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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Jeremiah 50:9-20

God is here by his prophet, as afterwards in his providence, proceeding in his controversy with Babylon. Observe, I. The commission and charge given to the instruments that were to be employed in destroying Babylon. The army that is to do it is called an assembly of great nations (Jer. 50:9), the Medes and Persians, and all their allies and auxiliaries; it is called an assembly, because regularly formed by the divine will and counsel to do this execution. God will raise them up to do it, will... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 50:9

For, lo, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon ,.... The work was of the Lord; it was he that would give a commission and a command to the enemies of Babylon; that would incline them, and stir them up, to come against her; that would direct their motions and guide them thither, so that it would assuredly be; wherefore it behooves the people of God to make haste out of it: an assembly of great nations from the north country ; the Medes and Persians, with their allies and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 50:10

And Chaldea shall be a spoil ,.... The land of the Chaldeans, as the Targum, should become a spoil to the enemy, and be plundered of all its riches and treasures; not only Babylon principally, but the whole country it was the metropolis of: all that spoil her shall be satisfied, saith the Lord ; for though spoilers are generally insatiable, yet so great should be the riches found in Babylon and in Chaldea, that they should have enough, and desire no more; see Revelation 18:17 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 50:11

Because ye were glad, because ye rejoiced, O ye destroyers of mine heritage ,.... This is addressed to the Chaldeans who destroyed Jerusalem and the land of Judea, once the heritage of the Lord; when they rejoiced at the destruction of God's people, and insulted them in their miseries; and which is the cause and reason assigned of their ruin; for though they had a commission to destroy, yet they exceeded that, and especially by exulting at the ruin of that people, which showed great... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 50:12

Your mother shall be sore confounded ,.... The monarchy of the Chaldeans; so the Targum and jarchi, your congregation; or rather their metropolis, their mother city, the city of Babylon; which would be confounded when taken, none of her sons being able to defend her: the same will be true of mystical Babylon, the mother of harlots, Revelation 17:5 ; she that bare you shall be ashamed ; which is the same as before, in different words: behold, the hindermost of the nations shall be ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 50:13

Because of the wrath of the Lord, it shall not be inhabited ,.... That is, Babylon; which the Targum expresses, "because thou, Babylon, hast provoked the Lord;' by their idolatry, luxury, ill usage of his people, and profanation of the vessels of the sanctuary; therefore it should be destroyed, and left without an inhabitant in it: but it shall be wholly desolate ; as it now is. Pausanias says F15 Arcadica, sive l. 8. p. 509. , in his time there was nothing but a wall... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 50:14

Put yourselves in array against Babylon round about ,.... This is directed to the Medes and Persians, to dispose of their army in proper places round about the city of Babylon, to besiege it; and to order their instruments of war, fit for that purpose, a convenient manner; since they might be sure of victory, the Lord being wroth with it, and having so severely threatened its ruin: all ye that bend the bow, shoot at her, spare no arrows ; the Elamites, or Persians, as before observed,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 50:15

Shout against her round about ,.... As soldiers do when they make an assault upon a place, to encourage one another, and dismay the besieged; just as the Israelites did when they surrounded Jericho: she hath given her hand ; submitted to the conqueror, and sued for mercy. The Targum is, "she is delivered into her hand;' the hand of the Persians, by two princes of Babylon, who went off to Cyrus, and showed him how to take the city; or rather it was delivered by Zopyrus into the hands... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 50:16

Cut off the sower from in Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest ,.... Both sower and reaper: the walls of Babylon took in a large compass of land, where there were corn fields; and which, as Curtius F19 Hist. l. 5. c. 1. observes, would yield a sufficiency to hold out a siege against an enemy; but being taken, the husbandman would not be spared, as used to be, but should be cut off, and so none to till the ground, or to reap what was upon it; and thus, in... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 50:9

An assembly of great nations - The army of Cyrus was composed of Medes, Persians, Armenians, Caducians, Sacae, etc. Though all these did not come from the north; yet they were arranged under the Medes, who did come from the north, in reference to Babylon. Their arrows - They are such expert archers, that they shall never miss their mark. read more

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