Jeremiah 50:1-10

1 The word which the Lord spake of Babylon, and of the land of Chaldees, in the hand of Jeremy, the prophet. (The word which the Lord spoke about Babylon, and the land of the Chaldeans, by the prophet Jeremiah.)

2 Tell ye among heathen men, and make ye heard; raise ye [up] a sign; preach ye, and do not ye hold still; say ye, Babylon is taken, Bel is shamed, Merodach is overcome; the graven images thereof be shamed, the idols of them be overcome. (Tell ye out among the heathen, and make ye it heard; raise ye up a sign; preach ye, and do not ye hold back; say ye, Babylon is taken, Bel is put to shame, Merodach is overcome with despair; its carved idols be put to shame, yea, its idols be broken in pieces.)

3 For a folk shall ascend from the north against it, which folk shall set the land thereof into wilderness; and none shall be that shall dwell therein, from man unto beast; and they be moved, and went away. (For a nation shall come from the north against it, which nation shall make its land into a wilderness; and there shall be no one who shall live there, from man unto beast; yea, they shall remove themselves, and shall go far away.)

4 In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the sons of Israel shall come, they and the sons of Judah together, going and weeping; they shall haste, and seek their Lord God in Zion, (In those days, and at that time, saith the Lord, the Israelites shall come, they and the people of Judah together, going and weeping; they shall make haste, and shall seek the Lord their God,)

5 and they shall ask the way. Hither the faces of them shall come, and they shall be set to the Lord with bond of peace everlasting, which shall not be done away by any forgetting. (and they shall ask the way to Zion. They shall come here, and they shall be joined to the Lord with an everlasting covenant, which shall not be done away with by any forgetting.)

6 My people is made a lost flock, the shepherds of them deceived them, and made them to go unstably in (the) hills; they passed from (a) mountain into a little hill (they passed from mountain to little hill), they forgot their bed.

7 All men that found (them), ate them, and the enemies of them said, We sinned not, for that they sinned to the Lord, the fairness of rightfulness, and to the Lord, the abiding of their fathers. (All those who found them, ate them, and their enemies said, We sinned not, for they have sinned against the Lord, the Beauty of righteousness, yea, against the Lord, their forefathers? hope.)

8 Go ye away from the midst of Babylon, and go ye out of the land of Chaldees, and be ye as kids before the flock. (Go ye away from the midst of Babylon, and go ye out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be ye like the goat-kids leading the flock.)

9 For lo! I shall raise (up), and bring into Babylon the gathering together of great folks, from the land of the north; and they shall be made ready against it, and it shall be taken in the day; the arrow(s) thereof (shall be) as of a strong man, a slayer, (and they) shall not turn again [void].

10 And Chaldea shall be into prey, all that destroy it (all who destroy it), shall be [ful]filled, saith the Lord.

Jeremiah 50:1-10 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 50

This and the following chapter contain a long prophecy concerning the destruction of Babylon; and which is expressed in such language, that it may be, and is to be, accommodated to the destruction of mystical Babylon; and several passages in the book of the Revelation are borrowed from hence; and it is intermixed with promises and prophecies of the deliverance of God's people from thence, and of the conversion of the Jews, and the restoration of them to their own which will be at that time; see Jer 50:4,5,8,19,20,33,34. The destruction of Babylon in general is proclaimed and declared, and the manner and cause of it, Jer 50:1-13; then the enemies of Babylon are stirred up and animated to proceed against her, and execute the judgments of God upon her, Jer 50:14-30. Next follows the Lord's controversy with her, because of her pride and oppression of his people; and threatens her with the sword, drought, and utter destruction, Jer 50:31-40; and then a description is given of her enemies, that should be the instruments of her destruction, Jer 50:41-44; and the chapter is closed with observing, that this is all according to the counsel and purpose of God, Jer 50:45,46.