Because of the righteousness of Israel, Babylon is to be irretrievably destroyed. Jeremiah 51:5. "For Israel is not forsaken, nor Judah of his God, of Jahveh of hosts; but their land is full of guilt because of the Holy One of Israel. Jeremiah 51:6. Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and save ye every one his life: do not perish for her iniquity; because it is a time of vengeance for Jahveh; He renders to her what she has committed. Jeremiah 51:7. Babylon [was] a golden cup in the hand of Jahveh, that intoxicated all the earth. Nations have drunk of her wine, therefore nations are mad. Jeremiah 51:8. Babylon has fallen suddenly and been broken: howl over her: take balsam for her pain; perhaps she may be healed. Jeremiah 51:9. 'We have tried to heal Babylon, but she is not healed. Leave her, and let us go each one to his own land; for her judgment reaches unto heaven, and is lifted up to the clouds.' Jeremiah 51:10. Jahveh hath brought forth our righteousnesses; come, and let us declare in Zion the doing of Jahveh our God. Jeremiah 51:11. Sharpen the arrow, fill the shields: Jahveh hath roused the spirit of the kings of Media; for His counsel is against Babylon, to destroy it; because it is the vengeance of Jahveh, the vengeance of His temple. Jeremiah 51:12. Against the walls of Babylon raise a standard; strengthen the watch, set watchmen, prepare the ambushes: for Jahveh hath both devised and done what He spake against the inhabitants of Babylon. Jeremiah 51:13. O thou that dwellest upon many waters, rich in treasures, thine end hath sworn by Himself, 'Surely I have filled thee with men, as [with] the locust; and they shall raise a shout of joy against thee.'"

The offence of Babylon against the Holy One of Israel demands its destruction. In Jeremiah 51:5, two reasons are given for God's determination to destroy Babylon. The Lord is induced to this (1) by His relation to Israel and Judah, whom Babylon will not let go; (2) by the grave offence of Babylon. Israel is לא אלמן, "not widowed," forsaken by his God; i.e., Jahveh, the God of hosts, has not rejected His people for ever, so as not to trouble Himself any more about them; cf. Isaiah 50:1; Isaiah 54:4. "Their land" - the land of the Chaldeans - "is full of guilt before the Holy One of Israel," partly through their relation to Israel (Jeremiah 50:21), partly through their idolatry (Isaiah 50:2, 38). מן does not mean here "on the side of," but "on account of," because they do not acknowledge Jahveh as the Holy One of Israel.

Jeremiah 51:11 Parallel Commentaries

Make

Jeremiah 46:4,9 Harness the horses; and get up, you horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; furbish the spears, and put on the brigandines...

Jeremiah 50:9,14,25,28,29 For, see, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the north country...

Isaiah 21:5 Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, you princes, and anoint the shield.

bright [heb] pure
the Lord hath

Jeremiah 51:27,28 Set you up a standard in the land, blow the trumpet among the nations, prepare the nations against her...

1 Kings 11:14,23 And the LORD stirred up an adversary to Solomon, Hadad the Edomite: he was of the king's seed in Edom...

1 Chronicles 5:26 And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria...

2 Chronicles 36:22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished...

Ezra 1:1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled...

Isaiah 10:26 And the LORD of hosts shall stir up a whip for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb...

Isaiah 13:17 Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.

Isaiah 13:18 Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb...

Isaiah 21:2 A grievous vision is declared to me; the treacherous dealer deals treacherously, and the spoiler spoils. Go up, O Elam: besiege...

Isaiah 41:25 I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call on my name...

Isaiah 45:1,5 Thus said the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held, to subdue nations before him...

Isaiah 46:11 Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executes my counsel from a far country: yes, I have spoken it...

Revelation 17:16,17 And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked...

the spirit Of Cyaxares king of Media, called `Darius the Mede' in scripture; and Cyrus his nephew, king of persia, presumptive heir of the throne of his uncle.

his device

Jeremiah 51:12,29 Set up the standard on the walls of Babylon, make the watch strong, set up the watchmen, prepare the ambushes...

Jeremiah 50:45 Therefore hear you the counsel of the LORD, that he has taken against Babylon; and his purposes...

the vengeance

Jeremiah 51:24,35 And I will render to Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Zion in your sight...

Jeremiah 50:15,28 Shout against her round about: she has given her hand: her foundations are fallen, her walls are thrown down...

Psalm 74:3-11 Lift up your feet to the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy has done wickedly in the sanctuary...

Psalm 83:3-9 They have taken crafty counsel against your people, and consulted against your hidden ones...

Habakkuk 2:17-20 For the violence of Lebanon shall cover you, and the spoil of beasts, which made them afraid, because of men's blood...

Zechariah 12:2,3 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling to all the people round about...

Zechariah 14:2,12 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished...