Jeremiah 51
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Jer 51:1-4 1Thus says the Lord:
“Behold, I am going to arouse against Babylon
And against the inhabitants of Leb-kamai
The spirit of a destroyer.
2I will dispatch foreigners to Babylon that they may winnow her
And may devastate her land;
For on every side they will be opposed to her
In the day of her calamity.
3Let not him who bends his bow bend it,
Nor let him rise up in his scale-armor;
So do not spare her young men;
Devote all her army to destruction.
4They will fall down slain in the land of the Chaldeans,
And pierced through in their streets.”
Jer 51:1 “Leb-Kamai” This is a construct of “heart” (BDB 52:4 ) and the verb “arise” or “stand up” (BDB 87:7 , Qal active participle). It could be translated literally as
1. UBS Text Project - “heart of my adversaries”
2. NKJV (footnote) - “the midst of those who rise up against Me”
3. AB and UBS Handbook - “the heart of those who rise up against Me”
The LXX and most English commentators and translations take it as an Atbash cipher (letters of the alphabet are reversed to make them into a code) for “Kasdim” (i.e., Chaldean referring to Babylon). Another cipher for Babylon is “Sheshach” of Jer 25:26 or “Sheshak” of Jer 51:41 . The Apostle John used a similar code mechanism in Revelation 1:8 , where “Babylon” refers to Rome.
NASB “that spirit of a destroyer”
NKJV, NRSV,
TEV, NJB,
LXX, REB,
JPSOA “a destroying wind”
The Hebrew word ruah (BDB 92:4 ) can mean “wind,” “breath,” or “spirit” (see Special Topic: Spirit in the Bible <http://www.freebiblecommentary.org/special_topics/spirit.html>). Only context can determine which is intended by the original author. In this context (i.e., Jeremiah) “wind” fits best (cf. Jer 4:11-12 ; Jer 13:24 ; Jer 18:17 ; Jer 22:22 ; Jer 49:32 ; Jer 49:36 ). Jer 51:11 b demands a translation of “spirit.” Context, context, context!
Jer 51:17 demands a translation of “breath.”
Jer 51:2 NASB, TEV “foreigners”
NKJV, NRSV,
NJB “winnowers”
JPSOA “strangers”
The MT has “strangers” (BDB 26:6 I, cf. Jer 5:19 ; Jer 30:8 ; Jer 51:2 ; Jer 51:51 ; Lam 5:2 ), but other ancient versions read “winnowers” (BDB 27:9 , cf. Jer 4:11 ; Jer 15:7 ; the same root is translated “scatter” in Jer 49:32 ; Jer 49:26 ). The UBS Text Project gives “strangers” a “C” rating (considerable doubt).
The LXX translates this term as “spoilers” or “insolent men.”
Jer 51:3 This verse is uncertain. It could be addressing the invaders to charge ahead or it could address the defenders that all their efforts are useless. The invaders are called on
1. not to spare (BDB 32:8 , KB 32:8 , negated Qal imperfect, cf. Jer 51:4 )
2. to devote to God (BDB 35:5 , KB 35:3 , Hiphil imperative, i.e., put under the ban, cf. Jer 25:9 ; Jer 50:21 ; Jer 50:36 )
All of Babylon's defenders are helpless, just as they mercilessly defeated others, so now no mercy to them!
Jer 51:4 “pierce” This verb (BDB 20:1 , KB 23:0 , Pual participle) denotes a badly wounded person (cf. Jer 37:10 ).
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Jer 51:5-10 5For neither Israel nor Judah has been forsaken
By his God, the Lord of hosts,
Although their land is full of guilt
Before the Holy One of Israel.
6Flee from the midst of Babylon,
And each of you save his life!
Do not be destroyed in her punishment,
For this is the Lord's time of vengeance;
He is going to render recompense to her.
7Babylon has been a golden cup in the hand of the Lord,
Intoxicating all the earth.
The nations have drunk of her wine;
Therefore the nations are going mad.
8Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been broken;
Wail over her!
Bring balm for her pain;
Perhaps she may be healed.
9We applied healing to Babylon, but she was not healed;
Forsake her and let us each go to his own country,
For her judgment has reached to heaven
And towers up to the very skies.
10The Lord has brought about our vindication;
Come and let us recount in Zion
The work of the Lord our God!
Jer 51:5 In light of Jer 33:24-26 , this is an important affirmation that YHWH has not permanently rejected the descendants of Abraham, but only temporarily judged them for their sin (cf. Isa 54:7-8 ). They, both Israel and Judah, have now been “widowed” (BDB 4:8 ).
Jer 51:6 There is a series of imperatives very similar in meaning to Jer 50:8 .
1. flee - BDB 63:0 , KB 68:1 , Qal imperative
2. save - BDB 57:2 , KB 58:9 , Piel imperative
3. do not be destroyed - BDB 19:8 , KB 22:6 , negated Niphal imperfect used in a jussive sense
YHWH commands the Jewish exiles to leave Babylon before His judgment comes! One wonders how exiles could leave before Persia's victory and Cyrus' decree. Possibly they could leave the capital city of Babylon, not the country.
Jer 51:7 Babylon served as YHWH's instrument of judgment). The “cup” was an idiom for judgment (i.e., drunkenness, cf. Jer 25:15 ; Hab 2:16 ; Rev 14:8 , see note at Jer 49:12 ).
▣ “the nations are going mad” This verb (BDB 23:7 , KB 24:8 , Hithpoel imperfect) is also used in Jer 25:16 .
Jer 51:8 This is sarcasm addressed to Babylon's subservient nations.
1. wail over her - BDB 41:0 , KB 41:3 , Hiphil imperative
2. bring balm for her pain - BDB 54:2 , KB 53:4 , Qal imperative
Jer 51:9 All the efforts of the subservient nations are to no avail. Therefore,
1. forsake her - BDB 73:6 , KB 80:6 , Qal imperative
2. let us each go to his own country - BDB 22:9 , KB 24:6 , Qal imperfect used in a cohortative sense (cf. Jer 50:16 ; Isa 13:14 )
▣ “has reached to heaven. . .up to the very skies” Poetry is difficult to interpret because of its brevity and imagery.
These verbs seem to imply that
1. the sins of Babylon have come to YHWH's notice
2. YHWH's judgment of Babylon is so extensive that it symbolically reaches to the heavens
Jer 51:10 As Jer 51:5 promised YHWH's forgiveness and restoration, Jer 51:10 demands that the covenant people share His victory in Zion.
1. come - BDB 9:7 , KB 11:2 , Qal imperfect
2. let us recount - BDB 70:7 , KB 76:5 , Piel cohortative, cf. Jer 50:28 ; Isa 40:2 a. in Zion
b. the work of YHWH
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Jer 51:11-14 11Sharpen the arrows, fill the quivers!
The Lord has aroused the spirit of the kings of the Medes,
Because His purpose is against Babylon to destroy it;
For it is the vengeance of the Lord, vengeance for His temple.
12Lift up a signal against the walls of Babylon;
Post a strong guard,
Station sentries,
Place men in ambush!
For the Lord has both purposed and performed
What He spoke concerning the inhabitants of Babylon.
13O you who dwell by many waters,
Abundant in treasures,
Your end has come,
The measure of your end.
14The Lord of hosts has sworn by Himself:
“Surely I will fill you with a population like locusts,
And they will cry out with shouts of victory over you.”
Jer 51:11-14 This poem addresses the invading army. TEV attributes the commands to the Persian army officers.
1. sharpen the arrows, Jer 51:11 - BDB 14:0 , KB 16:2 , Hiphil imperative
2. fill the quivers, Jer 51:11 - BDB 56:9 , KB 58:3 , Qal imperative
3. lift up a signal, Jer 51:12 - BDB 66:9 , KB 72:4 , Qal imperative
4. post a strong guard, Jer 51:12 - BDB 30:4 , KB 30:2 ,, Hiphil imperative
5. station sentries, Jer 51:12 - BDB 87:7 , KB 108:6 , Hiphil imperative
6. place men in ambush, Jer 51:12 - BDB 46:5 , KB 46:4 , Hiphil imperative
However, #3-#6 could refer, in sarcasm, to the ineffective Babylonian defenders (cf. Jer 51:13 ). The reason they are ineffective is because YHWH is against them (cf. Jer 51:12 -f, 14).
Jer 51:11 NASB, NRSV,
NJB, JPSOA,
REB “fill the quivers”
NKJV “gather the shields”
TEV “get your shields ready”
The MT has “fill the shields” (BDB 102:0 ), but KB (1522-23) shows that this root was used in the Dead Sea Scrolls for “quiver.” There is an Akkadian root with the same meaning. “Quiver” fits this context best in linking with
1. the previous line of poetry
2. the verb “fill”
The word “shields” in the Dead Sea Scrolls could refer to a throwing (i.e., spear), slinging, or shooting (i.e., arrow) weapon.
▣ “the kings of the Medes” The invader from the north is now identified (i.e., Medo-Persia under King Cyrus II, “Cyrus the Great”). The MT has “kings” (plural) but the LXX has the singular. Cyrus' empire was made up of several small nations, or it may be the Hebrew grammatical feature called the “plural of majesty,” denoting Cyrus' greatness.
Jer 51:11 d This last line of poetry repeats the message of Jer 50:28 . Babylon will be destroyed with its magnificent pagan temples, as they destroyed YHWH's temple (i.e., 586 B.C.).
Jer 51:13 “you who dwell by many waters” This phrase refers to the southern part of Babylon which was made up of marshes formed at the mouth of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
▣ “measure” This is literally “cubit” (BDB 5:2 II, see Special Topic at Jer 13:12 ). The phrase, line 4, refers to the thread being cut from a loom. Here it is an idiom for death (cf. Job 6:9 ; Isa 38:12 ).
Jer 51:14 “the Lord of hosts has sworn by Himself” This concept goes back to Gen 22:16 ; Gen 26:3 . There is no one or no power greater than YHWH, so to swear (BDB 98:9 , KB 139:6 , Niphal PERFECT) by Him is the ultimate oath. This same imagery is used in Jer 22:5 ; Jer 44:26 ; Jer 49:13 and Isa 14:24 ; Isa 45:23 ; Isa 62:8 . The thing YHWH purposes (cf. Jer 51:12 e) He will perform (cf. Jer 51:12 e)!
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Jer 51:15-23 15It is He who made the earth by His power,
Who established the world by His wisdom,
And by His understanding He stretched out the heavens.
16When He utters His voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens,
And He causes the clouds to ascend from the end of the earth;
He makes lightning for the rain
And brings forth the wind from His storehouses.
17All mankind is stupid, devoid of knowledge;
Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols,
For his molten images are deceitful,
And there is no breath in them.
18They are worthless, a work of mockery;
In the time of their punishment they will perish.
19The portion of Jacob is not like these;
For the Maker of all is He,
And of the tribe of His inheritance;
The Lord of hosts is His name.
20He says, “You are My war-club, My weapon of war;
And with you I shatter nations,
And with you I destroy kingdoms.
21With you I shatter the horse and his rider,
And with you I shatter the chariot and its rider,
22And with you I shatter man and woman,
And with you I shatter old man and youth,
And with you I shatter young man and virgin,
23And with you I shatter the shepherd and his flock,
And with you I shatter the farmer and his team,
And with you I shatter governors and prefects.”
Jer 51:15-23 The NASB sees this as one literary unit but most other English translations see Jer 51:15-19 and Jer 51:20-23 as separate. There is no textual marker to ensure the division of ancient texts into literary units. However, the task is primary in interpretation. This is where checking several modern versions can be helpful (see the paragraph divisions on the first page of each chapter).
Jer 51:15-19 This is a comparison of YHWH, the God who knows and acts, with the idols who are blind, dumb, uninformed, and cannot act!
Notice the attributes of YHWH listed.
1. creator, Jer 51:15 2. provider, Jer 51:16 3. covenant God of Jacob, Jer 51:19 Notice the characterization of the idols.
1. made by mankind, Jer 51:17 2. worthless to help, even provide false hope, Jer 51:18 This strophe is paralleled in Jer 10:12-16 . These truths were a recurrent theme of YHWH's reality versus the idols of the nations' non-existence.
Jer 51:17 “there is no breath in them” This same phrase describing the lifeless idols is in Jer 10:14 . The word “breath” is ruah, translated “spirit” in Jer 51:1 ; Jer 51:11 . See Special Topic: Spirit in the Bible <http://www.freebiblecommentary.org/special_topics/spirit.html>. The prophets regularly “make fun of” and ridicule the non-existence of pagan idols (i.e., Isa 40:18-20 ; Isa 41:6-7 ; Isa 44:9-17 ; Isa 46:5-7 ). They “cannot”; YHWH can and does!
Jer 51:20-23 The only true God (see Special Topic: Monotheism <http://www.freebiblecommentary.org/special_topics/monotheism.html>) will bring judgment on Babylon by His chosen instrument (i.e., war-club, lit. “hammer,” BDB 65:9 ), Persia and Cyrus II, who are named by a specific prophecy in Isa 44:28 ; Isa 45:1 .
1. shatter nations
destroy kingdoms
2. shatter horse and its rider
shatter chariot and its rider
3. shatter man
shatter woman
4. shatter old men
shatter youth
5. shatter young men
shatter virgins
6. shatter the shepherd
shatter his flock
7. shatter the farmer
shatter his team
8. shatter governors
shatter prefects
All levels of society will be “shattered” (BDB 65:8 , KB 71:1 , nine Piel perfects).
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Jer 51:24-26 24”But I will repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea for all their evil that they have done in Zion before your eyes,” declares the Lord.
25”Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain,
Who destroys the whole earth,” declares the Lord,
“And I will stretch out My hand against you,
And roll you down from the crags,
And I will make you a burnt out mountain.
26They will not take from you even a stone for a corner
Nor a stone for foundations,
But you will be desolate forever,” declares the Lord.
Jer 51:24-26 This poem (Jer 51:25-26 ) describes the destruction of Babylon (“O destroying mountain”) in highly figurative language. The book that has helped me understand this genre is by D. Brent Sandy, Plowshares and Pruning Hooks: Rethinking the Language of Biblical Prophecy and Apocalyptic.
It is possible that this imagery relates to the Babylonian sky gods who were worshiped on the tops of ziggurats (i.e., the tower of Babel, Genesis 1:1 ). These manmade mud brick structures dominated the flat river plains of Babylon's chief cities. Each one had their own god and tower. The great ziggurat of Marduk was in the city of Babylon.
The violent and complete destruction of the city of Babylon did not occur in 53:9 B.C., when the city was taken without a fight and with minimal destruction, by the Persian army. However, it did occur later in history (i.e., by Xerxes I in 48:2 B.C.).
Jer 51:25 “O destroying mountain” This imagery is uncertain. It is obviously figurative language referring to Babylon as a military victor. But why “mountain”?
1. the home of the gods (i.e., divine empowerment, i.e., Isa 14:13 )
2. the God of Mt. Moriah (i.e., the Jewish temple, i.e. Isa 2:2-3 )
3. the military advantage of “higher ground”
4. the awesome physical sites of mountains and their strength
5. root of the mountains as the entrance to the underworld
6. imagery used of a mountain where pagan altars were located (cf. 2Ki 23:13 )
This destroying mountain will be destroyed (i.e., fire, see Special Topic: Fire <http://www.freebiblecommentary.org/special_topics/fire.html>) by YHWH. He sends and uses Babylon but also holds them responsible!
Jer 51:26 This is imagery of a complete and lasting destruction (cf. Jer 50:13 ). Usually in the ANE the sites of major cities were advantageous sites (i.e., water, protection, fertility), so destroyed cities were quickly rebuilt, often using the building material lying around. This verse prophesies no habitation. Note the ruins of Babylon today!
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Jer 51:27-32 27Lift up a signal in the land,
Blow a trumpet among the nations!
Consecrate the nations against her,
Summon against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni and Ashkenaz;
Appoint a marshal against her,
Bring up the horses like bristly locusts.
28Consecrate the nations against her,
The kings of the Medes,
Their governors and all their prefects,
And every land of their dominion.
29So the land quakes and writhes,
For the purposes of the Lord against Babylon stand,
To make the land of Babylon
A desolation without inhabitants.
30The mighty men of Babylon have ceased fighting,
They stay in the strongholds;
Their strength is exhausted,
They are becoming like women;
Their dwelling places are set on fire,
The bars of her gates are broken.
31One courier runs to meet another,
And one messenger to meet another,
To tell the king of Babylon
That his city has been captured from end to end;
32The fords also have been seized,
And they have burned the marshes with fire,
And the men of war are terrified.
Jer 51:27-32 YHWH calls on the Persian Empire to take up arms against Babylon in a series of imperatives.
1. lift up a signal - BDB 66:9 , KB 72:4 , Qal imperative, cf. Jer 51:12 ; Jer 50:2 ; Isa 5:26 ; Isa 13:2 2. blow a trumpet - BDB 107:5 , KB 178:5 , Qal imperative
3. consecrate the nations - BDB 87:2 , KB 107:3 , Piel imperative
4. summon. . .kingdoms - BDB 103:3 , KB 157:0 , Hiphil imperative
5. appoint a marshal - BDB 82:3 , KB 95:5 , Qal imperative, cf. Jer 49:19 ; Jer 50:44 6. bring up horses - BDB 74:8 , KB 82:8 , Hiphil imperative
7. in Jer 51:28 a #3 is repeated
Jer 51:27 “Ararat” This nation is located around Lake Van. Today its territory is in Armenia, Russia, and Iran. It was known as Urartu by the Assyrians. This ethnic group participated in the Persian attack on Babylon.
▣ “Minni” This refers to the people group south of Lake Van. They were later known as Scythians but at this time as “Mannaeans.”
▣ “Ashkenaz” This group of people is mentioned in Gen 10:3 ; 1Ch 1:6 , living east of Lake Urmia. They are also part of what later became the Scythians.
Jer 51:30 This is ANE imagery of dis-spirited soldiers.
1. they have ceased fighting
2. they stay in the stronghold
3. their strength is exhausted
4. they are like women
Their fortifications are breached.
1. set on fire
2. gate bars broken
Jer 51:31-32 This is a message to be delivered to the king of Babylon by the city's defenders.
1. the city is captured
2. fords seized
3. marshes burned
4. soldiers terrified
There was no way to escape!
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Jer 51:33 33For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel:
“The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor
At the time it is stamped firm;
Yet in a little while the time of harvest will come for her.”
Jer 51:33 It is uncertain if this should be a separate literary unit or part of Jer 51:27-32 . The speaker of Jer 51:20-32 is YHWH, so too, here. Babylon's fate is set. Her doom is sure! What she did to others will be done to her.
▣ “threshing” This is often used in judgment imagery (cf. Isa 21:10 ; Isa 41:15-16 ).
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Jer 51:34-40 34”Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devoured me and crushed me,
He has set me down like an empty vessel;
He has swallowed me like a monster,
He has filled his stomach with my delicacies;
He has washed me away.
35May the violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon,”
The inhabitant of Zion will say;
And, “May my blood be upon the inhabitants of Chaldea,”
Jerusalem will say.
36Therefore thus says the Lord,
“Behold, I am going to plead your case
And exact full vengeance for you;
And I will dry up her sea
And make her fountain dry.
37Babylon will become a heap of ruins, a haunt of jackals,
An object of horror and hissing, without inhabitants.
38They will roar together like young lions,
They will growl like lions' cubs.
39When they become heated up, I will serve them their banquet
And make them drunk, that they may become jubilant
And may sleep a perpetual sleep
And not wake up,” declares the Lord.
40”I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter,
Like rams together with male goats.”
Jer 51:34-39 Jerusalem/Judah (Jer 51:35 d) is personified as a devastated people (Jer 51:34 ).
1. Babylon has devoured me - BDB 3:7 , KB 4:6 , Qal perfect
2. Babylon has crushed me - BDB 24:3 , KB 25:1 , Qal perfect
3. Babylon has set me down as an empty vessel - BDB 42:6 , KB 42:7 , Hiphil perfect
4. Babylon has swallowed me like a monster - BDB 11:8 , KB 13:4 , Qal perfect
5. Babylon has filled his stomach with my delicacies - BDB 56:9 , KB 58:3 , Piel perfect
6. Babylon has washed me away - BDB 18:8 , KB 21:6 , Hiphil perfect
Every one of these (except #5) has a Kethiv and Qere form related to plural or singular.
Jer 51:34 NASB “washed me away”
NKJV “spit me out”
NRSV, REB “spewed me out”
TEV “threw the rest away”
NJB “threw me out”
JPSOA “rinsed me out”
LXX —omit—
The MT has the verb “rinse” or “cleanse away” (BDB 18:8 , KB 21:6 , Hiphil perfect). The verb can refer to
1. ritual washing - 2Ch 4:6 ; Eze 40:38 2. cleansing - Isa 4:4 3. here the context seems to demand a mouth rinse and expulsion of the liquid
The point is Babylon used Jerusalem and then spit her out as useless!
Jer 51:35 a This is praying/wishing that what Babylon did to Jerusalem/Judah, others will do to her (cf. Jer 50:15 ; Jer 50:29 ). The speaker is personified Jerusalem.
Jer 51:36-40 YHWH describes what He will do to Babylon and for Judah.
1. for Judah
a. plead your case, Jer 50:34 ; Jer 51:36 (i.e., act as your advocate)
b. exact full vengeance on her behalf
2. to Babylon
a. dry up her sea (i.e., commerce)
b. become a heap of ruins
c. become a haunt of jackals, cf. Jer 49:33 d. become an object of horror
e. become an object of hissing
f. make them the food of a banquet
g. make then drunk (lit. “rejoice”), cf. Jer 51:57 h. make them sleep forever
i. make them sacrificial animals
Jer 51:38-39 The context demands that this refers to Babylon. They are enjoying their spoils in Jer 51:38 . However, their victories make them vulnerable to excess (drunkenness), which leads to destruction and death (Jer 51:39 , lines 3 & 4, Jer 51:40 ).
In Jer 51:40 the Babylonians are like animals being led to slaughter. They cannot defend themselves. As they treated others, now they will receive!
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Jer 51:41-44 41”How Sheshak has been captured,
And the praise of the whole earth been seized!
How Babylon has become an object of horror among the nations!
42The sea has come up over Babylon;
She has been engulfed with its tumultuous waves.
43Her cities have become an object of horror,
A parched land and a desert,
A land in which no man lives
And through which no son of man passes.
44I will punish Bel in Babylon,
And I will make what he has swallowed come out of his mouth;
And the nations will no longer stream to him.
Even the wall of Babylon has fallen down!”
Jer 51:41-44 Another poem of YHWH's judgment on Babylon (there are several separate poems in this chapter brought together by topic). Most of the verbs are prophetic perfects, describing future events as completed actions.
Jer 51:41 “Sheshak” See note at Jer 25:26 . This is another atbash cipher.
Jer 51:42 Babylon was a country of rivers, canals, and marshes (cf. Jer 51:13 a); her waterways are disrupted as an idiom of divine judgment (cf. Jer 51:36 ). YHWH, the creator God, controls the waters (cf. Jer 5:22 ; Jer 31:35 ). The nation of “waters” will be dry (Jer 51:43 b).
Jer 51:44 “Bel” See note at Jer 50:2 .
▣ “what he has swallowed” This is the imagery of eating used to describe conquest. As Babylon “ate” Jerusalem in Jer 51:34 , then spit her out, so too, now Babylon. Her deities must regurgitate!
▣ “even the wall of Babylon has fallen down” This prophecy of complete destruction of the city of Babylon (cf. Jer 50:15 ; Jer 51:58 ) is a hyperbolic description of Persia's defeat, but literal for future events. See note on the genre of prophecy at Jer 51:24-26 .
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Jer 51:45-48 45”Come forth from her midst, My people,
And each of you save yourselves
From the fierce anger of the Lord.
46Now so that your heart does not grow faint,
And you are not afraid at the report that will be heard in the land-
For the report will come one year,
And after that another report in another year,
And violence will be in the land
With ruler against ruler-
47Therefore behold, days are coming
When I will punish the idols of Babylon;
And her whole land will be put to shame
And all her slain will fall in her midst.
48Then heaven and earth and all that is in them
Will shout for joy over Babylon,
For the destroyers will come to her from the north,”
Declares the Lord.
Jer 51:45-48 This is another poem with two emphases.
1. YHWH calls for His people to leave the city of Babylon before His judgment comes (cf. Jer 50:8 ; Jer 51:6 )
2. YHWH will punish Babylon
Jer 51:46 This may relate to Jer 50:28 . There are two reports circulating.
1. Judah/Israel's restoration (cf. Isa 48:20 )
2. Babylon's fall
▣ “lest your heart grow faint” The faith challenge to God's people is “do not fear, do not lose heart,” because I am with you; I am in control (cf. Deu 3:22 ; Deu 7:18 ; Deu 20:3 ; Deu 31:6 ; Deu 31:8 ; Jos 1:6-7 ; Jos 1:9 ; Isa 43:5 ; Jer 46:27-28 ). This same admonition is for the people of faith today!
The Jerome Biblical Commentary (p. 336) and NASB Study Bible (p. 1142) assert that this verse is reflected in Jesus' eschatological discourse of Mat 24:6 ff.
Jer 51:48 “heaven and earth” These are the two ancient witnesses (cf. Isa 44:23 ; Isa 49:13 ). They summarize all creation (cf. Gen 1:1 ). “Heaven” refers to the atmosphere above the earth. See Special Topic: Heaven <http://www.freebiblecommentary.org/special_topics/heaven.html>.
▣ “from the north” See notes at Jer 50:3 ; Jer 50:9 ; Jer 50:41 , which build on Jer 1:13-15 .
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Jer 51:49-51 49Indeed Babylon is to fall for the slain of Israel,
As also for Babylon the slain of all the earth have fallen.
50You who have escaped the sword,
Depart! Do not stay!
Remember the Lord from afar,
And let Jerusalem come to your mind.
51We are ashamed because we have heard reproach;
Disgrace has covered our faces,
For aliens have entered
The holy places of the Lord's house.
Jer 51:49-51 This poem is addressed to the remnant (see Special Topic at Jer 5:10-13 ) of the exiles who returned to Judah under Cyrus' decree in 53:8 B.C. I believe Jer 51:52-53 should go with Jer 51:49-51 .
Jer 51:49 Notice Babylon is reaping the judgment of YHWH because of its treatment of the covenant people (i.e., their treatment of the temple, cf. Jer 51:51 ; Jer 50:28 c; Lam 1:10 ; Lam 2:6-7 ). The irony is that it was YHWH who sent Babylon but still she is responsible for her actions. See Special Topic at Jer 18:8 .
There is another way to interpret this phrase. It is possible to make it parallel to Jer 51:47 . If so, it is not just “for the slain of Israel,” but for all the slain of all the nations.
Jer 51:50 YHWH commands His exiled people in Babylon to think of Jerusalem/temple and leave their captivity.
1. depart - BDB 22:9 , KB 24:6 , Qal imperative
2. do not stay - BDB 76:3 , KB 84:0 , negated Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense
3. remember the Lord from afar - BDB 26:9 , KB 26:9 , Qal imperative
4. let Jerusalem come to your mind - BDB 74:8 , KB 82:8 , Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense
The exiles of Nebuchadnezzar's previous deportations (i.e., 605, 597 B.C.) heard of the atrocities that occurred in 58:6 B.C. with the fall and destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple (cf. Jer 51:51 ), but they are encouraged now to remember YHWH!
The vast majority of exiled Jews did not return under the leadership of Sheshbazzar, Zerubbabel/Joshua, Ezra, and Nehemiah in the Persian period.
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Jer 51:52-53 52”Therefore behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“When I will punish her idols,
And the mortally wounded will groan throughout her land.
53Though Babylon should ascend to the heavens,
And though she should fortify her lofty stronghold,
From Me destroyers will come to her,” declares the Lord.
Jer 51:53 The imagery of geographical high places which was used of Edom does not fit Babylon, which was located mostly in the Tigris/Euphrates River valley and plain. It is imagery which may reflect her trust in the gods of the sky who they worshiped from their manmade towers, ziggurats (possibly related to Genesis 1:1 , “the Tower of Babel”).
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Jer 51:54-58 54The sound of an outcry from Babylon,
And of great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans!
55For the Lord is going to destroy Babylon,
And He will make her loud noise vanish from her.
And their waves will roar like many waters;
The tumult of their voices sounds forth.
56For the destroyer is coming against her, against Babylon,
And her mighty men will be captured,
Their bows are shattered;
For the Lord is a God of recompense,
He will fully repay.
57”I will make her princes and her wise men drunk,
Her governors, her prefects and her mighty men,
That they may sleep a perpetual sleep and not wake up,”
Declares the King, whose name is the Lord of hosts.
58Thus says the Lord of hosts,
“The broad wall of Babylon will be completely razed
And her high gates will be set on fire;
So the peoples will toil for nothing,
And the nations become exhausted only for fire.”
Jer 51:54-58 This is another in a series of poetic prophecies about the fall of Babylon.
Jer 51:54 There are no verbals in Jer 51:54 , just stark nouns.
1. hark - BDB 876:2 . cry - BDB 277:3 . great destruction - adjective, BDB 15:2 and noun, BDB 99:1 Jer 51:56 “a God of recompense” This characterization of YHWH as One who holds humans accountable for their actions is a recurrent theme (cf. Jer 51:6 ; Isa 35:4 ; Isa 59:18 [twice]; Isa 66:6 ; Lam 3:64 ). For a full list of all the places in Scripture where this truth is revealed, see the note at Jer 17:10 .
▣ “He will fully repay” This is an intensified grammatical form. The infinitive absolute and imperfect verb of the same root (BDB 102:2 , KB 153:2 ) are used.
Jer 51:58 “will be completely razed” As Jer 51:56 had an intensified grammatical form, so too, here (i.e., infinitive absolute and imperfect verb of the same root).
This purposeful hyperbole is a common feature of prophetic and apocalyptic literature (see D. Brent Sandy, Plowshares and Pruning Hooks). It was not meant to be taken in a modern, western literalism. In fact, Cyrus did not destroy the walls of the city of Babylon. The amazingly huge, thick double walls of Babylon (cf. Herodotus 1.178ff) were destroyed by Xerxes I in 48:2 B.C.
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Jer 51:59-64 59The message which Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah the son of Neriah, the grandson of Mahseiah, when he went with Zedekiah the king of Judah to Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. (Now Seraiah was quartermaster.) 60So Jeremiah wrote in a single scroll all the calamity which would come upon Babylon, that is, all these words which have been written concerning Babylon. 61Then Jeremiah said to Seraiah, “As soon as you come to Babylon, then see that you read all these words aloud, 62and say, 'You, O Lord, have promised concerning this place to cut it off, so that there will be nothing dwelling in it, whether man or beast, but it will be a perpetual desolation.' 63And as soon as you finish reading this scroll, you will tie a stone to it and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates, 64and say, 'Just so shall Babylon sink down and not rise again because of the calamity that I am going to bring upon her; and they will become exhausted.'“ Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.
Jer 51:59-64 This is a concluding prose section relating a message sent by Jeremiah by the hand of Seraiah (possibly Baruch's brother, cf. Jer 32:12 ) to the exiles already in Babylon (i.e., 605, 597 B.C.).
When the visit occurred in 59:4 /3 B.C. (Zedekiah began to reign in 59:7 B.C., see Special Topic: Kings of the Divided Monarchy <http://www.freebiblecommentary.org/special_topics/kings_divided_monarchy.html><http://www.freebiblecommentary.org).> This is the only mention of this visit in the Bible. Possibly it was when Zedekiah tried to convince Nebuchadnezzar of his loyalty and denial of any duplicity in the alliances/revolts of the far western nations.
Jer 51:63 This was done for one of two reasons (or maybe both).
1. as a symbol of Babylon's destruction
2. as a way to protect the message from causing a reaction from the Babylonian captors (i.e., note the ciphers of Jer 25:26 ; Jer 51:1 ; Jer 51:41 ).
One wonders how much of Jeremiah 5:0-51 was included on that scroll. It seems that many poems from different periods of Jeremiah's life were brought together by topic in these two chapters.
Also note the cultural emphasis on oral presentation versus written. The ANE was made up of oral societies (for the most part).
Jer 51:64 MT, NASB,
NKJV, NRSV “Thus far are the words of Jeremiah”
TEV “The words of Jeremiah end here”
REB “Thus far are the collected sayings of Jeremiah”
LXX, JPSOA - omit -
There is no verb. Many scholars believe this is an editorial comment to separate chapter 5:2 (destruction of Jerusalem, cf. 2Ki 24:10 to 2Ki 25:30 ) from Jeremiah's writings. The faith presupposition of “inspiration” must cover the editing and compiling of OT books (see Special Topic: Inspiration <http://www.freebiblecommentary.org/special_topics/inspiration.html> and Special Topic: Illumination <http://www.freebiblecommentary.org/special_topics/illumination.html>).
