Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 51:55
Because the LORD hath spoiled Babylon, and destroyed out of her the great voice; when her waves do roar like great waters, a noise of their voice is uttered:
55. the great voice ] the hum of the city’s life.
and their waves ] the surging hosts which pour into the city. See on Jer 51:42.
the noise of their voice ] Cp. Jer 6:23; Isa 17:12.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Render, For Yahweh wasteth Babylon, and will make to cease from her the loud noise (of busy life); and their wares (the surging masses of the enemy) roar like many waters: the noise of their shouting is given forth, i. e., resounds.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 55. The great voice] Its pride and insufferable boasting.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The sword is not so much the sword of the Medes a the sword of the Lord. It is he who is to be looked at, a the spoiler of Babylon.
And destroyed out of her the great voice; and hath made to cease in that great city the noise caused from the multitudes of people in it walking up an, down, and trafficking together. The noise of her enemies that shall break in upon her shall be like the noise and roarings of the sea, when it dasheth upon the shore or upon some rocks. That shall be the only noise shall be heard in her, instead of the noises wont there to be made from the multitude of people, or from revellers.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
55. great voiceWhere once wasthe great din of a mighty city, there shall be the silence ofdeath [VATABLUS]. Or, the”great voice” of the revellers (Jer 51:38;Jer 51:39; Isa 22:2).Or, the voice of mighty boasting [CALVIN],(compare Jer 51:53).
her waves“when”her calamities shall cause her to give forth a widely different”voice,” even such a one as the waves give that lash theshores (Jer 51:42) [GROTIUS].Or, “when” is connected thus: “the great voice”in her, when her “waves,” c. (compare Jer51:13). CALVINtranslates, “their waves,” that is, the Medesbursting on her as impetuous waves so Jer51:42. But the parallel, “a great voice,” belongs toher, therefore the wave-like “roar” of “theirvoice” ought also belong to her (compare Jer51:54). The “great voice” of commercial din, boasting,and feasting, is “destroyed”; but in its stead there is thewave-like roar of her voice in her “destruction”(Jer 51:54).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Because the Lord hath spoiled Babylon,…. By means of the Merits and Persians; these were his instruments he made use of; to these he gave commission, power, and strength to spoil Babylon; and therefore it is ascribed to him:
and destroyed out of her the great voice; the noise of people, which is very great in populous cities, where people are passing to and fro in great numbers upon business; which ceases when any calamity comes, as pestilence, famine, or sword, which sweep away the inhabitants; this last was the case of Babylon. The Targum is,
“and hath destroyed out of her many armies:”
or it may design the great voice of the roaring revelling company in it at their feast time; which was the time of the destruction of he city, as often observed: or the voice of triumphs for victories obtained, which should be no more in it: or the voice of joy and gladness in common, as will be also the case of mystical Babylon, Re 18:22; this “great voice” may not unfitly be applied to the voice of antichrist, that mouth speaking blasphemies, which are long shall be destroyed out of Babylon, Re 13:5;
when her waves do roar like great waters, a noise of their voice is uttered; that is, when her enemies come up against her like the waves of the sea: a loud shout will be made by them, which will be very terrible, and silence the noise of mirth and jollity among the Babylonians; see Jer 51:42; though some understand this of the change that should be made among the Chaldeans; that, instead of the voice of joy and triumph, there would be the voice of howling and lamentation; and even among their high and mighty ones, who would be troubled and distressed, as great waters are, when moved by tempests. The Targum is,
“and the armies of many people shall be gathered against them, and shall lift up their voice with a tumult.”
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The reason for the crashing is now added, even because God had resolved to lay waste Babylon, and to reduce it to nothing. Jeremiah again calls the faithful to consider the power of God. He then says, that it would not be a work done by men, because God would put forth his great power, which cannot be comprehended by human minds. He then sets the name of God in opposition to all creatures, as though he had said, that what exceeds all the efforts of men, would yet be easily done by God. He, indeed, represents God here as before our eyes, and says that Babylon would perish, but that it was God who would lay it waste. He thus sets forth God here as already armed for the purpose of cutting off Babylon. And he will destroy from her the magnificent voice, that is, her immoderate boasting.
What follows is explained by many otherwise than I can approve; for they say that the waves made a noise among the Babylonians at the time when the city was populous; for where there is a great concourse of men, a great noise is heard, but solitude and desolation bring silence. They thus, then, explain the words of the Prophet, that though now waves, that is, noises, resounded in Babylon like great waters, and the sound of their voice went forth, yet God would destroy their great or magnificent voice. But I have no doubt but that what the Prophet meant by their great voice, was their grandiloquent boasting in which the Babylonians indulged during their prosperity. While, then, the monarchy flourished, they spoke as from the height. Their silence from fear and shame would follow, as the Prophet intimates, when God checked that proud glorying.
But what follows I take in a different sense; for I apply it to the Medes and the Persians: and so there is a relative without an antecedent — a mode of speaking not unfrequent in Hebrew. He then expresses the manner in which God would destroy or abolish the grandiloquent boasting of the Babylonians, even because their waves, that is, of the Persians, would make a noise like great waters; that is, the Persians, and the Medes would rush on them like impetuous waves, and thus the Babylonians would be brought to silence and reduced to desolation. (108) When they were at peace, and no enemy disturbed them, they then gave full vent to their pride; and thus vaunting was the speech of Babylon as long as it flourished; but when suddenly the enemies made an irruption, then Babylon became silent or mute on account of the frightful sound within it. We hence see why he compares the Persians and the Medes to violent waves which would break and put an end to that sound which was before heard in Babylon. It follows, —
(108) This is the meaning given by the Targum. Venema and Horsley would put a colon or a period after אבד, —
55. For Jehovah is laying waste Babylon and destroying her: From her comes a loud voice! And roar do their waves like great waters, Going forth is the tumult of their voice.
According to the preceding verse, the destruction of Babylon is represented as then taking place, —
54. A voice of howling from Babylon! And of great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans!
The commotions and tumults, arising from the invasion of enemies, seem to be set forth in Jer 51:55; and the beginning of the following, Jer 51:56, ought to be rendered in the present tense, the first verb being a participle. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(55) Because the Lord hath spoiled Babylon . . .In Jer. 51:54 the prophet hears the cry of the captured city. The great voice which Jehovah destroys or makes to cease is the stir and tumult of life that surged, as it were, through the city (Isa. 18:12, 13). The waves are those of the sea of the legions of her conqueror (see Jer. 51:42), and they roar while the voices that were heard before are hushed in the silence of death.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Jer 51:55. And destroyed out of her the great voice When cities are populous, they are of course noisy. See Isa 22:2. Silence is therefore a mark of depopulation; and in this sense we are to understand God’s destroying or taking away out of Babylon the great noise, which during the time of her prosperity was constantly heard there; “the busy hum of men,” as the poet very expressively calls it. In this manner the mystical Babylon is threatened, Rev 18:22-23. Compare ch. Jer 7:34 Jer 16:9 Jer 25:10.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jer 51:55 Because the LORD hath spoiled Babylon, and destroyed out of her the great voice; when her waves do roar like great waters, a noise of their voice is uttered:
Ver. 55. Because the Lord hath spoiled Babylon. ] Heb., Is spoiling. For it was long in doing; but as sure as if done together, and at once. In like sort many of the promises are not to have their full accomplishment till the end of the world; as those about the full deliverance of the godly, the destruction of the wicked, the confusion of Antichrist, &c.
And destroyed out of her the great voice.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
destroyed = caused to perish. Hebrew. ‘abar. Not the same as in verses: Jer 51:1, Jer 51:3, Jer 51:8, Jer 1:11, Jer 1:20, Jer 1:25, Jer 1:54.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
destroyed: Jer 51:38, Jer 51:39, Jer 25:10, Jer 50:10-15, Isa 15:1, Isa 24:8-11, Isa 47:5, Rev 18:22, Rev 18:23
her waves: Psa 65:7, Psa 93:3, Psa 93:4, Isa 17:13, Eze 26:3, Luk 21:25, Rev 17:15
Reciprocal: Jer 50:25 – this Hab 2:8 – thou
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 51:55. Waves and waters are figures of speech that mean the floods of distress and ruin that would come upon the land of Babylon. All of this was to be brought about through the service of the Persians, but It would be by the decree of the Lord.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Jer 51:55-57. Because the Lord hath spoiled Babylon, and destroyed out of her the great voice When cities are populous, they are of course noisy: see Isa 22:2. Silence is therefore a mark of depopulation; and in this sense we are to understand Gods destroying, or taking away out of Babylon, the great noise, which, during the time of her prosperity, was constantly heard there, the busy hum of men, as the poet very expressly calls it. In this manner the mystical Babylon is threatened, Rev 18:22-23. Compare Jer 7:34; Jer 16:9; Jer 25:10. Blaney. Every one of their bows is broken Their strength is quite broken, and they cannot defend themselves, or hurt their enemies. I will make drunk her princes and her wise men, &c. I will permit her princes, her commanders, and directors to be intoxicated, so that they shall neglect what should be done for their defence, and thereby be slain.