Jeremiah 51:1

Babylon Judged for Sins against Israel

1 Thus says the LORD: "Behold, I am going to arouse against Babylon And against the inhabitants of Leb-kamai The ¹spirit of a destroyer.

Jeremiah 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.''

Jeremiah 51:1 In-Context

1 Thus says the LORD : "Behold, I am going to arouse against Babylon And against the inhabitants of Leb-kamai The spirit of a destroyer.

2 "I will dispatch foreigners to Babylon that they may winnow her And may devastate her land; For on every side they will be opposed to her In the day of her calamity.

3 "Let not him who bends his bow bend it, Nor let him rise up in his scale-armor; So do not spare her young men; Devote all her army to destruction.

4 "They will fall down slain in the land of the Chaldeans, And pierced through in their streets."

5 For neither Israel nor Judah has been forsaken By his God, the LORD of hosts, Although their land is full of guilt Before the Holy One of Israel.

Cross References

• 1. Jeremiah 4:11, 12; Jeremiah 23:19; Hosea 13:15

Footnotes

• [a] Cryptic name for Chaldea; or "the heart of those who rise up against Me"
• [b] Or "a destroying wind"