Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Jeremiah · Chapter 51 – Chapter 52
CHAP. LI.
Ver. 1. BEhold I will raiſe up againſt Babylon, and againſt them that dwel in the mideſt] ſc. Of the land of Chaldaea, in the royal ſeat and center of that great Monarchy.
Ventum peſtilentem. Vulg. foreign. Sept.A deſtroying wind] Blaſting and boiſterous: See chap. 4.11, 12.
Ver. 2. And I will ſend unto Babylon fann…rs] Who ſhall make as clean work, as they once did in Judaea, diſperſe her inhabitants and diſſipate her riches.
Ver. 3. Againſt him that bendeth] Periphraſis Babylonii, omnibus gentibus infeſti.
Ver. 4. Thus the ſlain ſhall fall] Both within the walls and without. foreign, there ſhall be neither meaſure nor end of manſlaughters: as Plutrach ſaith of Rome in Sylla's time.
Ver. 5. For Iſrael hath not been forſaken] Heb. widowed.
Though their Land was filled with ſin] Heb. guilt, or delinquency, or devaſtation. This Scripture hath been fully made good to us of this Nation: whilſt the fulneſſe of ſin in us hath not yet abated the fulneſſe of grace in God toward us. See thoſe four gracious Yets, Zach. 1.17. with the Notes there.
Ver. 6. Flee out of the midſt of Babylon] See chap. 50.8. So in the new Teſtament we are called upon to flee and avoid the corruptions of the world and of Antichriſt, 1 Joh. 2. Epheſ. 5. Rev. 14. & 18.4.
For this is a time, &c.] As chap. 50.15, 25, 27, 28. So 46.10.
Ver. 7. Babylon hath been a golden cup] See chap. 25.15. Rev. 17.4.
In the Lords hand] i. e. Oeconomiâ & diſpenſatione ejus: He had the mixing and diſtributing of it.
Ver. 8. Babylon is ſuddenly fallen] Chap. 50.2. So— ruet alto à culmine Roma, Rev. 14.8. & 18.2, 10.
If ſo be ſhe may be healed] q.d. Try you may; but tis to no purpoſe. See c. 46.11.
Ver. 9. We would have healed Babylon] Say the forrein nations that came to help her; or the people of God,Vox electorum. Oecolamp. ſay others, that were kept captive by her; as Daniel & the reſt.
But ſhe is not healed] Or, ſhe could not be healed. See Hoſ. 7.1.
For her judgement reacheth unto heaven] It coelo clamor, proportionable to her ſin, Rev. 18.5.
Ver. 10. The Lord hath brought forth our righteouſneſſe] i. e. Our juſt cauſe and the righteouſneſſe of our religion, derided by the Babylonians.
Ver. 11. Make bright the arrows] q. d. Do ſo O Chaldaeans, if ye think it will boot you any thing at all for the ſhoaring up of your tottering State, when as the Lord is reſolved to bring it down.
Hortatio I…onic…. Piſc.Ver. 12. Set up the ſtandard] An Irony all along, as ver. 11.
Ver. 13. O thou that dwelleſt upon many waters] Euphrates and Tigris eſpecially, famous rivers running from Babylonia into the Perſian ſea. Hence moſt Geographers hold, and not improbably, that that land was a part of the garden of Eden: fruitful it was beyond credulity.
Thine end is come, and the meaſure (Heb. the cubit) of thy covetouſneſſe] Cujus avaritia totus non ſufficit orbis. The covetous Cormorants mouth (with his Give Give) ſhall ſhortly be ſtopped with a ſpade-full of mould: and his never-enough quit with fire enough, in the bottom of hell.
Ver. 14. Surely I will fill thee with men as with caterpillars] So they ſhall ſeem both for multitude and humming noiſe, barritu militari.
They ſhall lift up a ſhout againſt thee] As peſants did at their harveſt-home. See chap. 48.33.
Ver. 15. He hath made the earth by his power] And can therefore eaſily and quickly unmake this great Monarchy. See chap. 10.12. with the Note.
Ver. 16. When he uttereth his voice, &c.] See chap. 10.13.
Ver. 17. Every man is brutiſh] See chap. 10.14.
Ver. 18. They are vanity] See chap. 10.15.
Ver. 19. The portion of Jacob, &c.] See chap. 10.16.
Ver. 20. Thou art my battle-ax, and weapon of war] Ceſtra fuiſti mihi, Thou haſt been my pole-ax, ſuch as horſe men uſe to batter their enemies helmets and other harneſſe.
Ver. 21. And with thee] O Babylonian King.
Will I break in pieces] Or rather, have I broken in pieces. And hence thy perdition.
Ver. 22. With thee alſo will I break (or by thee have I broken) in p…eces man and woman] But eſpecially my people of the Jewes, whom I more valued then all the men and women in the world beſides.
Ver. 23. The ſhepherd and his flock — the husbandman and his yoke, &c.] This particular enumeration is very Emphatical: ſo chap. 50.35, 37, 38.
Ver. 24. And I will render unto Babylon] See chap, 50.15, 29. Iſa. 47.6, 8. & 10.5, 6, 12.
In your ſight] You my priſoners of hope ſhall live to ſee it, Pſal. 79.10.
Ver. 25. O deſtroying mountain] O Babylon, thou that art amplitudine & altitudine inſtar montis; for thy large command and lofty buildings like a mountain, and that doſt abuſe thy power to other mens deſtruction.
And will make thee aburnt mountain] A great heap of aſhes and rubbiſh, ſuch as burned and ruined Cities are.
Ver. 26. And they ſhall not take of thee a ſtone] Thou ſhalt never be reedified: So it is foretold of Rome, Tot a eris in cineres quaſi nunquam Roma fuiſſes.
Ver. 27. Set up a ſtandard] Thus God the great Induperator beſpeaketh the Medes and Perſians, as his field officers.
Prepare the Nations againſt her] Heb. Sanctify, call them together to wage this ſacred war againſt Babylon.
Call together againſt her the Kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, Xenoph. Cyrop. l…b. 7.and Aſhkenaz] i. e. Of both the Armenia's and of Aſcania ſubdued by Cyrus, before he marched againſt Babylon. Vatablus will have Aſhkenaz to be Gothland; the Jewes, Germany: but theſe were too far remote.
Ver. 28. Prepare againſt her] Heb. Sanctify, as ver. 7.
With the Kings of the Medes] Darius and Cyrus.
Ver. 29. And the land ſhall tremble and ſorrow] As a travelling woman, ſo ſhall it be pained.
Ver. 30. The mighty men of Babylon have forborn to fight] At Cyrus his firſt coming they gave him battel: but being worſted, they from thenceforth remained in their holds till Babylon was taken.
Their might hath failed] Or, their courage is ſhrunk, as Jacob's ſinew did, Gen. 32.32.
They became as women] See chap. 50.37.
Ver. 31. One poſt ſhall run to meet another] Obſerve how punctually all things were foretold in the ſeveral circumſtances, above fifty years before.
At one end] ſc. where Euphrates had run, till diverted and dryed up by Cyrus: See on chap. 50.38.
Ver. 32. And that the paſſages are ſtopt] Or, taken, ſeized, ſurpriſed, as ch. 48.41.
And thereeds] Or Mariſhes, made by Euphrates overflowing. It is well obſerved, that the Babylonians might by this Prophecy have been forewarned and forearmed againſt Cyrus his ſtratagem: But they ſlighted it, and never enquired after it, likely.
Ver. 33. The daughter of Babylon] Proud of her wealth and ſtrength, as young maids, many are of their beauty.
And the time of her harveſt ſhall come] When God ſhall put in his ſickle, and cut her down, being ripe and ready. See Rev. 14.16. Gen. 15.16.
Ver. 34. Nebuchadnezzar—hath devoured me, he hath cruſhed me] A graphical deſcription of the Babylonical cruelty.
He hath caſt me out] He hath gorged himſelf with me, and laid up his gorge.
Ver. 35. The violence done to me and to my fleſh] Torn and toſt as carrion, by that ravenous beaſt: the Lord look upon it and require it.
Ver. 36. Behold I will plead thy cauſe] Not ſo much verbally as really: here's a preſent anſwer to Iſraels cry.
Ver. 37. And Babylon ſhall become heaps] See chap. 50.39.
Ver. 38. They ſhall roar together like Lions] When hongerbit: The Babylonians terrified, and the Perſians tumultuating together. The old Latine Verſion hath it, they ſhake their ſhaggy hair.
Ver. 39. In their heat I will make their feaſts] Or, I will diſpoſe their drinkings: that is, I will pour into their cups the wine of my wrath: Now poiſon mixt with wine, worketh the more furiouſly. God can puniſh one kind of drunkenneſſe with another worſe.
That they may rejoyce] That they may revel it and ſleep their laſt: and ſo they did,Ecce, hic compotationum est finis. as being ſlain in a night of publike ſolemn feaſting, and great diſſoluteneſſe, which was ſoon turned in moerorem & metum, into heavineſſe and horrour.
And not wake] Till awakened by the ſound of the laſt trump. The Chaldee here hath it, They ſhall dye the ſecond death, and not be quickened in the world to come, ſc. unto life everlaſting.
Ver. 40. I will bring them down like lambs to the ſlaughter] All that with followeth here to the end of this oration is no leſſe eaſy then elegant; in holding forth the power, juſtice, and truth of God in fulfilling this Prophecy exactly, though divers years after.
Ver. 41. How is Sheſhack taken] i. e. How is Babylon deſtroyed beyond all expectation! See chap. 25.26.
Ver. 42. The ſea is come up upon Babylon] A ſea of hoſtile forces; what wonder therefore though ſhe be taken?
Ver. 43. Her Cities are a deſolation] See chap. 2.6. & 9.12.
Ver. 44. And I will puniſh Bel in Babylon] Nimrod was after his death called the Babylonian Saturn: Belus, who ſucceeded him, the Babylonian Jupiter, as Beroſus teſtifieth. This Idol of maſſy gold and of a huge bigneſſe, was carried away by Cyrus: thus Bel was puniſhed.
And I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath ſwallowed up] Bolum ex ore Beli: ſuch an elegancy there is alſo in the Original. Of the rich preſents, ſpoils, coſtly furniture found in Bel's Temple, ſee Diodore lib. 2. Thoſe taken from Gods Temple at Jeruſalem, and laid up in his, 2 Chron. 36.7. he was forced to regurgitate, Ezr. 1.7. & 5.14. See Job 20.12, 15.
Yea the wall of Babylon ſhall fall] Which yet was ſtrong to a miracle, as being two hundred cubites high (of the Kings cubites which were larger then ordinary) and fifty cubites thick; having a hundred brazen gates, and many ſtately towers, &c. All ſhall down ſaith the Prophet.
Ver. 45. My people, go ye out of the midſt of her] This is much preſſed, chap. 50 8. ver. 6. and it was but need; for many of the Jews were as hardly drawn to depart thence, as a dog ab uncto corio, from a fat morſel.
Ver. 46. And leſt your heart faint] Or, And let not your hearts faint.
And ye fear for the rumour] ſc. Of Cyrus his coming: fear it not, all's for the beſt to you: your redemption draweth nigh.
A rumor ſhall both come one year] ſc. Of Cyrus his preparation, and then another of his expedition toward Babylon.
Ruler againſt Ruler] i. e. Cyrus againſt Belſhazzar: ſo Conſtantine againſt Maxentius, Maximinus, Licinius, &c. this was for the beſt to the poor Church of Chriſt.
Ver. 47. I will do judgement, &c.] See chap. 43.12, 13. Exod. 12.12.
Eſt Hyperbolica Proſopopaeſa.And all her ſlain ſhall fall] Her dancers One rendereth it: their merry dance ſhall end in a miſerable downfal.
Ver. 48. Then the heaven and the earth, &c. ſhall ſing] There ſhall be as it were a new face ſet upon the world, and all the creatures ſhall appear to be well-apaid at the downfal of Babylon: under the oppreſſions whereof they even groaned and laboured. See what a like general joy there will be at the ruine of Rome, Rev. 18.
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.
Ver. 50. Ye that have eſcaped the ſword] ſc. Of the Medes and Perſians, who at the taking of the City killed all promiſcuouſly.
Goe away, ſtand not ſtill] Haſte home to your own Country: for therefore hath the Lord delivered you from ſo many deaths and dangers: See ver. 25.
Remember the Lord afar of] Should not we mind heaven, and haſten thither?Plotinus ap. Aug…ſt. de civ. Dei. l. 9. c. 16. If a Heathen could ſay, ought not we much more? Fugiendum eſt ad clariſſimam patriam, ibi Pater, ibi omnia, Haſte we home to heaven: there's our Father, there are all things.
Ver. 51. We are confounded becauſe we have heard reproach] This is the Jews lamentation, as in the next verſe we have the anſwer to it.
Ver. 52. Wherefore behold the dayes come] So ſoon is God up at the cry of his poor people, Pſal. 12.5.
I will do Judgement] See ver. 37. & 49.
Ver. 53. Though Babylon ſhould mount up to heaven] As her walls are ſaid to have been of an incredible height (ſee on ver. 44.) and her tower to have been little leſſe then four miles high, threatning heaven as it were.
Ver. 54. A ſound of a cry commeth from B…bylon] See chap. 48.3.
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] Of the revellers and roaring-boyes: or of their enemies (as ſome rather ſenſe it) breaking in upon them.
Ver. 56. For the Lord God of recompences] Princeps ille & arbiter juſtae taelionis, God who loveth to retaliate.Lib. 16.
Ver. 57. And I will make drunk] See ver. 39.
Ver 58. The broad wals of Babylon] See on ver. 44. Or,Lib. 6. c. 26. the walls of broad Babylon that greateſt of all Cities, ſaith Strabo: the compaſſe whereof within the wals was near upon threeſcore miles, ſaith Pliny.
Ver. 59. The word which Jeremiah the Prophet commanded Seraiah] This is now the laſt part, viz. a type uſed for confirmation of this prolix preceding Prophecy; uttered at Jeruſalem haply in the fourth year of Johejakim, which was the firſt of Nebuchadnezzar, and now to be read at Babylon in the fourth year of Zedekiah, which was ſeven years before the deſtruction of Jeruſalem, and above Sixty years before the deſtruction of Babylon. God loveth to fore-ſignify, but Babylon would not be warned; which was a juſt both deſert and preſage of her ruine.
When he went with Zedekiah] In company with him, ſay ſome out of the Jewes Chronicle: at which time Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him King, took an oath of him to be true to him: which he afterwards brake, and was pun…ſhed accordingly, 2 Chron. 36.13. Others think that Seraiah went not with Zedekiah, but for him, and from him with a preſent to Nebuchadnezzar, that he might keep his favour, or that he might be reconciled unto him after his revolt from him, 2 King. 24.20.
And this Seraiah was a great Prince] One that oppoſed the rebellion againſt Nebuchadnezzar, or a peace-maker at Court, or the great Chamberlain, Heb. a Prince of reſt, or, Prince of Menucha, a place ſo called, Judg. 20.43. or a quiet, honeſt and humble Prince: otherwiſe he would not have been thus commanded by a poor Prophet: eſpecially in a matter of ſo great danger, as it might have proved, if publikly noticed.
Ver. 60. So Jeremiah wrot in a book all the evil] For Babylon's commonition (if at leaſt the book were read publickly, as ſome hold it was) and the Jewiſh captives conſolation.
Ver. 61. When thou comeſt to Babylon and ſhalt ſee] ſc. The ſinfulneſſe, as well as the ſtatelineſſe of that City.
And ſhalt read all theſe words] Or, then ſhalt thou read all theſe words. They who hold he did it publickly, extol the authority of the Prophet, the boldneſſe of Seraiah, and the mildneſſe of the King of Babylon, ſomewhat like that of the King of Nineveh, Jon. 3. but the moſt think he read it privately: yet not in ſome cloſet a part by himſelf, but in ſome private houſe to his country-men who came unto him.
Ver. 62. Then ſhalt thou ſay, O Lord, &c.] The promiſes are to be prayed over, and then we may expect their accompliſhment. Prayer alſo added to the outward ſign, according to Gods holy Word, maketh it a ſacramental ſign.
Ver. 63. Thou ſhalt bind a ſtone to it] See the like Symbol or Chria, Rev. 18.21. Where, by the mighty Angel, Alcazar underſtandeth the Prophet Jeremy.
Ver. 64. Thus ſhall Babylon ſink] Ceremonies are to little purpoſe, unleſſe they have divine expoſitions annexed unto them.
And they ſhall be weary] That ſeek either to ſave it, or to reſtore it.
Thus far are the words of Jeremiah] ſc. Concerning Babylon: See the like concerning Moab, chap. 48.47.
CHAP. LII.
Ver. 1. ZEdekiah was one and twenty years old, &c.] For the expoſition of this whole chapter, ſee the Notes on 2 King. 24. & 25. 2 Chron. 36. & Jer. 39.1, 2, 3, &c. It is altogether hiſtorical, and ſet here fitly by Ezra or ſome other Prophet, as an Appendix to the foregoing Prophecy, and as a Preface to the Book of the Lamentations, which is nothing elſe but Jeremy's Elegy over their doleful Captivity: not over King Joſiah's death as Hierom would have it: nor yet is it that Book that Jehojakim cut and afterwards caſt into the fire. Jer. 36. as ſome of the Jew-doctors have doted. The Septuagint have ſet this title upon it, And it came to paſſe after that Iſrael was carried captive, A Lapide Prolog. in Thren. ex …etro à Figneiro.and Jeruſalem laid waſt, the Prophet Jeremy ſat weeping, and wailing and bitterly lamenting the caſe of his people. Thus they knit together this Chapter and the enſuing Lamentations: which the Jews alſo are ſtill ſaid to read together in their Synagogues, on the ninth day of the monethmonth Ab, which anſwereth to our July: becauſe that on that day, the City was taken and deſtroyed by the Chaldaeans, Jer. 52.7.