Jeremiah 51:47

47 Therefore behold, days are coming When I will punish the 1idols of Babylon; And her whole land will be 2put to shame And all her slain will fall in her midst.

Jeremiah 51:47 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 51:47

Therefore, behold, the days come that I will do judgment on
the graven images of Babylon
Because of the connection of these words, some understand ( Jeremiah 51:46 ) of the report of the deliverance of the Jews time after time; and yet nothing came of it, which disheartened them; and they were used more cruelly, and with greater violence, by the Chaldeans and their kings, one after another; and "therefore" the following things are said; but the particle may be rendered "moreover" F14, as some observe; or "surely", certainly, of a truth, as in ( Jeremiah 5:2 ) ; the time is hastening on, the above things being done, when judgment shall be executed, not only upon Bel the chief idol, ( Jeremiah 51:44 ) ; but upon all the idols of the Chaldeans; which should be broke to pieces, and stripped of everything about them that was valuable; the Medes and Persians having no regard to images in their worship; though Dr. Prideaux F15 thinks that what is here said, and in ( Jeremiah 51:44 ) ; were fulfilled by Xerxes, when he destroyed and pillaged the Babylonian temples: and her whole land shall be confounded;
the inhabitants of it, when they see their images destroyed, in which they trusted for their safety: and all her slain shall fall in the midst of her;
in the midst of Babylon; where the king and his army were shut up, and dared not move out; and where they were slain when the army of Cyrus entered.


FOOTNOTES:

F14 (Nkl) "praeterea"; so Gataker.
F15 Connexion, par. 1. B. 2. p. 101. B. 4. p. 242, 243.

Jeremiah 51:47 In-Context

45 "Come forth from her midst, My people, And each of you save yourselves From the fierce anger of the LORD .
46 "Now so that your heart does not grow faint, And you are not afraid at the report that will be heard in the land - For the report will come one year, And after that another report in another year, And violence will be in the land With ruler against ruler -
47 Therefore behold, days are coming When I will punish the idols of Babylon; And her whole land will be put to shame And all her slain will fall in her midst.
48 "Then heaven and earth and all that is in them Will shout for joy over Babylon, For the destroyers will come to her from the north," Declares the LORD .
49 Indeed Babylon is to fall for the slain of Israel, As also for Babylon the slain of all the earth have fallen.

Cross References 2

  • 1. Isaiah 21:9; Isaiah 46:1, 2; Jeremiah 50:2; Jeremiah 51:52
  • 2. Jer 50:12, 35-37
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