Jeremiah 25

22. all the kings of Tyrus--the petty kings of the various dependencies of Tyre.
isles--a term including all maritime regions ( Psalms 72:10 ).

23. Dedan--north of Arabia ( Genesis 25:3 Genesis 25:4 ).
Tema . . . Buz--neighboring tribes north of Arabia ( Job 32:2 ).
all . . . in . . . utmost corners--rather, "having the hair cut in angles," a heathenish custom

24. mingled people--not in the same sense as in Jeremiah 25:20 ; the "motley crowd," so called in contempt (compare Jeremiah 49:28 Jeremiah 49:31 , 50:37 ). By a different pointing it may be translated the "Arabs"; but the repetition of the name is not likely. BLANEY thinks there were two divisions of what we call Arabia, the west (Araba) and the east. The west included Arabia-Petræa and the parts on the sea bordering on Egypt, the land of Cush; the east, Arabia-Felix and Deserta. The latter are "the mixed race" inhabiting the desert.

25. Zimri--perhaps the Zabra mentioned by PTOLEMY between Mecca and Medina. Zimran also, as Dedan, was one of Abraham's sons by Keturah ( Genesis 25:2 ).
Elam--properly, west of Persia; but used for Persia in general.

26. Sheshach--Babylon; as the parallelism in Jeremiah 51:41 proves. In the Cabalistic system (called Athbash, the first Hebrew letter in the alphabet being expressed by the last) Sheshach would exactly answer to Babel. Jeremiah may have used this system (as perhaps in Jeremiah 51:41 ) for concealment at the time of this prediction, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, while Nebuchadnezzar was before Jerusalem. In Jeremiah 51:41 there can be no concealment, as Babylon is expressly mentioned. MICHAELIS more simply explains the term "brazen-gated" (compare Isaiah 45:2 ); others, "the house of a prince." Rather, it comes from the Babylonian goddess, Shach, by reduplication of the first letter; from her Misael was named Meshach by the Babylonians. The term Shace was applied to a festival at Babylon, alluded to in Jeremiah 51:39 Jeremiah 51:57 , Isaiah 21:5 . It was during this feast that Cyrus took Babylon [HERODOTUS, 1]. Thus Jeremiah mystically denotes the time of its capture by this term [GLASSIUS].

27. rise no more--The heathen nations in question should fall to rise no more. The Jews should fall but for a time, and then rise again. Therefore, the epithet is given, "the God of Israel."

28. if they refuse to take the cup--No effort of theirs to escape destruction will avail.

29. If I spared not Mine elect people on account of sin, much less will I spare you ( Ezekiel 9:6 , Obadiah 1:16 , Luke 23:31 , 1 Peter 4:17 ).
be unpunished--"be treated as innocent."

30. roar--image from a destructive lion ( Isaiah 42:13 , Joel 3:16 ).
upon his habitation--rather, "His pasturage"; keeping up the image of a lion roaring against the flock in the pasture. The roar was first to go forth over Judea wherein were "the sheep of His pasture" ( Psalms 100:3 ), and thence into heathen lands.
shout . . . tread . . . grapes--( Jeremiah 48:33 , Isaiah 16:9 Isaiah 16:10 ).

31. controversy--cause at issue ( Micah 6:2 ).
plead with all flesh--( Isaiah 66:16 ). God shows the whole world that He does what is altogether just in punishing.

32. from the coasts--rather, "from the uttermost regions." Like a storm which arises in one region and then diffuses itself far and wide, so God's judgments shall pass "from nation to nation," till all has been fulfilled; no distance shall prevent the fulfilment.
not be lamented--( Jeremiah 16:4 Jeremiah 16:6 ).
neither gathered--to their fathers, in their ancestral tombs ( Jeremiah 8:2 ).
dung--( Psalms 83:10 ).

34. shepherds--princes ( Jeremiah 22:22 ). Here he returns to the Jews and their rulers, using the same image as in Jeremiah 25:30 ,
wallow yourselves--Cover yourselves as thickly with ashes, in token of sorrow, as one who rolls in them ( Jeremiah 6:26 , Ezekiel 27:30 ) [MAURER].
principal--leaders. The Septuagint translates "rams," carrying out the image (compare Isaiah 14:9 , Margin; Zechariah 10:3 ).
days of your slaughter . . . of . . . dispersions--rather, "your days for slaughter (that is, the time of your being slain), and your dispersions (not 'of your dispersions'), are accomplished (are come)."
pleasant vessel--Ye were once a precious vessel, but ye shall fall, and so be a broken vessel "Your past excellency shall not render you safe now. I will turn to your ignominy whatever glory I conferred on you" [CALVIN].

35. Literally, "Flight shall fail the shepherds . . . escaping (shall fail) the principal," &c. ( Amos 2:14 ). The leaders will be the first objects for slaughter; escape by flight will be out of their power.

37. habitations--rather, carrying out the image "pastures" without incursion of wild beasts, the flocks have fed, shall be destroyed; that is, the regions where, heretofore, there was peace and security (alluding to the name Salem, or Jerusalem, "possessing peace").

38. his covert--the temple, where heretofore, like a lion, as its defender, by the mere terror of His voice He warded off the foe; but now He leaves it a prey to the Gentiles [CALVIN].
fierceness of . . . oppressor--rather, as the Hebrew, for "oppressor" is an adjective feminine, the word "sword" is understood, which, in Jeremiah 46:16 , 50:16 , is expressed (indeed, some manuscripts and the Septuagint read "sword" instead of "fierceness" here; probably interpolated from Jeremiah 46:16 ), "the oppressing sword." The Hebrew for "oppressing" means also a "dove": there may be, therefore, a covert allusion to the Chaldean standard bearing a dove on it, in honor of Semiramis, the first queen, said in popular superstition to have been nourished by doves when exposed at birth, and at death to have been transformed into a dove. Her name may come from a root referring to the cooing of a dove. That bird was held sacred to the goddess Venus. Vulgate so translates "the anger of the dove."
his . . . anger--If the anger of Nebuchadnezzar cannot be evaded, how much less that of God (compare Jeremiah 25:37 )!