Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 51:9

We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country: for her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up [even] to the skies.

9. We would have healed, etc.] As the v. cannot be taken to express Jewish sentiment, we must suppose it to be put in the mouth of the nations, intoxicated by their share in the splendour of Babylon, and so lamenting its fall and desiring to restore its fortunes. Cp. Rev 18:9-19, and for Israel’s joy ( Jer 51:10) at the judgement which befalls its oppressor, Rev 18:20.

her judgement ] i.e. her punishment.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Omit would. All was done that it was possible to do to heal her.

To the skies – Or, to the clouds.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 9. We would have healed Babylon] Had it been in our power, we would have saved her; but we could not turn away the judgment of God.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

The prophet here seemeth to personate the mercenary soldiers that should come to help the Chaldeans, as if they should say this, they would have helped Babylon, but there was no healing for her; and therefore they call one to another to leave her to herself, and return each man to his own country, for her punishment was very great, her case too sad for them to help. The reaching of things to the heavens, and lifting them up to the skies, are phrases used to signify high and great measures and degrees of things, so expressed Gen 11:4; 28:12; Deu 1:28; 1Sa 5:12; 2Ch 28:9; Psa 107:26.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

9. We would have healedWeattempted to heal.

her judgmenthercrimes provoking God’s “judgments” [GROTIUS].

reacheth unto heaven(Gen 18:21; Jon 1:2;Rev 18:5). Even the heathennations perceive that her awful fall must be God’s judgment for hercrying sins (Psa 9:16; Psa 64:9).

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed,…. These are either the words of the friends of Babylon of her auxiliaries and allies, who did all they could to defend her against the Persians, but to no purpose; it was not in their power to help her; the time of her destruction was come, and there was no avoiding it; or of the prophets and good people of the Jews that were in Babylon, that took pains to convince, the inhabitants of Babylon of their idolatries and other sins, and reform them, that so they might not be their ruin; but all instructions and admonitions were in vain; in like manner many worthy reformers have laboured much to reclaim mystical Babylon, or the church of Rome, from her errors and idolatries; but still she retains them; wherefore it follows:

forsake her, and let us go everyone into his own country; so said the auxiliary troops that were in the service of the king of Babylon; since we can do him no good, and are ourselves posed to danger, let us desert him, and provide for our safety by hastening to our own country as fast as we can; this was really the case after the first battle of Cyrus with the Babylonians, in which their king Neriglissar was slain: Croesus and the rest of the allies, seeing their case so distressed and helpless, left them to shift for themselves, and fled by night h: or so might the Jews say when the city was taken, and they were delivered out of the hands of their oppressors; and so will the people of God say, who shall be called out of mystical Babylon just before its ruin,

Re 18:4;

for her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up [even] to the skies: that is, her sins were so many, that they reached even to heaven; and were taken notice of by God that dwelleth there; and were the cause of judgment or punishment being from thence inflicted on her, which was unavoidable, being the decree of heaven, and the just demerit of her sin; and therefore no help could be afforded her; nor was there any safety by being in her; see Re 18:5.

h Xenophon, Cyropaedia l. 4. c. 2.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

The Prophet assumes different characters; he speaks here in the person of those who of themselves brought help to the Babylonians. And many, no doubt, would have been ready to assist them, had King Belshazzar wished to accept aid; and we know also, that the city had a large army. He compares, then, the nations subject to the Babylonians, and also the hired and foreign soldiers, to physicians, as though he had said, “Babylon has been, with great care, healed.” As when a great prince is taken ill, he sends here and there for the best and most skillful physicians; but when the disease is incurable, they all strive in vain to save his life: so now the Prophet speaks, using a metaphor; but he speaks in the person of those who either had set to hire their services, or had come from a sense of duty to heal Babylon. “See,” they said, “the fault is not with us, for we have faithfully and carefully done our best to heal her, but she has not been healed.”

He then adds, Leave her, and let us depart, every one to his own land. This was the language of foreign soldiers and mercenaries. When they saw that the safety of the city was hopeless, they began to counsel one another, “What do we? Ought we not rather to consult our own safety? for our efforts are wholly useless. It is then time for every one to return to his own country, for the end of Babylon is come.” But the change of person has much more force than if the Prophet had spoken thus, “The time shall come when the auxiliaries shall flee away, for they will see that it would be all in vain to defend her.” But when he compares them to physicians, this similitude more fully illustrates the case; and then when he speaks in their person, this renders what is said still more emphatieal.

He at length adds, For her judgment has reached to the heavens, and has been elevated to the clouds. Jeremiah could not have properly addressed what he said to the unbelieving, if you explain this of God being adverse and hostile to the Babylonians; for it never occurred to the hired soldiers,

that Babylon perished through the just judgment of God. But the Prophet, according to a usual mode of speaking, says, Her judgment (that is, her destruction) reached to the heavens, and has been elevated to the clouds; that is, no aid shall be found under heaven, which can deliver Babylon, — how so? because it will be the same as though destruction came from heaven itself, and from the clouds. For when danger is nigh either from behind or from before us, we can turn aside either to the right hand or to the left, so that we may escape the evils which men may bring on us: but when heaven itself seems to threaten our heads, then an escape is attempted in vain. This then is the reason why the Prophet says that the judgment of Babylon had reached to the heavens and had been elevated to the clouds. (84) It follows, —

(84) Another view has been given of this clause: It is a mode of speaking to express the greatness of a thing; see Psa 36:5; Ezr 9:6. The judgement or punishment of Babylon would be so great, that it might be compared to what may reach to the heavens, and to the ethereal regions; for such is the meaning of the last word, and is rendered “stars,” by the Sept. , —

For to the heavens has reached her judgement, And it has risen up to the ethereal regions.

By “heavens,” are often meant the skies. — Ed.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

(9) We would have healed Babylon . . .This is the dramatic answer of the Israelite exiles to the prophets appeal. They have done what they could, but all was in vain. The guilt could not be washed away, the punishment could not be averted. The judgment is measureless as is the distance from heaven to earth. This is also reproduced in Rev. 18:5. For the phrase, as applied to Nebuchadnezzar, see Dan. 4:20. Possibly there may be an allusive reference to the tower of Babel, reaching unto heaven, as the type of Babylonian greatness (Gen. 11:4).

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

9. Let us go every one into his own country This is the language of mercenaries from different lands. Hence they say, We would have healed, etc.

Judgment Really the sin by which the “judgment” is measured.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Jer 51:9 We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country: for her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up [even] to the skies.

Ver. 9. We would have healed Babylon. ] Say the foreign nations that came to help her, or the people of God, a say others, that were kept captive by her, as Daniel and the rest.

But she is not healed. ] Or, She could not be healed. See Hos 7:1 .

For her judgment reacheth unto heaven. ] It coelo clamor, proportionable to her sin. Rev 18:5

a Vox electorum. – Oecolamp.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)