Jeremias 51:1

1 THE WORD THAT CAME TO JEREMIAS for all the Jews dwelling in the land of Egypt, and for those settled in Magdolo and in Taphnas, and in the land of Pathura, saying,

Jeremias 51:1 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 51:1

Thus saith the Lord, behold, I will raise up against Babylon,
&c.] This is not a new prophecy, but a continuation of the former, and an enlargement of it. The Babylonians being the last and most notorious enemies of the Jews, their destruction is the longer dwelt upon; and as they were against the Lord's people the Lord was against them, and threatens to raise up instruments of his vengeance against them: and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against
me;
that dwell in Babylon, the metropolis of the Chaldeans, the seat and centre of the enemies of God and his people. It is a periphrasis of the Chaldeans; and, so the Targum renders it,

``against the inhabitants of the land of the Chaldeans;''

and so the Septuagint version, against the Chaldeans; and Jarchi and Kimchi observe that according to "athbash", a rule of interpretation with the Jews, the letters in "leb kame", rendered "the midst of them that rise up against me", answer to "Cashdim" or the Chaldeans; however they are no doubt designed; for they rose up against God, by setting up idols of their own; and against his people, by taking and carrying them captive: and now the Lord says he would raise up against them a destroying wind;
a northern one, the army of the Modes and Persians, which should sweep away all before it. The Targum is,

``people that are slayers; whose hearts are lifted up, and are beautiful in stature, and their spirit destroying.''

Jeremias 51:1 In-Context

1 THE WORD THAT CAME TO JEREMIAS for all the Jews dwelling in the land of Egypt, and for those settled in Magdolo and in Taphnas, and in the land of Pathura, saying,

2 Thus has the Lord God of Israel said; Ye have seen all the evils which I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon the cities of Juda; and, behold, they are desolate without inhabitants,

3 because of their wickedness, which they have wrought to provoke me, going to burn incense to other gods, whom ye knew not.

4 yet I sent to you my servants the prophets early in the morning, and I sent, saying, Do not ye this abominable thing which I hate.

5 But they hearkened not to me, and inclined not their ear to turn from their wickedness, so as not to burn incense to strange gods.