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, "waters," i:e., 'many peoples,' ; . A large lake also was near Babylon.

The measure - literally, the cubit, which was the most common measure, and therefore is used for a measure in general.

Of thy covetousness - the time for putting a limit to thy covetousness is come (Gesenius). There is no "and" in the Hebrew; translate, thine end, the retribution for thy covetousness' (Grotius). Maurer takes the image to be from weaving: "thine end is come" - namely, 'the cubit where thou art to be cut off;' for the web is cut off when the required number of cubits is completed ().

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