Jeremiah 51:31

31 A runner shall come to meet a runner, and a messenger (shall come) to meet a messenger, to tell to the king of Babylon, that his city is taken from the one end till to the tother end;

Jeremiah 51:31 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 51:31

One post shall run to meet another, and one messenger to meet
another
That is, one post should be after another, and one messenger after another, post upon post, and messenger upon messenger, as fast as they could run; when one had been with his message, and delivered it, and returned, he meets another; or they met one another, coming from different places: to show the king of Babylon his city is taken at [one] end;
or, "at the end" ^F12; we render it "one end", as Kimchi does; at the end where Cyrus's army first landed, when they came up the channel of the river Euphrates they had drained. And so Herodotus ^F13 says, that when the Babylonians, which inhabited the "extreme parts" of the city, were taken, they that were in the middle of it were not sensible of it, because of the greatness of the city; and the rather, because they were engaged that night in feasting and dancing. Nay, Aristotle ^F14 says, it was reported that one part of the city was taken three days before the other end knew it, it being more like a country than a city; which does not seem credible, nor is it consistent with the Scripture account of it; however, it was taken by surprise, and some parts of it before the king was aware of it; who very probably had his palace in the middle of it, whither these messengers ran one after another, or from different parts, to acquaint him with it.

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FOOTNOTES:

F12 (huqm) "a fine", Montanus; "ab extremitate", Calvin, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, De Dieu, Schmidt.
F13 L. 1. sive Clio, c. 191.
F14 Politic. l. 3. c. 3.

Jeremiah 51:31 In-Context

29 And the earth shall be moved, and shall be troubled; for the thought of the Lord shall fully awaken against Babylon, that he set the land of Babylon (into) desert, and unhabitable. (And the earth shall be shaken, and shall be troubled; for the thought of the Lord shall fully awaken against Babylon, that he make the land of Babylon into a wilderness, and uninhabited.)

30 The strong men of Babylon ceased of battle, they dwelled in strongholds; the strength of them is devoured, and they be made as women; the tabernacles thereof be burnt, the bars thereof be all-broken. (The strong men of Babylon ceased from battle, they lived in strongholds; their strength is devoured, and they be made like women; its buildings be burned down, its bars, or its locks, all be broken.)

31 A runner shall come to meet a runner, and a messenger (shall come) to meet a messenger, to tell to the king of Babylon, that his city is taken from the one end till to the tother end;

32 and the forths be before-occupied, and the marishes be burnt with fire, and the men warriors be troubled. (and the fords, that is, the crossings, be occupied, or be seized, and the marshes be burned down, and the warriors be troubled.)

33 For the Lord of hosts, God of Israel, saith these things, The daughter of Babylon is as a cornfloor, (at) the time of threshing thereof; yet a little, and the time of reaping thereof shall come. (For the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saith these things, The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor, at the time of its threshing; and then after a little while, its time of reaping, or of harvest, shall come.)