Jeremiah 51:14

14 The Lord of hosts has sworn by Himself: "Surely I will fill you with men, as with locusts, And they shall lift up a shout against you."

Jeremiah 51:14 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 51:14

The Lord hath sworn by himself, [saying]
Or, "by his soul" or "life" ^F17; which is himself, than which he cannot swear by a greater, ( Hebrews 6:13 ) ; and the certain performance of what he swears unto need not be doubted of; and indeed the design of the oath is to assure of the truth of the thing, about which, after this, there ought to be no hesitation: surely I fill thee with men as with caterpillars;
or "locusts" ^F18; march in vast numbers, and make sad desolation where they come; and to which a numerous army may fitly be compared; and which are here meant, even the army of Cyrus, that should enter Babylon, and fill it, as it did. So the Targum,

``the Lord of hosts hath sworn by his word, if I fill them with armies of many people as locusts:''

and they shall lift up a shout against thee;
as soldiers, when they make the onset in battle; or as besiegers, when they make their attack on a city; or as when grape gatherers bring in their vintage, or tread out their wine, to which the allusion is: it signifies that her enemies should get an entire victory, and triumph over her.

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 (wvpnb) "per animam suam", Pagninus, Cocceius, Schmidt.
F18 (qlyk) "ut, [vel] quasi brucho", V. L. Cocceius, Montanus, Grotius, Schmidt.

Jeremiah 51:14 In-Context

12 Set up the standard on the walls of Babylon; Make the guard strong, Set up the watchmen, Prepare the ambushes. For the Lord has both devised and done What He spoke against the inhabitants of Babylon.

13 O you who dwell by many waters, Abundant in treasures, Your end has come, The measure of your covetousness.

14 The Lord of hosts has sworn by Himself: "Surely I will fill you with men, as with locusts, And they shall lift up a shout against you."

15 He has made the earth by His power; He has established the world by His wisdom, And stretched out the heaven by His understanding.

16 When He utters His voice-- There is a multitude of waters in the heavens: "He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He makes lightnings for the rain; He brings the wind out of His treasuries."