Jeremiah 51:1

1 The Lord saith these things, Lo! I shall raise on Babylon, and on the dwellers thereof, that raised their heart against me, as a wind of pestilence. (The Lord saith these things, Lo! I shall raise up a wind of pestilence against Babylon, and against its inhabitants, who raised up their hearts against me.)

Jeremiah 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.''

Jeremiah 51:1 In-Context

1 The Lord saith these things, Lo! I shall raise on Babylon, and on the dwellers thereof, that raised their heart against me, as a wind of pestilence. (The Lord saith these things, Lo! I shall raise up a wind of pestilence against Babylon, and against its inhabitants, who raised up their hearts against me.)

2 And I shall send into Babylon winnowers, and they shall winnow it, and shall destroy the land of it; for they came on it on each side, in the day of the torment thereof (for they shall come against it on all sides, on the day of its torment).

3 He that bendeth his bow, bend not, and a man clothed in habergeon, ascend not; do not ye spare the young men thereof, slay ye all the chivalry thereof. (He who bendeth his bow, bend not, and a man clothed in a breastplate, do not go up; do not ye spare its young men, kill ye all its army.)

4 And slain men shall fall in the land of Chaldees, and wounded men in the countries thereof. (And the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, and the wounded in its streets.)

5 For why Israel and Judah was not made widow(ed) from their God, the Lord of hosts; but the land of them was filled with trespass of the Holy of Israel. (For neither Israel nor Judah were left widowed by their God, the Lord of hosts; though their land was filled with trespass against the Holy One of Israel.)