Jeremiah 50:16

16 Lose ye a sower of Babylon, and him that holdeth a sickle in the time of harvest, from the face of [the] sword of the culver; each man shall be turned (again) to his people, and each man shall flee to his land. (Destroy ye each sower of Babylon, and him who holdeth a sickle at the time of harvest. Before the coming cruel sword, each man shall return to his own people, and each person shall flee to his own land.)

Jeremiah 50:16 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 50:16

Cut off the sower from in Babylon, and him that handleth the
sickle in the time of harvest
Both sower and reaper: the walls of Babylon took in a large compass of land, where there were corn fields; and which, as Curtius ^F19 observes, would yield a sufficiency to hold out a siege against an enemy; but being taken, the husbandman would not be spared, as used to be, but should be cut off, and so none to till the ground, or to reap what was upon it; and thus, in course, would be, desolate, as before threatened. The Targum understands this in a figurative sense,

``destroy the king out of Babylon, and take hold of the sword in the time of slaughter;''

and Cocceius interprets the sower of any doctor or bishop in mystical Babylon, and the reaper of such that gather the fruits, and exact obedience; see ( Revelation 18:14 Revelation 18:22 ) ; for fear of the oppressing sword;
of the Medes and Persians: they shall turn everyone to his people, and they shall flee everyone
to his own land;
not those of other nations, as the Jews, who were detained captives there, as Kimchi thinks; for these were not in such fear of the Persians, nor did they flee because of them; but were let go by them, and sent into their own land honourably: but either such who, of other nations, were come to traffic at Babylon; or rather the auxiliaries of other nations, who were either hired or forced into the service of Babylon; these, finding the city taken, would make the best of their way into their own country.

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FOOTNOTES:

F19 Hist. l. 5. c. 1.

Jeremiah 50:16 In-Context

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.)

16 Lose ye a sower of Babylon, and him that holdeth a sickle in the time of harvest, from the face of [the] sword of the culver; each man shall be turned (again) to his people, and each man shall flee to his land. (Destroy ye each sower of Babylon, and him who holdeth a sickle at the time of harvest. Before the coming cruel sword, each man shall return to his own people, and each person shall flee to his own land.)

17 Israel is a scattered flock, lions casted out it; first (the) king (of) Assur ate it, (and) this last, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, did away the bones thereof. (Israel is a scattered flock, for the lions cast it out; first, the king of Assyria ate it, and then lastly, this Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, did away its bones.)

18 Therefore the Lord of hosts, God of Israel, saith these things, Lo! I shall visit (against) the king of Babylon, and his land, as I visited (against) the king of Assur; (And so the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saith these things, Lo! I shall punish the king of Babylon, and his land, like I punished the king of Assyria;)