Yirmeyah 51:1

1 1 Thus saith Hashem: Hineni, I will stir up against Bavel, and against them that dwell in Lev Kamai [i.e., Babylon] a ruach mashchit (spirit of destruction);

Yirmeyah 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.''

Yirmeyah 51:1 In-Context

1 1 Thus saith Hashem: Hineni, I will stir up against Bavel, and against them that dwell in Lev Kamai [i.e., Babylon] a ruach mashchit (spirit of destruction);

2 And will send unto Bavel winnowers, that shall blow her chaff away, and shall empty her land; for in the Yom Ra’ah (Day of Disaster) they shall be against her on every side.

3 Against her let the archer bend his keshet, and against her let him rise up in his armor; and spare ye not her bochurim; destroy ye utterly all her army.

4 Thus the slain shall fall in the Eretz Kasdim, and they that are thrust through in her streets.

5 For Yisroel hath not been forsaken nor Yehudah by Elohav, by Hashem Tzva’os; though their land be filled with asham (guilt) against Kadosh Yisroel.