Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 50:23
How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken! how is Babylon become a desolation among the nations!
23. the hammer ] For the figure cp. Jer 23:29, and for its application to Babylon Jer 51:20-23. Cp. for the title, as given in later days, Charles Martel (hammer), who was grandfather of Charles the Great, and conquered the Saracens in a decisive battle at Tours in 732 a.d., and Edward I of England, on whose tomb at Westminster Abbey are inscribed the words “Scotorum Malleus.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The hammer – Babylon, by whose instrumentality Yahweh had crushed the nations, is now cut asunder, i. e., the head of iron or bronze is cut away from the wooden handle, and broken.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 23. The hammer of the whole earth] Nebuchadnezzar dashed to pieces the nations against whom he warred. He was the scourge of the Lord.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The latter part of the verse expounds the former; God had made the Babylonians his hammer, to break other nations in pieces, now it was itself broken: the particle
how may be understood either as expressing triumph and rejoicing, or admiration, or as inquiring how such a thing could be in the last sense. The next verse is an answer to this.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
23. hammerthat is, Babylon,so called because of its ponderous destructive power; just as”Martel,” that is, “a little hammer,” was thesurname of a king of the Franks (Isa14:6).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken!…. The Targum is,
“how is the king cut down and broken that moved the whole earth!”
The king of Babylon, or the kingdom of Babylon, which was like a hammer for its hardness and strength; and being an instrument, in the hand of God, of beating to pieces and destroying the kingdoms and nations around it; but is now destroyed itself. These are the words either of the prophet, or rather of the people of other nations, wondering how this destruction came about, and rejoicing at it;
how is Babylon become a desolation among the nations! this explains who and what is meant by the hammer of the earth, and by its being cut asunder and broken; even the utter destruction of the city and kingdom of Babylon.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Here, in the first place, Jeremiah asks in astonishment how it happened that the hammer of the whole earth was broken, when it had before broken all nations. God afterwards gives an answer, even because “I am he who have taken Babylon.” The question availed to rouse the people to a greater attention. We neglect God’s judgments or are blind to them, even because we do not carefully consider them; for little things often excite us, when that which God works in an unusual manner is deemed by us as nothing. As then our apathy as to the works of God is so great, it is necessary to stimulate us. And this is what is done now by Jeremiah, when he says in astonishment, How? for he intimates that to cut down Babylon would be incredible, for no one could have thought that that monarchy could have ever fallen; for it had arrived to the highest eminence, and was surrounded on all sides by so many fortresses, that no danger could be feared. In short, all thought that Babylon could not be endangered without a concussion of heaven and earth.
Then the Prophet here wonders at a thing unusual, and says, How is the hammer of all the earth broken and shattered to pieces? (64) and then, How has Babylon become a waste among the nations? for it had subjugated to itself not only the neighboring nations, but the remotest parts of the earth. And in this manner he animated the faithful to entertain hope, lest they should despond, for the power of that monarchy was terrible.
(64) The first verb, גדע, means to cast off as well as to cut off; the breaking is expressed by the following verb. According to order often found in the Prophets, the final act, casting off, is first mentioned, and then the previous act, the breaking of it, —
23. How has the hammer of all the earth Been cast off and broken! How has Babylon become a wonder among nations!
“
A wonder” or astonishment, for so the word is evidently to be taken here, according to the Syr., though rendered “extinction” by the Sept., and “desert” by the Vulg. and Targ. Blayney and Henderson render it “astonishment.” — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(23) How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder . . . !The image had been used before (Jer. 23:29) of the might of right as seen in the words of Jehovah. Here it describes the right of might as seen in the despotism of Babylon. The name of Charles Martel and, according to one etymology, that of Judas Maccabus, present interesting parallelisms. And now the hammer itself, which had been as an instrument in the hand of Jehovah (Jer. 51:20), is to be, in its turn, crushed by a power mightier than its own.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
23. The hammer of the whole earth Babylon is here so called because it had been used to break in pieces other nations and kingdoms.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 50:23. How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder, &c. Divided and broken. Houbigant. “How is that oppressive empire which smote the nations with a continual stroke, broken and destroyed!” The figure is strong and expressive.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jer 50:23 How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken! how is Babylon become a desolation among the nations!
Ver. 23. How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder! ] Babylon was the maul or hammer of many nations, Nimrod began it, and his successors took after him. Charles Martel, King of France, was so called for like cause. Augustine also was worthily styled Haereticorum malleus, the hammer of heretics; and Mr Arthur Hildersam, Schismaticorum malleus, the maul of schismatics.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Jer 51:20-24, Isa 14:4-6, Isa 14:12-17, Rev 18:16
Reciprocal: Isa 14:16 – Is this Jer 25:12 – perpetual Jer 50:26 – destroy Jer 51:37 – become Jer 51:41 – the praise Lam 1:1 – How doth Oba 1:5 – how Nah 2:1 – He that dasheth in pieces
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 50:23. A hammer is a heavy instrument by which objects may be beaten and crushed. The Babylonian Empire had been just that kind of an instrument against tbe other nations of the world. Now that great hammer was to be broken and its holder (the city of Babylon) was to become a desolation.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
50:23 How is the {u} hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken! how is Babylon become a desolation among the nations!
(u) Nebuchadnezzar, who had smitten down all the princes and people of the world.