Jeremiah 51:5

5 For 1neither Israel nor Judah has been forsaken By his God, the LORD of hosts, Although their land is 2full of guilt Before the Holy One of Israel.

Jeremiah 51:5 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 51:5

For Israel [hath] not [been] forsaken, nor Judah of his God,
of the Lord of hosts
That is, not totally and finally; for though they might seem to be forsaken, when carried captive by their enemies, yet they were not in such sense as a woman is deprived of her husband when dead, and she is become a widow, as the word F4 used may signify; or when divorced from him; or as children are deprived of their parents, and become orphans; but so it was not with Israel; for thought they were under the frowns of Providence, and the resentment of God they had sinned against, yet the relation between them still subsisted; he was their covenant God and Father, their husband and protector, and who would vindicate them, and avenge them on their enemies: though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel;
which was the reason why they were carried captive, and so seemed to be forsaken of God; or though their land was filled with punishment, with devastation and destruction, yet nevertheless God would appear for them, and restore that and them unto it; or rather this is to be understood of the land of the Chaldeans, as it is by Jarchi and Kimchi; and be rendered, "for their land is filled with [punishment] for sin, from", or "by", or "because of the Holy One of Israel" F5; by which it appears, that the people of God were not forsaken by him, and were not without a patron and defender of them; since it was a plain case that the land of the Chaldeans was filled with the punishment of the sword and other calamities by the Holy One of Israel, because of the sins they had committed against him, and the injuries they had done to his people. So the Targum,

``for their land is filled with, (punishment for) the sins of murder, by the word of the Holy One of Israel.''

FOOTNOTES:

F4 (Nmla) "viduus, [sive] viduatus", Vatablus, Calvin, Montanus; "ut vidua", Pagninus; "orbus", Schmidt.
F5 (Mva halm Mura yk) "quia terra illorum repleta est delicto, [sive] reatu, [vel] poena", Grotius; so some in Gataker. (larvy vwdqm) "a Sancto Israelis", Montanus, Schmidt; "propter Sanctum Israelis", Vatablus, Calvin, Cocceius; so Ben Melech.

Jeremiah 51:5 In-Context

3 "Let not him who bends his bow bend it, Nor let him rise up in his scale-armor; So do not spare her young men; Devote all her army to destruction.
4 "They will fall down slain in the land of the Chaldeans, And pierced through in their streets."
5 For neither Israel nor Judah has been forsaken By his God, the LORD of hosts, Although their land is full of guilt Before the Holy One of Israel.
6 Flee from the midst of Babylon, And each of you save his life! Do not be destroyed in her punishment, For this is the LORD'S time of vengeance; He is going to render recompense to her.
7 Babylon has been a golden cup in the hand of the LORD , Intoxicating all the earth. The nations have drunk of her wine; Therefore the nations are going mad.

Cross References 2

  • 1. Isaiah 54:7, 8; Jeremiah 33:24-26
  • 2. Hosea 4:1, 2

Footnotes 2

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