1Slovo, ktoré hovoril JeHoVaH proti Babylonu, proti zemi Chaldejov, skrze proroka Jermiáša: 2Oznámte medzi národami, rozhláste a vyzdvihnite prápor, rozhláste, nezatajte! Povedzte: Babylon bude vzatý, Bél sa bude hanbiť, Merodach sa bude desiť, jeho modly sa budú hanbiť, jeho ukydaní bohovia budú zdrtení. 3Lebo vyjde naň hore národ od severa; ten obráti jeho zem na pustinu, a nebude v nej obyvateľa. Všetko, od človeka až do hoväda, ujde, ta odíde. 4V tých dňoch a v tom čase, hovorí JeHoVaH, prijdú synovia Izraelovi, oni i synovia Júdovi spolu; pojdú pozvoľna plačúc a budú hľadať JeHoVaHa, svojho Boha. 5Budú sa pýtať po Sione a svojou tvárou na cestu sem obrátení, povedia: Poďte! A pripoja sa k JeHoVaHovi večnou smluvou, ktorá nebude zabudnutá. 6Môj ľud je stádom hynúcich oviec; ich pastieri pôsobia to, že blúdia, obrátili ich na vrchy, chodia s vrchu na pahor; zabudli na miesto, na ktorom sa kládli na odpočinok. 7Všetci, kde ich ktorí najdú, tam ich zožierajú. A ich protivníci hovoria: Nedopúšťame sa viny, zato že hrešili proti JeHoVaHovi, proti príbytku spravedlivosti a nádeje svojich otcov, proti JeHoVaHovi. 8Ujdite zprostred Babylona a vyjdite zo zeme Chalddejov a buďte jako kozli pred stádom oviec! 9Lebo hľa, ja vzbudím a dovediem hore na Babylon shromaždenie veľkých národov zo zeme severa, a zriadia sa proti nemu do boja; odtiaľ bude vzatý. Ich strely jako strely hrdinu, ktorý uvodí sirobu; nevráti sa prázdno. 10A tak bude zem Chaldejov za korisť; všetci, ktorí ju budú koristiť, nasýtia sa, hovorí JeHoVaH. 11Preto, že sa radujete, preto, že plesáte, vy, ktorí olupujete moje dedičstvo, preto, že skáčete jako jalovica, ktorá šliapuc tlačí zbožie, a rehcete jako mocné kone: 12Hanbiť sa bude vaša mater veľmi, rumenieť bude od studu tá, ktorá vás porodila. Hľa, najposlednejším z národov, púšťou, vypráhlou zemou a pustinou bude. 13Pre veľký hnev JeHoVaHov nebude obydlená, ale bude celá pustou pustatinou. Každý, kto pojde popri Babylone, zdesí sa a zhíkne nad všetkými jeho údermi. 14Pripravte sa proti Babylonu do boja, naokolo všetci, ktorí naťahujete lučište! Strieľajte do neho, neľutujte strely, lebo hrešil proti JeHoVaHovi. 15Kričte proti nemu naokolo! Poddal sa; jeho bašty padly, jeho múry sú zborené; lebo je to pomsta JeHoVaHova. Pomstite sa na ňom! Ako robil, urobte jemu! 16Vyplieňte rozsievača z Babylona i toho, kto berie do ruky srp v čas žatvy. Pred násilným mečom obráti sa každý ku svojmu ľudu, a budú utekať každý do svojej zeme. 17Izrael je zaplašenou ovcou; ktorú zahnali ľvi. Prvý ho zožieral assýrsky kráľ, a tento posledný mu polámal kosti, Nabuchodonozor, babylonský kráľ. 18Preto takto hovorí JeHoVaH Zástupov, Bôh Izraelov: Hľa, navštívim babylonského kráľa i jeho zem, ako som navštívil assýrskeho kráľa. 19A dovediem Izraela zpät do jeho príbytku, a bude sa pásť na Karmele a v Bázane, a na vrchu Efraimovom a v Gileáde sa bude sýtiť jeho duša. 20V tých dňoch a v tom čase, hovorí JeHoVaH, bude sa hľadať neprávosť Izraelova, a nebude jej; budú sa hľadať hriechy Júdove, ale sa nenajdú, lebo odpustím tým, ktorých ponechám žiť. 21Proti zemi Merataim, iď hore proti nej a proti obyvateľom Pekóda! Pustoš a zahlaď s kliatbou úplnej záhuby, ženúc sa za nimi, hovorí JeHoVaH, a učiň všetko tak, ako ti prikazujem. 22Hukot boja v zemi a veľké skrúšenie! 23Ako je porúbané a skrúšené kladivo celej zeme! Jako je Babylon obrátený na pustú pustinu medzi národami! 24Nastavil som ti osídlo, aj si sa lapil, Babylone, a ty si nevedel o tom; bol si najdený aj dochytený, pretože si sa postavil JeHoVaHovi na odpor. 25JeHoVaH otvoril svoj poklad a vyniesol odtiaľ nástroje svojho zúrivého hnevu, lebo je to práca Pána JeHoVaHa Zástupov v zemi Chaldejov. 26Poďte na ňu od konca zeme, potvárajte jej stodoly, pohádžte ju všetku na kopu jako snopy a zahlaďte ju s kliatbou úplnej záhuby, nech nezostane z nej ničoho! 27Pobite všetkých jej juncov, nech sídu dolu na zabitie! Beda im, lebo prišiel ich deň, čas ich navštívenia! 28Hlas utekajúcich a uniklých z Babylonskej zeme, aby oznámili na Sione pomstu JeHoVaHa, našeho Boha, pomstu jeho chrámu. 29Svolajte proti Babylonu strelcov, všetkých, ktorí naťahujú lučište, položte sa proti nemu dookola táborom! Nech mu neni uniknutia! Odplaťte mu podľa jeho skutku! Všetko tak, ako robil, urobte jemu! Lebo sa v pýche pozdvihoval proti JeHoVaHovi, proti svätému Izraelovmu. 30Preto popadajú jeho mládenci na jeho uliciach, a všetci jeho bojovní mužovia umĺknu toho dňa, hovorí JeHoVaH. 31Hľa, ja som proti tebe, pýcho! hovorí Pán JeHoVaH Zástupov. Lebo prišiel tvoj deň, čas, aby som ťa navštívil. 32A tak klesne pýcha a padne a nebude mať nikoho, kto by pozdvihol. - A zanietim oheň v jeho mestách, ktorý požerie všetko vôkol neho. 33Takto hovorí JeHoVaH Zástupov: Utiskovaní sú synovia Izraelovi i synovia Júdovi spolu, a všetci, ktorí ich zajali, držia ich, nechcú ich prepustiť. 34Ale ich vykupiteľ je silný, ktorého meno je JeHoVaH Zástupov! Je isté, že bude riešiť ich pravotu, aby spôsobil zemi pokoj a mocne znepokojil obyvateľov Babylona. 35Meč na Chaldejov, hovorí JeHoVaH, a na obyvateľov Babylona, i na jeho kniežatá a na jeho múdrych. 36Meč na márnotlachov, aby osprosteli; meč na jeho hrdinov, aby sa predesili! 37Meč na jeho kone i na jeho vozy i na všetku tú smes, ktorá je v jeho strede, a budú ženami! Meč na jeho poklady, a budú rozchvátané. 38Sucho na jeho vody, a vyschnú, lebo je to zem rytín, a pri strašidelných modlách bláznia. 39Preto v nej budú bývať divé mačky s hyenami, a budú v nej bývať pštrosi; nebude viacej obydlená až na večnosť ani nebude obývaná až na pokolenie a pokolenie. 40A bude to jako Božie podvrátenie Sodomy a Gomory a jej súsedov, hovorí JeHoVaH; nikto tam nebude bývať, ani v nej nebude pohostíniť syn človeka. 41Hľa, ľud prijde od severa a veľký národ a mnohí kráľovia, zobudiac sa povstanú od najďaľších končín zeme. 42Pochytia lučište a piku; ukrutní sú a nezľutujú sa; ich hlas bude hučať ako more, a pojdú na koňoch; pripravení, jako muž do boja, prijdú na teba, dcéro Babylona! 43Keď počuje babylonský kráľ zvesť o nich; klesnú jeho ruky bezvládne; úzkosť ho pochytí, bolesť ako ženu, ktorá ide porodiť. 44Hľa, pojde hore jako lev od dôstojnosti Jordána hore proti pevnému bydlisku. Ale ich náhle pohnem na útek s neho a toho, kto je vyvolený, ustanovím nad ním. Lebo kto je mne rovný? A kto mi stanoví deň, pravotiť sa so mnou? Alebo kde, kto je ten pastier, ktorý by sa postavil predo mnou? 45Preto počujte radu JeHoVaHovu, ktorú uradil proti Babylonu, a jeho myšlienky, ktoré si umyslel proti zemi Chaldejov! Istotne ich rozvláčia maličký stáda; istotne spolu s nimi spustošia aj ich bydlisko. 46Od hlasu, že je dochytený Babylon, zatrasie sa zem, a medzi národami sa počuje krik.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 BABYLON'S COMING DOWNFALL; ISRAEL'S REDEMPTION. (Jer. 50:1-46)
Compare Isa. 45:1-47:15. But as the time of fulfilment drew nearer, the prophecies are now proportionally more distinct than then.
2 Declare . . . among . . . nations--who would rejoice at the fall of Babylon their oppressor.
standard--to indicate the place of meeting to the nations where they were to hear the good news of Babylon's fall [ROSENMULLER]; or, the signal to summon the nations together against Babylon (
Jer 51:12,
Jer 51:27), [MAURER].
Bel--the tutelary god of Babylon; the same idol as the Phśnician Baal, that is, lord, the sun (
Isa 46:1).
confounded--because unable to defend the city under their protection.
Merodach--another Babylonian idol; meaning in Syria "little lord"; from which Merodach-baladan took his name.
3 a nation--the Medes, north of Babylon (
Jer 51:48). The devastation of Babylon here foretold includes not only that by Cyrus, but also that more utter one by Darius, who took Babylon by artifice when it had revolted from Persia, and mercilessly slaughtered the inhabitants, hanging four thousand of the nobles; also the final desertion of Babylon, owing to Seleucia having been built close by under Seleucus Nicanor.
4 Fulfilled only in part when some few of the ten tribes of "Israel" joined Judah in a "covenant" with God, at the restoration of Judah to its land (
Neh 9:38;
Neh 10:29). The full event is yet to come (
Jer 31:9;
Hos 1:11;
Zech 12:10).
weeping--with joy at their restoration beyond all hope; and with sorrow at the remembrance of their sins and sufferings (
Ezra 3:12-
Ezra 3:13;
Ps 126:5-
Ps 126:6).
seek . . . Lord-- (
Hos 3:5).
5 thitherward--rather, "hitherward," Jeremiah's prophetical standpoint being at Zion. "Faces hitherward" implies their steadfastness of purpose not to be turned aside by any difficulties on the way.
perpetual covenant--in contrast to the old covenant "which they brake" (
Jer 31:31, &c.;
Jer 32:40). They shall return to their God first, then to their own land.
6 (
Isa 53:6).
on the mountains--whereon they sacrificed to idols (
Jer 2:20;
Jer 3:6,
Jer 3:23).
resting-place--for the "sheep," continuing the image; Jehovah is the resting-place of His sheep (
Matt 11:28). They rest in His "bosom" (
Isa 40:11). Also His temple at Zion, their "rest," because it is His (
Ps 132:8,
Ps 132:14).
7 devoured-- (
Ps 79:7). "Found them" implies that they were exposed to the attacks of those whoever happened to meet them.
adversaries said--for instance, Nebuzara-dan (
Jer 40:2-
Jer 40:3; compare
Zech 11:5). The Gentiles acknowledged some supreme divinity. The Jews' guilt was so palpable that they were condemned even in the judgment of heathens. Some knowledge of God's peculiar relation to Judea reached its heathen invaders from the prophets (
Jer 2:3;
Dan 9:16); hence the strong language they use of Jehovah here, not as worshippers of Him themselves, but as believing Him to be the tutelary God of Judah ("the hope of their fathers,"
Ps 22:4; they do not say our hope), as each country was thought to have its local god, whose power extended no farther.
habitation-- (
Ps 90:1;
Ps 91:1). Alluding to the tabernacle, or, as in
Ezek 34:14, "fold," which carries out the image in
Jer 50:6, "resting-place" of the "sheep." But it can only mean "habitation" (
Jer 31:23), which confirms English Version here.
hope of their fathers--This especially condemned the Jews that their apostasy was from that God whose faithfulness their fathers had experienced. At the same time these "adversaries" unconsciously use language which corrects their own notions. The covenant with the Jews' "fathers" is not utterly set aside by their sin, as their adversaries thought; there is still "a habitation" or refuge for them with the God of their fathers.
8 (
Jer 51:6,
Jer 51:45;
Isa 48:20;
Zech 2:6-
Zech 2:7;
Rev 18:4). Immediately avail yourselves of the opportunity of escape.
be as . . . he-goats before . . . flocks--Let each try to be foremost in returning, animating the weak, as he-goats lead the flock; such were the companions of Ezra (
Ezra 1:5-
Ezra 1:6).
9 from thence--that is, from the north country.
expert--literally, "prosperous." Besides "might," "expertness" is needed, that an arrow may do execution. The Margin has a different Hebrew reading; "destroying," literally, "bereaving, childless-making" (
Jer 15:7). The Septuagint and Syriac support English Version.
In vain--without killing him at whom it was aimed (
2Sam 1:22).
11 (
Isa 47:6).
grown fat--and so, skip wantonly.
at grass--fat and frisky. But there is a disagreement of gender in Hebrew reading thus. The Keri is better: "a heifer threshing"; the strongest were used for threshing, and as the law did not allow their mouth to be muzzled in threshing (
Deut 25:4), they waxed wanton with eating.
bellow as bulls--rather, "neigh as steeds," literally, "strong ones," a poetical expression for steeds (see on
Jer 8:16) [MAURER].
12 Your mother--Babylon, the metropolis of the empire.
hindermost--marvellous change, that Babylon, once the queen of the world, should be now the hindermost of nations, and at last, becoming "a desert," cease to be a nation!
13 (
Isa 13:20).
14 Summons to the Median army to attack Babylon.
against the Lord--By oppressing His people, their cause is His cause. Also by profaning His sacred vessels (
Dan 5:2).
15 Shout--Inspirit one another to the onset with the battle cry.
given . . . hand--an idiom for, "submitted to" the conquerors (
1Chr 29:24, Margin;
Lam 5:6).
as she hath done, do unto her--just retribution in kind. She had destroyed many, so must she be destroyed (
Ps 137:8). So as to spiritual Babylon (
Rev 18:6). This is right because "it is the vengeance of the Lord"; but this will not justify private revenge in kind (
Matt 5:44;
Rom 12:19-
Rom 12:21); even the Old Testament law forbade this, though breathing a sterner spirit than the New Testament (
Exod 23:4-
Exod 23:5;
Pro 25:21-
Pro 25:22).
16 Babylon had the extent rather of a nation than of a city. Therefore grain was grown within the city wall sufficient to last for a long siege [ARISTOTLE, Politics, 3.2; PLINY, 18.17]. Conquerors usually spare agriculturists, but in this case all alike were to be "cut off."
for fear of . . . oppressing sword--because of the sword of the oppressor.
every one to his people--from which they had been removed to Babylon from all quarters by the Chaldean conquerors (
Jer 51:9;
Isa 13:14).
17 lions--hostile kings (
Jer 4:7;
Jer 49:19).
Assyria-- (
2Kgs 17:6, Shalmaneser;
Ezra 4:2, Esar-haddon).
Nebuchadnezzar-- (
2Kgs 24:10,
2Kgs 24:14).
18 punish . . . king of Babylon--Nabonidus, or Labynitus.
as . . . punished . . . Assyrian--Sennacherib and other kings [GROTIUS] (
2Kgs 19:37).
19 (
Isa 65:10;
Ezek 34:13-
Ezek 34:14).
20 The specification of "Israel," as well as Judah, shows the reference is to times yet to come.
iniquity . . . none--not merely idolatry, which ceased among the Jews ever since the Babylonian captivity, but chiefly their rejection of Messiah. As in a cancelled debt, it shall be as if it had never been; God, for Christ's sake, shall treat them as innocent (
Jer 31:34). Without cleansing away of sin, remission of punishment would be neither to the honor of God nor to the highest interests of the elect.
whom I reserve--the elect "remnant" (
Isa 1:9). The "residue" (
Zech 14:2;
Zech 13:8-
Zech 13:9).
21 Merathaim--a symbolical name for Babylon, the doubly rebellious, namely, against God. Compare
Jer 50:24, "thou hast striven against the Lord"; and
Jer 50:29, "proud against the Lord." The "doubly" refers to: first, the Assyrian's oppression of Israel; next, the kindred Chaldean's oppression of Judah (compare
Jer 50:17-
Jer 50:20,
Jer 50:33; especially
Jer 50:18).
Pekod-- (
Ezek 23:23); a chief province of Assyria, in which Nineveh, now overthrown, once lay. But, as in Merathaim, the allusion is to the meaning of Pekod, namely, "visitation"; the inhabitants whose time of deserved visitation in punishment is come; not, however, without reference to the now Babylonian province, Pekod. The visitation on Babylon was a following up of that on Assyria.
after them--even their posterity, and all that is still left of Babylon, until the very name is extinct [GROTIUS]. Devastate the city, after its inhabitants have deserted it.
all . . . I . . . commanded--by Isaiah (
Isa 13:1, &c.).
23 hammer--that is, Babylon, so called because of its ponderous destructive power; just as "Martel," that is, "a little hammer," was the surname of a king of the Franks (
Isa 14:6).
24 I--Thou hast to do with God, not merely with men.
taken . . . not aware--HERODOTUS relates that one half of the city was taken before those in the other half were "aware" of it. Cyrus turned the waters of the Euphrates where it was defended into a different channel, and so entered the city by the dried-up channel at night, by the upper and lower gates (
Dan 5:30-
Dan 5:31).
25 weapons of his indignation--the Medes and Persians (
Isa 13:5).
26 from the utmost border--namely, of the earth. Or, from all sides LUDOVICUS DE DIEU].
storehouses--or, "her houses filled with men and goods" [MICHAELIS]. When Cyrus took it, the provisions found there were enough to have lasted for many years.
as heaps--make of the once glorious city heaps of ruins. Vast mounds of rubbish now mark the site of ancient Babylon. "Tread her as heaps of corn which are wont to be trodden down in the threshing-floor" [GROTIUS].
27 bullocks--that is, princes and strong warriors (
Jer 46:21;
Ps 22:12;
Isa 34:7).
go down to . . . slaughter--The slaughterhouses lay low beside the river; therefore it is said, "go down"; appropriate to Babylon on the Euphrates, the avenue through which the slaughterers entered the city.
28 declare in Zion . . . temple--Some Jews "fleeing" from Babylon at its fall shall tell in Judea how God avenged the cause of Zion and her temple that had been profaned (
Jer 52:13;
Dan 1:2;
Dan 5:2).
29 archers--literally, "very many and powerful"; hence the Hebrew word is used of archers (
Job 16:13) from the multitude and force of their arrows.
according to all that she hath done--(See on
Jer 50:15).
proud against the Lord--not merely cruel towards men (
Isa 47:10).
30 (See on
Jer 49:26).
in the streets--The Babylonians were so discouraged by having lost some battles that they retired within their walls and would not again meet Cyrus in the field.
31 most proud--literally, "pride"; that is, man of pride; the king of Babylon.
visit--punish (
Jer 50:27).
33 Israel and . . . Judah were oppressed--He anticipates an objection, in order to answer it: Ye have been, no doubt, "oppressed," therefore ye despair of deliverance; but, remember your "Redeemer is strong," and therefore can and will deliver you.
34 strong--as opposed to the power of Israel's oppressor (
Rev 18:8).
plead . . . cause--as their advocate. Image from a court of justice; appropriate as God delivers His people not by mere might, but by righteousness. His plea against Satan and all their enemies is His own everlasting love, reconciling mercy and justice in the Redeemer's work and person (
Mic 7:9;
Zech 3:1-
Zech 3:5;
1John 2:1).
give rest . . . disquiet--There is a play on the similarity of sounds in the two Hebrew verbs to express more vividly the contrast: "that He may give quiet to the land of Judah (heretofore disquieted by Babylon); but disquiet to the inhabitants of Babylon" (heretofore quietly secure) (
Isa 14:6-
Isa 14:8).
35 The repetition of "A sword" in the beginning of each verse, by the figure anaphora, heightens the effect; the reiterated judgment is universal; the same sad stroke of the sword is upon each and all connected with guilty Babylon.
wise men-- (
Isa 47:13). Babylon boasted that it was the peculiar seat of wisdom and wise men, especially in astronomy and astrology.
36 liars--Those whom he before termed "wise men," he here calls "liars" (impostors), namely, the astrologers (compare
Isa 44:25;
Rom 1:21-
Rom 1:25;
1Cor 1:20).
37 as women--divested of all manliness (
Nah 3:13).
38 drought--Altering the pointing, this verse will begin as the three previous verses, "A sword." However, all the pointed manuscripts read, "A drought," as English Version. Cyrus turned off the waters of the Euphrates into a new channel and so marched through the dried-up bed into the city (
Jer 51:32). Babylonia once was famed for its corn, which often yielded from one to two hundredfold [HERODOTUS]. This was due to its network of water-courses from the Euphrates for irrigation, traces of which [LAYARD] are seen still on all sides, but dry and barren (
Isa 44:27).
their idols--literally, "terrors." They are mad after idols that are more calculated to frighten than to attract (
Jer 51:44,
Jer 51:47,
Jer 51:52;
Dan 3:1). Mere bugbears with which to frighten children.
39 wild beasts of the desert--wild cats, remarkable for their howl [BOCHART].
wild beasts of the islands--jackals (See on
Isa 13:21).
owls--rather, "female ostriches"; they delight in solitary places. Literally, "daughters of crying." Compare as to spiritual Babylon,
Rev 18:2.
no more inhabited for ever--The accumulation of phrases is to express the final and utter extinction of Babylon; fulfilled not immediately, but by degrees; Cyrus took away its supremacy. Darius Hystaspes deprived it, when it had rebelled, of its fortifications. Seleucus Nicanor removed its citizens and wealth to Seleucia, which he founded in the neighborhood; and the Parthians removed all that was left to Ctesiphon. Nothing but its walls was left under the Roman emperor Adrian.
40 (
Isa 13:19). Repeated from
Jer 49:18.
41 (Compare
Jer 6:22-
Jer 6:24). The very language used to describe the calamities which Babylon inflicted on Zion is that here employed to describe Babylon's own calamity inflicted by the Medes. Retribution in kind.
kinds--the allies and satraps of the various provinces of the Medo-Persian empire: Armenia, Hyrcania, Lydia, &c.
coasts--the remote parts.
42 cruel--the character of the Persians, and even of Cyrus, notwithstanding his wish to be thought magnanimous (
Isa 13:18).
like a man--So orderly and united is their "array," that the whole army moves to battle as one man [GROTIUS].
43 hands waxed feeble--attempted no resistance; immediately was overcome, as HERODOTUS tells us.
44 Repeated mainly from
Jer 49:19-
Jer 49:21. The identity of God's principle in His dealing with Edom, and in that with Babylon, is implied by the similarity of language as to both.
46 cry . . . among the nations--In Edom's case it is, "at the cry the noise thereof was heard in the Red Sea." The change implies the wider extent to which the crash of Babylon's downfall shall be heard.