Jeremiah 50:4

4 "In those days and at that time," declares the LORD, "the people of Israel and Judah will cry as they go together to seek the LORD their God.

Jeremiah 50:4 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 50:4

In those days, and at that time, saith the Lord
When Babylon shall be taken and destroyed, then what follows shall be accomplished; which, as it respects the conversion of the Jews, shows that this prophecy is not to be restrained to literal Babylon: the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah
together:
upon the taking of Babylon, in a literal sense, by Cyrus, the children of Israel, or the ten tribes, carried away by the Assyrians, did not return; only the children of Judah, or the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, with the Levites, and a few of the other tribes, that might be mixed among them: but when mystical Babylon is fallen, then the whole body of the Jews will be converted, and return to their own land, Israel and Judah; which is foretold in other prophecies, as here, which speak of their general conversion; see ( Jeremiah 30:3 Jeremiah 30:9 ) ( Ezekiel 37:16-25 ) ( Hosea 1:11 ) ; going and weeping;
which is another circumstance, which shows that this does not respect the return of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity; for that was attended with joy, and not with tears; see ( Psalms 126:1 Psalms 126:2 ) ; unless it is to be understood of weeping for joy, and of tears of joy, as Kimchi interprets it; but it is better to understand it of that godly sorrow and mourning for sin, which will appear in the Jews at the time of their conversion; particularly for their fathers' ill treatment of the Messiah, their unbelief and rejection of him, and their continued obstinacy and perverseness, and other sins; see ( Jeremiah 31:9 ) ( Zechariah 12:10 ) ; they shall go and seem the Lord their God;
even David their King, the true Messiah, who is Lord and God; to him they shall seek for peace, pardon, righteousness, and eternal life; and acknowledge him to be the Messiah, their Lord, and their God; embrace his Gospel, and submit to his ordinances; see ( Jeremiah 30:9 ) ( Hosea 3:5 ) . The Targum is,

``when they were carried captive, they went weeping; but when they return from the land of their captivity, they shall seek the worship of the Lord their God.''

Jeremiah 50:4 In-Context

2 "Announce this among the nations, and spread the news. Raise a flag, and announce it. Don't hide anything. Say, 'Babylon will be captured. Bel will be put to shame. Marduk will be filled with terror. Babylon's statues will be put to shame. Its idols will be filled with terror.'

3 A nation from the north will attack Babylon and destroy its land so that no one will live in it. People and animals will run away.

4 "In those days and at that time," declares the LORD, "the people of Israel and Judah will cry as they go together to seek the LORD their God.

5 They will ask which road goes to Zion and turn in that direction. They will go there to make a permanent agreement with the LORD. It will not be forgotten.

6 My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray. They wander around on the mountains. They go from mountains to hills. They have forgotten their resting place.