Jeremiah 50:23

23 Babylon was the hammer of the whole earth, but how broken and shattered that hammer is now. It is truly the most ruined of all the nations.

Jeremiah 50:23 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 50:23

How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken!
&c.] The Targum is,

``how is the king cut down and broken that moved the whole earth!''

The king of Babylon, or the kingdom of Babylon, which was like a hammer for its hardness and strength; and being an instrument, in the hand of God, of beating to pieces and destroying the kingdoms and nations around it; but is now destroyed itself. These are the words either of the prophet, or rather of the people of other nations, wondering how this destruction came about, and rejoicing at it; how is Babylon become a desolation among the nations!
this explains who and what is meant by the hammer of the earth, and by its being cut asunder and broken; even the utter destruction of the city and kingdom of Babylon.

Jeremiah 50:23 In-Context

21 "Attack the land of Merathaim. Attack the people who live in Pekod. Chase them, kill them, and completely destroy them. Do everything I commanded you!" says the Lord.

22 "The noise of battle can be heard all over the country; it is the noise of much destruction.

23 Babylon was the hammer of the whole earth, but how broken and shattered that hammer is now. It is truly the most ruined of all the nations.

24 Babylon, I set a trap for you, and you were caught before you knew it. You fought against the Lord, so you were found and taken prisoner.

25 The Lord has opened up his storeroom and brought out the weapons of his anger, because the Lord God All-Powerful has work to do in the land of the Babylonians.