51 We have been ashamed, for we heard reproach, Covered hath shame our faces, For come in have strangers, against the sanctuaries of the house of Jehovah.
His hand spread out hath an adversary On all her desirable things, For she hath seen -- Nations have entered her sanctuary, Concerning which Thou didst command, `They do not come into the assembly to thee.'
We have been a reproach to our neighbours, A scorn and a derision to our surrounders.
Lift up Thy steps to the perpetual desolations, Everything the enemy did wickedly in the sanctuary. Roared have thine adversaries, In the midst of Thy meeting-places, They have set their ensigns as ensigns. He is known as one bringing in on high Against a thicket of wood -- axes. And now, its carvings together With axe and hatchet they break down, They have sent into fire Thy sanctuary, to the earth they polluted the tabernacle of Thy name,
Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, A scorn and a reproach to our surrounders. Thou makest us a simile among nations, A shaking of the head among peoples. All the day my confusion `is' before me, And the shame of my face hath covered me. Because of the voice of a reproacher and reviler, Because of an enemy and a self-avenger.
Remember, O Jehovah, what hath befallen us, Look attentively, and see our reproach.
And there was given to me a reed like to a rod, and the messenger stood, saying, `Rise, and measure the sanctuary of God, and the altar, and those worshipping in it; and the court that is without the sanctuary leave out, and thou mayest not measure it, because it was given to the nations, and the holy city they shall tread down forty-two months;
And see doth mine enemy, And cover her doth shame, Who saith unto me, `Where `is' Jehovah thy God?' Mine eyes do look on her, Now she is for a treading-place, As mire of the out-places.
And strong ones out of him stand up, and have polluted the sanctuary, the stronghold, and have turned aside the continual `sacrifice', and appointed the desolating abomination.
And after the sixty and two weeks, cut off is Messiah, and the city and the holy place are not his, the Leader who hath come doth destroy the people; and its end `is' with a flood, and till the end `is' war, determined `are' desolations. And he hath strengthened a covenant with many -- one week, and `in' the midst of the week he causeth sacrifice and present to cease, and by the wing of abominations he is making desolate, even till the consummation, and that which is determined is poured on the desolate one.'
And unto the prince of the host it exerteth itself, and by it taken away hath been the continual `sacrifice', and thrown down the base of his sanctuary. And the host is given up, with the continual `sacrifice', through transgression, and it throweth down truth to the earth, and it hath worked, and prospered. `And I hear a certain holy one speaking, and a certain holy one saith to the wonderful numberer who is speaking: Till when `is' the vision of the continual `sacrifice', and of the transgression, an astonishment, to make both sanctuary and host a treading down? And he saith unto me, Till evening -- morning two thousand and three hundred, then is the holy place declared right.
And I have multiplied the fruit of the tree, And the increase of the field, So that ye receive not any more a reproach of famine among nations.
And they begin among the aged men who `are' before the house, and He saith unto them, `Defile the house, and fill the courts with the wounded, go forth.' And they have gone forth and have smitten in the city.
And I have given it into the hand of the strangers for a prey, And to the wicked of the land for a spoil, And they have polluted it. And I have turned My face from them, And they have polluted My hidden place, Yea, come into it have destroyers, and polluted it.
For because of Thee I have borne reproach, Shame hath covered my face. A stranger I have been to my brother, And a foreigner to sons of my mother. For zeal for Thy house hath consumed me, And the reproaches of Thy reproachers Have fallen upon me. And I weep in the fasting of my soul, And it is for a reproach to me. And I make my clothing sackcloth, And I am to them for a simile. Those sitting at the gate meditate concerning me, And those drinking strong drink, Play on instruments. And I -- my prayer `is' to Thee, O Jehovah, A time of good pleasure, O God, In the abundance of Thy kindness, Answer me in the truth of Thy salvation.
See, O Jehovah, and look attentively, To whom Thou hast acted thus, Do women eat their fruit, infants of a handbreadth? Slain in the sanctuary of the Lord are priest and prophet?
Clapped hands at thee have all passing by the way, They have hissed -- and they shake the head At the daughter of Jerusalem: `Is this the city of which they said: The perfection of beauty, a joy to all the land?' Opened against thee their mouth have all thine enemies, They have hissed, yea, they gnash the teeth, They have said: `We have swallowed `her' up, Surely this `is' the day that we looked for, We have found -- we have seen.' Jehovah hath done that which He devised, He hath fulfilled His saying That He commanded from the days of old, He hath broken down and hath not pitied, And causeth an enemy to rejoice over thee, He lifted up the horn of thine adversaries.
and he burneth the house of Jehovah, and the house of the king, and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great house he hath burned with fire,
For after my turning back I repented, And after my being instructed I struck on the thigh, I have been ashamed, I have also blushed, For I have borne the reproach of my youth.
Turn back, O backsliding sons, I cause your backslidings to cease. -- Behold us, we have come to Thee, For Thou `art' Jehovah our God. Surely in vain from the heights, The multitude of mountains -- Surely in Jehovah our God `is' the salvation of Israel. And the shameful thing hath devoured The labour of our fathers from our youth, Their flock and their herd, Their sons and their daughters. We have lain down in our shame, and cover us doth our confusion, For against Jehovah our God we have sinned, We, and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, Nor have we hearkened to the voice of Jehovah our God!
By rivers of Babylon -- There we did sit, Yea, we wept when we remembered Zion. On willows in its midst we hung our harps. For there our captors asked us the words of a song, And our spoilers -- joy: `Sing ye to us of a song of Zion.'
Mine accusers put on blushing, and are covered, As an upper robe `is' their shame.
And turn Thou back to our neighbours, Sevenfold unto their bosom, their reproach, Wherewith they reproached Thee, O Lord.
Remember this -- an enemy reproached Jehovah, And a foolish people have despised Thy name. Give not up to a company, The soul of Thy turtle-dove, The company of Thy poor ones forget not for ever. Look attentively to the covenant, For the dark places of earth, Have been full of habitations of violence. Let not the oppressed turn back ashamed, Let the poor and needy praise Thy name,
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.