Jeremiah 51:5

5 For why Israel and Judah was not made widow(ed) from their God, the Lord of hosts; but the land of them was filled with trespass of the Holy of Israel. (For neither Israel nor Judah were left widowed by their God, the Lord of hosts; though their land was filled with trespass against 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 He that bendeth his bow, bend not, and a man clothed in habergeon, ascend not; do not ye spare the young men thereof, slay ye all the chivalry thereof. (He who bendeth his bow, bend not, and a man clothed in a breastplate, do not go up; do not ye spare its young men, kill ye all its army.)

4 And slain men shall fall in the land of Chaldees, and wounded men in the countries thereof. (And the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, and the wounded in its streets.)

5 For why Israel and Judah was not made widow(ed) from their God, the Lord of hosts; but the land of them was filled with trespass of the Holy of Israel. (For neither Israel nor Judah were left widowed by their God, the Lord of hosts; though their land was filled with trespass against the Holy One of Israel.)

6 Flee ye from the midst of Babylon, that each man save his soul; do not ye be still on the wickedness thereof, for why time of vengeance thereof is to the Lord; he shall yield while to it. (Flee ye from the midst of Babylon, so that each person can save his own soul, or his own life; do not ye stay in the midst of its wickedness, for this is the time of the Lord's vengeance upon it, and now he shall yield its recompense.)

7 Babylon is a golden cup in the hand of the Lord, and filleth all [the] earth; heathen men drank of the wine thereof, and therefore they be moved. (Babylon was a gold cup in the hand of the Lord, and maketh all the earth drunk; yea, the heathen have drunk its wine, and so they be made mad.)