assembly = a gathered host, or convocation. great nations. Compare Isaiah 13:3 , Isaiah 13:4 . mighty . . . man. Hebrew. gibbor. App-14 . expert = successful. Compare Jeremiah 10:21 ; Jeremiah 23:5 . read more
9. from thence—that is, from the north country. expert—literally, "prosperous." Besides "might," "expertness" is needed, that an arrow may do execution. The Margin has a different Hebrew reading; "destroying," literally, "bereaving, childless-making" ( :-). The Septuagint and Syriac support English Version. In vain—without killing him at whom it was aimed ( :-). read more
1. An overview of Babylon’s future 50:1-10This oracle begins with an overview of what Yahweh would do to Babylon and Israel in the future. Much of the prophecy in this section has not yet been fulfilled. read more
Yahweh promised to become active again for His people and to bring many great nations from the north against Babylon. After a battle, Babylon would fall. The enemy would be skillful in archery and would take many captives. The enemy would take so much plunder that he would be satisfied. The references to "many nations" and "the north" point to a future fulfillment, in addition to a partial past fulfillment. read more
The Fall of Babylon and the Restoration of IsraelThe prophecy concerning Babylon is ascribed to Jeremiah in Jeremiah 51:59. This, however, need not mean more than that it represents the tone of Jeremiah’s utterances as expanded by a follower, e.g. Baruch, at a later date. The reasons for doubting Jeremiah’s authorship aro: (a) he elsewhere speaks in friendly terms of the Chaldeans; here their overthrow is predicted; (b) the style and words betray another writer; (c) the knowledge displayed of... read more
(9) An assembly of great nations from the north country.—Like all the great monarchies of the East, the Medo-Persian kingdom, which was to be the destroyer of Babylon, was made up of a congeries of many different races. Herodotus (vii. 61-69), in his account of the army of Xerxes, names twenty-two, from the Medes and Persians at the head of the list to the Arabians and Ethiopians at its close.From thence she shall be taken.—The Hebrew adverb may be taken either of time or place. The latter, as... read more
The Way of Contrition Jeremiah 50:4-5 Our spiritual life as a life of contrition is typified for us in the return of the children of Israel to Jerusalem from their long exile in Babylon. I. Of necessity, contrition must be the first stage of spiritual life. For what is contrition? The Bible definition of contrition is, sorrow, sorrow that is in union with God. Contrition is no passing paroxysm, it is a state of abiding spiritual sorrow; we are taken by the Spirit of God into union with God,... read more
CHAPTER XXVBABYLONJeremiah 50:1-46, Jeremiah 51:1-64"Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodach is broken in pieces."- Jeremiah 50:2THESE chapters present phenomena analogous to those of Isaiah 40:1-31; Isaiah 41:1-29; Isaiah 42:1-25; Isaiah 43:1-28; Isaiah 44:1-28; Isaiah 45:1-25; Isaiah 46:1-13; Isaiah 47:1-15; Isaiah 48:1-22; Isaiah 49:1-26; Isaiah 50:1-11; Isaiah 51:1-23; Isaiah 52:1-15; Isaiah 53:1-12; Isaiah 54:1-17; Isaiah 55:1-13; Isaiah 56:1-12; Isaiah 57:1-21; Isaiah 58:1-14;... read more
CHAPTERS 50-51 Babylon These two final chapters contain a great prophecy concerning Babylon, her overthrow and doom. The fifty-first chapter closes with the statement “thus far are the words of Jeremiah.” There is a direct statement that Jeremiah wrote all these words. We find it at the close of Jeremiah 51:59-64 . “Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that should come upon Babylon, even all these words that are written against Babylon.” It would be a brazen infidelity which says Jeremiah did... read more
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Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 50:1-46
A message concerning Babylon (50:1-46)Finally, Jeremiah sees that the nation that God used to punish Judah will itself be punished. Bel, or Merodach (Marduk), the chief god of Babylon, will be powerless to save Babylon when the attack comes (50:1-3).Since the Judeans will by this time have humbly repented before God, the downfall of Babylon will give them the opportunity to return to the land where their ancestors once lived (4-5). (When Cyrus of Persia conquered Babylon in 539 BC, he promptly... read more