Yer. 32. — And that the passages are stopped; rather, are seized (aa ch. xlviii. 41). Babylon, it should be remembered, was divided nearly in half by the Euphrates. It was guarded, says Professor Bawlinson, " by two walls of brick, which skirted them along their whole lengtli. In each of these walls were twenty-five gates, corresponding to the number of the streets whicli gave upon the river; and outside each gate was a sloped landing-place, by which you could descend to the water's edge, if you had occa- sion to cross the river. Boats were kept ready at these landing-places to convey pas- sengers from side to side ; while for those who disliked this method of conveyance, a bridge was provided of a somewhat peculiar construction" ('Ancient Monarchies,' ii. 514). The reeds they have homed with fire. This rendering is no doubt tenable, though it gives an unusual meaning to the first noun. The " reeds " would be those of the marshes in the neighbourhood of Babylon ; •nd Eimchi suggests that these would be out down to facilitate the entrance of the army into the city. Surely a very forced expla- nation. The natural meaning of the first noun is " pools " or " lakes," and, considering that Herodotus (i 185) speaks of a lake in connection with the defences of Babylon, it has been thought (e.g. by Yitringa) that the prophet may refer to something which was to happen to this and similar lakes ; " burned with fire " is then regarded as a hyperbolical expression equivalent to "dried up" (comp. ver. 36). This, however, is hardly less forced than the first interpreta- tion ; and we seem almost compelled to assume a corruption of the text, and to read (for 'agammin) 'armonim, palaces. If " palaces " («".«. lofty houses, for euoh is the etymological meaning) were not uncom- mon at Jerusalem (Isa. zxxii. 14), much more firequent must they have been at Babylon. Or perhaps the prophet refers to
the two magnificent royal palaces, which, together with the temple of Bel, constituted the wonders of Babylon. _ They were on opposite sides of the river, and were guarded with triple enclosures, the dr- cumferenoe in the one case amounting to sixty stadia (nearly seven miles), and in the other to thirty (Eawlinson, ♦Ancient Monarchies,' ii. 514, etc.).
Yer. 33. — It is time to thresh her ; rather, at {he time when it is trodden (i.e. made level by treading or trampling); oomp. laa. zxi. 10 ; Micah iv. 13.
Ver. 34. — The Jewish captives are intro- duced, describing the offences of Babylon. Hath devoured me ; rather, hath decoured m, and so on. "My delicates " (delights), how- ever, is correct. He hath made me ; rather, he hath set iw (doum) as. Swallowed me up like a dragon ; or, literally, like the dra- gon. Ckimparing this with ver. 44, it is difiScult not to see an allusion to the Baby- lonian myth of the Serpent, who in the fight with Marduk (Merodach) devoured the tempest, which rent asunder her belly. The cuneiform text is given in Trans- actions of Society of Biblical Arehseology, vol. iv. part 2, appendix plate 6. I'art of it runs thus —
25. ip-te-va pi-i-sa Ti-amtu »-na Opened also her mouth liamto to
la-h-a-h-sa swallow it
26. ruhhu limna yut-te-ri-ha a^a The evil wind he caused to enter into
la ea-par sap-ti-sa the nncovering of her lips [= into her lips before she could dose them]
27. iz-zn-U ruJchi
violent (were) the winds (which) ear-sa-sa i-taOf^mi-va her belly filled: and
28. in-ni-ktid lib-ta-ta *a ■he was pierced in hrr heart and pa-a-sa yus-pal-ki (?)
her mouth it caused to divida.*
Beaders of Smith's 'Chaldean CFenesis' will remember Tiamtn the dragon, and the representations thereof given from the gems. In line 27 the word rendered "her belly" contains the Babylonian analogue of the word rendered in this verse "his belly" (Ic'res). With mj delicates, he hath oast me out ; rather, . . . east us out ; or, from my delights he hath cast us out For the varia- tion of person, comp. Judg. xi. 19, " Let as pass, we pray thee, through thy land into my place ; " and on the whole phrase, Micah ii. 9, *♦ . . . ye have east out from thair pleasant homes."
' From a private letter of Professor Sayc^*
294
THE BOOK OP THE PROPHET JEREMIAH. [oh. u. 1—61
Ver. 35. — And to my flesh ; rather, and my (eaten) flesh (comp. Micah iii. 3). Inhabitant; lather, inhoMtreei ; i.e. virgin inhabiting,
Ver. 36. — Her sea ; t.«. the Euphrates (oomp. lea. xxi. 1), or perhaps the lake dug by Nitocris to receive the waters of the Euphrates, Herod., i. 185 (Payne Smith). Comp. on " the reeds," ver. 32. Her springs ; rather.Rer reservoirs. There are no "Bpiinga," remarks Dr. Payne Smith, in the flat alluvial soil of Babj Ionia. The Hebrew word makor is used here collectively for the whole system of canals and reservoirs for the storing of the water.
Ver. 37.— Heaps. "Vast 'heaps,' or mounds, shapeless and unsightly, are scattered at intervals over the entire region where it is certain that Babylon anciently stood" (Eawlinson, 'Ancient Monarchies,' ii, 521). Dragons; taXher, jaclcaU.
Vera. 38— 49.— FaU of Babylon; joy of the whole world.
Vers. 88, 39. — They shall roar. ... In their heat ; rather, They may roar . . . (ye() when they wax warm (with lust) I will pre- pare. The banquet which Jehovah will prepare is the " cup of bewilderment " spoken of in Ps. Ix. 3; comp. Isa. U. 17 (<.e. a calami- tous judgment).
Ver. 40. — I will bring them down, etc. (comp. Isa. xxxiv. 6 ; Ezek. xxxix. 18).
Ver. 41. — How is Sheshach taken ! The Beptuagint omits " Sheshaih " (see, on the name, ch. zxT. 26), and very possibly rightly.
Ver. 42. — The sea is come np, ete. It is not clear whether this is to be taken literally or metaphorirally (of the sea of nations, comp. ver. 55). Probably it is meant literally. It is said that the annual inun- dations of the Euphrates at present render many parts of the ruins of Babylon inacces- sible.
Ver. 44. — Bel ; i.e. Merodach, the patron deity of Babylon (see on ch. 1. 2). Swallowed up. An allusion to the myth mentioned above (see ver. 34). That which Bel, i.e. Babylon, has " swallowed up " is not only the spoil of the conquered nations, but those nations themselves. Yea, the wall of Baby- lon shall fall ; literally, is fallen (is as good •s fallen). The famous wall of Babylon (oomp. ver. 58) is desciibed by Herodotus (i 179, 181). From this clause down to tbe first half of ver. 49 is omiltcd in the Beptuagint.
Ver. 46. — And lest your heart faint, etc. ; ratlier, and (beware) lest, etc A rumour shall both come ; rather, for a rumour shall tome. The war, then, will last some time, and all kinds of rumours will be in the air. Keil compares Matt. xxiv. 6.
Ver. 48.— From the north. The same ■tatement as in ch. 1. 3, 9, 41, Ver. 19. — As Babylon hath caused, etc.