Deeper Commentary
Jeremiah 50:1 The word that Yahweh spoke concerning Babylon,
concerning the land of the Chaldeans, by Jeremiah the prophet-
To
speak of Babylon in the hostile way the prophets do, especially as here
signing oneself as the human author, was a brave and unpopular thing (Is.
13,14,21,46; Jer. 50,51; often in Zechariah). We know from Ez. 8, Jer. 44
and Zech. 5 that many Jews had accepted the idols of their Babylonian
conquerors, rather like Ahaz did after his defeat by Assyria (2 Kings
16:10). The spirit of ridiculing the idolatry of Babylon whilst living in
it, waiting the call to leave, is so relevant to modern Christians working,
living and waiting in latter day Babylon. Jer. 25:13 had stated: "I will bring on that land all My words which I have
pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which
Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations".
Jeremiah 50:2 Declare among the nations and publish, and set up a standard;
publish, and don’t conceal: say, Babylon is taken, Bel is disappointed,
Merodach is dismayed; her images are disappointed, her idols are dismayed-
Jeremiah 50:3 For out of the north there comes up a nation against her,
which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein: they are
fled, they are gone, both man and animal- Just as Babylon had been the
nation from the north who would bring God' judgments, so now she is to be
judged from the north. She was to be made to realize how she had made
others feel. It is not simply so that 'what goes around comes around';
there is a purpose in these judgments repeating themselves. It was so that
those who had witnessed and participated in the judgment of Israel might
come to see how it felt, and thereby repent. We too are at times made to
feel the effect of our actions upon others- for the same reason.
Time and again the prophets describe the judgments to fall upon Israel
in the same terms as they speak of the condemnations of the surrounding
nations (e.g. Jer. 50:3,13). The message was clear: rejected Israel would
be treated as Gentiles. Even if we are separated from this world
externally, we can still act in a worldly way, and share the world's
condemnation.
Jeremiah 50:4 In those days, and in that time, says Yahweh, the children of
Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together; they shall go on
their way weeping, and shall seek Yahweh their God- This is critical
for us to understand the prophecies about Babylon. The intended prophetic
scenario was that the fall of Babylon would coincide with the repentance
of both the ten tribes and Judah; they would come "together", on the basis
of the common experience of weeping repentance, and return to Zion. It is
the common experience of God's grace and recognition of our sins which is
the basis for unity in practice amongst God's people, rather than any dry
theological agreement. The weeping of Ezra and Nehemiah was the basis for
their desire to return to Zion (Ezra 10:1; Neh. 1:4). But the
'restoration' of the Jews was generally not upon that basis. Many chose to
remain in captivity, and those who did return were motivated by a desire
for personal benefit in the land grants they expected to receive in the
land. And the restoration prophets are clear that many of them were not at
all spiritually motivated. So the intended prophetic scenario didn't come
about, and this in turn affected the outcome of the prophecies of the fall
of Babylon.
Jeremiah 50:5 They shall inquire concerning Zion with their faces turned
towards it saying, Come, and join yourselves to Yahweh in an everlasting
covenant that shall not be forgotten-
The
potential new covenant of Jer. 31:31 is spoken about in Jer. 50, where we
read that Babylon would fall as God’s revenge for what they did to God's
people, and then Judah in their exile would return to Zion whilst inviting
others to come and join themselves to that same new covenant. Indeed at the time
of Babylon’s fall, Judah were to heed God’s call to “Remove out of the
midst of Babylon”, who had taken them captives (Jer. 50:8,33). Babylon did
fall; and yet Judah did not return. Indeed, Daniel the Jew became a senior
ruler in the administration that followed Babylon’s fall (Dan. 5:31). They
themselves refused the new covenant, and didn't invite Babylon and the
surrounding peoples to join it. They would "ask the way to Zion" although
their faces were already set to go there (AV); they would accept the call
of Jer. 6:16 to ask or inquire for the Godly ways (s.w.), asking for their
own intention to be confirmed; for their faces were already "turned
towards it". And they would have been answered. But there is no evidence
that they did ask for this.
Jeremiah 50:6 My people have been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused
them to go astray; they have turned them away on the mountains; they have
gone from mountain to hill- God in His zeal to think positively about
His people lays the blame upon their bad shepherds. But we have often
noted throughout Jeremiah that the people and the leadership are usually
addressed together; the people were punished for their own sins, and their
shepherds were only teaching what they perceived the people themselves
wanted to hear. But God is as it were gushing in His desire to be positive
about His people; and that is how He feels toward us too. And we should
reflect that positivity.
They have forgotten their resting place- Zion, their resting place, had been forgotten by them in exile, despite their cultural loyalty to it. This is proof enough that Christian culture of itself is not enough; in reality they had forgotten Zion, despite singing songs such as Ps. 137:5 which avow their eternal remembrance of Zion.
Jeremiah 50:7 All who found them have devoured them; and their adversaries
said, We are not guilty, because they have sinned against Yahweh-
The habitation of righteousness, even Yahweh, the hope of their fathers- Jerusalem would be known as the habitation of the righteous one when Messiah came. But they refused that potential. Babylon is presented as being Yahweh's servant, doing what He commanded against both Israel and the nations. This raises the question as to whether God would then turn around and condemn Babylon for their obedience. I suggest that Babylon is condemned because they overstepped the bounds of their commission. Indeed God wanted Babylon to accept Him; that was His desire. It was their refusal to do so, and their abuse of God's people beyond what they were commanded, which was the basis for their condemnation.
Jeremiah 50:8 Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land
of the Chaldeans-
The
offer of rest was rejected by the exiles then; but is taken up now by all
who accept Christ, realizing that they are in the same state as the exiles
in Babylon. “Come out from among them and be ye separate” (2 Cor. 6:17) is
picking up the language of Is. 48:20; 52:11; Jer. 50:8; Zech. 2:7
concerning the return of the exiles from Babylon. The edict of Cyrus for
the Jews to return to the land is in a sense pointing forward to God’s
command to us to leave the spirit of Babylon, the Gentile world, and go up
to do His work. The returned exiles are us. Those who left Babylon did so
of their own freewill (Ezra 7:13), and yet providential events stirred up
their spirits to do this (Ezra 1:5); and the way was prepared in
miraculous way. And so it is for us, in our exodus from this world and
from the flesh.
God will confirm us in coming out from the world. He told His people to flee from Babylon, to come out of her and return to His land and Kingdom (Is. 48:20; 52:7; Jer. 50:8; Zech. 2:7). Babylon offered them a secure life, wealth, a society which accepted them (Esther 8:17; 10:3), houses which they had built for themselves (Jer. 29:5). And they were asked to leave all this, and travel the uncertain wilderness road to the ruins of Israel. They are cited in the NT as types of us in our exit from this world (2 Cor. 6:17; Rev. 18:4). Those who decided to obey God’s command and leave Babylon were confirmed in this by God: He raised up their spirit to want to return and re-build Jerusalem, and He touched the heart of Cyrus to make decrees which greatly helped them to do this (Ezra 1:2-5). And so the same Lord God of Israel is waiting to confirm us in our every act of separation from the kingdoms of this world, great or small; and He waits not only to receive us, but to be a Father unto us, and to make us His sons and daughters (2 Cor. 6:18).
And be as the male goats before the flocks- The idea was that Judah's repentance would have lead the Gentile flocks of nations to follow them to Zion in repentance. But this didn't happen, because the Jews weren't truly repentant, and the flocks didn't want to follow. Yet in essence it will come true in the last days.
Jeremiah 50:9 For behold, I will stir up and cause to come up against
Babylon a company of great nations from the north country; and they shall
set themselves in array against her; from there she shall be taken- Just as God stirred or raised up Babylon to invade Judah (Jer. 6:22), so
He would stir up, or psychologically provoke, other nations to come and
judge her (Jer. 50:9,41; 51:1,11 s.w.). This is greatly emphasized. The
activity of God directly upon human hearts is a great theme of the
Biblical revelation, and is to encourage us that He is eager to transform
hearts, and to place desires within us beyond our own unaided
psychological ability.
Their arrows shall be as of an expert mighty man; none shall return in vain- Every arrow would be guided by God to its mark.
Jeremiah 50:10 Chaldea shall be a prey: all who prey on her shall be
satisfied, says Yahweh- Hab. 2:8 says that Chaldea would be a prey
because of their violence against God's land and city. They had been
commanded to take the land and city of God; but it seems their violence
and bloodlust overstepped the bounds set by God. So it was not that God
punished Babylon for being His servant. They were punished because they
overstepped the boundary between legitimate punishment and abuse.
Jeremiah 50:11 Because you are glad, because you rejoice, O you who plunder
My inheritance, because you are wanton as a heifer that treads out the
grain, and neigh as strong horses- As explained on :10, it was the
wanton, joyful plundering of Zion which was the basis of their
condemnation. It was as if they were unmuzzled beasts not merely treading
out the grain [performing the required judgments] but also eating the
grain for themselves.
Jeremiah 50:12 your mother shall be utterly disappointed; she who bore you
shall be confounded: behold, she shall be the least of the nations, a
wilderness, a dry land, and a desert- The judgment was to be upon all
Babylonia, not just the city of Babylon, who is here described as the
mother of Babylon. All attempts to apply this verse solely to the city of
Babylon are therefore misplaced; it refers to all Babylonia. And the whole
area didn't become a literal desert; the fertile crescent remained
fertile. This recalls how the similar judgments upon the area of Edom
likewise didn't come about at the time; see on Jer. 49:18. But this will
happen in the last days.
Jeremiah 50:13 Because of the wrath of Yahweh she shall not be inhabited,
but she shall be wholly desolate: everyone who goes by Babylon shall be
astonished, and hiss at all her plagues- As explained on :12, this was
part of a wider prophetic scenario, whereby Babylonian would be made like
this and a repentant Judah and Israel would return to their land and their
God (see on :3,4). But that scenario didn't come completely true; although
it will in the last days. The language of total desolation implies some
radical intervention akin to what happened to Sodom; and that didn't
happen.
Jeremiah 50:14 Set yourselves in array against Babylon all around, all you
who bend the bow; shoot at her, spare no arrows: for she has sinned against
Yahweh- I noted on :10,11 that the sin against Yahweh was in elevating
herself to Divine status, and punishing Israel more than God intended. For
Babylon had been God's servant, obeying His commands concerning Judah and
the nations.
Jeremiah 50:15 Shout against her all around: she has submitted herself; her
bulwarks are fallen, her walls are thrown down; for it is the vengeance of
Yahweh: take vengeance on her; as she has done, do to her-
The
command to "shout" to cause the fall of the walls of Jericho was a
reflection of the belief Israel were to have in the fact that God
had
already
given them the city- for the Hebrew for "shout" usually refers to a shout
of victory. The word is translated "... will I triumph" in Ps. 60:8;
108:9. The same idea of shouting in victory over a city which has been
given to God's people recurs in Jer. 50:15- "Shout against her round about
[cp. compassing the walls of Jericho]... her foundations
are [present tense] fallen, her walls [cp.
Jericho's]
are thrown down". And this speaks of our latter day
victory against Babylon- thus making the whole account of earnest
relevance to us who live in the last days, and who will see Babylon fall
by faith. Notice how literal Babylon fell by the water of the river being
dried up, and the walls being opened- just the same sequence of events
that occurred at Jericho.
Jeremiah 50:16 Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him who handles the
sickle in the time of harvest- Aristotle claims that grain was grown
within the walled city area of Babylon. But even the agricultural workers
were to be cut off. This didn't really happen when the Medes conquered the
city.
For fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn each one to his people, and they shall flee each one to his own land- The various captive peoples taken to Babylon would each return to their own land, and Judah were to do likewise. But this isn't how things quite turned out. This was the prophetic ideal scenario, but it didn't happen because many Jews preferred to remain in Babylon and they didn't repent. The impression given is that the attack upon Babylon would reduce the city to ruins immediately. But this didn't happen under the Medes; it was only some time later that Cyrus further demolished parts of Babylon's wall, and there was a rebellion of Babylon at the time of Darius Hystapses. The deportation of some of the population happened even later in the time of Seleucus Nicanor. But the impression is given that all this would happen immediately at Babylon's fall. It didn't, because the preconditions related to Judah's repentance didn't come about. And so the prophecies were reapplied and rescheduled to the last days, and are alluded to throughout Rev. 18 with reference to the fall of latter day Babylon; which appears to not refer to the literal city of Babylon.
Jeremiah 50:17 Israel is a hunted sheep; the lions have driven him away:
first, the king of Assyria devoured him; and now at the last Nebuchadnezzar
king of Babylon has broken his bones- "At the last" suggests that
Nebuchadnezzar's abuse of Israel was "the last" suffering they would
endure. That was the potential scenario; for had Israel repented at
Babylon's fall, then a Messianic Kingdom of God would have been
reestablished in Israel. But this didn't happen, and so this was not "the
last" suffering of Israel.
Jeremiah 50:18 Therefore thus says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel:
Behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, as I have punished
the king of Assyria- The Assyrians were overthrown by the Medes and the
Chaldeans. The Medes would again be used against Babylon.
Jeremiah 50:19 I will bring Israel again to his pasture, and he shall feed
on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied on the hills of
Ephraim and in Gilead- As noted on :3,4, the prophetic potential was
that the fall of Babylon would coincide with the return of Israel to their
land. But these events didn't happen together, because Judah didn't
repent, and most of the ten tribes and Judah preferred to stay in exile.
Carmel, Bashan, Mount Ephraim, and Gilead, were in the territory of the
ten tribes, and they showed no interest in repenting or returning to the
land.
Jeremiah 50:20 In those days and in that time, says Yahweh, the iniquity of
Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah,
and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I leave as a
remnant- This
would be because they had accepted the new covenant (Jer. 31:34). But they
didn't; and so the prophetic scenario was precluded from coming true at
the time as was potentially possible. That will be true for Israel in the
last days, and for those who accept the new covenant today. The
wonderful certainty of salvation and freedom from condemnation is brought
out by the wonderful figure of the courtroom. God is the prosecutor- yet
He is the one who shall search for Israel's sin, and admit that it cannot
be found (Jer. 50:20). God is both judge, advocate for the defence, and
prosecutor- and this is God is
for us, the guilty! Rom. 8:33,34
develops the figure at length. The person bringing the complaint of sin
against us is God alone- for there is no personal devil to do so. And the
judge who can alone condemn us is the Lord Jesus alone. And yet we find the
one ‘brings the charge’ instead being the very one who justifies us, or as
the Greek means, renders us guiltless. The one who brings the charge becomes
this strange judge who is so eager to declare us guiltless. And the judge
who can alone condemn, or render guilty, is the very one who makes
intercession to the judge for us- and moreover, the One who died for us, so
passionate is His love. The logic is breathtaking, literally so.
Jeremiah 50:21 Go up against the land of Merathaim, even against it, and
against the inhabitants of Pekod: kill and utterly destroy after them,
says Yahweh, and do according to all that I have commanded you- These
names are chosen because of their meaning; "Merathaim" is the word used in
:24 for how they rebelled or struggled against Yahweh; "Pekod", where
Nineveh was located and which had become a province of Babylon, is the
same word used for "punish" in :18.
Jeremiah 50:22 A sound of battle is in the land, and of great destruction-
Continually the stress is upon the destruction of "the land" of
Babylon. To seek to apply these prophecies just to the city of Babylon is
incorrect. The scenario of all Babylonia being destroyed didn't quite come
true at the time as envisaged; the exiles didn't repent, and so the
scenario didn't at that time come about.
Jeremiah 50:23 How is the hammer of the whole earth cut apart and broken!
How is Babylon become a desolation among the nations!- Jeremiah had
used the word for "hammer" earlier in describing the power of God's word
(Jer. 23:29). Babylon had been a hammer on God's behalf, in fulfilling His
word. Now a repentant Israel were to become that hammer, breaking all in
pieces (Jer. 51:20-23). But this didn't happen, because Israel were not
repentant and were therefore unwilling to be used by God for this. They
could have been the little stone of Dan. 2:44 which returned from Babylon
and destroyed the kingdoms upon the eretz in order to prepare the
way for Yahweh's eternal kingdom. But they would not. And so these things
are to come true in the last days, when a repentant and therefore willing
Israel will become Yahweh's weapons to establish His Kingdom and do all
the necessary 'breaking' (Jer. 51:20).
Jeremiah 50:24 I have laid a snare for you, and you are also caught,
Babylon, and you weren’t aware: you are found, and also caught, because
you have struggled against Yahweh- The immediate application was in
the Medes attacking Babylon unawares, by drying up the water of the
protective river system around the city. Babylon had been given commands
relating to Judah and the surrounding nations; but they had gone beyond
fulfilling them, and had therefore striven against Yahweh, effectively
declaring themselves to be Yahweh, and their kingdom as His Kingdom.
Jeremiah 50:25 Yahweh has opened His armoury and has brought forth the
weapons of His indignation; for the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, has a work to
do in the land of the Chaldeans- The Medes and their confederate
peoples had been prepared by Yahweh for the work in hand; they had as it
were been stored up in His armoury for this moment.
Jeremiah 50:26 Come against her from the utmost border; open her
storehouses; cast her up as heaps, and destroy her utterly; let nothing of
her be left- The impression is given that the famed storehouses of
Babylon were to be opened at the same time as she was turned into heaps
with nothing left. But this didn't happen when the Medes took the city. It
was only some time later that Cyrus further demolished parts of Babylon's
wall, and there was a rebellion of Babylon at the time of Darius
Hystapses. The deportation of some of the population happened even later
in the time of Seleucus Nicanor. But the impression is given that all this
would happen immediately at Babylon's fall. It didn't, because the
preconditions related to Judah's repentance didn't come about. And so the
prophecies were reapplied and rescheduled to the last days, and are
alluded to throughout Rev. 18 with reference to the fall of latter day
Babylon; which appears to not refer to the literal city of Babylon.
Jeremiah 50:27 Kill all her bulls; let them go down to the slaughter: woe
to them! For their day has come, the time of their visitation- It has
been observed that the slaughterhouses were below the river, and when the
river was dried up, the soldiers of the Medes approached into the city
through those slaughterhouses.
Jeremiah 50:28 The voice of those who flee and escape out of the land of
Babylon, to declare in Zion the vengeance of Yahweh our God, the vengeance
of His temple- As noted on :3,4, we are reading here of a potential
prophetic scenario which didn't actually come about at the time. The
command to flee and escape from Babylon was largely ignored. The idea was
that around the time when Babylon fell, the repentant Jewish and Israelite
exiles would return to Zion. There, they would declare with joy that
Babylon had fallen. But this isn't what happened. They didn't repent and
most didn't return to the land. The prophecy is therefore to be reapplied
and rescheduled to the last days, as Rev. 18 makes clear.
Jeremiah 50:29 Call together the archers against Babylon, all those who
bend the bow; encamp against her all around; let none of it escape:
recompense her according to her work; according to all that she has done,
do to her- As noted on :26, much of Babylon did escape when the Medes
attacked and conquered her. This projected scenario didn't come about at
the time, and yet will do in essence in its latter day fulfilment.
For she has been proud against Yahweh, against the Holy One of Israel- I have repeatedly made the point that Babylon is presented as being Yahweh's servant, doing what He commanded against both Israel and the nations, with Him putting the ideas into the king of Babylon's mind. God surely would not then turn around and condemn Babylon for their obedience. I suggest that Babylon is condemned because they overstepped the bounds of their commission, they were proud, and established themselves as Yahweh with their kingdom as His kingdom.
Jeremiah 50:30 Therefore her young men will fall in her streets, and all
her men of war will be brought to silence in that day, says Yahweh-
This is what was done to Jerusalem, as Jeremiah frequently expresses in
his Lamentations.
Jeremiah 50:31 Behold, I am against you, you proud one, says the Lord,
Yahweh of Armies; for your day has come, the time that I will visit you-
Again, it was the pride of Babylon which led to her judgment; she had
been Yahweh's servant, doing His will upon Judah and her neighbours. But
she went too far and became exalted with pride, just as Is. 14 and other
prophecies against Babylon make clear. The judgments against Babylon are
perhaps the parade example of how seriously God views pride.
Jeremiah 50:32 The proud one shall stumble and fall, and none shall raise
him up; and I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it shall devour all
who are around him- Again, as noted on :31, it was pride which was
the reason for Babylon's judgment and not the fact she had invaded Judah;
for that had been at Yahweh's bidding and initiative. The destruction of
all the cities of Babylonia with fire didn't happen; indeed, the Medes
didn't destroy Babylon itself with fire; see on :26. This was the
potential prophetic scenario which didn't come about, because Judah didn't
repent (see on :3,4).
Jeremiah 50:33 Thus says Yahweh of Armies: The children of Israel and the
children of Judah are oppressed together; and all who took them captive
hold them fast; they refuse to let them go- Because the Jews
oppressed Gentiles (Jer. 7:6 s.w.), therefore they were to be oppressed by
them (Dt. 28:29,33 s.w.). They were
acting as "the oppressor" to God's people too (Jer. 21:12 s.w.), and so
they too were oppressed by the Babylonians. How they treated their
brethren was directly related to how they would be treated in their
judgment, and this principle applies for all time. Their judgments were
appropriate to their sins, as were Babylon's. But again we have here an
example of why I say that we are reading about a potential prophetic
scenario. There is no evidence that Israel and Judah actually strongly
wanted to be allowed to return to their land at the end of 70 years; Judah
responded poorly to the decree of Cyrus to return, and most of the ten
tribes remained willfully in exile. But the prophetic potential was that
Israel and Judah "together" would repent and return together. But they
chose not to. Had they done so, and earnestly wanted to return to restore
Zion, then Babylon would have been guilty of acting as Pharaoh, refusing
to let God's people go; and would have been punished appropriately.
Jeremiah 50:34 Their Redeemer is strong-
At
that time, God was willing to be strong to show Himself Judah’s redeemer-
but they chose to remain in Babylon under the Medo-Persian administration.
So they did not ask the way to Zion and seek a new covenant with Yahweh;
and thus the promises of a new covenant, strong redemption in Yahweh, a
Messiah figure arising, were all delayed and re-interpreted in their
fulfilment. See on :5.
Yahweh of Armies is His name: He
will thoroughly plead their cause-
Jeremiah 50:35 A sword is on the Chaldeans, says Yahweh, and on the
inhabitants of Babylon, on her princes and on her wise men- The idea
of a sword hanging over Babylon is an image used elsewhere about
Jerusalem, and the idea is that there was therefore an appeal for
repentance. This is what God wanted to see from Babylon.
Jeremiah 50:36 A sword is on the boasters, and they shall become fools; a
sword is on her mighty men, and they shall be dismayed- As noted on
:31 and often, Babylon was judged above all for her pride and exaltation
of human strength and wisdom. Babylon is set up as a fake Christ and Kingdom of God. She had
proselytes and prophets ["boasters"] (Jer. 50:36,37); a mountain (Jer.
51:25); "The golden city" (Is. 14:4) with a thick, embellished wall (Jer.
51:58); springs and rivers within her (Jer. 51:36); “The praise of the
whole earth” (Jer. 51:41).
Jeremiah 50:37 A sword is on their horses, and on their chariots, and on
all the mixed people who are in the midst of her; and they shall become as
women: a sword is on her treasures, and they shall be robbed- The
idea of a sword hanging over Babylon is an image used elsewhere about
Jerusalem, and the idea is that there was therefore an appeal for
repentance. This is what God wanted to see from Babylon. It was trust in
horses, chariots and wealth which was so abhorrent to God; this was the
basis for the pride which brought about her judgment; see on :31.
Jeremiah 50:38 A drought is on her waters, and they shall be dried up; for
it is a land of engraved images, and they are mad over idols- This
was partly fulfilled by the Medes diverting the course of the Euphrates in
order to take Babylon by surprise; although Layard uncovered inscriptions
which say that Babylon opened her own gates in surrender. The judgments
described here are upon her "land"; perhaps all the water sources are in
view and not just the river around the city of Babylon. And this didn't
happen to all of Babylonia. What was in view was a destruction of all
Babylonia after the pattern of Sodom's destruction (:40). And that didn't
happen; the prophetic scenario didn't come true at the time, and Rev. 18
alludes to these prophecies to demonstrate that they will come true in
essence only in the very last days.
Jeremiah 50:39 Therefore the wild animals of the desert with the wolves
shall dwell there, and the ostriches shall dwell therein: and it shall be
no more inhabited forever; neither shall it be lived in from generation to
generation-
As noted on :26, much of Babylon did escape when the Medes
attacked and conquered her, and the city continued being inhabited for
some time. This projected scenario didn't come about at
the time, and yet will do in essence in its latter day fulfilment, as Rev.
18 explains.
Jeremiah 50:40 As when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and the
neighbouring cities, says Yahweh, so shall no man dwell there, neither
shall any son of man live therein-
Such dramatic destruction of Babylon didn't happen at the hands of
the Medes (see on :26). And we must bear in mind the many hints that the
projected judgments were not just upon the city of Babylon but upon the
land of Babylon i.e. Babylonia. The image of Sodom's destruction suggests
direct, miraculous Divine intervention. This didn't happen at Jeremiah's
time, but Rev. 18 alludes to all this and makes it clear that such Divine
intervention will occur against latter Babylon in the last days.
Jeremiah 50:41 Behold, a people comes from the north; and a great nation
and many kings shall be stirred up from the uttermost parts of the earth-
Just as Babylon had been the nation from the north who would bring
God' judgments, so now she is to be judged from the north. She was to be
made to realize how she had made others feel. It is not simply so that
'what goes around comes around'; there is a purpose in these judgments
repeating themselves. It was so that those who had witnessed and
participated in the judgment of Israel might come to see how it felt, and
thereby repent. We too are at times made to feel the effect of our actions
upon others- for the same reason. For "stirred up", see on :9.
Jeremiah 50:42 They lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no
mercy; their voice roars like the sea; and they ride on horses, each one
set in array as a man to the battle, against you, daughter of Babylon-
This quotes the condemnation of Judah in Jer. 6:23 and applies it to
Babylon. What Babylon had done to Judah was to be done to her. There is a
continuity in God's judgments, they all bear the same Divine hallmark. And
the same desire to elicit repentance. The scenario here again doesn't
quite fit the picture of what happened to historical Babylon. There was
much support for Darius the Mede within Babylon; both the Babylonian
Chronicles and the Cyrus Cylinder describe Babylon being taken "without
battle". So the main fulfilment of this must yet be future.
Jeremiah 50:43 The king of Babylon has heard the news of them, and his
hands wax feeble: anguish has taken hold of him, pains as of a woman in
labour-
This is not quite the same as the impression given by surface level
Bible teachers that the king of Babylon was rejoicing in his city,
confident in his own strength, when the Medes diverted the course of the
Euphrates and took the city by surprise. The record in Daniel 5 is
correct, but that record doesn't contradict the information given here-
that the king was already deeply concerned at the advance of the Medes.
Here we read that he was feeble at the news of the enemy advance. Hence we
should give due weight to the discovery by Layard of inscriptions which
say that Babylon opened her own gates in surrender.
Jeremiah 50:44 Behold, the enemy shall come up like a lion from the pride
of the Jordan against the strong habitation: for I will suddenly make them
run away from it; and whoever is chosen, him will I appoint over it: for
who is like Me? And who will appoint Me a time? And who is the shepherd
who can stand before Me?-
This verse is repeated word for word in Jer. 49:19 about Edom; and :45 is
likewise about Edom in Jer. 49:20. There is a theme that all the
nations around Judah were to be given the same appeal for repentance. It
was God's intention that they too repented, along with Israel and Judah,
and formed part of a restored kingdom of God in the whole eretz
promised to Abraham. This didn't happen at the time, and so it is
reapplied and rescheduled to the last days. The chosen shepherd appointed
over Edom or Babylon will then ultimately be the Lord Jesus, the good
shepherd. But in the immediate application, it could have been Cyrus the
Persian or Darius the Mede, who were the shepherds to be appointed over
Edom and Babylon (Is. 44:28).
Jeremiah 50:45 Therefore hear the counsel of Yahweh that He has taken
against Babylon; and His purposes, that He has purposed against the land
of the Chaldeans: Surely they shall drag them away, even the little ones
of the flock; surely he shall make their habitation desolate over them-
See on :44. But Jer. 18:8 clearly states that this purpose could have been changed,
Jeremiah 50:46 At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth trembles,
and the cry is heard among the nations- The fall of Babylon was
intended to cause panic amongst the nations of the eretz promised
to Abraham, and her "cry" is frightening for those nations. Rev. 18
interprets this for us, as meaning that the nations of the eretz
were all confederate with and supportive of Babylon, and would take her
fall as a body blow to themselves. But that was not the scene when the
Medes took Babylon. Again, the prophetic scenario here described didn't
fully happen when the Medes captured Babylon, or as Layard claims, Babylon
opened her gates in surrender to the Medes. We are looking at a potential
scenario which was precluded by the lack of repentance and desire for
restoration in Israel and Judah (see on :3,4). But this is not to say that
the prophecy was proven false; it is reinterpreted and rescheduled for the
last days in Rev. 18.
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