The verse Is very difficult, Ewald and others render thus : " Not only must Ba- bylon fall, O ye slain ones of Israel, but slain ones of the whole earth have fallen because of Babylon." But why this address to the slain ones of Israel ? Besides, the an- tithesis indicated in the Hebrew is thereby destroyed, Keil explains the antithesisthus: " Just as Babylon was intent on the fall of slain ones in Israel, so also there fall because of Babylon slain ones of all the earth," viz, because there are to be found, in the capital of tlie empire, people from all quarters of the world, who are slain when Babylon is con- quered, A better antithesis seems to be gained if we follow the Peshito, and read, at the end of the verse, " in the whole earth." It will then be asserted by the prophet that, just as Babylon was the cause of the slaying of Israelites, so (as a punishment) the Baby- lonian fugitives shall be slain wherever they may wander.
Vers. 50 — 58. — C!onclnsion of the prophecy.
Ver. 50. — Ye that have escaped the sword. Evidently Jews are the persons addressed. It is not, however, perfectly clear whether the escape is from the sword of Babylon or from that of Divine vengeance. The parallel of Isa. xxiv. 14 would suggest the latter ; but in the following verses the fall of Babylon is described as still to come. Stand not stUl. Lest ye be overtaken by the judgment,
Ver. 51 . — We are confounded. A reflection of the exiles, expressing tbeir deep shame at the ignominy which has been their lot. Are come ; or, came.
Ver. 53. — The height of her strength ; tit, her lofty walls and towers.
Ver. 55,— The great voice ; rather, the loud sound ; i,e. the tumult of the city. When her waves ; rather, and her waves ; i.e, the con- quering hosts (comp. ch. xlvi. 7).
Ver. 56. — The Lord Ood of reoompenset shall, etc. ; rather, TTie Lord it a God of ra> eompense ; he will, etc.
Ver. 57.— Her oaptains, and her mlera (see on ver. 23).
Ver. 58.— The' broad walls of Babylon . . . and her high gates, Bee Herod., i. 179, 181, and the parallel accounts from other authors, cited by Duncker (' Hist, of Anti- quity,' iii. 373, etc.), who taxes fierodotua with exaggeration, but admits as probable that the walls were not less than forty feet broad. Utterly broken; rather, destroyed even to the ground (literally, made bare). The people ; rather, peoples.
Vers. 59 — 64. — Epilogue. The word, eto. (see ver. 61). Seraiah. Apparently the brother of Baruch. With Zedekiah. The Beptuagint has "from Zedekiah," which is referred by Bleck and Gi atz. It ««uld thus be an embassy, ot which Seraiah was the head. According to the ordinary read-
OH. u. 1—64.] THE BOOK OF THE PEOPHET JEKEMIAH.
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ing, Zedekiah went himself. A quiet prince. Not BO. The Hebrew means probably, " in command over the resting-place," i.e. he took charge of the royal caravan, and arranged • the halting-places. But the Targum and the Septuagint have a more probable reading (not, however, one in- volving a change in the consonants of the text, " in command over the gifts," t'.e. the functionary who took charge of the presents made to the king. M. Lenormant speaks of
•n official called "ma^ster largitionnm" (bel tabti) in the Assyrian court (' Syllabairei Cunfiformea,' par. 1877, p. 171).
Ver. 61.- (Comp. 1. 3; li. 26.) And shalt see, and shalt read; rather, See that thou read.
Ver. 64. — And they shall be weary. Acci- dentally repeated from ver. S9 (see intro- duction to ch. 1.). Thus far, etc. Proving that the Book of Jeremiah once ended with oh. li.
HOMILETICa.
Ver. 6. — " Sufferivg, lut not forsaken." Israel is not forsaken because she Is driven from her home. Babylon is not more favoured because she flourishes for a season as a " golden cup in the Lord's hand." For the land of the Chaldeans is filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel. Thus the truth is quite contrary to appearances.
I. When God chastises his people he must not be THOuaHT to have forsaken THEM. The chastisement is for their own good. It is, therefore, a proof that God has not neglected them. Instead of being an indication of hatred or indifference, chastise- ment is a sign of God's love. Moreover, when his people suffer God is peculiarly near to them. Those' captives who hung their harps on the willows by the rivers of Babylon found God more present than he had been to the careless sinful Jews who assembled in the courts of his temple. It is to be remembered that Gud is near to us when we do not perceive him, and often nearest in those dark hours when bittemes* of soul prevents us from having any comforting hope in him.
II. Though God will chastise his people he will never fobsakb them. This is a further step. JSfot only is the chastisement no proof of God's having forsaken his people, but in no case will he forsake them ; no such proof can ever be found. True, they may be separated fiom God and may become " castaways ; " but this is only because they forsake him. He is ever true to his side of the covenant. Let us, therefore, be prepared to expect the chastisement, but also be well settled in faith that the far worse trouble, the neglect of our souls by God, can never come.
III. Outward circumstances are no indications of cub relations with God. The great contrast between Israel and Babylon furnishes a striking instance of this truth. It is strange. For one would have thought that the outward and inward life would harmonize. So they will ultimately. Then the " golden cup " will be broken and the suffering child of God exalted to honour. But now the world is in confusion, evil is allowed a certain liberty for the consequent discipline of good, and thus the sufferers may be near to God while ths fortunate and happy are far away in sin.
Ver. 10. — Pvhlic thanksgiving. In the destruction of Babylon and the restoration of Israel the devout sufferers of the Captivity see the justification of their conduct which had lain under a shadow while they shared in the punishment of their guilty brethren. So happy an issue from their troubles calls for devout gratitude, and this finds its expression in hymns of praise and public thanksgiving.