Jeremiah 51:64

64 and say, 'Just so shall Babylon sink down and ¹not rise again because * of the calamity that I am going to bring upon her; and they will become ²exhausted.' " ³Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 51:64 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 51:64

And thou shall say
Not only use the above sign and ceremony, but explain the meaning of it to those of his friends who might accompany him; and what he said was in the name of the Lord, as the form and manner in which the following words are delivered show: thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will
bring upon her;
as this book, with the stone bound to it, does, and shall no more rise than that can; the evil of punishment brought on Babylon will sink her to such a degree, that she will never be able to bear up under it; but be so depressed by it as never to rise to her former state and grandeur any more: and they shall be weary;
the inhabitants of it, and have no strength to resist their enemies; or, rather, shall be so weak as not to be able to stand up under the weight and pressure upon them, but shall sink under it; or shall weary themselves in vain to preserve their city from ruin, or restore it when ruined; see ( Jeremiah 51:58 ) ; thus far [are] the words of Jeremiah;
that is, concerning the destruction of Babylon, as is said concerning Moab, ( Jeremiah 48:47 ) ; for what Maimonides ^F13 says, that though Jeremiah lived some time after, yet ceased to prophesy; or that, when he had finished his prophecy concerning Babylon, he prophesied no more, is not true; for it is certain that many of his prophecies were delivered out after the date of this, though this is recorded last: or the sense may be, thus far are the prophetic words of Jeremiah; and so the Targum,

``hitherto is the prophecy of the words of Jeremiah;''

what follows in the next chapter being historical; for there is no necessity to conclude from hence that that was wrote by any other hand; either, as many have thought, by Ezra; or by the men of the great synagogue, as Abarbinel.

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FOOTNOTES:

F13 Moreh Nevochim, par. 2. c. 45. Vid. Kimchi in loc.

Jeremiah 51:64 In-Context

62 and say, 'You, O LORD , have promised concerning this place to cut it off, so that there will be nothing dwelling in it, whether man or beast, but it will be a perpetual desolation.'

63 "And as soon as you finish reading this scroll, you will tie a stone to it and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates,

64 and say, 'Just so shall Babylon sink down and not rise again because of the calamity that I am going to bring upon her; and they will become exhausted.' " Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.

Cross References

• 1. Nahum 1:8, 9
• 2. Jeremiah 51:58
• 3. Job 31:40; Psalms 72:20