Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition) (continued)
The Severe Judgment of God JEREMIAH LI. against Babylon, in Revenge of Israel,
14. 15, 18). Si. me—Zion speaks. Her groans are what bring down retriliution in kind on Babylon (ch. 50. 17; Psalm 102. 13, 17, 20). empty vessel—he has drained me out. dragon — the serpent often "swallows" its prey whole. Or a sea monster. [Grotius.] filled Ills belly . . . cast uic out—lilie a beast, which, having "filled" himself to .satiety, "casts out" liie rest. [Calvin.] After filling all his storehouses with my goods, he has cast me out of this land. [Giiorius.) 35. my tleshwhich Nebuchadnezzar hath "devoured" (y. 31). Zion thus calls her kinsmen (Romans 11. 14) slain throughout the country or carried captives to Babylon. [Grotius.] Or, as " my blood" follows, it and " my tlesh" constitute the whole man: Zion, in its totality, its citizens, and all its substance, have been a prey to Babylon's violence (Psalm 137. 8). 36. plead . . . cause—(Ch. oU 34.) sea—the Euphrates (t>. 13; ch. 50. 38). Cf. Isaiah 19. 5, " sea," i. e., the Nile (Isaiah 21. 1). 37. (Ch.
having spent itself In pouring Its "destroying" lava on all tlie country around, falls into the vacuum, and becomes extinct, the surrounding "rocks" alone marking where the crater had been. Such was the appearance of Babylon after its destruction, and as the pumice stones of the volcano are left in their place, being unlit for building, so Babylon should never rise from its ruins. 30. comer . . . stone . . . foundations—The corner-stone was'lhe most important one in the building, the foundation-stones came next in importance (Ephesians 2. 20). So the sense is, even as there sliall be no stones useful for building left of thee, so no leading pri/jce, or governors, shall come forth from thy inhabitants. 37. (Ch. 50. 29.) As in i: 12 the Babylonians were told to "set up the standard," so here her foes are told to do so: the latter, to good purpose; the former, iu vain. Ararat—Upper or Ma,jor Armenia, the regions about Mount Ararat. Mlnnl—Lower or Lesser Armenia. Rawlinson .says that Van was the capital of Minni. It was conquered by Tettarrassa, the general of Tetembar II., the Assyrian king whose wars are recorded on the black obelisk now in the British Museum. AscUenaz — a descendant of Japhct (Genesis 10. 3), who gave his name to tlie sea now called the Black Sea; the region bordering on it is probably here meant, viz., Asia Minor, including places named Ascnnin in Phrygia and Bithynia. Cyrus had subdued Asia Minor and the neighbouring regions, and from these drew levies iu proceeding against Babylon, rowgli caterpillars—the horsemen in multitude, and iu appearance bristling witli javelins and with crests, resemble "rough caterpillars." or locusts of the hairy-crested kind (Nahum
50. 2t), 39 ; Revelation 18. 2). 38, 39. The capture of Babylon was ellected on the night of a festival in honour of its idols, roar . . . yell— the Babylonians were shouting in drunken revelry (cf. Daniel 5. 4). 39. In their heat I will make tlieir feasts—In the midst of their being lieatetl with wine I will give tlieni" their" potions,—averydiU'e rent cup to drink, but one which is their due, the wine-cup of my stupefying wrath (ch. 25. 15; 49. 12; Isaiah 51. 17; Lamentations 4. 21). rejoice, aikd sleep . . . perpetual, itc—that they may exult, and iu the midst of their jubilant exultation .sleep the sleep of death {v. 57 ; Isaiah 21. 4. 6). 41. Slieshaeh—Babylon (cf. Note, ch. 25. 26). Called so from the goddess Sliach, to whom a five days' festival was kept, during which, as in the Roman Saturnalia, the most unbridled licentiousness was permitted; slaves ruled their masters, and iu every house one called Zogan, arrayed in a royal garment, was chosen to rule all the rest. He calls Babylon "Sheshach," to imply that it was during this feast the city was taken. [Scaliger.] 43. The sea—The host of Median invaders. The image (cf. ch. 47. 2; Isaiah
3. 15). 3«. kings of . . . Jledes—(i'. 11.) The satraps and tributary kings under Darius, or Cyaxares. liis dominion —the king of Media's dominion. 39. land shall tremble. . . every purpose of . . . Lord shall be performed— elegant antithesis between the trembling of tlie land or earth, and tlie stability of "every purpose of the Lord"
8. 7, 8) is appropriately taken from the Euphrates, which, overflowing in spring, is like a "sea" near Babylon {v, 13)
(cf. Psalm 46. 1-3). 30. forborne to tight—for the city was not taken by force of arms, but by stratagem, according to tlie counsel given to Cyrus by two eunuchs of Belshazzar who deserted, remained in . . . holds—not daring to go forth to fight; many, with Nabonidus, withdrew to the fortified city Borsippa. 31. (JV'ofc, ch. 50, 24.) One post—One courier after another shall announce the capture of the city. Tlie couriers despatched from the walls, where Cyrus enters, shall "meet" those sent by the king.
32, 3ti). 4:3. Her cities—The cities, her dependencies. So, "Jerusalem and the cities tliereof" (ch. 34. I). Or, Ihe "cities
" are the inner and outer cities, the two parts .into which Babylon was divided by the Euphrates. [Gkot. us,] 44. Bel . . . swallowed—in allusion to the manysaciifices to the idol which its priests pretended it swallowed at night; or rather, the precious gifts taken from other nations and offered to it (wjiich it is said to have "swallowed;" cf. "devoured," "swallowed," v. 34; ch. 50. 17), wiiich it should have to disgorge (cf. v. 13; ch. 50. 37). Of these gifts were the vessels of Jehovah's temple in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 36. 7 ; Daniel 1. 2). The restoration of these, as foretold here, is recorded, Ezra 1. 7-11. flow—as a river; fitly depicting the influx of pilgrims of all "nations'' to tlie idol. 45, 46. (Note, v. 6.) 46. And lest—Cf., lor tiie same ellipsis. Genesis 3. 22; Exodus 13. 17; Deutex'- onomy 8. 12. " And in order that your heart may not faint at the (first) rumour" (of war), I will give you some intimation of the time. In the first " year" there shall " come a rumour" that Cyrus is preparing for war against Babylon. "After tliat, in another year, shall come a rumour,"
Their confused running to and fro would result from the sudden panic at the entrance of Cyrus into the city, which he had so long besieged ineffectually; the Babylonians had laughed at his attempts, and were feasting at tlie time without fear, taken at one end — which was not known for a long time to the king and his courtiers feasting in tlie middle of the city ; so great was its extent that, wlicn the city was already three days in the enemy's hands, the fact was not known in some parts of the city. [Akistoti.e, Pol. 3. 2.] 33. passages are stopped — tlie guarded fords of the Euphrates are occupied by tlie enemy (Note, cli. 50. 3S). reeds . . . burned— the marsh. After draining off the river, Cyrus "burned" the stockade of dense tVec-Iike "reeds" on its banks, forming the outworks of the city's fortifications. The Iniriiiiig of these would give the appearance of the marsh or river Itself being on " fire." .13. like b threslting-floor, it Is time to thresh her—rather, " like a threshing-floor at the time of Uucsliiiig," or "at the time when it is trodden." The treading, or threshing, is here put before the harvest, out of the natural order, because the prominent thought is the treading down or destruction of Baiiylon. In the East the treading out of the corn took place only at liarvest-time. B.abylon is like a threshing-floor not trodden for a long time; l)ut the time of harvest, when her citizens shall be trodden under foot, shall come. [Caivin.] " Like a threshing-floor full of corn, so is Babylon now full of riches, but the time of harvest shall come, when all her prosperity shall be cut off." [Ludovicus de Dieu.] Gkotius distinguishes the "harvest" from the " tlireshlng ;" the lormer is the slaying of her citizens, the latter the plunging and destruction of the city (cf. Joel 3. 13; Uevelatlon 558 viz., that Cyrus is approaching, and has already entered Assyria. Then is your time to "go out" 45). Babylon was taken the following or third year of Belsliazzar's reign. [Grotius.] violence in the laud — of Babylon (Psalm 7. 10). ruler against ruler—or, " ruler upon ruler," a continual change of rulers in a short space. Belshazzar and Nabonidus, supplanted by Darius or Cyaxares, who is succeeded by Cyrus. 47. Grotius translates, "Because llien (viz., on tlie third year) tlie time shall have come, that," <fcc. confoundetl—at seeing their gods powerless to lielp them, her slain— In retribution for " JsraeP* slain" (V. 49) who fell by her hand. GuoTius translates, "lior dancers," as in Judges 21.21,23; 1 Samuel IS. 6, the same Hebrew word is translated, alluding to the dancing revelry of the festival during which Cyrus took Babylon. 48. heaven . . . cnrth . . . sing for Babylon- (Isaiah
II. 7-13; 44. 23; Revelation 18. 20.) 49. caused ... to fall — lit., has been for the falling, i. e., as Babj-lon made