INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 51 The former part of this chapter is a continuation of the prophecy of the preceding chapter, concerning the destruction of Babylon, Jeremiah 51:1; the latter part of it contains a prophecy of Jeremiah sent to the captives in Babylon by the hand of Seraiah, with the copy... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SAITH THE LORD, BEHOLD, I WILL RAISE UP AGAINST BABYLON,.... This is not a new prophecy, but a continuation of the former, and an enlargement of it. The Babylonians being the last and most notorious enemies of the Jews, their destruction is the longer dwelt upon; and as they were against the Lo... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL SEND UNTO BABYLON FARMERS, THAT SHALL FAN HER, AND SHALL EMPTY HER LAND,.... Or, "strangers that shall fan her" c; meaning the Medes and Persians, who should be like a strong wind upon the mountains, where corn, having been threshed, was fanned, and the chaff carried away by the wind; and... [ Continue Reading ]
AGAINST [HIM THAT] BENDETH LET THE ARCHER BEND HIS BOW,.... These are either the words of the Lord to the Medes and Persians, to the archers among them, to bend their bows and level their arrows against the Chaldeans, who had bent their bows and shot their arrows against others; or of the Medes and... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS THE SLAIN SHALL FALL IN THE LAND OF THE CHALDEANS,.... By the sword, or by the arrows and darts of the Medes and Persians: AND [THEY THAT ARE] THRUST THROUGH IN HER STREETS; either by the one or by the other, especially the latter, since they only are mentioned; Jeremiah 50:30.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR ISRAEL [HATH] NOT [BEEN] FORSAKEN, NOR JUDAH OF HIS GOD, OF THE LORD OF HOSTS,.... That is, not totally and finally; for though they might seem to be forsaken, when carried captive by their enemies, yet they were not in such sense as a woman is deprived of her husband when dead, and she is beco... [ Continue Reading ]
FLEE OUT OF THE MIDST OF BABYLON,.... This is said either to such as were there of other nations upon trade and business, as Kimchi, to get out of it as fast as they could, that they might not be consumed; or to the Israelites, as Jarchi, the Jews that were captives there. This is applied to the peo... [ Continue Reading ]
BABYLON [HATH BEEN] A GOLDEN CUP IN THE HAND OF THE LORD,.... Either so called from the liquor in it, being of a yellow colour, or pure as gold, as the Jewish commentators generally; or from the matter of it, being made of gold, denoting the grandeur, splendour, and riches of the Babylonian empire;... [ Continue Reading ]
BABYLON IS SUDDENLY FALLEN AND DESTROYED,.... Or "broken" g; even into shivers, as a cup is; for when it had been used to answer the purposes designed by the Lord, he let it fall cut of his hands at once, and it was broken; or rather he dashed it in pieces, as a potter's vessel. The destruction of B... [ Continue Reading ]
WE WOULD HAVE HEALED BABYLON, BUT SHE IS NOT HEALED,.... These are either the words of the friends of Babylon of her auxiliaries and allies, who did all they could to defend her against the Persians, but to no purpose; it was not in their power to help her; the time of her destruction was come, and... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD HATH BROUGHT FORTH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS,.... Or "righteousnesses" i this, as Kimchi observes, is spoken in the person of the Israelites; not as though the Jews had done no iniquity, for which they were carried captive; they had committed much, and were far from being righteous in themselves, b... [ Continue Reading ]
MAKE BRIGHT THE ARROWS,.... Which were covered with rust; scour them of it; anoint them with oil, as armour were wont to be; make them neat, clean, and bright, that they may pierce the deeper; hence we read of a "polished shaft", or arrow, one made bright and pure, Isaiah 49:2; agreeably to this so... [ Continue Reading ]
SET UP THE STANDARD UPON THE WALLS OF BABYLON,.... This is not said to the Medes and Persians, to put up a flag on the walls of Babylon, as a sign of victory, as Kimchi, Abarbinel, and others think; for as yet the city is not supposed to be taken by what follows; but rather to the Babylonians, to se... [ Continue Reading ]
O THOU THAT DWELLEST UPON MANY WATERS,.... Here Babylon is addressed, either by the Lord, or by the prophet, or the godly Jews; who is described by her, situation, which was by the great river Euphrates; which being branched out into several canals or rivers, both ran through it, and encompassed it;... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD HATH SWORN BY HIMSELF, [SAYING],.... Or, "by his soul" or "life" q; which is himself, than which he cannot swear by a greater, Hebrews 6:13; and the certain performance of what he swears unto need not be doubted of; and indeed the design of the oath is to assure of the truth of the thing, a... [ Continue Reading ]
HE HATH MADE THE EARTH BY HIS POWER, HE HATH ESTABLISHED THE WORLD BY HIS WISDOM, AND HATH STRETCHED OUT THE HEAVEN BY HIS UNDERSTANDING. The Targum prefaces the words thus, "these things saith he who hath made the earth, c.'' The verses Jeremiah 51:16 are the same with Jeremiah 10:12. God is desc... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN HE UTTERETH [HIS] VOICE, [THERE IS] A MULTITUDE OF WATERS IN THE HEAVENS; AND HE CAUSETH THE VAPOURS TO ASCEND FROM THE ENDS OF THE EARTH: HE MAKETH LIGHTNINGS WITH RAIN, AND BRINGETH FORTH THE WIND OUT OF HIS TREASURES. Jeremiah 10:13.... [ Continue Reading ]
EVERY MAN IS BRUTISH BY [HIS] KNOWLEDGE; EVERY FOUNDER IS CONFOUNDED BY THE GRAVEN IMAGE: FOR HIS MOLTEN IMAGE [IS] FALSEHOOD, AND [THERE IS] NO BREATH IN THEM. Jeremiah 10:14.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY [ARE] VANITY, THE WORK OF ERRORS: IN THE TIME OF THEIR VISITATION THEY SHALL PERISH. Jeremiah 10:15.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PORTION OF JACOB [IS] NOT LIKE THEM; FOR HE [IS] THE FORMER OF ALL THINGS: AND [ISRAEL IS] THE ROD OF HIS INHERITANCE: THE LORD OF HOSTS [IS] HIS NAME. Jeremiah 10:16.... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU [ART] MY BATTLE AXE [AND] WEAPONS OF WAR,.... This is said by the Lord, either to Cyrus, as some, to which our version inclines, whom God made use of as an instrument to subdue nations and kingdoms, and destroy them; see Isaiah 45:1; or rather Babylon, and the king of it, who had been the hamme... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WITH THEE WILL I BREAK IN PIECES THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER,.... Or, "have broken": meaning the cavalry of an army, wherein lies its chief strength: AND WITH THEE WILL I BREAK IN PIECES THE CHARIOT AND HIS RIDER; which were also used in war.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WITH THEE ALSO WILL I BREAK IN PIECES MAN AND WOMAN,.... Or, "have broken"; having no respect to any sex, and to the propagation of posterity: AND WITH THEE WILL I BREAK IN PIECES OLD AND YOUNG; not sparing men of any age, however useful they might be, the one for their wisdom, the other for th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL ALSO BREAK IN PIECES WITH THEE THE SHEPHERD AND HIS FLOCK,.... Or, have broken; which Abarbinel thinks respects the Arabians particularly, who were shepherds, and dwelt in tents; but it rather signifies shepherds and their flocks in general; who were killed or scattered wherever his armie... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL RENDER UNTO BABYLON, AND TO ALL THE INHABITANTS OF CHALDEA,.... Or, "but I will render" w, c. though I have made this use of Babylon, she shall not be spared, but receive her just recompense of reward not the city of Babylon only, but the whole land of Chaldea, and all the inhabitants of... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, I [AM] AGAINST THEE, O DESTROYING MOUNTAIN, SAITH THE LORD, WHICH DESTROYEST ALL THE EARTH,.... Babylon is called a mountain, though situated in a plain, because of its high walls, lofty towers, and hanging gardens, which made it look at a distance like a high mountain, as Lebanon, and other... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SHALL NOT TAKE OF THEE A STONE FOR A CORNER, NOR A STONE FOR FOUNDATIONS,.... Signifying that it should be so utterly consumed by fire, that there should not be a stone left fit to be put into any new building, especially to be a corner or a foundation stone. The Targum understands it figur... [ Continue Reading ]
SET YE UP A STANDARD IN THE LAND,.... Not in Chaldea, but rather in any land; or in all the countries which belonged to Media and Persia; where Cyrus's standard is ordered to be set up, to gather soldiers together, and enlist in his service, in order to go with him in his expedition against Babylon:... [ Continue Reading ]
PREPARE AGAINST HER THE NATIONS, WITH THE KINGS OF THE MEDES,.... At the head of them, Darius and Cyrus. The Syriac version has it in the singular number, the king of the Modes: THE CAPTAINS THEREOF, AND ALL THE RULERS THEREOF, AND ALL THE LAND OF HIS DOMINIONS; that is, the inhabitants of it, the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LAND SHALL TREMBLE AND SORROW,.... The land of Chaldea, the inhabitants of it, should tremble, when they heard of this powerful army invading their land, and besieging their metropolis; and should sorrow, and be in pain as a woman in travail, as the word f signifies: FOR EVERY PURPOSE OF TH... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MIGHTY MEN OF BABYLON HAVE FORBORNE TO FIGHT,.... Or, "ceased from fighting" h for it seems, upon Cyrus's first coming, the king of Babylon and his army gave him battle; but being overthrown, they retired to the city i, and dared never fight more: THEY HAVE REMAINED IN [THEIR] HOLDS; in the tow... [ Continue Reading ]
ONE POST SHALL RUN TO MEET ANOTHER, AND ONE MESSENGER TO MEET ANOTHER,.... That is, one post should be after another, and one messenger after another, post upon post, and messenger upon messenger, as fast as they could run; when one had been with his message, and delivered it, and returned, he meets... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THAT THE PASSAGES ARE STOPPED,.... Or "taken", or "seized" o; where Cyrus placed soldiers to keep them; these were the passages leading from the river Euphrates to the city, the keys of it; the little gates, that Herodotus p speaks of, leading to the river, which were left open that night. Kimch... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THUS SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS, THE GOD OF ISRAEL,.... "The Lord of hosts", the Lord God omnipotent, and can do all things; "the God of Israel", and therefore will plead their cause, and take vengeance on Babylon: THE DAUGHTER OF BABYLON [IS] LIKE A THRESHING FLOOR; on which the nations of the ea... [ Continue Reading ]
NEBUCHADREZZAR THE KING OF BABYLON HATH DEVOURED ME,.... Or "us" w; everyone of us: these are the words of Zion and Jerusalem, as appears from Jeremiah 51:35; complaining of the injuries done them by the king of Babylon, who had eaten them up; spoiled their substance, as the Targum; took their citie... [ Continue Reading ]
THE VIOLENCE DONE TO ME, AND TO MY FLESH, [BE] UPON BABYLON,.... That is, let the injuries done to Zion and her children, be avenged on Babylon; the hurt done to their persons and families, and the spoiling of their goods, and destruction of their cities, houses, and substance: SHALL THE INHABITANT... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE THUS SAITH THE LORD,.... In answer to the prayers of the inhabitants of Zion and Jerusalem, imprecating divine vengeance on Babylon: BEHOLD, I WILL PLEAD THY CAUSE, AND TAKE VENGEANCE FOR THEE; not by words only, but by deeds, inflicting punishment on their enemies: AND I WILL DRY UP HER... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BABYLON SHALL BECOME HEAPS,.... The houses should be demolished, and the stones lie in heaps one upon another, and become mere rubbish: A DWELLING PLACE FOR DRAGONS; and other wild and savage creatures. Dragons, as Aelianus a observes, love to live in desert places, and such now Babylon is; it... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SHALL ROAR TOGETHER LIKE LIONS,.... Some understand this of the Medes and Persians, and the shouts they made at the attacking and taking of Babylon; but this does not so well agree with that, which seems to have been done in a secret and silent manner; rather according to the context the Chalde... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THEIR HEAT I WILL MAKE THEIR FEASTS,.... I will order it that their feasts shall be id the time of heat, that so they may be made drunk; so Jarchi: or when they are hot with feasting, I will disturb their feast by a handwriting on the wall; so Kimchi; see Daniel 5:1; to which he directs: or when... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL BRING THEM DOWN LIKE LAMBS TO THE SLAUGHTER,.... To the place of slaughter; who shall be able to make no more resistance than lambs. This explains what is meant by being made drunk, and sleeping a perpetual sleep, even destruction and death: LIKE RAMS WITH HE GOATS; denoting the promiscuous... [ Continue Reading ]
HOW IS SHESHACH TAKEN!.... Not the city Shushan, as Sir John Marsham thinks e; but Babylon, as is plain from a following clause; and so the Targum, "how is Babylon subdued!'' called Sheshach, by a position and commutation of letters the Jews call "athbash"; so Jarchi, Kimchi, and Abarbinel account... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SEA IS COME UP UPON BABYLON,.... A vast army, comparable to the great sea for the multitude thereof, even the army of the Medes and Persians under Cyrus; so the Targum, "a king with his armies, which are numerous like the waters of the sea, is come up against Babylon:'' SHE IS COVERED WITH THE... [ Continue Reading ]
HER CITIES ARE A DESOLATION, A DRY LAND, AND A WILDERNESS,.... Which some understand of Babylon itself, divided into two parts by the river Euphrates running in the midst of it, called by Berosus f the inward and outward cities; though rather these design the rest of the cities in Chaldea, of which... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL PUNISH BEL IN BABYLON,.... The idol of the Babylonians, who had a temple in Babylon, where he was worshipped: the same is called Belus by Aelianus g, Curtius h, and Pausanias i; perhaps the same Herodian k calls Belis, and says some take him to be Apollo; for more of him, Isaiah 46:1; and... [ Continue Reading ]
MY PEOPLE, GO YE OUT OF THE MIDST OF HER,.... This is a call of the Jews to go out of Babylon, not before the taking of the city by Cyrus; but when he should issue out a proclamation, giving them liberty to return to their own land; which many of them, being well settled in Babylon, would not be rea... [ Continue Reading ]
AND LEST YOUR HEART FAINT, AND YE FEAR FOR THE RUMOUR THAT SHALL BE HEARD IN THE LAND,.... The rumour of war in the land of Chaldea; the report of the Medes and Persians preparing to invade it, and besiege Babylon, in the peace of which city the Jews had peace; and therefore might fear they should s... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE, BEHOLD, THE DAYS COME THAT I WILL DO JUDGMENT ON THE GRAVEN IMAGES OF BABYLON,.... Because of the connection of these words, some understand Jeremiah 51:46 of the report of the deliverance of the Jews time after time; and yet nothing came of it, which disheartened them; and they were used... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH, AND ALL THAT [IS] THEREIN, SHALL SING FOR BABYLON,.... At the destruction of her, rejoicing at it; not at the ruin of fellow creatures, simply considered; but relatively, at the righteousness of God in it, and the glory of his justice, and the deliverance of many by i... [ Continue Reading ]
AS BABYLON [HATH CAUSED] THE SLAIN OF ISRAEL,.... In Jerusalem, when that city was taken the Chaldeans, and destroyed: SO AT BABYLON SHALL ALL THE SLAIN OF ALL THE EARTH; or "land"; that is, the land of Chaldea; the inhabitants of which fled to Babylon upon the invasion of the Medes and Persians, b... [ Continue Reading ]
YE THAT HAVE ESCAPED THE SWORD, GO AWAY, STAND NOT STILL,.... The Jews, who had escaped the sword of the Chaldeans when Jerusalem was taken, and were carried captive into Babylon, where they had remained to this time; and had also escaped the sword of the Medes and Persians, when Babylon was taken;... [ Continue Reading ]
WE ARE CONFOUNDED, BECAUSE WE HAVE HEARD REPROACH,.... These are the words of the Jews, either objecting to their return to their land; or lamenting the desolation of it; and complaining of the reproach it lay under, being destitute of inhabitants; the land in general lying waste and uncultivated; t... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE, BEHOLD, THE DAYS COME, SAITH THE LORD, THAT I WILL DO JUDGMENT UPON HER GRAVEN IMAGES,.... Destroy their gods, who have reproached the God of Israel, and profaned his sanctuaries; and for that reason; Jeremiah 51:47; it is an answer to the objection and complaint of the Jews, and is desig... [ Continue Reading ]
THOUGH BABYLON SHOULD MOUNT UP TO HEAVEN,.... Could the walls of it, which were very high, two hundred cubits high, as Herodotus p says, be carried up as high as heaven; or the towers of it, which were exceeding high, ten foot higher than the walls, as Curtius q says, likewise be raised to the same... [ Continue Reading ]
A SOUND OF A CRY [COMETH] FROM BABYLON,.... Of the inhabitants of it upon its being taken; which is said to denote the certainty of it, which was as sure as if the cry of the distressed was then heard: AND GREAT DESTRUCTION FROM THE LAND OF THE CHALDEANS; that is, the report of a great destruction... [ Continue Reading ]
BECAUSE THE LORD HATH SPOILED BABYLON,.... By means of the Merits and Persians; these were his instruments he made use of; to these he gave commission, power, and strength to spoil Babylon; and therefore it is ascribed to him: AND DESTROYED OUT OF HER THE GREAT VOICE; the noise of people, which is... [ Continue Reading ]
BECAUSE THE SPOILER IS COME UPON HER, [EVEN] UPON BABYLON,.... That is, Cyrus, with his army: AND HER MIGHTY MEN ARE TAKEN; unawares, by surprise: EVERYONE OF THEIR BOWS IS BROKEN; they had no strength to withstand the enemy, and were obliged to yield at once; lay down their arms, and submit: FOR... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL MAKE DRUNK HER PRINCES,.... With the wine of divine wrath; that is, slay them; though there may be an allusion to their being drunk with wine at the feast Belshazzar made for his thousand lords; who are the princes here intended, together with the king and his royal family, Daniel 5:1; A... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS,.... Because what follows might seem incredible ever to be effected; it is introduced with this preface, expressed by him who is the God of truth, and the Lord God omnipotent: THE BROAD WALLS OF BABYLON SHALL BE UTTERLY BROKEN; or rased up; the foundations of them, and... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WORD WHICH JEREMIAH THE PROPHET COMMANDED SERAIAH,.... This word is no other than the above prophecy concerning the destruction of Babylon, contained in this and the preceding chapter; or rather the order the prophet gave this prince to take a copy of it with him to Babylon, and there read it, a... [ Continue Reading ]
SO JEREMIAH WROTE IN A BOOK ALL THE EVIL THAT SHOULD COME UPON BABYLON,.... The evil of punishment predicted and threatened: this he delivered, not by word of mouth to Seraiah to relate when he came to Babylon; but he wrote it in a book for him reread; and he wrote it himself; Baruch, his amanuensis... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JEREMIAH SAID TO SERAIAH,.... At the time he delivered the copy to him: WHEN THOU COMEST TO BABYLON; or art come to Babylon, to the city of Babylon, and to the captive Jews there: AND SHALT SEE THEM; the captives; or rather the great and populous city of Babylon, its high walls, gates, and tow... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SHALL THOU SAY, O LORD,.... Acknowledging this prophecy to be of God; believing the accomplishment of it; and praying over it, and for it, like a good man, as doubtless he was: THOU HAST SPOKEN AGAINST THIS PLACE; the city of Babylon, where Seraiah is now supposed to be: TO CUT IT OFF, THAT N... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT SHALL BE, WHEN THOU HAST MADE AN END OF READING THIS BOOK,.... To the captive Jews; and having also said the above words by way of prayer and approbation: [THAT] THOU SHALT BIND A STONE TO IT, AND CAST IT INTO THE MIDST OF EUPHRATES; a river by which Babylon was situated. The book, being rea... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU SHALL SAY,.... Not only use the above sign and ceremony, but explain the meaning of it to those of his friends who might accompany him; and what he said was in the name of the Lord, as the form and manner in which the following words are delivered show: THUS SHALL BABYLON SINK, AND SHALL N... [ Continue Reading ]