Jeremiah 50 - Introduction

Jeremiah 50:1 to Jeremiah 51:58 (LXX. Chs. 27, 28). Prophecy against Babylon

This long and vehement prophecy, though forming a member of the group with which we have been dealing (see introd. note on chs. 46 51), stands in a somewhat different position in view of the fact that recent commentators are virtually unanimous in holding it to be a composition of later date, even if it contain some, at most very slight, Jeremianic elements. It claims (Jeremiah 51:59 f.) to belong to the fourth year of Zedekiah (b.c. 594). Against this view there are to be urged four weighty considerations: (a) the historical situation which it presupposes is of a much later time: the people are exiles (Jeremiah 50:4 f., Jeremiah 50:17; Jeremiah 51:34), the Temple has been destroyed (Jeremiah 50:28 end, Jeremiah 51:11; Jeremiah 51:51); (b) the writer here emphasizes the speedy overthrow of Babylon, whereas at the date mentioned (see chs. 27 29) Jeremiah was maintaining the falsity of this same view against the prophets who urged it, and was advising the exiles to settle contentedly, as the captivity would last seventy years (Jeremiah 25:11; Jeremiah 29:10); (c) the joy with which the writer here contemplates the destruction of Babylon is quite at variance with Jeremiah's often repeated conviction that the Chaldaeans were the divinely appointed agents for visiting upon his countrymen the punishment of their sins; (d) the utterly disproportionate length and constant repetitions (e.g. Jeremiah 50:3; Jeremiah 50:9; Jeremiah 50:25; Jeremiah 50:41; Jeremiah 51:1 f., Jeremiah 51:25; Jeremiah 50:8; Jeremiah 51:6; Jeremiah 51:45; Jeremiah 51:50). The chs. contain no doubt a considerable amount of phraseology which reminds us of earlier portions of the Book, but it is to be noted that such portions include some passages which we have recognised to be from later hands than Jeremiah's. Thus all that we can infer is that the author was familiar with the writings ascribed in his day to Jeremiah. The date would naturally appear to be when the fall of Babylon at the hands of the Persians was imminent, an event which occurred b.c. 538. Peake, however, holds that the prophecy, as apparently dependent on such passages as Isaiah 13:1 to Isaiah 14:23 and Isaiah 40-55, which belong to that time, should be placed later, and is intended, by its anticipations of speedy vengeance, to meet the difficulties of those who were perplexed by the fact that Babylon was not really destroyed for several generations after the time of Cyrus.

The lack of arrangement and the frequent repetitions above mentioned preclude the construction of anything like a satisfactory summarization of the contents. Conspicuous thoughts are:

Babylon is a golden cup, from which all the nations have been forced to drink the wine of God's wrath (Jeremiah 51:7); God brings forth from His armoury the weapons of His indignation for her destruction (Jeremiah 50:25); she shall be laid waste and overwhelmed by the multitude of her invaders (Jeremiah 51:41 ff.).

We may add that there is no clear indication of metrical arrangement in these chs.