Yirmeyah 51:3

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.

Yirmeyah 51:3 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 51:3

Against [him that] bendeth let the archer bend his bow
These are either the words of the Lord to the Medes and Persians, to the archers among them, to bend their bows and level their arrows against the Chaldeans, who had bent their bows and shot their arrows against others; or of the Medes and Persians stirring up one another to draw their bows, and fight manfully against the enemy: and against [him that] lifteth up himself in his brigandine;
or coat of mail; that swaggers about in it, proud of it, and putting his confidence in it, as if out of all danger. The sense is, that they should direct their arrows both against those that were more lightly or more heavily armed; since by them they might do execution among the one and the other: and spare ye not her young men;
because of their youth, beauty, and strength: destroy ye utterly all her host;
her whole army, whether officers or common soldiers; or let them be accoutred in what manner they will. The Targum is,

``consume all her substance.''

Yirmeyah 51:3 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.