Jeremiah 50:13

13 For the wrath of the Lord it shall not be inhabited, but it shall be driven all into wilderness; each that shall pass by Babylon, shall wonder, and shall hiss on all the wounds thereof. (Because of the Lord's anger it shall not be inhabited, but all of it shall be driven, or made, into a wilderness; each person who shall pass by Babylon shall wonder, and shall hiss at all its wounds.)

Jeremiah 50:13 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 50:13

Because of the wrath of the Lord, it shall not be inhabited,
&c.] That is, Babylon; which the Targum expresses,

``because thou, Babylon, hast provoked the Lord;''

by their idolatry, luxury, ill usage of his people, and profanation of the vessels of the sanctuary; therefore it should be destroyed, and left without an inhabitant in it: but it shall be wholly desolate;
as it now is. Pausanias says ^F15, in his time there was nothing but a wall remaining; and Jerom ^F16 says, he had it from a brother Elamite, or Persian, that Babylon was then a park or place for royal hunting, and that beasts of every kind were kept within its walls: of mystical Babylon, see ( Revelation 16:19 ) ( 18:2 ) ; everyone that goeth by Babylon shall be astonished, and hiss at all
her plagues;
any traveller that had seen it in its glory would now be astonished to see the desolation of it; and, by way of scorn and derision, hiss at the judgments of God upon it, and rejoice at them, and shake their head, as the Targum.

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FOOTNOTES:

F15 Arcadica, sive l. 8. p. 509.
F16 Comment. in Isaiam, fol. 23. C.

Jeremiah 50:13 In-Context

11 For ye make full out joy, and speak great things, and ravish mine heritage; for ye be shed out as calves on herb, and lowed, or bellowed, as bulls. (Yea, ye rejoice, and speak great things, for ye robbed my inheritance; and ye run about like calves after the threshing, and low, or bellow, like bulls.)

12 Your mother is shamed greatly, and she that engendered you, is made even to dust; lo! she shall be the last among folks, and forsaken, without (a) way, and dry. (But your mother city shall be greatly shamed, and she who begat you, shall be made even to the dust; lo! she shall be the last among the nations, and deserted, and without a way, and dried up.)

13 For the wrath of the Lord it shall not be inhabited, but it shall be driven all into wilderness; each that shall pass by Babylon, shall wonder, and shall hiss on all the wounds thereof. (Because of the Lord's anger it shall not be inhabited, but all of it shall be driven, or made, into a wilderness; each person who shall pass by Babylon shall wonder, and shall hiss at all its wounds.)

14 All ye that bend bow, be made ready against Babylon by compass; overcome ye it, spare ye not arrows, for it sinned to the Lord. (All ye who bend bow, be made ready against Babylon all around it, or on every side; and then overcome ye it, spare ye not any arrows, for it hath sinned against the Lord.)

15 Cry ye against it, everywhere it gave (up the) hand; the foundaments thereof fell down, and the walls thereof be destroyed; for it is the vengeance of the Lord. Take ye vengeance of it; as it did, do ye to it. (Cry ye against it, yea, everywhere it threw up its hands; its foundations fell down, and its walls be destroyed; for it is the vengeance of the Lord. Take ye vengeance upon it; as it did, so do ye unto it.)