Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 51:49
As Babylon [hath caused] the slain of Israel to fall, so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the earth.
49. As Babylon so at, etc.] better, as mg. Both Babylon is to fall, O ye slain of Israel, and at, etc., or, repeating a Heb. consonant, for the slain of Israel. The ground for Babylon’s overthrow is to be her cruelty towards others.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Render, As Babylon caused the slain of Israel to fall, so because of Babylon, hare fallen the slain of (or, in) the whole earth. Babylon has to answer for the general carnage caused by its wars.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
The words in the Hebrew have some difficulty, which is not so obvious to those not acquainted with that language, but hath given occasion to interpreters to vary in their particular translations of it; but they mostly agree in the general sense, viz. that these words are given as a reason why the whole earth should so much rejoice in the ruin of Babylon, because Babylon had caused Israel to fall. The latter term,
all the earth, must be understood in a restrained sense, for that earth; the Chaldeans coming up from all parts of Chaldea to help Babylon, should be slain there, as by the means of Babylon the Israelites were slain that came up from all parts of Judea to help Jerusalem.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
49. caused . . . to fallliterally,”has been for the falling,” that is, as Babylon made thisits one aim to fill all places with the slain of Israel, so atBabylon shall all the slain of that whole land (not as EnglishVersion, “of all the earth“) [MAURER].HENDERSON translates,”Babylon also shall fall, ye slain of Israel. Those also ofBabylon shall fall, O ye slain of all the earth.” But, “inthe midst of her,” Jer 51:47,plainly answers to “at Babylon,” Jer51:49, English Version.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
As Babylon [hath caused] the slain of Israel,…. In Jerusalem, when that city was taken the Chaldeans, and destroyed:
so at Babylon shall all the slain of all the earth; or “land”; that is, the land of Chaldea; the inhabitants of which fled to Babylon upon the invasion of the Medes and Persians, both for their own safety, and the defence of that city; and where, being slain, they fell; and this was a just retaliation of them for what they had done to Israel. These words may be considered, as they are by some, as the song of the inhabitants of heaven and earth, observing and applauding the justice and equity of divine Providence in this affair; see Re 13:7.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
THE words literally read thus, “As Babylon, that they might fall, the slain of Israel, so for Babylon they shall fall, the slain of all the lands.” Some, omitting the ל, lamed, in the second clause, render the passage thus, “As the slain of Israel have fallen through Babylon, so by Babylon shall they fall: “and others render the last like the first, “through Babylon.” But the simpler rendering is that which I have given, even that this would be the reward which God would render Babylon, that they would fall everywhere through its whole land, as it had slain the people of Israel. For the Prophet no doubt had this in view, to alleviate the sorrow of the godly by some consolation; and the ground of consolation was, that God would be the avenger of all the evils which the Babylonians had brought on them. For it is a heavy trial when we think that we are disregarded by God, and that our enemies with impunity oppress us according to their own will. The Prophet, then, testifies that God would by no means suffer that so many of the Israelites should perish unpunished, for he would at length render to the Babylonians what they deserved, even that they who destroyed others should in their turn be destroyed.
We may now easily gather what the Prophet means, “As Babylon,” he says, “has made many in Israel to fall, so now the Babylonians themselves shall fall.” To render ל, lamed, by “through,” or, on account of, is improper. Then he says the Babylonians themselves shall fall, the slain of the whole land. By the whole land, I do not understand the whole world, as other interpreters, but Chaldea only. Then everywhere in Chaldea, they who had been so cruel as to shed innocent blood everywhere would perish. (106) And though that saying is generally true, Whoso sheddeth man’s blood shall be punished; yet the word is especially addressed to the Church. God, then, avenges all slaughters, because he cannot bear his own image to be violated, which he has impressed on men. But as he has a paternal care for his Church, he is in an especial manner the avenger of that cruelty which the ungodly exercise towards the faithful.
In short, the Prophet means, that though God may suffer for a time the ungodly to rage against his Church, yet he will be at the suitable season its avenger, so that they shall everywhere be slain who have been thus cruel.
But we hence learn that we ought by no means to despair when God allows so much liberty to the ungodly, so that they slay the miserable and the innocent, for the same thing happened formerly to the ancient people. It was the Church of God in which the Chaldeans committed that carnage of which the Prophet speaks: the children of God were then slain as sheep. If the same thing should happen to us at this day, there would be no reason for us to despond, but to wait for the time of vengeance of which the Prophet speaks here; for experience will then show how precious to God is the life of all the godly. It now follows, —
(106) This verse may be deemed as the shouting song at the fall of Babylon, —
“
As Babylon made to fall the slain of Israel, So for Babylon have fallen the slain of all the land.”
It is said before, in Jer 51:47, that her slain should fall in the midst of her land. “For Babylon” means, on account of what she had done. But if it be “in Babylon,” means, on account of what she had done. But of Babylon; and the intimation is, that there would be none led captive, but slain in the land, except “all” be taken, as is often the case, as signifying a large number. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(49) As Babylon hath caused . . .The interpolated words and the marginal reading indicate that the construction is obscure, but the Authorised version probably comes close to the meaning of the original. The punishment that falls on Babylon comes on account of her slaughter of the Israelites, but in that punishment other nations from all parts of the earth who are mingled with her people should be involved. Perhaps, however. we should read the slain of all the land, as giving more emphatically the law of retribution. The rendering of the margin, Both Babylon is to fall, O ye slain of Israel, and with Babylon . . . is adopted by some recent commentators, but gives a less satisfactory meaning.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Jer 51:49. So at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the earth So through Babylon have fallen the slain of the whole earth. The reason is here assigned, why the heavens and the earth, and all that were therein, should rejoice at the fall of Babylon, because not only the people of Israel, but of the whole earth likewise, had been greatly annoyed by the power of that ambitious nation.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jer 51:49 As Babylon [hath caused] the slain of Israel to fall, so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the earth.
Ver. 49. So at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the earth. ] Or rather, Of all the land – i.e., of all Babylon, or Assyria. When God once cometh to make inquisition for the blood of his saints, woe to the wicked, &c.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Jer 51:49-51
49Indeed Babylon is to fall for the slain of Israel,
As also for Babylon the slain of all the earth have fallen.
50You who have escaped the sword,
Depart! Do not stay!
Remember the Lord from afar,
And let Jerusalem come to your mind.
51We are ashamed because we have heard reproach;
Disgrace has covered our faces,
For aliens have entered
The holy places of the Lord’s house.
Jer 51:49-51 This poem is addressed to the remnant (see Special Topic at Jer 5:10-13) of the exiles who returned to Judah under Cyrus’ decree in 538 B.C. I believe Jer 51:52-53 should go with Jer 51:49-51.
Jer 51:49 Notice Babylon is reaping the judgment of YHWH because of its treatment of the covenant people (i.e., their treatment of the temple, cf. Jer 51:51; Jer 50:28 c; Lam 1:10; Lam 2:6-7). The irony is that it was YHWH who sent Babylon but still she is responsible for her actions. See Special Topic at Jer 18:8.
There is another way to interpret this phrase. It is possible to make it parallel to Jer 51:47. If so, it is not just for the slain of Israel, but for all the slain of all the nations.
Jer 51:50 YHWH commands His exiled people in Babylon to think of Jerusalem/temple and leave their captivity.
1. depart – BDB 229, KB 246, Qal imperative
2. do not stay – BDB 763, KB 840, negated Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense
3. remember the Lord from afar – BDB 269, KB 269, Qal imperative
4. let Jerusalem come to your mind – BDB 748, KB 828, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense
The exiles of Nebuchadnezzar’s previous deportations (i.e., 605, 597 B.C.) heard of the atrocities that occurred in 586 B.C. with the fall and destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple (cf. Jer 51:51), but they are encouraged now to remember YHWH!
The vast majority of exiled Jews did not return under the leadership of Sheshbazzar, Zerubbabel/Joshua, Ezra, and Nehemiah in the Persian period.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
all the earth. Compare Isa 14:16, Isa 14:17.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
As Babylon: etc. or, Both Babylon is to fall, O ye slain of Israel and with Babylon shall fall the slain of all the country. hath. Jer 51:10, Jer 51:11, Jer 51:24, Jer 51:35, Jer 50:11, Jer 50:17, Jer 50:18, Jer 50:29, Jer 50:33, Jer 50:34, Jdg 1:7, Psa 137:8, Psa 137:9, Mat 7:2, Jam 2:13, Rev 18:5, Rev 18:6
Reciprocal: Isa 21:2 – the treacherous Jer 51:34 – the king Lam 1:21 – they shall Zec 6:8 – quieted Rev 18:24 – were
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 51:49. A glance at verse 45 shows that Israel is being addressed still, and is being consoled over the downfall of the nation that had opposed them while in captivity. The original for earth is defined in the lexicon also as the land.” The passage means that as Babylon had caused the people of Israel to be slain, so the people all over the land of Babylon should be slain and made to fall.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
51:49 As Babylon [hath caused] the {d} slain of Israel to fall, so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the earth.
(d) Babylon not only destroyed Israel, but many other nations.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
14. A call to flee from Babylon 51:49-53
Yahweh had messages for the exiles in Babylon.
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
Babylon would fall because she had felled Israel and many other nations.