Jeremiah 50:2

2 "Announce this to the nations. Lift up a banner and tell them. Speak the whole message and say: 'Babylon will be captured. The god Bel will be put to shame, and the god Marduk will be afraid. Babylon's gods will be put to shame, and her idols will be afraid!'

Jeremiah 50:2 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 50:2

Declare ye among the nations
The taking of Babylon; a piece of news, in which the nations of the world had a concern, as well as the Jews, being brought under the Babylonish yoke, from which they would now be freed; and therefore such a declaration must be very acceptable and joyful to them. Some take these words to be the words of God to the prophet; others, the words of Jeremiah to the nations; the meaning is only, that such a declaration should be made, and such things done, as follow: and publish, and set up a standard; publish, [and] conceal not;
cause it to be heard far and near; and, that it may be heard, set up a sign or standard, to gather the people together to hear it; for this standard was not to be set up for the enlisting of men, or gathering them together, to go up and fight against Babylon, since it was now taken; but as a token of victory, and as expressive joy, on account of it; or rather for the reason given; see ( Isaiah 13:2 ) ; say, Babylon is taken;
this is the thing to be declared, published, and not concealed; but with an audible voice to be pronounced, and rung throughout the several nations of the earth. Thus, when the everlasting Gospel is preached to every nation on earth, and Christ is set up in it as an ensign and standard to the people; it shall be everywhere published, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen", ( Revelation 14:6 Revelation 14:8 ) ( Revelation 18:1 Revelation 18:2 ) ; Bel is confounded;
an idol of the Babylonians, thought by some to be the same with Baal by contraction; he is by the Septuagint called Belus, the name of one of their kings; who might be idolized after his death, as was usual among the Heathen lions: he is said to be "confounded", because he must have been, could he have been sensible of the taking of Babylon, where his temple stood, and he was worshipped, since he was not able to protect it; or rather, because his worshippers were confounded, that gloried in him, and put their trust in him. So the Targum,

``they are confounded that worship Bel;''

(See Gill on Isaiah 46:1). Merodach is broken in pieces;
another of their idols, which signifies a "pure lord"; some of their kings had this as one of their names, ( Isaiah 39:1 ) ( Jeremiah 52:31 ) . The Targum is,

``they are broken that worshipped Merodach;''

her idols are confounded, her images are broken to pieces;
these were their lesser deities, as the other two were their greater ones; all should be destroyed along with it; as all the idols and images of the church of Rome will, when that is destroyed, ( Revelation 9:20 ) .

Jeremiah 50:2 In-Context

1 This is the message the Lord spoke to Baby- lon and the Babylonian people through Jeremiah the prophet.

2 "Announce this to the nations. Lift up a banner and tell them. Speak the whole message and say: 'Babylon will be captured. The god Bel will be put to shame, and the god Marduk will be afraid. Babylon's gods will be put to shame, and her idols will be afraid!'

3 A nation from the north will attack Babylon and make it like an empty desert. No one will live there; both people and animals will run away."

4 The Lord says, "At that time the people of Israel and Judah will come together. They will cry and look for the Lord their God.

5 Those people will ask how to go to Jerusalem and will start in that direction. They will come and join themselves to the Lord. They will make an agreement with him that will last forever, an agreement that will never be forgotten.