1Slovo, které mluvil Hospodin o Babylonu, o chaldejské zemi, prostřednictvím proroka Jeremjáše. 2Oznamte a rozhlaste to mezi národy, pozdvihněte korouhev; rozhlaste to a nezatajujte. Řekněte: Babylon je dobyt, Bél se stydí, Marduk se třese; jeho modlářské zpodobeniny jsou zahanbeny, jeho bůžkové se třesou. 3Protože ze severu proti němu vytáhl národ, který jeho zemi učiní děsivou krajinou. Nebudou v ní obyvatelé, lidé i zvířata prchnou, utečou. 4V oněch dnech a v onom čase, je Hospodinův výrok, přijdou synové izraelští spolu se syny judskými; půjdou a přitom budou plakat a budou hledat Hospodina, svého Boha. 5Cestou se budou vyptávat na Sijón, tam budou obráceny jejich tváře. Přijdou a připojí se k Hospodinu věčnou smlouvou, jež nebude zapomenuta. 6Můj lid byl ztracené stádo. Jejich pastýři je svedli, odvraceli je na horách. Chodili z hory na návrší a na místo svého odpočinku zapomněli. 7Všichni, kdo je našli, je požírali a jejich protivníci říkali: Neproviníme se, protože hřešili proti Hospodinu, pravé pastvině a naději svých otců, Hospodinu. 8Prchněte z Babylona, vyjděte z chaldejské země a buďte jako beran před stádem. 9Protože hle, podnítím a přivedu proti Babylonu shromáždění velkých národů ze severní země. Sešikují se proti němu, bude odtamtud dobyt. Jejich šípy jsou jako úspěšní hrdinové, nenavrátí se s prázdnou. 10Chaldejsko se stane kořistí; všichni jeho kořistníci se nasytí, je Hospodinův výrok. 11Ačkoliv se radujete, ačkoliv jásáte, pustošitelé mého dědictví, ačkoliv poskakujete jako jalovice při mlácení a řehtáte jako koně, 12vaše matka se velice stydí, vaše rodička se hanbí. Hle, je poslední z národů. Pustina, bezvodá a pustá země. 13Kvůli Hospodinovu hněvu nebude obydlen, bude zcela opuštěný, každý, kdo bude Babylonem procházet, se zhrozí a podiví se všem jeho ranám. 14Sešikujte se proti Babylonu ze všech stran, všichni, kdo napínáte luk, střílejte na něj a nešetřte šípem, protože zhřešil proti Hospodinu. 15Křičte proti němu ze všech stran! Vzdal se, jeho pilíře padly, jeho hradby jsou zbořeny, protože to je Hospodinova pomsta. Pomstěte se na něm! To, co dělal on, udělejte jemu. 16Vyhlaďte z Babylona rozsévače i toho, kdo nosí srp v čas žně! Před krutým mečem se každý vrátí ke svému lidu a každý uteče do své země. 17Izrael je zaplašená ovce, kterou zahnali lvi. Nejprve ho požíral asyrský král a nakonec mu ohlodal kosti babylonský král Nebúkadnesar. 18Proto takto praví Hospodin zástupů, Bůh Izraele: Hle, navštívím babylonského krále a jeho zemi tak jako jsem navštívil asyrského krále. 19Přivedu Izrael zpět na jeho pastvinu a bude se pást na Karmelu i v Bášanu, jeho duše se nasytí v Efrajimském pohoří a v Gileádu. 20V oněch dnech a v onom čase, je Hospodinův výrok, bude vyhledávána vina Izraele, ale žádná nebude, a hříchy Judy, ale nebudou nalezeny, protože těm, které zanechám, odpustím. 21Proti meratajimské zemi: Vytáhni proti ní a proti obyvatelům Pekódu! Pobij je a i posledního z nich zasvěť zkáze, je Hospodinův výrok; učiň všechno, co jsem ti přikázal! 22V zemi je válečná vřava a velká zkáza. 23Jak je rozbito a rozdrceno kladivo celé země! Jak se Babylon stal děsivou věcí mezi národy! 24Nastražil jsem na tebe past a byl jsi polapen, Babylone, ani jsi to nevěděl. Byl jsi dopaden a chycen, protože ses pustil do boje s Hospodinem. 25Hospodin otevřel svoji zbrojnici a vybral zbraně svého rozhořčení, neboť Panovník, Hospodin zástupů, má v chaldejské zemi práci. 26Přitáhněte proti němu ze všech končin, otevřete jeho sýpky, navršte ho jako hromady obilí a zasvěťte jej zkáze! Ať z něj nezůstane ani ostatek! 27Pobijte všechny jeho býčky, ať sestoupí na porážku! Běda jim, neboť přišel jejich den, čas jejich navštívení. 28Slyš! Utečenci a uprchlíci z babylonské země přicházejí oznámit na Sijón pomstu Hospodina, našeho Boha, pomstu za jeho chrám. 29Svolejte proti Babylonu lukostřelce, všechny, kdo napínají luk. Utábořte se kolem něho, ať nemá úniku! Odplaťte mu podle jeho skutků, podle všeho, co učinil, učiňte jemu, neboť se choval drze vůči Hospodinu, Svatému Izraele. 30Proto jeho mládenci padnou na jeho náměstích a všichni jeho bojovníci v onen den zahynou, je Hospodinův výrok. 31Hle, jsem proti tobě, domýšlivče, je výrok Panovníka, Hospodina zástupů, neboť přišel tvůj den, čas, kdy tě navštívím. 32Domýšlivec klopýtne a padne a nebude, kdo by ho pozdvihl. V jeho městech zapálím oheň a ten stráví celé jeho okolí. 33Toto praví Hospodin zástupů: Synové izraelští jsou utlačováni spolu se syny judskými. Všichni, kdo je odvedli do zajetí, je pevně drželi a nechtěli je propustit. 34Jejich Vykupitel je silný, jeho jméno je Hospodin zástupů. Jistě povede jejich spor, aby dal odpočinutí zemi, ale znepokojil obyvatele Babylona. 35Meč proti Chaldejcům, je Hospodinův výrok, proti obyvatelům Babylona, proti jeho knížatům i jeho mudrcům. 36Meč proti žvanilům a dokáží, že jsou blázni. Meč proti jeho hrdinům a vyděsí se. 37Meč proti jejich koňům a jejich vozům, proti všemu míšenému lidu, který je uprostřed něho; budou slabí jako ženy. Meč proti jeho pokladům a budou vypleněny. 38Sucho na jeho vody, ať vyschnou, protože je to země model, protože šílí u svých hrůzných stvůr. 39Proto tam budou sídlit divoká zvířata s šakaly, budou v ní pobývat pštrosi. Nebude již nikdy obydlena, nebude osídlena z generace na generaci. 40Jako když Bůh vyvrátil Sodomu, Gomoru a jejich sousední města, je Hospodinův výrok, tak se tam nikdo neusadí, syn člověka v ní nebude pobývat. 41Hle, ze severu přichází lid, velký národ, mnozí králové se dávají do pohybu z nejvzdálenějších částí země. 42Chopí se luku a srpáče, jsou krutí a nebudou mít slitování. Jejich křik bude burácet jako moře. Připraveni jako muž do boje pojedou na koních proti tobě, babylonská dcero. 43Babylonský král o nich uslyšel zprávu a jeho ruce ochably, zmocnila se ho tíseň, porodní bolesti jako rodičky. 44Hle, vystupuje jako lev z jordánské houštiny na stále zelenou pastvinu, ale v okamžiku ho z ní zaženu a určím nad ní toho, kdo je vyvolený. Neboť kdo je jako já? Kdo mě předvolá k soudu? Kdo je ten pastýř, který přede mnou obstojí? 45Proto slyšte Hospodinovo rozhodnutí, které učinil o Babylonu, jeho plán, který vymýšlí proti chaldejské zemi: Jistě je budou vláčet, i nejmenší ze stáda. Jistě kvůli nim zpustoší pastvinu. 46Voláním: Babylon je dobyt! Třese se země. Jeho úpěnlivý křik je slyšet mezi národy.
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.
