Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me, a destroying wind; AGAINST THEM THAT DWELL IN THE MIDST OF THEM THAT RISE UP AGAINST ME - literally, in the heart of them, etc. Compare Psalms 46:2, "the midst o... [ Continue Reading ]
And will send unto Babylon fanners, that shall fan her, and shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about. FANNERS - (note, ). The fanners separate the wheat from the chaff; so God's judgments shall sweep away guilty Babylon as "chaff" ().... [ Continue Reading ]
Against him that bendeth let the archer bend his bow, and against him that lifteth himself up in his brigandine: and spare ye not her young men; destroy ye utterly all her host. AGAINST HIM THAT BENDETH - namely, the bow, i:e., against the Babylonian archer. LET THE ARCHER BEND - i:e., the Pers... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, and they that are thrust through in her streets. THE SLAIN SHALL FALL IN THE LAND ... AND ... IN HER STREETS - (notes, , "Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets;" ; ).... [ Continue Reading ]
For Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of his God, of the LORD of hosts; though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel. ISRAEL HATH NOT BEEN FORSAKEN - as a widow [Hebrew, 'almaan (H488)]. Israel is not severed from her Husband, Yahweh (Isaiah 54:5), by a perpetual d... [ Continue Reading ]
Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the LORD's vengeance; he will render unto her a recompence. FLEE OUT OF THE MIDST OF BABYLON. Warning to the Israelite captives to flee from Babylon, lest they should be invo... [ Continue Reading ]
Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD's hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad. BABYLON HATH BEEN A GOLDEN CUP IN THE LORD'S HAND. Babylon is compared to a cup, because she was the vessel in the hand of God to make drunken w... [ Continue Reading ]
Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed. HOWL FOR HER: TAKE BALM FOR HER PAIN ... WE WOULD HAVE HEALED BABYLON, BUT SHE IS NOT HEALED: FORSAKE HER, AND LET US GO. Her friends and confederates, who behold her fall, are invited to... [ Continue Reading ]
The LORD hath brought forth our righteousness: come, and let us declare in Zion the work of the LORD our God. THE LORD HATH ... Next after the speech of the confederates of Babylon comes that of the Jews, celebrating with thanksgivings the promise-keeping faithfulness of their covenant God. BRO... [ Continue Reading ]
Make bright the arrows; gather the shields: the LORD hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes: for his device is against Babylon, to destroy it; because it is the vengeance of the LORD, the vengeance of his temple. MAKE BRIGHT - literally, pure. Polish and sharpen "the arrows." GATH... [ Continue Reading ]
Set up the standard upon the walls of Babylon, make the watch strong, set up the watchmen, prepare the ambushes: for the LORD hath both devised and done that which he spake against the inhabitants of Babylon. SET UP ... - with all your efforts, your city shall be taken. THE STANDARD - to summo... [ Continue Reading ]
O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness. O THOU THAT DWELLEST UPON MANY WATERS - (; ; note, ). The Euphrates surrounded the city, and, being divided into many channels, formed islands. Compare as to spiritual Babylon, ... [ Continue Reading ]
The LORD of hosts hath sworn by himself, saying, Surely I will fill thee with men, as with caterpillers; and they shall lift up a shout against thee. THE LORD OF HOSTS HATH SWORN BY HIMSELF - literally, by His soul (; , "Because He (God) could swear by no greater, He sware by Himself"). I WILL... [ 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. HE HATH MADE THE EARTH BY HIS POWER ... WHEN HE UTTERETH HIS VOICE ... EVERY MAN IS BRUTISH BY HIS KNOWLEDGE ... THEY ARE VANITY ... THE PORTION OF JACOB IS NO... [ Continue Reading ]
Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms; THOU ART MY BATTLE-AX ... - (note, ). WITH THEE WILL I BREAK IN PIECES THE NATIONS. "Break in pieces" refers to the "hammer" there (cf. , "He that dasheth in piec... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND WITH THEE WILL I BREAK IN PIECES THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER; AND WITH THEE WILL I BREAK IN PIECES THE CHARIOT AND HIS RIDER;_ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
With thee also will I break in pieces man and woman; and with thee will I break in pieces old and young; and with thee will I break in pieces the young man and the maid; WITH THEE WILL I BREAK IN PIECES OLD AND YOUNG - (, "The Chadees slew the young men with the sword in the house of their sanct... [ Continue Reading ]
_I WILL ALSO BREAK IN PIECES WITH THEE THE SHEPHERD AND HIS FLOCK; AND WITH THEE WILL I BREAK IN PIECES THE HUSBANDMAN AND HIS YOKE OF OXEN; AND WITH THEE WILL I BREAK IN PIECES CAPTAINS AND RULERS._ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
And I will render unto Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Zion in your sight, saith the LORD. I WILL RENDER UNTO BABYLON ... ALL THEIR EVIL THAT THEY HAVE DONE. The detail of particulars (Jeremiah 51:20) is in order to express the indiscriminate s... [ Continue Reading ]
Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the LORD, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain. O DESTROYING MOUNTAIN - called so, not from its position, for it lay low in the "p... [ Continue Reading ]
And they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations; but thou shalt be desolate for ever, saith the LORD. THEY SHALL NOT TAKE OF THEE A STONE FOR A CORNER, NOR A STONE FOR FOUNDATIONS. The cornerstone was the most important one in the building; the foundation stones... [ Continue Reading ]
Set ye up a standard in the land, blow the trumpet among the nations, prepare the nations against her, call together against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashchenaz; appoint a captain against her; cause the horses to come up as the rough caterpillers. SET YE UP A STANDARD ... PREPARE TH... [ Continue Reading ]
Prepare against her the nations with the kings of the Medes, the captains thereof, and all the rulers thereof, and all the land of his dominion. THE KINGS OF THE MEDES - (). The satraps and tributary kings under Darius, or Cyaxares. ALL THE LAND OF HIS DOMINION - the King of Media's dominion.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the land shall tremble and sorrow: for every purpose of the LORD shall be performed against Babylon, to make the land of Babylon a desolation without an inhabitant. THE LAND SHALL TREMBLE ... FOR EVERY PURPOSE OF THE LORD SHALL BE PERFORMED. Elegant antithesis between the trembling of the la... [ Continue Reading ]
The mighty men of Babylon have forborn to fight, they have remained in their holds: their might hath failed; they became as women: they have burned her dwellingplaces; her bars are broken. THE MIGHTY MEN OF BABYLON HAVE FORBORNE TO FIGHT - for the city was not taken by force of arms, but by stra... [ Continue Reading ]
One post shall run to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to shew the king of Babylon that his city is taken at one end, ONE POST SHALL RUN TO MEET ANOTHER ... TO SHOW THE KING OF BABYLON THAT HIS CITY IS TAKEN AT ONE END - (note, , "Thou art also taken, O Babylon, and thou wast not aw... [ Continue Reading ]
And that the passages are stopped, and the reeds they have burned with fire, and the men of war are affrighted. PASSAGES ARE STOPPED - the guarded fords of the Euphrates are occupied by the enemy (note, Jeremiah 50:38). THE REEDS ... BURNED - "the reeds" [ haa'ªgamiym (H98)], literally, the ma... [ Continue Reading ]
For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; The daughter of Babylon is like a threshingfloor, it is time to thresh her: yet a little while, and the time of her harvest shall come. THE DAUGHTER OF BABYLON IS LIKE A THRESHING-FLOOR, IT IS TIME TO THRESH HER - rather, 'is like a threshing-f... [ Continue Reading ]
Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon hath devoured me, he hath crushed me, he hath made me an empty vessel, he hath swallowed me up like a dragon, he hath filled his belly with my delicates, he hath cast me out. NEBUCHADNEZZAR ... HATH DEVOURED ME. Zion speaks. Her groans are what bring down retri... [ Continue Reading ]
The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon, shall the inhabitant of Zion say; and my blood upon the inhabitants of Chaldea, shall Jerusalem say. THE VIOLENCE DONE ... TO MY FLESH - which Nebuchadnezzar hath "devoured" (). Zion thus calls her kinsmen () slain throughout the country,... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry. THUS SAITH THE LORD; BEHOLD, I WILL PLEAD THY CAUSE - (, "Their Redeemer is strong, The Lord of hosts is His name: He shall throughly plead their cause... [ Continue Reading ]
And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwellingplace for dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing, without an inhabitant. BABYLON SHALL BECOME HEAPS, A DWELLING-PLACE FOR DRAGONS - (; ; ).... [ Continue Reading ]
They shall roar together like lions: they shall yell as lions' whelps. 39. THEY SHALL ROAR ... THEY SHALL YELL. The capture of Babylon was effected on the night of a festival in honour of its idols. The Babylonians were shouting in drunken revelry (cf. ).... [ Continue Reading ]
In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the LORD. IN THEIR HEAT I WILL MAKE THEIR FEASTS - in the midst of their being heated with wine I will give them "their" potions-a very different cup to d... [ Continue Reading ]
_I WILL BRING THEM DOWN LIKE LAMBS TO THE SLAUGHTER, LIKE RAMS WITH HE GOATS._ _ I WILL BRING THEM DOWN LIKE LAMBS TO THE SLAUGHTER, LIKE RAMS WITH HE GOATS._ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
How is Sheshach taken! and how is the praise of the whole earth surprised! how is Babylon become an astonishment among the nations! SHESHACH - Babylon (cf. note, ). Called so from the goddess Shach, to whom a five days' festival was kept, during which, as in the Roman Saturnalia, the most unbrid... [ Continue Reading ]
The sea is come up upon Babylon: she is covered with the multitude of the waves thereof. THE SEA IS COME UP UPON BABYLON - "the sea" - i:e., the host of Median invaders. The image (cf. ; Isaiah 8:7) is appropriately taken from the Euphrates, which, overflowing in spring, is like a "sea" near Bab... [ Continue Reading ]
Her cities are a desolation, a dry land, and a wilderness, a land wherein no man dwelleth, neither doth any son of man pass thereby. HER CITES - the cities her dependencies. So "Jerusalem and the cities thereof" (). Or the "cities" are the inner and outer cities, the two parts into which Babylon... [ Continue Reading ]
And I will punish Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up: and the nations shall not flow together any more unto him: yea, the wall of Babylon shall fall. BEL ... I WILL BRING FORTH OUT OF HIS MOUTH THAT WHICH HE HATH SWALLOWED - in allusion to the... [ Continue Reading ]
My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and deliver ye every man his soul from the fierce anger of the LORD. MY PEOPLE, GO YE, OUT OF THE MIDST OF HER - (note, ). The frequent repetition of the same charge (; ; ) implies the earnest concern God has for His people, just as when "Lot lingered" i... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore, behold, the days come, that I will do judgment upon the graven images of Babylon: and her whole land shall be confounded, and all her slain shall fall in the midst of her. THEREFORE, BEHOLD, THE DAYS COME, THAT I WILL DO JUDGMENT. Grotius translates [ laakeen (H3651)], 'Because then ... [ Continue Reading ]
Then the heaven and the earth, and all that is therein, shall sing for Babylon: for the spoilers shall come unto her from the north, saith the LORD. THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH ... SHALL SING FOR BABYLON - (Isaiah 14:7, "The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet; they break forth into singing;" ; ,... [ Continue Reading ]
As Babylon hath caused the slain of Israel to fall, so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the earth. AS BABYLON HATH CAUSED THE SLAIN OF ISRAEL TO FALL - literally, has been for the falling; i:e., As Babylon made this its one aim, to fill all places with the slain of Israel, 'so at Babylon s... [ Continue Reading ]
Ye that have escaped the sword, go away, stand not still: remember the LORD afar off, and let Jerusalem come into your mind. YE THAT HAVE ESCAPED THE SWORD - namely, of the Medes. So great will be the slaughter that even some of God's people shall be involved in it, as they had deserved. REMEMBER... [ Continue Reading ]
We are confounded, because we have heard reproach: shame hath covered our faces: for strangers are come into the sanctuaries of the LORD's house. WE ARE CONFOUNDED BECAUSE WE HAVE HEARD REPROACH. The prophet anticipates the Jews' reply: I know you will say in despair, "We are confounded," etc. "W... [ Continue Reading ]
Wherefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will do judgment upon her graven images: and through all her land the wounded shall groan. WHEREFORE, BEHOLD ... - because of these sighs of the Jews directed to God (). I WILL DO JUDGMENT UPON HER ... IMAGES. In Opposition to the Babylo... [ Continue Reading ]
Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall spoilers come unto her, saith the LORD. THOUGH BABYLON SHOULD MOUNT UP TO HEAVEN - (cf. as to Edom; , "Though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down"). THOUGH .... [ Continue Reading ]
_A SOUND OF A CRY COMETH FROM BABYLON, AND GREAT DESTRUCTION FROM THE LAND OF THE CHALDEANS:_ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
Because the LORD hath spoiled Babylon, and destroyed out of her the great voice; when her waves do roar like great waters, a noise of their voice is uttered: BECAUSE THE LORD HATH ... DESTROYED OUT OF HER THE GREAT VOICE - where once was the great din of a might city, there shall be the silence... [ Continue Reading ]
Because the spoiler is come upon her, even upon Babylon, and her mighty men are taken, every one of their bows is broken: for the LORD God of recompences shall surely requite. HER MIGHTY MEN ARE TAKEN - when they were least expecting it, and in such a way that resistance was impossible.... [ Continue Reading ]
And I will make drunk her princes, and her wise men, her captains, and her rulers, and her mighty men: and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts. I WILL MAKE DRUNK HER ... CAPTAINS - (; , etc.)... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken, and her high gates shall be burned with fire; and the people shall labour in vain, and the folk in the fire, and they shall be weary. THE BROAD WALLS OF BABYLON - 87 feet wide (Rosenmuller); 50 cubits (Grotius). A... [ Continue Reading ]
The word which Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, when he went with Zedekiah the king of Judah into Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. And this Seraiah was a quiet prince. THE WORD WHICH JEREMIAH ... COMMANDED SERAIAH. A special copy of the proph... [ Continue Reading ]