GOD’S VENGEANCE AGAINST BABYLON (Jeremiah 51: 1-26)

Babylon would most certainly fall. That shrill message, already heard in Jeremiah 50, becomes even more shrill in Jeremiah 51. One way to read Jeremiah 51 is as a series of five concentric spirals that each culminate with the climactic moment, the fall of the empire. A given arm of the spiral may begin with a battle scene or a hymn of God’s power but soon comes around once more to the shared center point—Babylon’s fall. The spirals elaborate on military preparedness, scenes of battle, the flights of fugitives, or the resulting city rubble, but they always return to the theme of Babylon’s collapse. This commentary will approach the chapter from this perspective, taking as the five spirals verses 1–10, 11–14, 15–26, 27–41, and 42–58. The final symbolic action of a stone sinking into the Euphrates underscores the announcement of Babylon’s demise (51:59–64).

I. Destruction by Foreigners (51:1–10)

1 Thus says the LORD:“Behold, I will raise up against Babylon,Against those who dwell in Leb Kamai,A destroying wind. 2 And I will send winnowers to Babylon, Who shall winnow her and empty her land.For in the day of doom They shall be against her all around. 3 Against her let the archer bend his bow, And lift himself up against her in his armor. Do not spare her young men; Utterly destroy all her army. 4 Thus the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, And those thrust through in her streets. 5 For Israel is not forsaken, nor Judah, By his God, the LORD of hosts, Though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel.” 6 Flee from the midst of Babylon, And every one save his life! Do not be cut off in her iniquity, For this is the time of the LORD’s vengeance; He shall recompense her. 7 Babylon was a golden cup in the LORD’s hand, That made all the earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; Therefore the nations are deranged. 8 Babylon has suddenly fallen and been destroyed. Wail for her! Take balm for her pain; Perhaps she may be healed. 9 We would have healed Babylon, But she is not healed. Forsake her, and let us go everyone to his own country; For her judgment reaches to heaven and is lifted up to the skies. 10 The LORD has revealed our righteousness. Come and let us declare in Zion the work of the LORD our God.

A. God speaks to Babylon

The demise of the Babylonian Empire is credited to a major invader, a wolfish devastator. The first spiral moves quickly to the battle scene (51:3–4) and before long, to the outcome: “Babylon too has fallen.”

The Lord directed the Babylonians’ attention to the great army that He had called from the north—a cruel army without mercy, whose march sounded like the roaring of the sea. This report paralyzed the king of Babylon. Like a hungry lion, looking for prey they will will attack Babylon, and nobody will be able to resist. God’s chosen servant will always succeed. The Lord’s judgment on Babylon will be like the winnowing of the grain: “Great Babylon” will be blown away like chaff along with its idols!

B. God speaks to the Jews.

God assured His people that He hadn’t forsaken (“widowed”) them, and He ordered them a second time (50:8) to get out of Babylon when the opportunity arises. When Cyrus opened the door for them to go home, about 50,000 Jews returned to Judah to restore Jerusalem and the temple. Babylon had been a “winecup” in God’s hands, making the nations act like drunks, but now the cup would be smashed and Babylon’s power broken.

Who does “we” in Jeremiah 51:9 refer—to the Jews or to Babylon’s allies who deserted her? Since the “us” in verse 10 refers clearly to the Jews and their vindication, it is likely that the exiles are speaking in verse 9, because Jeremiah had instructed them to be a blessing while living in Babylon (29:4–14). No doubt many of the Jews did seek the Lord, confess their sins, and trust His promise of deliverance. Some of them certainly prepared their sons and daughters to return to the land. They had the truth about Jehovah God and would have shared it with their captors, but the Babylonians preferred to taunt the Jews instead of listen to them discuss their religion.

II.God Takes Vengeance (51:11–14).

11 Make the arrows bright! Gather the shields! The LORD has raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes. For His plan is against Babylon to destroy it, Because it is the vengeance of the LORD, The vengeance for His temple. 12 Set up the standard on the walls of Babylon; Make the guard strong, Set up the watchmen, Prepare the ambushes. For the LORD has both devised and done What He spoke against the inhabitants of Babylon. 13 O you who dwell by many waters, Abundant in treasures, Your end has come, The measure of your covetousness. 14 The LORD of hosts has sworn by Himself: “Surely I will fill you with men, as with locusts, And they shall lift up a shout against you.”

A. The instrument of God’s vengeance was admonished to prepare for battle.

The warriors were to sharpen their arrows and “take up the shields”. The agent of vengeance is identified as the “kings of the Medes.” This is the first mention of Media as the agent of Babylon’s destruction. Media was an ancient kingdom northwest of Persia; its capital was Ecbatana. It was subjugated in 550 B.C. by Cyrus, whose mother was a Mede.

It would be easier to explain the singular “king” (LXX) than “kings” (MT). However, a vassal ruler under another political power could still be “king” in his own domain. Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz, vassals of the Medes, are called kingdoms in v. 27. All those kings were under Median authority and were obligated to fight with the Medes. The reason for destroying Babylon is stated in 51:11 as vengeance for the destruction of the Lord’s temple.

B. The Lord announced that the end had come for Babylon.

The city is described as living by many waters. This is a reference to the Euphrates River, which supplied water for the city. Some think the “many waters” may preserve a memory of the mythological underground ocean that Babylon believed was the source of the water that fertilized the earth.

He warned them to get their weapons ready, set up their standards on the walls, and post their watchmen, because the invasion was about to begin. “Your end has come, They had been weaving the luxurious tapestry of their power and wealth on the loom, but now God would cut it off and put an end to their plans.

III. God Is a Full Match for the Adversaries (51:15–26)

15 He has made the earth by His power; He has established the world by His wisdom, And stretched out the heaven by His understanding. 16 When He utters His voice—There is a multitude of waters in the heavens: “He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He makes lightnings for the rain; He brings the wind out of His treasuries.” 17 Everyone is dull-hearted, without knowledge; Every metalsmith is put to shame by the carved image; For his molded image is falsehood, And there is no breath in them. 18 They are futile, a work of errors; In the time of their punishment they shall perish. 19 The Portion of Jacob is not like them, For He is the Maker of all things; And Israel is the tribe of His inheritance. The LORD of hosts is His name. 20 “You are My battle-ax and weapons of war: For with you I will break the nation in pieces; With you I will destroy kingdoms; 21 With you I will break in pieces the horse and its rider; With you I will break in pieces the chariot and its rider; 22 With you also I will break in pieces man and woman; With you I will break in pieces old and young; With you I will break in pieces the young man and the maiden; 23 With you also I will break in pieces the shepherd and his flock; With you I will break in pieces the farmer and his yoke of oxen; And with you I will break in pieces governors and rulers. 24 “And I will repay Babylon And all the inhabitants of Chaldea For all the evil they have done In Zion in your sight,” says the LORD. 25 “Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, Who destroys all the earth,” says the LORD. “And I will stretch out My hand against you, Roll you down from the rocks, And make you a burnt mountain. 26 They shall not take from you a stone for a corner Nor a stone for a foundation, But you shall be desolate forever,” says the LORD.

A. Babylon’s culture was one of idols.

Idols are empty and laughable, as are all humanly engineered god-substitutes, in the presence of the towering Creator God. Idols who have no power are no competition to a God who has all power. The God who is an adversary to idols is also an adversary to those who destroy the earth, even if they view themselves as a mighty force.

The enemy soldiers would swoop down on the Babylonians like locusts and prove the utter helplessness of the gods of Babylon. Jeremiah revealed the stupidity of making and worshiping idols, and he magnified the greatness of the one true and living God.

B. Babylon had been God’s war club used to break other nations.

Jeremiah used the words “I will break” nine times in verses 20–23 to indicate the extent to which God had used Babylon for judgment. Now, however, He said He will repay Babylon for the wrong they had done in Zion.

God, being against the mountain of Babylon, will make it a burned-out mountain. The judgment will be so complete that people will not even loot the ruins to find a cornerstone or stone for a foundation to rebuild elsewhere. The ruins will lie desolate forever.