all that was left to Ctesiphon. Nothing but its walls was left under the Roman emperor Adrian.

K&D, "Jer_50:39Therefore shall Babylon become an eternal waste, where none but beasts of the desert find shelter, where no human being dwells. This threat is formed out of reminiscences

from Isa_13:20-22 and Isa_34:14. For ציים and איים, see on Isa_34:14; for ת בנ ,יענהsee on Isa_13:21. The second half of the verse agrees word for word with Isa_13:20.CALVIN, "The birds of the forest with the beasts of the forest, are rendered by some, “the satyrs with the fairies;” but איים, aiim, as well as ציים, tsiim, are, on the contrary, birds or beasts of the forest. Some render איים, aiim, “cats ” I hold no controversy as to these words — let there be a free judgment to every one; but, as we have elsewhere seen, the Prophet means birds and beasts of the forest, rather than satyrs and fairies. Then he adds, the daughters of the ostriches, rendered by some “of the owls;” but about this name also I will not contend. Some then render ”,ione, “owl ,יענה and refinedly explain that “daughters” are mentioned, because these birds forsake their young, when they howl through want or famine; but this is fictitious. I then take the daughters of the ostriches or of the owls, according to the usual manner of the language, to mean the very birds themselves. (76)The Prophets usually speak thus, when they give no hope. We have said before, that Babylon was not then so laid waste, but that men dwelt there, who afterwards lived in great luxury; for the city, under Cyrus and his son, was always populous; and then, after its revolt, it was again inhabited; and when Alexander subdued Asia, Babylon was full of people, and flourished in luxury and wealth; and when he died there, he left the city very opulent. We hence, then, conclude, that what Jeremiah declares here, was not immediately fulfilled. But as the light or moderate punishments which the unbelieving suffer now are certain preludes of final and eternal destruction; so the Prophets, when speaking of God’s vengeance, ever extend what they say to the last overthrow; and this also appears more clearly from the next verse, where it is said, — TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:39 Therefore the wild beasts of the desert with the wild beasts of the islands shall dwell [there], and the owls shall dwell therein: and it shall be no more inhabited for ever; neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation.Ver. 39. Therefore the wild beasts of the desert.] See Isaiah 13:21.

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40 As I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah along with their neighboring towns,”declares the Lord,“so no one will live there; no people will dwell in it.

BARNES, "As God overthrew Sodom - As the very ground on which these cities stood, with all the plain, now lies under the Dead Sea; so Babylon and the adjacent country shall be rendered totally barren and unfruitful, and utterly incapable of being inhabited. And this is the fact concerning both countries. See Jer_49:18.

GILL, "As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and the neighbour citiesthereof, saith the Lord,.... Admah and Zeboim: so shall no man abide there, neither shall any son of man dwell therein; the same is said concerning Edom; See Gill on Jer_49:18.

JAMISON, "(Isa_13:19). Repeated from Jer_49:18.

K&D, "Jer_50:40Jer_50:40 is a repetition of Jer_49:18, and in its first half is founded on Isa_13:19.

CALVIN, "This verse confirms and explains the previous verse. But that the design of the Prophet may be more evident, we must remember what Jude in his epistle (Jude 1:7) says, that the destruction of Sodom is as it were a mirror in which we behold God’s vengeance on all the ungodly. God overthrew Sodom; but he does not proceed in the same way with other lands and nations; yet the same is the lot of all the unbelieving, of the despisers of God, and reprobates; for they are exposed to his vengeance, which they cannot escape, though it may be for a time suspended. When, therefore, the Prophet says now that Babylon would be overthrown, as Sodom was overthrown, he does not mean that this would be after seventy years, when taken by Cyrus and Darius, nor when retaken after its revolt, nor when taken by Alexander;

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for it remained a long time after this, even to the reign of Augustus Caesar. As, then, it has been so, it follows that our Prophet does not speak of its first, second, or third assault, but that he had in view what I have already stated, — that when God summons the wicked to judgment, it is a certain prelude of eternal and final destruction. His way with the godly is another; for though God may sink them down to the grave, nay, to the center of the earth, yet hope is still left them; hence their death is never like the destruction of Sodom. And to the same purpose is what we have already quoted from Isaiah,“Except a seed had been left us, we should have been as Sodom, and like to Gomorrah.” (Isaiah 1:9)That exception shows the difference between God’s children and the reprobate, even because he often delivers them from ruin.We now then understand the Prophet’s meaning when he says that Babylon would become desolate and solitary, so that no one would dwell there, nor remain; (77) and that from age to age, or from generation to generation.Moreover, we learn from what is here said, that the unbelieving are overwhelmed with despair even under the least punishment, because they see nothing but the vengeance of God; for though God does not immediately slay them, yet the least puncture denotes what impends over them; nay, he inflicts a deadly wound when he seems only to touch them lightly. There is then only one consolation, which can sustain us in our miseries, even to know that we are separated from the Sodomites through the mercy of God alone; because we have deserved the same destruction, and the Lord has spared us according to his infinite goodness. This, then, is the meaning, It follows, — TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:40 As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour [cities] thereof, saith the LORD [so] shall no man abide there, neither shall any son of man dwell therein.Ver. 40. As God overthrew Sodom.] See Isaiah 13:19, Jeremiah 49:18.

41 “Look! An army is coming from the north; a great nation and many kings are being stirred up from the ends of the earth.158

BARNES, "An application to Babylon of the doom against Jerusalem Jer_6:22-24.Jer_50:41

The coasts of the earth - See the Jer_6:22 note.

CLARKE, "Behold, a people shall come from the north - This and the two following verses are nearly the same with Jer_6:22-24. But here, destroyers against Babylon are intended; there, destroyers against Jerusalem.

GILL, "Behold, a people shall come from the north, and a great nation,.... The Modes and Persians, whose country lay north of Babylon: See Gill on Jer_50:9; and many kings shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth; the kings of Ararat, Minni, and Ashchenaz, Jer_51:27; and of the Armenians and other nations that Cyrus had subdued and brought with him in his army against Babylon, as Xenophon (s)relates. Ten kings shall be raised up against mystical Babylon, and hate her, and burn her with fire, Rev_17:12.

JAMISON, "(Compare Jer_6:22-24). The very language used to describe the calamities which Babylon inflicted on Zion is that here employed to describe Babylon’s own calamity inflicted by the Medes. Retribution in kind.

kinds — the allies and satraps of the various provinces of the Medo-Persian empire: Armenia, Hyrcania, Lydia, etc.coasts — the remote parts.

K&D, "The agents who execute the judgment. - Jer_50:41. "Behold, a people shall come from the north, and a great nation, and many kings shall be raised up from the most distant sides of the earth. Jer_50:42. Bow and javelin shall they seize: they are cruel, and will not pity; their voice shall sound like the sea, and they shall ride upon horses, [each one] arrayed like a man for the battle, against thee, O daughter of Babylon. Jer_50:43. The king of Babylon hath heard the report concerning them, and his hands have fallen down: distress hath seized him, writing pain, like [that of] the woman in childbirth. Jer_50:44. Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the glory of Jordan to a habitation of rock; but in a moment will I make them run away from her,and will set over her him who is chosen: for who is like me, and who will appoint me a time [to plead my defence]? and what shepherd [is there] that will stand before me? Jer_50:45. Therefore hear ye the counsel of Jahveh which He hath taken against Babylon, and His purposes which He hath purposed against the land of the Chaldeans: Assuredly they shall drag them away, the smallest of the flock; assuredly [their] habitation shall be astonished at them. Jer_50:46. At the cry, 'Babylon is taken,' the

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earth is shaken, and a cry [for help] is heard among the nations.CALVIN, "The Prophet again shows whence destruction was to come on the Babylonians. He does not indeed mention Cyrus, as Isaiah does (Isaiah 44:28), nor does he mention the Persians; but he evidently points out the Medes, when he says that a people would come from the north He adds, a great nation and many or powerful kings; and lastly, from the sides of the earth. It is indeed certain that the war was carried on under the banner and command of Cyrus and Darius. Cyrus was the chief, but Darius, on account of his age, was deemed the king. To whom then does Jeremiah refer, when he says many kings, if we so render the words? even to the satraps or princes, of whom a great number Darius brought with him; for Cyrus came from remote mountains, and from a barbarous nation; but the kingdom of Darius was very wide. There is then no doubt but that he brought with him many kings, who yet obeyed his authority. But we may take רבים, rebim, in the sense of being strong. However this may be, the Prophet means that the Chaldeans would have to carry on war, not with one nation or one king, but with many nations and with many kings, or certainly with mighty kings. Hence he mentions the sides of the earth, by which phrase he reminds us that the army would come, not from one country but from remote parts; and though the distance might be great, yet the Prophet says, that they would all come together to attack the Chaldeans.We now see that what afterwards happened is represented as in a picture, in order that the event itself might confirm the Jews, not only in the truth announced by Jeremiah, but also in the whole law and worship of God; for this prophecy was ratified to the faithful when they found that Jeremiah, a faithful interpreter of the law, had thus spoken. And then his doctrine availed also for another purpose, even that the people might know that they rebelled against God when they obstinately resisted the holy Prophet; for we know that they were extremely disobedient. They were then proved, by what happened, to have been guilty of having contended with God in their pertinacious wickedness and contempt. There was afterwards given them a sure ground of hope; for as Jeremiah had spoken of the destruction of Babylon, so, on the other hand, he had promised a return to the Jews. They had then reason to look for restoration, when they saw fulfilled what Jeremiah had spoken.By the word raised, he expresses something more than by the word come: he says that people would come, and adds, that they would be raised up or roused; he intimates that they would not come of themselves, but by the hidden influence of God, because this war was not carried on merely by men. Cyrus indeed, led by insatiable avarice and ambition, was guided by his own inclination to undertake this war; and he made no end of his cruelty, until he at length miserably died, for he never ceased to shed innocent blood everywhere. But yet the Lord made use of these kings and nations to destroy Babylon: they were in reality the scourges of God, and accordingly he says, that they were roused from the sides of the earth, that is, from the most distant places.

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COFFMAN, “"Behold a people cometh from the north; and a great nation and many kings shall be stirred up from the uttermost parts of the earth. They lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, everyone set in array, as a man to the battle, against thee, O daughter of Babylon. The king of Babylon hath heard the tidings of them, and his hands are feeble: anguish hath taken hold of him, and pangs as of a woman in travail. Behold, the enemy shall come like a lion from the pride of the Jordan against the strong habitation: for I will suddenly make them run away from it; and whoso is chosen, him will I appoint over it: for who is like me? and who will appoint me a time? and who is the shepherd that can stand before me? Therefore hear ye the counsel of Jehovah, that he hath taken against Babylon; and his purpose, that he hath purposed against the land of the Chaldeans: Surely they shall drag them away, even the little ones of the flocks; surely he shall make their habitation desolate over them. At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth trembleth, and the cry is heard among the nations."Jeremiah 50:41-43 here are the same as in Jeremiah 49:19-21 and in Isaiah 6:22-24. See my comments there."Many kings shall be stirred up (against Babylon) ..." (Jeremiah 50:41). "At the time Jeremiah wrote this, he could not have known the composition of the invading force against Babylon."[23] "Nevertheless the prophecy was literally fulfilled. `The many kings' is a reference to the vassal-kings assisting their overlord, this being the normal part of a suzerain-vassal treaty; and, when Cyrus conquered Babylon, his army contained a number of such vassal contingents."[24]Harrison pointed out that Jeremiah 50:44-46 here repeat substantially the prediction against Edom (Jeremiah 49:19-21), but apply it to Babylon. The significant difference is that, "Little Edom's cry would be heard only as far as the Red Sea; but Babylon's anguished howl would be heard throughout the Near East![25]This prophecy against Babylon is continued through the following chapter, which is the longest in Jeremiah. The two chapters are actually a single prophecy.TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:41 Behold, a people shall come from the north, and a great nation, and many kings shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.Ver. 41. Behold, a people shall come from the north.] As Jeremiah 50:3; Jeremiah 50:9; Jeremiah 6:22.PETT, “Verses 41-46The Invaders From The North Before Whom Babylon Will Quail And Who Will Finally Take Babylon (Jeremiah 50:41-46).

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We must not judge ancient descriptions in terms of modern geography. They had no atlases to guide them. To the Jews Egypt and North Africa was the South. The Great Sea (the Mediterranean), and the people beyond it, was to the West. The Arabian desert was to the East. All else was to the North. And major trouble always came on them from the North. The ‘people come from the north’ thus indicated peoples ‘north’ of Palestine in their eyes, and to them Persians, Medes, Elamites and the rest were ‘people of the north’, whilst any beyond them were ‘the furthest parts of the earth’.Jeremiah 50:41-42“Behold, a people come from the north,And a great nation and many kings will be stirred up from the furthest parts of the earth.They lay hold on bow and spear,They are cruel, and have no mercy,Their voice roars like the sea,And they ride on horses,Every one set in array,As a man to the battle, against you, O daughter of Babylon.”‘The people come from the north’ here represent the Persian and Median empires made up of a great many nations and kings. They will arrive well armed with bow and spear, shouting their battlecries (‘their voice roaring like the sea’), mounted on horses whose thundering hooves would add to the ‘roaring’, prepared for battle, totally merciless, and their one aim will be the taking of Babylon, where Belshazzar (Bel-sar-usur) the crown prince was in control (Daniel 5). All the emphasis is on the terrible nature of the invaders.Babylon was at this time under the rule of Belshazzar. The ruling king, Nabonidus (Nabu-naid), was campaigning in Arabia, where he remained in a kind of isolation, possibly to pursue his studies, at the oasis of Teima (the details are obscure), having, according to the Nabonidus Chronicles. ‘entrusted the army and the kingship’ to Belshazzar. Belshazzar died at the taking of Babylon, Nabonidus was arrested on his later returnPULPIT, “Jeremiah 51:4.—The instruments of the judgment. The section is partly a cento from other prophecies. Thus Jeremiah 51:41-43 are a repetition of Jeremiah

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6:22-24, except that what is there said of Jerusalem is here applied to Babylon; and verses 44-46 of Jeremiah 49:19-21, the reference, however, being in the latter passage to Edom. In verse 46 At the noise of the taking of Babylon would be more literally rendered, At the cry, Babylon is taken.

42 They are armed with bows and spears; they are cruel and without mercy.They sound like the roaring sea as they ride on their horses;they come like men in battle formation to attack you, Daughter Babylon.

GILL, "They shall hold the bow and the lance,.... Or "spear". The Targum interprets it, "shields"; as many in Cyrus's army had (t); the one an offensive, the other a defensive weapon; or, if bow and lance, the one is used at a distance, the other when near. The Medes and Persians were well skilled in handling the bow, as once and again observed: this very properly describes the armour of the Persians; which were, as Herodotus (u) says, large bows and short spears; and Xenophon (w) observes, that, besides bows and arrows, they had two javelins or lances, one of which they cast, and the other they held and used in their hands, as they found necessary; and so Cyrus (x), in a speech of his, says that they had breast plates to cover their bodies, and lances or javelins which they could use by throwing or holding, as they pleased: they are cruel, and will not show mercy: not even to infants, but dash them against the stones, Psa_137:8; see Isa_13:17; and See Gill on Isa_13:17 and See Gill on Isa_13:18; hence "horribilis Medus", in Horace (y): their voice shall roar like the sea; when there is a tempest on it. This does not design the shout of the soldiers, when beginning the onset in battle, or making an attack upon a city besieged; but the noise of their march, their foot, and horse, and chariots, and the clashing of their army; all which, by reason of their numbers, would be very clamorous and terrible: and they shall ride upon horses; the Persians had a large cavalry, their country abounding in horses: everyone put in array like a man to the battle, against thee, O daughter of

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Babylon; furnished with armour, and put in a proper disposition, all in rank and file, well accoutred, and full of spirit, prepared to engage in battle, with you, O ye inhabitants of Babylon. CALVIN, "Jeremiah again speaks especially of armor, to intimate that the Babylonians would not be able to sustain the assault of their enemies. He then says that they would be armed with the bow and the shield; (78) and adds, that they would be cruel. It is certain that the Persians were very bloody; for it was a barbarous nation; and where barbarity rules, there is no feeling of mercy. Cyrus indeed wished to appear a magnanimous prince, and not a savage; but it is sufficiently evident that he was very cruel, though Xenophon in his Life speaks of him otherwise; but he is not a true historian, for he tells many false things in favor of Cyrus. But when any one reads all that has been recorded, he will readily find out that Cyrus was a barbarian, who delighted in slaughter and carnage.As to the Medes, they were given to luxuries, and were not a warlike nation. Darius, however, brought with him many princes, those whom he had overcome in uncultivated countries, and such as also possessed some valor. Though, then, the king of the Medes was effeminate as well as his people, yet he had with him many warlike men. And the same thing is expressed also by Isaiah; and you ought to compare this prophecy with that of Isaiah (Isaiah 13:17) for the two Prophets wholly agree, though Isaiah was dead when Jeremiah uttered this prophecy and wrote it.He says that their voice would be tumultuous as the sea, or would sound or roar as the sea, when moved by some violent storm. And all these things were said, that the Babylonians might know that all their defenses would Be of no avail, when God should arm the Persians and the Medes for their destruction. For had that war been carried on only by men, the Chaldeans would have never thought that their enemies would be victorious; and doubtless they would have never been so, had not the Lord roused them and determined by their means to execute vengeance on the Chaldeans. He says that they would be prepared as a man for war Interpreters do not seem to me to understand the meaning of the Prophet; for though Jeremiah uses the word “prepared” in the singular number, yet he speaks of the whole people. But how does he say they would be prepared? even like a man Here he sets forth the union of the whole army, for they would all come to battle, like one man attacking his own enemy. It is indeed difficult for the minds of all to be so directed in battle, that they should unitedly attack an enemy and fight as it were with one hand, and that they should not look on one another, and yet make an united assault. This, then, is what the Prophet means when he says, that they would be prepared against the Chaldeans as one man.He then adds, against thee, daughter of Babylon He intimates that they would be not only sufficiently strong against ordinary enemies, but also against the city itself. For had not this been added, Babylon would have ever been considered as an exception; for it was deemed impregnable on account of the multitude of men, the height and

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breadth of its walls, its towers, and all other defenses. Now, then, God shows that though Babylon proudly exulted in its forces, and thought itself exempt from every danger, yet the Persians and the Medes would possess sufficient power by which they would easily overcome it. What follows I cannot finish today; it is therefore better to stop here. TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:42 They shall hold the bow and the lance: they [are] cruel, and will not shew mercy: their voice shall roar like the sea, and they shall ride upon horses, [every one] put in array, like a man to the battle, against thee, O daughter of Babylon.Ver. 42. Against thee, O daughter of Babylon.] In like sort as thou didst once against God’s Israel. [Jeremiah 6:23] Now thou shalt meet with thy match.

43 The king of Babylon has heard reports about them, and his hands hang limp.Anguish has gripped him, pain like that of a woman in labor.

GILL, "The king of Babylon hath heard the report of them,.... Belshazzar, as Kimchi; he had the report brought him of the invasion of his land by them; of their approach to Babylon, and design upon it; and of their number, character, and force: and his hands waxed feeble; as they did when he saw the handwriting upon the wall, Dan_5:6; anguish took hold of him, and pangs as of a woman in travail; a sudden panic seized him, and he was quite dispirited at once, as a woman in childbirth, when her pains come upon her, and there is no avoiding them; though when those who were with Gobrias and Gadates rushed in upon him, they found him standing up with his sword drawn (z), but unable to defend himself against such a posse as came in upon him. CALVIN, "The Prophet means by these words, that as soon as the report of war reached the Chaldeans, they would be so disheartened through fear as to become like a conquered people. As they had subjected to themselves many nations, they had acquired the name of being a warlike people; but the Prophet declares here that they would have no courage, and that therefore there would be no need of much valor to attack them, as they would of themselves give way and flee. The sum of

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what is said is, that the Persians and the Medes would gain the victory before they fought, for there would be no need of an attack, as their enemies would flee as being without any courage.The Prophet at the same time intimates that in God’s hand are the hearts of men, as I have often said, so that they who seem to excel in great boldness, melt as wax in a moment. For no doubt the Chaldeans were not wanting in courage to fight until God had rendered them effeminate, so that they took to flight through fear as soon as they heard the report respecting their enemies. It is, indeed, true that this was not immediately the case, for we know that they had long sustained a siege, and that Belshazzar was slain in the night, while they were securely and joyfully feasting as in the greatest quietness and peace; but they were at length taken, so that they had neither wisdom nor confidence; for the king and his princes were slain, and the city was in a moment taken, as though all the men were turned into logs of wood or into statues of stone. It follows,—TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:43 The king of Babylon hath heard the report of them, and his hands waxed feeble: anguish took hold of him, [and] pangs as of a woman in travail.Ver. 43. The king of Babylon, &c.] See Jeremiah 6:24, Daniel 5:6.PETT, “Jeremiah 50:43“The king of Babylon has heard the reports of them,And his hands grow feeble,Anguish has taken hold of him,Pangs as of a woman in travail.”Such would be the terrible nature of the enemy that when the king of Babylon (the crown prince) heard of them he would be rendered helpless, and would suffer agonies of fear. Indeed he tried to solace himself by holding a great feast, confident that the great walls of Babylon would keep the invader at bay, little realising that at that very moment they were creeping into the city along the dried up water-course. Note the heightening of the narrative in these verses. There is an apocalyptic feel to it. The emphasis is on the fact that Babylon is doomed, just as all that sets itself against God is doomed. It is on the fact of God’s inevitable final triumph.

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to a rich pastureland,I will chase Babylon from its land in an instant. Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this?Who is like me and who can challenge me? And what shepherd can stand against me?”

BARNES, "A similar application to Babylon of what was said of Edom (marginal reference).

CLARKE, "Behold, he shall came up like a lion - The same words as in Jer_49:19 (note), etc., where see the note.

GILL, "Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan,.... What is said of Nebuchadnezzar coming up against Edom is here said of Cyrus coming up against Babylon; for of a king it is to be understood; as the Targum, "behold, a king with his army shall come up against them, as a lion from the height of Jordan;'' see Jer_49:19; unto the habitation of the strong; to Babylon; where dwelt the king, his nobles, and his mighty men: but I will make them suddenly run away from her; as they did from her king Belshazzar, when Gobrias and Gadates entered the royal palace, and seized upon him (a); and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her? or, "a young man" (b)? such an one Cyrus was, who, by divine appointment, became master and governor of Babylon: and who will appoint me the time? to enter the lists with me, and litigate the point with me in a court of judicature, or contend with me in battle: and who is that shepherd that will stand before me? or king? not Belshazzar, he could not stand before the Lord: so the Targum, "there is no king that hath strength before me;''

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that is, to withstand him, or hinder what he has appointed and ordered to be done; See Gill on Jer_49:19. JAMISON, "Repeated mainly from Jer_49:19-21. The identity of God’s principle in

His dealing with Edom, and in that with Babylon, is implied by the similarity of language as to both.CALVIN, "We have explained nearly the same words in the last chapter; for the Prophet not only used the same similitude respecting the Humans, but also added all the words which are found here; nay, the Prophet brings forward nothing new to the end of the chapter, but only repeats what we have seen before.He first compares either Darius or Cyrus to a lion, who, at, the overflowing of Jordan, removes to another place. This passage, like the former, is indeed variously explained. Some read, “for the pride of Jordan.” But as it appears from other places that lions had their dens near the banks of Jordan, I have no doubt but that the Prophet here compares Cyrus to, a lion, forced to leave his own lair because of the inundation of that river. We know how savage a beast is the lion; but, when he is forced to change his dwelling and to move to another place, his fury rages the more. It is the same, then, as though he had said, that not any sort of lion would attack the Babylonians, but a lion furious through rage. He then adds, to the strong habitation When he spoke of the Idumeans, the allusion might have been to their country, which was elevated, and they had also mountains as their fortresses. But as Babylon was also strongly fortified, and nearly impregnable on account of fire various streams of the Euphrates, what the Prophet says is also suitable, that a lion would come, though there were hindrances which might impede his course; for when a lion rambles, being not hungry nor forced by any necessity, he can turn here and there as he pleases; but when rage drives and constrains him, he will then surmount all obstacles. So also the Prophet says, that how confident soever Babylon might be in its fortresses, yet Cyrus would break through them, for he would be like a lion, who, at the overflowing of Jordan, removes elsewhere, as he can no longer find his wonted dwelling.We now perceive the meaning of the words, — that the Babylonians would have to do, not with an idle but a terrible enemy, and with one who would surmount all obstacles, as when fury excites a lion when necessity drives him as it were headlong.What follows is obscure. Some render the words thus, “When I shall make Israel to rest, then I will make them to flee from her.” In the former place (Jeremiah 49:19), we read “him,” in the singular, אריצנו, aritsnu; but here the Prophet uses the plural number, “them,” ,aritsem; it is yet certain that the meaning is the same. Some ,אריצםat the same time, apply this to the Jews, that God would remove them from Babylon, purposing to give them rest, that is, by dwelling securely in their own country; but as there is no mention made here of his people, this view is forced and far-fetched. I omit other explanations, for the meaning of the Prophet seems to me to be simply

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this, When I shall make an irruption, or, after I shall have made them rest, I will make them to flee He speaks, as I think, of the Chaldeans; and the particle כי, ki, is to be taken as an adverb of time, when, or after. It is, indeed, often a causative, but it has sometimes this meaning.Now, these two clauses may be thus explained: When I shall make an irruption, or, when I shall have made them rest; for רגע, rego, means both to break and to rest. It is here in the active or causative conjugation, in Hiphil. If, then, we read, “After I shall have made them to rest,” the sense will be that the: Babylonians had been long tranquil, as there was no one who infested them or disturbed their peace; and we know that men having long rested in their idleness and sloth, become almost stupefied, so that they are touched with no fear. God then shows that the Babylonians were greatly mistaken, if they thought that the rest which they had previously enjoyed would be perpetual; for he would make them to flee from the city, though they had been long there in a tranquil state. The other sense is by no means unsuitable, “When I shall break,” or make an irruption, then all will flee away, that is, leave the city, which was before like a paradise. There is still no doubt but that the Prophet here denounces on the Babylonians a sudden overthrow, which would drive the people here and there in all directions. (79)It now follows, Who is the chosen one whom I shall set over her? God here in a manner deliberates as to the person whom he should make the leader of the war against the Chaldeans; and by these words he intimates that there would be ready for him the best general, and one especially active and also excelling in the art of war. And we know that even the unwilling are made to serve God, when he employs the ungodly as his scourges. In short, God shows that though the Babylonians might have brave leaders and most skillful in war, there yet would be prepared leaders, to whom he would commit the office of taking that city. And thus he teaches us at the same time that men are ruled by his hand, so that he chooses them according to his will and directs them to any work he pleases, Who is the chosen one, he says, whom I shall set over her?And he adds, and who is like me? Here the Prophet shows that the Babylonians in vain trusted in their own defenses; for after having tried all things, they would find that whatever was set up against God and his invincible power, would be mere smoke. This sentence often occurs; and however common it may appear, yet, if we examine ourselves, we shall find that the Holy Spirit does not so often enforce it without reason; for after we have confessed that none is equal to God or can add to his power, — as soon as any trial assails us, this confession vanishes, and we tremble as though God was nothing, and had no power to bring us help. Diffidence, then, which often creeps in when we are in difficulties or dangers, sufficiently shows that we do not attribute to God the praise due to his power. He does not then exclaim here, as in other places, without reason, Who is like me? as though he had said, that the Babylonians would foolishly seek auxiliaries here and there; for when they had made the utmost exertions, whatever they might think the most useful would all vanish away, so that they would be destitute of all remedies.

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He adds, And who will protest against me? Some give this frigid version, Who will prescribe to me the time? but they wholly pervert the meaning of the Prophet; for God in this place declares, that men would in vain contend or litigate with him. It is the same as if he had said, “Though all men were to rise up against, me, yet I will not allow them to litigate with me; and this they would also do in vain.” In short, God intimates that men would in vain clamor against his judgments, for he would nevertheless perform what he has decreed. He does not yet claim for himself that absolute power about which the sophists prattle, while they separate it from justice; but he intimates that the causes are not always manifest to men when he executes his judgments; for it is not without reason that the Scripture testifies that God’s judgments are a deep abyss; but by such an expression it is not meant that anything in God’s judgments is confused or in disorder, what then? even that God works in an extraordinary manner, and that hence his judgments are sometimes hidden from men.Then God briefly shows, that though the Babylonians were to dispute, and start many objections, all this would be useless, because he would execute what he had decreed, and that without debating.Let us then learn from these words, that when God’s works have the appearance of being unreasonable, we ought humbly to admire them, and never to judge them according to our computation; for God is not to be judged by us. Therefore, as I have already said, we are then only wise, when we humbly adore him in all his works, without disputing with him; for when we adduce all possible things, he will close our mouth with one word, and check all our presumption; nay, he will ever overcome us by being silent, for his justice will always overthrow whatever may come to our minds. But we must bear in mind what I have stated, that God never so acts by his absolute power as to separate it from his justice; for this would be as it were to wound himself; for these things are undivided, his power and justice, though justice often does not appeal however this may be, his sole and simple will is to us the rule of all justice.It follows, And who is that shepherd who will stand before me? He alludes to the similitude he had used, for he compared himself before to a lion. he says now, “Since I shall go against Babylon like a lion, what shepherd will dare to oppose me?” We see that there is to be understood a contrast, between a lion and a shepherd; for God would be like a lion to destroy Babylon; hence, by pastor, he denotes any adversary who might come forth to defend the Chaldean flock. It follows, — TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:44 Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan unto the habitation of the strong: but I will make them suddenly run away from her: and who [is] a chosen [man, that] I may appoint over her? for who [is] like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who [is] that shepherd that will stand before me?

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Ver. 44. Behold, he shall come up.] See Jeremiah 49:19.PETT, “Jeremiah 50:44“Behold, they will come up like a lion from the pride of the Jordan,Against the strong habitation,For I will suddenly make them run away from it,And whoever is chosen, him will I appoint over it,For who is like me? and who will appoint me a time?And who is the shepherd who can stand before me?”Nothing was more feared by shepherds than the season when lions, maddened by hunger, would emerge from the thicketed area by the Jordan (the ‘pride of Jordan’) in order to find food. For these verses compare Jeremiah 49:19 spoken of what would happen to Edom.The ‘pride of Jordan’ was the description used of the area of thick jungle thickets on the banks of the Jordan in which many wild beasts found refuge. It was notorious for the lions that came from there seeking prey when they were hungry through shortage of prey in the thickets, when they could be a danger to men as they desperately sought for food, even entering towns and villages in their search. Compare Jeremiah 12:5; Jeremiah 25:38; Hosea 13:7-8. As soon as lone men saw them they ran away. They knew just how dangerous they could be under those circumstances. The picture is a vivid one as the adversary is pictured as emerging from the thickets, hungry in his quest for prey. He is the chosen of YHWH, YHWH’s shepherd, emerging in YHWH’s time, a time which no one else can appoint and He alone will decide.‘And whoever is chosen, him will I appoint over it.’ This may indicate YHWH’s chosen candidate, who has been chosen by YHWH to take Babylon. Or it may be a challenge to Babylon to choose for themselves a champion so that YHWH may set him over them, indicating at the same time that any such appointment would be useless.‘Strong habitation.’ This may refer to their invasion of towns and villages. Alternately we may render it as ‘evergreen pasturage’ or ‘secure encampment’, indicating the areas where the shepherds fed their flocks, for the word here rendered ‘habitation’ is used in Jeremiah 6:3 to indicate the places where shepherds encamped.‘And who is the shepherd who will stand before me?” This could refer to the

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predator arising as ‘the shepherd who stands before YHWH’, that is, as His true and reliable close servant, the question indicating that his identity is as yet to be seen as unknown. In this case he is YHWH’s shepherd. But more likely it is questioning as to what shepherd could prevent YHWH from carrying out His purpose, the idea being that no shepherd of Babylon could hope to outface or resist Him, any more than they could hope to outface a hungry lion who had seized one of their sheep. Of course there were exceptional shepherds who did outface lions (compare 1 Samuel 17:34-36). But the point here is that there is no one who can outface YHWH.

45 Therefore, hear what the Lord has planned against Babylon, what he has purposed against the land of the Babylonians:The young of the flock will be dragged away; their pasture will be appalled at their fate.

GILL, "Therefore hear ye the counsel of the Lord that he hath taken against Babylon,.... The same is said in Jer_49:20; only, instead of Edom, Babylon is here put, and in the next clause: and his purposes that he hath purposed against the land of the Chaldeans; instead of the inhabitants of Teman, the land of the Chaldeans: surely the least of the flock shall draw them out; the weakest and most feeble in the army of Cyrus should be more than a match for any in Babylon, and should draw them out, and devour them, as dogs and wolves the sheep out of the flock: surely he shall make their habitation desolate with them; See Gill on Jer_49:20.CALVIN, "The Prophet confirms his previous doctrine, and uses an oath, for he had already spoken sufficiently at large of the destruction of Babylon, and his words might seem otherwise superfluous, because the subject had been explained with abundant clearness. But he introduces God here as making an oath, for the particles, “if not,” am la, show the sentence to be elliptical; and we know that,אם לא

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this form of swearing is common in Scripture. Then God swears, that the Babylonians were already given up to destruction, so that even the least of the flock would be superior to them.But it is not without reason that the Prophet speaks here of the counsel of God and of his thoughts; for we know that men through their own vanity are held suspended or in doubt, so that they do not firmly acquiesce in God’s word, at least they vacillate so as to have no stability of faith. As, then, men think in themselves that possibly a thing may happen otherwise than according to the words of the prophets, Jeremiah does here meet such thoughts, and bids men to hear the counsel of God and his thoughts. It is, indeed, a mode of speaking transferred from men, when he speaks of the thoughts of God; for we know that God does not deliberate on what he is about to do, as the case is with men. But this manner of speaking so frequently occurs, that it ought to be familiar to us. However this may be, he intimates that God did not in vain announce terror when speaking of Babylon, but that the irrevocable decree was declared which God had formed. Hence he says, that he had already taken counsel, so that men need not deliberate any more, nor call into question his fixed decree, nor dispute concerning his thoughts. There is, then, no reason for men to revolve things in themselves, and to adopt different views; because events must be, he says, as I have predicted; God then has commanded me to announce this prophecy as brought forth from his counsel, which can by no means be changed. This is the reason why he mentions God’s counsel and thoughts.He adds, If they shall not draw them forth; some read, “cast them out.” But סחב, sacheb, means to draw; and there is no doubt but that the Prophet denotes by this verb contempt and reproach; as carcasses are drawn through the mud, or a dead dog is drawn and cast into a river; so now, he says, Draw forth the Babylonians shall the least of the flock But how can these things agree together, that there was to be the choicest leader, and that yet the least of the flock would be the conquerors? God intimates, that though he would endow Cyrus with warlike valor, yet if it pleased him, there would be means by which he could destroy the Babylonians, were he to send sheep or lambs as their enemies. He means, in a word, that the Babylonians would be unwarlike, when God deprived them of their courage.If they will not upset over them their tabernacle Some read as though the verb were ”,shum, “If they will not set ,שום etc.; others derive the word from ישם, ishem; but it comes rather from שמם, shemem; If, then, they will not upset over them their tabernacle, that is, when the Babylonians shall be laid prostrate, even their houses shall fall and overwhelm them. In short, God sets forth here a final ruin, from which the Babylonians could never be restored; for it is an evidence of hopeless despair, when houses are upset, so that their masters are buried in their ruins. It follows, — TRAPP, “Jeremiah 50:45 Therefore hear ye the counsel of the LORD, that he hath taken against Babylon; and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the land of the Chaldeans: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out: surely he shall make [their] habitation desolate with them.

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Ver. 45. See on Jeremiah 49:20.PETT, “Jeremiah 50:45-46“Therefore hear you the counsel of YHWH,That he has taken against Babylon,And his purposes, that he has purposed,Against the land of the Chaldeans.Surely they will drag them away,The little ones of the flock,Surely he will make their habitation,Desolate over them.At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth trembles,And the cry is heard among the nations.”The picture of the hungry lion continues as we learn of what YHWH has determined against Babylon, and what He has purposed against Babylonia. Babylon will see her young ones dragged away, in the same way as the remorseless hungry lions drag away the young of the flock, that is the more vulnerable who found it most difficult to escape. Many habitations in Babylonia would have been rendered desolate by the invaders, and even in Babylon itself, though its major buildings were preserved, the rampaging soldiery would think nothing of tearing down or burning the dwellings of the poor as they sought for spoils.‘At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth trembles, and the cry is heard among the nations.’ This is, of course, hyperbole. It is saying that the taking of Babylon was an earth-shaking event which changed the whole course of the history of the time, and caused men to cry out to each other ‘Babylon has been taken’. It probably seemed unbelievable. But the world was transformed almost overnight as a new more benevolent ruling power took over the empire. What represented all that was anti-God had been utterly defeated.

46 At the sound of Babylon’s capture the earth 174

will tremble; its cry will resound among the nations.

CLARKE, "At the noise of the taking of Babylon - See the note on the parallel place, Jer_49:21 (note). In the forty-ninth chapter, these words are spoken of Nebuchadnezzar; here, of Cyrus. The taking of Babylon was a wonder to all the surrounding nations. It was thought to be impregnable.

GILL, "At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth is moved,.... It being so sudden and unexpected, and so very astonishing: and the cry is heard among the nations; that Babylon is fallen; which, as applied to mystical Babylon, will be matter of joy to some, and of lamentation to others; see Rev_14:8.

JAMISON, "cry ... among the nations — In Edom’s case it is, “at the cry the noise thereof was heard in the Red Sea.” The change implies the wider extent to which the crash of Babylon’s downfall shall be heard.CALVIN, "This is to anticipate an objection; for many might have said, “How can it be, that Babylon should thus fall, on whose monarchy so many and so wide countries are dependent?” As, then, such an event appearing so unreasonable, might occur to them, the Prophet meets the objection, and answers by way of anticipation, that though the earth shook, yet this would surely take place. He shows, at the same time, how great the calamity would be, for it would, by its noise, make the whole world to tremble: it would be thus better known how grievous was to be God’s vengeance on the Babylonians; for it was not to be without the shaking of the whole earth. Now follows, —

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