Jeremia 51:31

31 Es läuft hier einer und da einer dem andern entgegen, und eine Botschaft begegnet der andern, dem König zu Babel anzusagen, daß seine Stadt gewonnen sei bis ans Ende

Jeremia 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.

Jeremia 51:31 In-Context

29 daß das Land erbebe und erschrecke; denn die Gedanken des HERRN wollen erfüllt werden wider Babel, daß er das Land Babel zur Wüste mache, darin niemand wohne.

30 Die Helden zu Babel werden nicht zu Felde ziehen, sondern müssen in der Festung bleiben, ihre Stärke ist aus, sie sind Weiber geworden; ihre Wohnungen sind angesteckt und ihre Riegel zerbrochen.

31 Es läuft hier einer und da einer dem andern entgegen, und eine Botschaft begegnet der andern, dem König zu Babel anzusagen, daß seine Stadt gewonnen sei bis ans Ende

32 und die Furten eingenommen und die Seen ausgebrannt sind und die Kriegsleute seien blöde geworden. {~}

33 Denn also spricht der HERR Zebaoth, der Gott Israels: "Die Tochter Babel ist wie eine Tenne, wenn man darauf drischt; es wird ihre Ernte gar bald kommen."