56 For the waster has come on her, even on Babylon, and her men of war are taken, their bows are broken: for the Lord is a rewarding God, and he will certainly give payment.
Because you have taken their goods from great nations, all the rest of the peoples will take your goods from you; because of men's blood and violent acts against the land and the town and all who are living in it.
And the heaven and the earth and everything in them, will make a song of joy over Babylon: for those who make her waste will come from the north, says the Lord.
O God, in whose hands is punishment, O God of punishment, let your shining face be seen. Be lifted up, O judge of the earth; let their reward come to the men of pride.
He puts an end to wars over all the earth; by him the bow is broken, and the spear cut in two, and the carriage burned in the fire.
He will give them the right reward of their doings, wrath to his attackers, punishment to his haters, and even on the sea-lands he will send punishment.
There were the arrows of the bow broken, there he put an end to body-cover, sword, and fight. (Selah.)
For it is an act of righteousness on God's part to give trouble as their reward to those who are troubling you,
For true and upright are his decisions; for by him has the evil woman been judged, who made the earth unclean with the sins of her body; and he has given her punishment for the blood of his servants.
For her sins have gone up even to heaven, and God has taken note of her evil-doing. Give to her as she gave, even an increased reward for her works; in the cup which was mixed by her, let there be mixed as much again for herself.
And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will be turned against the evil woman, and will make her waste and uncovered, and will take her flesh for food, and will have her burned with fire.
And those who are living in the towns of Israel will go out and make fires of the instruments of war, burning the body-covers and the breastplates, the bows and the arrows and the sticks and the spears, and for seven years they will make fires of them:
And with a blow I will send your bow out of your left hand and your arrows falling from your right hand.
A sword is on the men of pride, and they will become foolish: a sword is on her men of war, and they will be broken.
The voice of those who are in flight, who have got away safe from the land of Babylon, to give news in Zion of punishment from the Lord our God, even payment for his Temple. Send for the archers to come together against Babylon, all the bowmen; put up your tents against her on every side; let no one get away: give her the reward of her work; as she has done, so do to her: for she has been uplifted in pride against the Lord, against the Holy One of Israel.
This is what the Lord of armies has said: See, I will have the bow of Elam, their chief strength, broken.
Say to those who are full of fear, Be strong and take heart: see, your God will give punishment; the reward of God will come; he himself will come to be your saviour.
A vision of fear comes before my eyes; the worker of deceit goes on in his false way, and the waster goes on making waste. Up! Elam; to the attack! Media; I have put an end to her sorrow.
O daughter of Babylon, whose fate is destruction; happy is the man who does to you what you have done to us.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Jeremiah 51
Commentary on Jeremiah 51 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 51
The prophet, in this chapter, goes on with the prediction of Babylon's fall, to which other prophets also bore witness. He is very copious and lively in describing the foresight God had given him of it, for the encouragement of the pious captives, whose deliverance depended upon it and was to be the result of it. Here is,
Jer 51:1-58
The particulars of this copious prophecy are dispersed and interwoven, and the same things left and returned to so often that it could not well be divided into parts, but we must endeavor to collect them under their proper heads. Let us then observe here,
Jer 51:59-64
We have been long attending the judgment of Babylon in this and the foregoing chapter; now here we have the conclusion of that whole matter.