Jeremiah 50:32

32 The arrogant will stumble and fall with no one to pick him up. I will set fire to his cities, and it will consume everything around him."^[a]

Jeremiah 50:32 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 50:32

And the most proud shall stumble and fall
Or "pride", as before; "the man of pride", who is so proud that he may be called pride itself. The Targum, as before, interprets it a wicked king; and Abarbinel understands it of Belshazzar particularly, who was slain the night that Babylon was taken. It may be understood of the whole kingdom and monarchy of Babylon, which was a superb state; but all its grandeur and glory were brought down and laid in the dust at once, as mystical Babylon will; when it will be said, "Babylon the great", the proud and the haughty, is fallen, ( Revelation 18:2 ) ; and none shall raise him up;
the kingdom of Babylon shall not be restored train, nor the king of it have any successor, nor the city be rebuilt; compare with this ( Revelation 18:21 ) ; and I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it shall devour all round
about him;
in Babylon, the metropolis of the kingdom, and in all others round about it: it denotes the utter destruction of the whole monarchy. It may be applied to the burning of Rome with fire, and the ruin of its whole jurisdiction; for, when that is destroyed, the cities of the nations all around shall fall, which belong unto it; see ( Revelation 18:8 ) ( 16:19 ) .

Jeremiah 50:32 In-Context

30 Therefore, her young men will fall in her public squares; all the warriors will be silenced in that day. [This is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the Lord's declaration.

31 Look, I am against you, you arrogant one- [this is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the declaration of the Lord God of Hosts- because your day has come, the time when I will punish you.

32 The arrogant will stumble and fall with no one to pick him up. I will set fire to his cities, and it will consume everything around him."

33 This is what the Lord of Hosts says: Israelites and Judeans alike have been oppressed. All their captors hold them fast; they refuse to release them.

34 Their Redeemer is strong; the Lord of Hosts is His name. He will fervently plead their case so that He might bring rest to the earth but turmoil to those who live in Babylon.

Footnotes

• [a]. Jr 21:14