31:7 foremost of the nations. Title for Israel once the Lord saves them (cf. Amos 6:1). the remnant of Israel. Those who survive the holocaust of exile.

31:8 land of the north. Babylon. the blind and the lame, expectant mothers and women in labor. Even those weakest and least able to endure the rigors of travel will be able to journey safely home (cf. Isa 40:11).

31:9 with weeping . . . will pray. Marks of repentance. The physical return will also be an act of spiritual turning, for in place of the hard and unresponsive hearts of the past, they will now come with repentance. beside streams of water on a level path. The Lord, like a good shepherd, will lead them (cf. Ps 23:2).

31:10 nations . . . distant coastlands. Reminiscent of Isa 41:1. The news must be proclaimed to the most distant parts so that all of the scattered exiles may be brought back. scattered . . . gather. As widely as the Lord disperses them, he will also bring them back like a good shepherd.

31:12 grain . . . new wine . . . olive oil. Three staple crops. These, together with multiplying “the young of the flocks and herds,” are how the Lord promised to bless Israel in Deut 7:13 if they kept the terms of the Sinai covenant. Here the Lord promises to establish these blessings in spite of their long history of disobedience and covenant breaking.

31:13 The Lord’s blessings will result in joy for all classes of people—men and women, young and old alike. “Mourning” will be transformed into “gladness,” and “sorrow” into “comfort and joy.”

31:14 priests . . . people. The frequent targets of rebuke and threats of judgment in the earlier messages (e.g., 26:8). Now they will be satisfied with “abundance” and “bounty.”

31:15 Ramah. A few miles/kilometers north of Jerusalem and a place from which exiles were dispatched to Babylon (see 40:1). Matt 2:18 quotes this verse, connecting it with the mourning of the mothers of Bethlehem over the deaths of their young sons at the hands of Herod. Herod, the king of Judea, took Nebuchadnezzar’s place in reenacting the painful losses of the exile. Rachel. The favored wife of Jacob and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin. She represents all of the mothers of Israel “mourning” and “weeping” for their exiled offspring.

31:16 Restrain your voice. The Lord urges the mothers to cease their mourning, for he will ultimately return their children from exile; the labor and heartache they invested in their children will not be in vain.

31:18 Ephraim’s moaning. If the northern kingdom repents, the Lord will be ready and eager to welcome them back as his “dear son” (v. 20). unruly calf. The northern kingdom had rebelled like an unbroken calf. The Lord disciplined them through their sufferings, and they changed.

31:19 beat my breast. A symbol of sorrow and grief. Their sorrow evokes compassion in the Lord’s heart.

31:21 road signs . . . guideposts. Perhaps stone memorials or other markers along the road as a testimony that their trip to Babylon will not be simply a one-way journey. guideposts. The Hebrew word sounds like the word for “great weeping” in v. 15, underlining the return from exile as an answer to the tears and sorrow of the present generation. Virgin Israel. See note on 14:17. Israel will return to her own towns. She will no longer be an “unfaithful Daughter” (v. 22).

31:22 In place of her errant past, the Lord will create a new and different future for her. the woman will return to the man. An obscure Hebrew idiom that may refer to a woman’s faithful embrace of her husband, in contrast to Israel’s past history of affairs with idols.

31:23 When I bring them back. The section of the message that begins by speaking of Ephraim’s return (vv. 1–22) concludes by speaking of Judah’s return, underlining that both peoples will ultimately return and be reunited. sacred mountain. Jerusalem. The people will once again call down the Lord’s blessing on Jerusalem as a “prosperous city.” In the OT, mountains were often places of encounter with God (e.g., Gen 22:14; Ezek 40:2; cf. Rev 21:10), and so the city of Jerusalem, which contains God’s temple, can be described as his “holy mountain” (Ps 48:1).

31:26 My sleep had been pleasant. Jeremiah received the message as a dream—a refreshing dream of hope in contrast to the threatening portents of many prophetic dreams (e.g., Dan 8:27).

31:28 to build and to plant. God originally commissioned Jeremiah “to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant” (1:10; see note there). Now, after many messages of destruction, he also has words of encouragement for the future.

31:29 Ezek 18 also quotes and refutes this proverb. People used it to claim that it was not fair for the Lord to bring judgment upon the present generation (“the children”) for the sins of past generations (“the parents”). However, the underlying assumption that the present generation is without blame for the coming destruction of Jerusalem is false, as should be clear to all of Jeremiah’s hearers. The Lord never judges unjustly: this generation too has contributed their own sin by rebelling against the Lord (v. 30). Positively, though, this refutation also leads to hope that a new generation may see a different future ahead of them, but only if they repent and turn to the Lord.

31:31–34 This passage is quoted in its entirety in Heb 8:8–12.

31:31 The days are coming. In the Messianic era. new covenant. This is the only explicit OT reference to the new covenant.

31:32 The new covenant is not like the old covenant made “with their ancestors” at Mount Sinai (Exod 19–24; cf. 2 Cor 3:14), which inevitably ended in judgment for Israel. The problem with the old covenant was that Israel repeatedly broke it, even though the Lord was a faithful “husband” to them.

31:33 minds . . . hearts. The new covenant involves a promise that the Lord will write his law on the hearts and minds of his people. In contrast to the old covenant, which gave the law to Israel written on tablets of stone (Exod 24:12), the new covenant will transform them internally and result in real change (2 Cor 5:17). Deut 30 already anticipated the prospect that the old covenant would end in the curse of exile through Israel’s disobedience and that God would subsequently change (“circumcise”) the hearts of his people (Deut 30:6). my people. Some interpreters focus the fulfillment of this prophecy specifically on ethnic Israel (“the people of Israel” in this verse and “the people of Judah” in v. 31). Others, in light of the usage in Hebrews, apply its reference more broadly to a redefined Israel that includes Gentiles alongside Jews as God’s people through union with Christ (Rom 11:11–27; Gal 3:9, 14, 27–29).

The new covenant is inaugurated through the shedding of Christ’s blood (Matt 26:28; Heb 9:15) and fulfills the purpose of the old covenant (Matt 5:17). Through the work of the Spirit, God’s people will know the Lord (Isa 54:13) and will respond to Christ (John 6:45). In Christ, our sins are forgiven and our wickedness is remembered no more (Ps 103:12; Rom 8:1–2).

31:35–37 The impending exile looks like the end of Israel as a people because of their unfaithfulness. Yet their existence as a nation before the Lord depends on his faithfulness, not theirs. The Lord who ordered the sun, moon, stars, and sea is capable of preserving his people. He will not “reject all the descendants of Israel” (v. 37). So too Paul affirms that Israel’s unfaithfulness in his own day was not the end of the story (Rom 11). The Lord will not abandon his people even though he adds the Gentiles as new branches of the family tree.

31:38–40 The city of Jerusalem also has a future in the Lord’s plan (see Gal 4:26; Rev 21:1–5). Though Nebuchadnezzar will destroy it, it will be completely rebuilt from the “Tower of Hananel” (probably close to the northwest corner of the temple mount [Neh 3:1], where the Antonia fortress stood in the time of Jesus) to the “Corner Gate” (possibly on the northwest side).

31:39 Gareb . . . Goah. Unknown; perhaps south of the city.

31:40 valley where dead bodies and ashes are thrown. Presumably the Ben Hinnom Valley (see 7:31 and note [“Topheth”]); it will be transformed into a location sacred to the Lord.

32:1–44 Jeremiah Buys a Field. The Lord tells Jeremiah to perform another sign-act, this time buying a field in enemy-controlled territory as a sign of confidence in the Lord’s promise that the people will return to the land in peace and freedom.

32:1 tenth year of Zedekiah. 588–587 BC, shortly before Jerusalem falls to the Babylonians.

32:2–5 Jeremiah’s persistent messages of doom against the city and the king have made him unpopular with King Zedekiah. Zedekiah sees Jeremiah’s words as treasonous and bad for morale, so he imprisons Jeremiah within the royal palace, though he also consults him privately (37:11–21).

32:7 Anathoth. Jeremiah’s hometown (see 1:1 and note). your right and duty to buy it. When someone fell into debt and sold their property, their nearest kinsman was supposed to purchase the field on their behalf so that the family could retain the property (Lev 25:25–28). At this point, Anathoth is already in Babylonian-held territory, so it seems an act of folly to purchase a property that appears lost forever. Yet because Jeremiah knows this is “the word of the LORD” (v. 8b), he buys the property (v. 9), paying the purchase price and having the transaction formally witnessed (vv. 9–10)

32:11–15 Jeremiah gives the title deeds to his scribe, Baruch, with instructions to carefully preserve the documents in a sealed clay jar, safely protected from moisture and insects. He declares that his action is a sign from the Lord that people will once again buy and sell property in Israel. The Babylonian invasion will not last forever, though it will also not be over in the immediate future.

32:17 you have made the heavens. Jeremiah’s prayer expresses his confidence in God’s power. He confesses the truth that the Lord is the Creator of all things, which means that nothing is too hard for him to accomplish. He is sovereign over every molecule of the universe, including humanity.

32:18 You show love . . . but bring . . . punishment. God is both just and gracious: he shows love to thousands but also brings the consequences of the parents’ sins on the next generation (Exod 34:6–7). Yet at the same time, he rewards each according to their own conduct: it is not that the parents ate sour grapes and the innocent children’s teeth are set on edge (see 31:29 and note); rather, the next generation inherits the sinful patterns of their fathers, often in magnified form.

32:20 You performed signs and wonders. The Lord’s sovereignty is evident not only in creation but also in redemption: he brought his people out of Egypt and into the promised land. Yet Jeremiah is also puzzled by the Lord’s plans: since the Babylonians are assaulting the city, which must fall to them because of Israel’s unfaithfulness (v. 24), why does the Lord command Jeremiah to buy property at a time like this (v. 25)?

32:27 Is anything too hard for me? The Lord’s answer begins in the same place as Jeremiah’s prayer (see v. 17). The Lord is indeed going to give the city to the Babylonians because of Israel’s sins, especially their sin of idolatry (vv. 29, 34–35).

32:35 Valley of Ben Hinnom. See note on 7:31 (“Topheth”).

32:37 I will surely gather them. The Lord not only has the power to bring the Babylonians as agents of judgment but also the power to gather his people and bring them back.

32:39 The Lord also (see note on v. 37) has the power to “give them singleness of heart and action,” uniting thought and deed in the Lord’s service, “so that they will always fear [him].”

32:40 This new relationship of peace and blessing will be “an everlasting covenant” in which the Lord will constantly bless his people and they will constantly serve him.

32:43–44 The land that is desolate on account of the people’s sins will be restored so that once again people will buy and sell property there.

33:1–26 Promise of Restoration. In the OT context, a restoration of the people and the land is incomplete without a corresponding restoration of the line of David to the kingship and the line of Levi to the priesthood.

33:1 confined in the courtyard of the guard. See note on 32:2–5.

33:2 made the earth. God’s power as Creator of everything assures his ability to judge and redeem his people. the LORD is his name. God’s name is not merely a title that he bears; it denotes his character as well (see notes on Exod 3:14, 15).

33:3 Because the Lord is sovereign over the future, he can reveal to his prophets “unsearchable things”—things that no human can know by themselves.

33:4 houses . . . royal palaces. Torn down to provide the materials needed to internally reinforce walls that were being assaulted by siege ramps on the outside. Yet all of these human efforts to ward off divine judgment are in vain: the city will be filled with “dead bodies” (v. 5).

33:6–9 Though human attempts to save the city will fail, the Lord still has good plans for its future beyond the time of judgment. The people’s sin has brought judgment (see 32:30–35), but the Lord will “bring Judah and Israel back from captivity” in Babylon (v. 7), “cleanse them” and “forgive all their sins” (v. 8; see 31:34). The result of this new act of salvation will be “praise and honor” for the Lord “before all nations on earth” (v. 9). The nations will be astonished at the people’s new prosperity (v. 9).

33:11 sounds of joy and gladness. Specifically, celebrations at weddings and the feasting that accompanied giving “thank offerings.” thank offerings. Part of the sacrificial animal was given back to the person making the offering so that they could celebrate with family and friends.

33:12 pastures . . . to rest their flocks. The open country will again be safe.

33:13 The image of the shepherd counting his sheep as they pass under his hand into the sheepfold reveals the intimate connection between a shepherd and his flock.

33:14–16 Talk of restoring literal shepherds leads naturally into a discussion of the restoration of Israel’s shepherd, their king. This language is very similar to the language of 23:5–6, yet now the focus shifts to the city of Jerusalem.

33:15 righteous Branch. See note on 23:5. He will reign over his city.

33:16 The LORD Our Righteous Savior. See note on 23:6. Not only will the “righteous Branch” be called this but so will the city.

33:17–18 David will never fail . . . nor will the Levitical priests ever fail. The kingship and priesthood will continue and reach their goal. Though God has already promised the rejection of the reigning Davidic kings (22:30) and the destruction of the Jerusalem temple, which will leave no place for priests to offer sacrifices, that cannot be the end of the story.

33:17 David. Represents the kingship (2 Sam 7).

33:18 Levitical priests. Represent the priesthood (Mal 2:4–8).

33:22 descendants . . . as countless as the stars . . . as measureless as the sand. Recalls the covenant with Abraham (Gen 22:17). The fulfillment of these promises for David and Levi is found in the new covenant, in which believers are kings and priests who reign and serve with Christ (1 Pet 2:5, 9; Rev 20:4–6).

33:24 these people. Either the surrounding nations or unbelievers within the Jewish community. Either way, their conclusion that the Lord has rejected the northern and southern kingdoms is false.

33:25–26 The Lord’s election of the descendants of Jacob as his people is as secure as the regular transition from day to night and back again.

34:1—39:18 The Last Days of Jehoiakim and Zedekiah. In the last years of Judah before the final Babylonian invasion leading to the fall of Jerusalem, Jeremiah repeatedly speaks to Judah’s kings, first Jehoiakim and then Zedekiah. Sometimes his messages are messages of encouragement, but mostly they are messages of judgment. The kings repeatedly fail to listen to Jeremiah, leading to the inevitable destruction of Jerusalem, which the last part of this section records.

34:1–7 Warning to Zedekiah. This section and the one that follows (vv. 8–22) contain two contrasting messages addressed to King Zedekiah. Both speak of the certain fall of Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar, but the first speaks in positive terms of Zedekiah’s own fate, while the second is much bleaker.

34:1 all the kingdoms and peoples in the empire he ruled. Nebuchadnezzar has an overwhelming force arrayed against tiny Jerusalem. Nothing short of divine deliverance can rescue them from his hand.

34:2–3 Jeremiah makes it clear that no deliverance will be forthcoming this time. Zedekiah will have an uncomfortable face-to-face interview with his overlord that will result in his exile to Babylon (2 Kgs 25:6–7). Jer 32:3–5 records Zedekiah’s earlier response to a similar prediction by Jeremiah.

34:5 die peacefully. Zedekiah will “not die by the sword” (v. 4) in battle, and the people will mourn him in death. This is a mark of God’s mercy in judgment (cf. the similar case of Hezekiah in Isa 39). Yet it is only a limited mercy: Hezekiah died knowing that the Babylonians would make his own offspring eunuchs; Zedekiah’s eyes will be put out after he sees his sons put to death (2 Kgs 25:7). Had Zedekiah listened to Jeremiah and surrendered to Nebuchadnezzar earlier, things might have gone better for him. Zedekiah’s stubborn refusal to listen to the prophet’s words of counsel prove very costly.

34:7 Lachish. About 30 miles (48 kilometers) southwest of Jerusalem. Azekah. Slightly farther north than Lachish, guarding the strategic Valley of Elah. Archaeologists have discovered letters from the ruins of Lachish that describe the increasingly desperate situation in that city, including a poignant note that the signal fire from Azekah was no longer visible.

34:8–22 Freedom for Slaves. The Judahites have been conveniently ignoring the laws of the Pentateuch about periodically freeing Hebrew slaves. Under the pressure of the Babylonian assault, they covenant to fulfill their obligations under the law, but when the Babylonians temporarily withdraw, they go back on their commitments.

34:8–11 During the desperate days of the siege, the king and the people agree to free their Hebrew slaves. This language explicitly invokes the law requiring the freeing of such slaves every seven years (Exod 21:2–6; Deut 15:12–18). Since the agreement is a solemn covenant, it invokes the Lord as witness of the agreement (v. 15). There may be a dual motivation: (1) attempting to win God’s favor by following his law and (2) attempting to increase the available manpower to fight the Babylonians. Yet afterward, probably when the Babylonians withdraw from Jerusalem temporarily to deal with an Egyptian relief force, the Judahites go back on their solemn promise and again enslave their former Hebrew slaves.

34:13–16 If the people had been following the laws of Exodus and Deuteronomy, they would not have had to make such a covenant. Nevertheless, the Lord endorses their action as repenting and doing “what is right in [his] sight” (v. 15). Coming to obedience late is better than continuing in disobedience. However, events prove that their repentance was not sincere. Taking back their Hebrew slaves is not merely an offense against their fellow men and women, it profanes the Lord’s name since he was named as witness in the covenant.

34:17 ‘freedom’ to fall by the sword, plague and famine. A fitting punishment (see note on 14:12).

34:18 like the calf they cut in two. In ancient Near Eastern covenant making, animals were divided in two and the parties making the covenant passed between the pieces. It was an acted out oath of self-imprecation, saying, “May I become like these animals if I break my word” (see Gen 15:9–17 and note).

34:20 dead bodies . . . food for the birds and the wild animals. The Lord will bring upon the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem the curse they pronounced so that after death their bodies will not be decently buried (see note on 7:33).

34:21–22 Zedekiah will also be subject to judgment. Though he will not personally die in battle (v. 5), God will give him into the hand of his enemies. The juxtaposition of these two messages (see note on vv. 1–7) tempers the good news of the first because of Zedekiah’s broken covenant. Though God is always faithful to his word, sin has consequences.

35:1–19 The Rekabites. One family in Judah, the Rekabites, have faithfully kept a command from one of their ancestors not to drink wine or establish permanent residences in the land. Their faithfulness is a living counter example to Judah and Jerusalem’s persistent unfaithfulness to their spiritual father, the Lord. It is not that drinking wine, planting vineyards, or building houses is evil: these are part of the life of blessing as God intended it in the land (Deut 28:2–8). The commitment of the Rekabites seems to be a reminder that the promised land and its blessings merely symbolize the real inheritance that God has prepared for his people.

35:1 during the reign of Jehoiakim. This took place earlier than the material in the previous chapters that deal with Zedekiah (see Introduction: Outline).

35:2 Rekabite family. Little is known about them; 1 Chr 2:55 links them with the Kenites, who descended from Moses’ father-in-law (Judg 1:16). Jehonadab son of Rekab (v. 8) was a key supporter of Jehu’s purging of the house of King Ahab in 841 BC as judgment for Ahab’s Baal worship (2 Kgs 10:15–17). give them wine to drink. In those days water was often undrinkable, so wine was a common beverage.

35:4 the house of the LORD. The temple. The Rekabites were in Jerusalem because the Babylonian invasion made their nomadic lifestyle impossible (v. 11). There were a number of living areas connected to the temple. Igdaliah. A “man of God,” i.e., a prophet (1 Kgs 13:1; 2 Kgs 4:9). His family may have been sympathetic to Jeremiah. Maaseiah. His family occupied the neighboring room. He was very close to the king (21:1; 29:21, 25; 37:3). doorkeeper. An important office in the temple; in 2 Kgs 25:18, the three doorkeepers are listed right after the high priest and his second-in-command.

35:6 Jehonadab. An ancestor of the Rekabites who had commanded them over 200 years earlier not to drink wine or settle permanently in any one place (see note on vv. 1–19). He had even framed his command in a way that echoed the style of Deuteronomy, promising that they would “live a long time in the land” (v. 7; cf. Deut 11:9; 25:15; 32:47).

35:8 We have obeyed . . . Jehonadab. So they refuse Jeremiah’s invitation.

35:13 Will you not learn a lesson . . . ? The faithfulness of the Rekabites to their forefather’s command visibly condemns the people’s continual unfaithfulness to the Lord’s commands.

35:17–19 Because of the faithfulness of the Rekabites, their fate will be different from that of the rest of the people. The Judahites will not live long in the land; the Lord will bring the curses upon them that he had threatened. But the Rekabites will receive rewards for their continued faithfulness; they will have continued descendants serving the Lord. At least one of the Rekabites is later involved in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem in the days of Nehemiah (Neh 3:14).

36:1–32 Jehoiakim Burns Jeremiah’s Scroll. Apparently at the very same time that the Rekabites are demonstrating their faithfulness (ch. 35), Jehoiakim is refusing to listen to the Lord’s word through his prophet. Juxtaposing ch. 35 and ch. 36 makes the contrast very stark.

36:1 fourth year of Jehoiakim. 605 BC, shortly before Nebuchadnezzar subjugates Judah and takes the first captives to Babylon.

36:2 Take a scroll. The prophets generally delivered their messages verbally, but this passage demonstrates that they sometimes wrote down their messages; in this case it was dictated to a scribe (v. 4; cf. 30:2). This is how the words of the prophets were preserved, which would have been necessary to vindicate their predictions of future events (Deut 18:22).

36:3 turn from their wicked ways. The Lord’s desire is always that people repent and turn from their sin so that they might find forgiveness. The Lord takes no pleasure in punishing the guilty (Ezek 18:23).

36:4 Baruch. Jeremiah’s scribe (32:12). His role in the process is to transmit the words Jeremiah dictates to him, just as Jeremiah faithfully conveys the words the Lord gives him (see v. 6).

Hebrew seal impression written of Baruch son of Neriah (Jer 36:4).

Z. Radovan/www.BibleLandPictures.com

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36:5 restricted. From going to the temple, probably because he prophesied judgment against it. But the Lord’s word cannot be so easily restrained.

36:6 Baruch is to read the message to the people in the hope that they will repent.

36:9 time of fasting before the LORD. A time that brings large crowds to the temple; it is an auspicious time to call people to repentance.

36:10 Gemariah. Not the Gemariah of 29:3. A son of Shaphan (see note on 26:24). the upper courtyard. Where the crowds below could see and hear Baruch. the New Gate. Where judicial cases were heard (see 26:10).

36:11 Micaiah son of Gemariah. From the family of Shaphan (see note on 26:24).

36:12 Elnathan son of Akbor. From a family that was involved in the rediscovery of the Book of the Law in Josiah’s day (2 Kgs 22:12). Perhaps the officials hoped for a similar outcome.

36:19 go and hide. Indicates the kind of response the officials anticipated while also showing that not all of the court officials were opposed to Jeremiah’s message. This king had already brought the prophet Uriah back from Egypt and executed him (26:23).

36:22 ninth month. December, so the king is in “the winter apartment” with a “fire burning in the firepot.”

36:23 As the scroll is being read, the king systematically cuts sections of it off and throws them into the fire, symbolizing his utter disregard for its message. The scene dramatically contrasts with how Jehoiakim’s father, Josiah, responded to the reading of the rediscovered Book of the Law (2 Kgs 22:11). Josiah tore his clothes and repented because of the Lord’s great wrath against his people for not keeping the law’s demands. Jehoiakim neither tears his clothes nor shows any fear at all (v. 24).

36:26 a son of the king. Not necessarily a son of the reigning king but a person of royal blood. arrest Baruch . . . and Jeremiah. Instead of seeking reform (see note on v. 23). the LORD had hidden them. Normally a king could find and arrest dissidents in his own capital, but in this instance, the Lord enables them to remain concealed.

36:28 Take another scroll. Jehoiakim’s display of disdain will not prevent the prophecies from being fulfilled. The Lord commands Jeremiah to prepare a new scroll; it contains the previous warnings of coming judgment as well as the addition of “many similar words” (v. 32).

36:30 The Lord reiterates one of the key judgment prophecies: Jehoiakim will not have a lasting dynasty to follow him on the throne of David (see 22:24–30 and note on 22:26), and his body will come to a dishonorable end. Jehoiakim’s son Jehoiachin reigns for merely three months before Nebuchadnezzar carries Jehoiachin off to Babylon, never to return.

37:1–21 Jeremiah in Prison. Chs. 37–39 cover the painful last days of Jerusalem after the Babylonians surround it. Jeremiah himself is the target of assault and persecution because of his prophecies about the city’s impending fall. Even while charting a public course that will end in disaster, King Zedekiah has several private interviews with Jeremiah, seeking to discover the Lord’s word concerning the city’s future. Yet he is unwilling or unable to change his direction in response to Jeremiah’s clear warnings.

37:1–3 This fulfills the prophecy in 36:30 (see note there). Instead of Jehoiachin succeeding his father, Jehoiakim, Nebuchadnezzar places Jehoiakim’s brother Zedekiah on the throne.

37:2 the people of the land. The wealthy landowners and ruling class. Neither they nor the king nor the king’s officials pay attention to the Lord’s words.

37:3 pray to the LORD our God for us. See 21:2 and note. Such a request in the absence of repentance is doomed to fail; in any event, the Lord has already instructed Jeremiah not to pray for this people, perhaps precisely because of this attitude (7:16).

37:4 free to come and go. This will soon change (see vv. 12–15). In 588 BC, the Egyptians march out to threaten the Babylonians, who have already begun to besiege Jerusalem. The siege is temporarily lifted while Nebuchadnezzar deals with the Egyptians, but the respite for Jerusalem is only temporary, just as Jeremiah prophesied.

37:9 Do not deceive yourselves. The people of Jerusalem greet the Babylonian withdrawal as the Lord’s deliverance, but the Lord is still set on their destruction.

37:10 wounded men. Even they would be sufficient to capture and burn the city. The Lord doesn’t need the Babylonian power to accomplish his purposes.

37:12 the territory of Benjamin. Where Jeremiah came from (see 1:1). his share of the property. May refer to the portion of land he purchased from Hanamel in 32:1–15.

37:13 deserting to the Babylonians! The “captain of the guard” arrests Jeremiah, assuming that since his prophecies about the fall of the city have not come true, he is escaping the city.

37:16 cell in a dungeon. Apparently a damp underground cell.

37:17 word from the LORD. See note on 21:2. Perhaps Zedekiah hopes Jeremiah will be more inclined to give him good news after his lengthy confinement, but Jeremiah’s message to the king is unchanged.

37:18 What crime have I committed . . . ? Jeremiah asks the king to detail the charges against him for which he has been imprisoned. Jeremiah merely told the truth, unlike the false prophets who declared, “The king of Babylon will not attack you or this land” (v. 19).

37:21 courtyard of the guard. Next to the palace (32:2). bread . . . was gone. Because of the siege.

38:1–13 Jeremiah Thrown Into a Cistern. The weakness of King Zedekiah is on full display in ch. 38. When one group of his officials wants to kill Jeremiah, Zedekiah does nothing to prevent them from doing so, but when another of his servants wants to rescue Jeremiah, he supports him. Zedekiah once again seeks a private audience with Jeremiah to find out the Lord’s word concerning his future, but Zedekiah still refuses to change his behavior in response to it. There are many similarities between the events of ch. 37 and those of ch. 38.

38:1 Jehukal. Also mentioned in 37:3.

38:2 sword, famine or plague. See note on 14:12.

38:4 put to death. Jeremiah’s prophecies thus far have proven entirely accurate, but instead of listening to his words, these officials want to silence him. discouraging the soldiers. Jeremiah’s continued message of the certain demise of Jerusalem is, unsurprisingly, demoralizing to those who hear it.

38:5 He is in your hands. Zedekiah’s position as king is not strong because the Babylonians placed him on the throne when they exiled his nephew, Jehoiachin, and because of the rigors of the Babylonian siege. In the face of powerful court opposition, he chooses not to do anything to protect Jeremiah.

38:6 cistern. Normally stores water but is presently empty. They intend for Jeremiah to slowly starve to death in this muddy pit. king’s son. See note on 36:26.

38:7 Cushite. A foreigner from southern (Upper) Egypt (see NIV text note). official in the royal palace. He may have been a eunuch since the Hebrew word translated “official” can also mean “eunuch” (see NIV text note). Eunuchs held many important positions in royal households. Benjamin Gate. Also mentioned in 37:13.

38:10 thirty men. A sizeable force, suggesting the expectation of possible opposition from Jeremiah’s enemies.

38:13 Jeremiah is not freed from imprisonment but is returned to the safety of the “courtyard of the guard” (see note on 37:21).

38:14–28 Zedekiah Questions Jeremiah Again. This is now the second time that Zedekiah asks to meet with Jeremiah (see 37:16–17).

38:15 will you not kill me? Jeremiah is understandably suspicious of Zedekiah’s intentions, given Zedekiah’s earlier failure to protect him and Zedekiah’s lack of response to Jeremiah’s earlier messages.

38:16 As surely as the LORD lives. A standard oath formula.

38:17–18 Jeremiah has no new words for King Zedekiah; Jeremiah simply repeats what he told him before (27:1–15).

38:19 I am afraid of the Jews who have gone over to the Babylonians. Zedekiah fears the wrong things. He should fear and obey the Lord (v. 20).

38:22 sunk in the mud. Just like Jeremiah in v. 6.

38:24 Do not let anyone know about this conversation. Zedekiah’s weakness is striking. He is unable to guarantee Jeremiah’s safety, which he swore in v. 16, unless his own officials are kept in the dark. Yet the Lord continues to protect Jeremiah (1:8).

39:1–18 The Fall of Jerusalem. All of Jeremiah’s words of judgment are finally and painfully vindicated in 586 BC when Nebuchadnezzar captures Jerusalem after a long siege. This is the fullest account in the OT of the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem.

39:1 ninth year . . . tenth month. On the tenth day (52:4), i.e., Jan. 15, 588 BC.

39:2 ninth day . . . fourth month . . . eleventh year. July 18, 586 BC. The siege of Jerusalem lasts about 18 months (Jan. 15, 588–July 18, 586 BC) before the city wall is broken through.

39:3 Middle Gate. Where the Babylonians hold the victory celebration, with the officials of the king of Babylon taking their seats of authority and rule. City gates were often places where officials made decisions and issued judgments. Nergal-Sharezer. Perhaps Nebuchadnezzar’s son-in-law, who ultimately succeeded him as king. Nebo-Sarsekim. Archaeologists have uncovered a tablet from Babylon from 595 BC mentioning this man and his title. See photo.

Babylonian tablet naming Nebo-Sarsekim and his title (Jer 39:3).

© 2013 by Zondervan

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39:4 they fled. As the Babylonians breach the wall, probably on the northern side, King Zedekiah and the remnant of his army flee at night to the east and south, toward the Arabah. Arabah. A region that includes the Jordan Valley. There they hope to disappear into the wilderness.

39:5 the plains of Jericho. Less than 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Jerusalem. See note on 2 Kgs 25:5. Riblah. Nebuchadnezzar’s command center; a town 65 miles (105 kilometers) north of Damascus.

39:6-8 slaughtered . . . before his eyes . . . put out Zedekiah’s eyes . . . broke down the walls. See notes on 2 Kgs 25:7, 10.

39:9 carried into exile. This is the third deportation to Babylon (see note on 2 Kgs 25:11; see also “Nebuchadnezzar’s Campaigns Against Judah”). This deportation includes the majority of the remaining inhabitants of Judah, including all those with skills or wealth.

39:10 some of the poor people. Left behind to work the “vineyards and fields” so that the Babylonians can continue to receive their tribute.

39:11 orders about Jeremiah. The Babylonians had heard of Jeremiah’s prophecies. Though they didn’t believe in the Lord, they protected Jeremiah, whether out of superstition or a politically motivated desire to be able to claim that Judah’s own god had turned against them. Ironically, Jeremiah receives much better treatment at the hands of the Babylonians than he received from his own people.

39:14 Gedaliah son of Ahikam. A Judahite whom the Babylonians appointed as governor of the new province (see 40:7). As part of the family of Shaphan, he is sympathetic to Jeremiah (see note on 26:24).

39:15–18 Jeremiah is not the only one to escape death or exile. Ebed-Melek the Cushite (see note on 38:7) is likewise rewarded for trusting in the Lord and faithfully rescuing Jeremiah (38:7–13).

40:1—45:5 The Aftermath of Jerusalem’s Destruction. Even after the fall of Jerusalem vindicates Jeremiah’s prophecies, some Judahites continue to resist the Babylonians. This resistance culminates in a successful plot to assassinate Gedaliah, the governor whom the Babylonians appointed. When the Babylonians apprehend and execute the culprits, the remaining Judahites fear Babylonian reprisals and flee to Egypt. Jeremiah encourages them to stay in Judah and warns them that going down to Egypt will lead to further judgment from the Lord. But the destruction of Jerusalem has not changed the stubborn and rebellious hearts of the people, who do not heed his words. They leave for Egypt, forcibly taking Jeremiah with them.

40:1–6 Jeremiah Freed. Although Nebuchadnezzar gave orders to release and protect Jeremiah (39:11–12), in the chaos following the fall of Jerusalem, Jeremiah is caught up with other prisoners and taken in chains to the staging center at Ramah. Nebuchadnezzar’s orders were explicit enough to bring Nebuzaradan, the commander of the Babylonian imperial guard, to personally seek out and release Jeremiah from bondage. From a Babylonian perspective, Jeremiah’s prophecies are useful propaganda, for they declare that Judah’s own God handed them over to the Babylonians because of their sins. But Jeremiah has no personal sympathy for the Babylonians nor any reason to wish to go and live in Babylon (cf. 25:12). Nebuzaradan therefore encourages Jeremiah to go back to help Gedaliah’s new administration, located in the relatively unscathed town of Mizpah.

40:1 Ramah. About five miles (eight kilometers) north of Jerusalem (see 31:15; Matt 2:18)

Seal impression of Gedaliah “servant of the king,” probably the Gedaliah of Jer 40:5 before he was appointed governor.

Z. Radovan/www.BibleLandPictures.com

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40:6 Mizpah. About eight miles (13 kilometers) north of Jerusalem.

40:7—41:15 Gedaliah Assassinated. Some in the community who remain in Judah plot to kill Gedaliah. This is a useless gesture of rebellion against Babylon, and it tragically removes from a position of influence a good man who has supported Jeremiah’s prophecies (see 38:1).

40:7–10 The population remaining in Judah is made up of small military groups that have been hiding in the open country, the wilderness areas where it was hard for the invaders to track them down alongside “the poorest in the land” (v. 7), whom the Babylonians left behind to take care of the farmland (39:10).

40:11–12 Jews who had fled to the surrounding nations, such as Moab, Ammon, and Edom, return to Judah after hearing that a “remnant” is left in Judah. Not all those who fled found safe refuge: Edom, in particular, had a policy of handing back fugitives to the Babylonians (Obad 14). Those who did return “harvested an abundance of wine and summer fruit,” justifying their faith in making the difficult journey back.

40:14 Ammonites. Lived east of the Jordan River and were anti-Babylonian.

41:1 Ishmael . . . was of royal blood. He may have had ambitions to claim the throne. While they were eating together. Killing one’s host while sharing a meal together was regarded as a particularly heinous and cowardly breach of hospitality.

41:5 had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes and cut themselves. Forms of mourning, not all of which were considered legitimate in Mosaic law (see Deut 14:1). cut themselves. Ritual wounds. Shechem, Shiloh and Samaria. Cities in the former northern kingdom. offerings and incense. They probably intended to go to Jerusalem for the Festival of Tabernacles, which occurred in the “seventh month” (v. 1). the house of the LORD. The temple, which was now in ruins. A similar entourage later comes to Jerusalem from Bethel shortly after the end of the exile (Zech 7:2–3).

41:8 Out of the 80 pilgrims (v. 5), 10 escape by claiming to have access to hidden supplies.

41:9 cistern . . . King Asa had made. Part of Judah’s defensive preparations made during the wars with Baasha king of Israel (see 1 Kgs 15:16–22).

41:10 the king’s daughters. They may have been intended as hostages. They are not mentioned elsewhere in the accounts of Jerusalem’s fate and seem not to have been put to death like their brothers or exiled like their father. the Ammonites. Had supported Ishmael in his rebellion against Babylon (see 40:14 and note).

41:11 Johanan son of Kareah. He tried earlier to persuade Gedaliah to allow him to assassinate Ishmael (see 40:15).

41:12 the great pool in Gibeon. The site of a bloody encounter between the forces of Ish-Bosheth and David after the death of Saul (2 Sam 2:13–17). Gibeon. Three miles (five kilometers) south of Mizpah.

41:16—43:13 Flight to Egypt. After the death of Gedaliah at the hands of a Judahite revolutionary, those who remain in Judah are concerned about the risk of Babylonian reprisals. For that reason, they decide to flee to Egypt. Although they ask Jeremiah to inquire of the Lord for them, they have already decided what their course of action will be, so they ignore the Lord’s word when it comes.

41:16–18 The mantle of leadership now passes to the army officers, led by Johanan, who decide to flee to Egypt for safety.

41:17 Geruth Kimham. Otherwise unknown. Bethlehem. Five miles (eight kilometers) south of Jerusalem.

42:1 Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah. The same person 43:2 identifies as Azariah.

42:2 pray to the LORD your God. Before the people abandon the promised land and go to Egypt, they and their leaders decide to inquire of the Lord through Jeremiah. It appears that Jeremiah was not in Mizpah at the time of the massacre. Jacob made an inquiry of the Lord at Beersheba in Gen 46:1–3 before Jacob went down to Egypt in the time of Joseph. Perhaps the people expect to receive an encouraging word from the Lord similar to the one Jacob received (Gen 46:3–4).

42:5 Jeremiah calls the Lord as a witness against them if they fail to do what he says.

42:6 favorable or unfavorable. Indicates that they already prefer a course of action, namely, going down to Egypt.

42:7 Ten days later. The word of the Lord did not come to Jeremiah immediately, which must have tested the patience of the people waiting to hear him speak. But unlike the false prophets, he could not manufacture an instant response.

42:10 When the word comes, it is not what the people had hoped: the Lord promises that if they stay in the land, he will “build [them] up and not tear [them] down” (cf. 1:10). relented. Changed his attitude toward them. The judgment already inflicted by the king of Babylon is sufficient.

42:11 Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon. Because the Lord will “deliver [them] from his hands.” This demonstrates that Nebuzaradan’s claim in 40:2–3 was incomplete. At that time, the Lord had decreed disaster upon Jerusalem; but now the day of judgment is over, and the Lord will once again show compassion to his people (v. 12; contrast 13:14).

42:13–22 This word of compassion from the Lord (see note on v. 11) is conditional upon their responding in faith. In ch. 38, the prophet’s words about the safety of surrendering to Babylon in view of the impending destruction of Jerusalem called for faith; here too it is counterintuitive to believe that staying in Judah is safer than fleeing to Egypt. If they act in unbelief once again, they will find that the Lord’s triple judgment of “sword, famine and plague” (v. 17; see note on 14:12) will continue to pursue them. The same fate that had befallen the inhabitants of Jerusalem will meet them in Egypt for the very same reason: they refuse to listen to and heed the word of the Lord through his prophet. Yet it is evident to Jeremiah even as he speaks the Lord’s word to the people that they are determined to disobey it, whatever the consequences (vv. 19–22).

43:2 Azariah son of Hoshaiah. See note on 42:1. You are lying! In spite of their solemn vow (42:5–6), the people refuse to listen to Jeremiah. Previously, they delighted in false prophets who promised peace for Judah; now they refuse to listen to the true prophet when he promises blessing, accusing him instead of lying as the false prophets had (cf. 5:31).

43:3 Baruch . . . is inciting you. It is not clear why they think Jeremiah’s scribe, Baruch, is behind this or what he would gain by it.

43:4 disobeyed the LORD’s command. Johanan and the army officers lead all the people with them, willingly or unwillingly, down to Egypt (vv. 5–7), disregarding Jeremiah’s counsel. Those who began as liberators became as oppressive as Ishmael, the rebel from whom they supposedly freed the people (see 41:10–15). The group going to Egypt includes Jeremiah and Baruch.

43:7 Tahpanhes. A town in northern Egypt not far across the border. The Jews settle there, close to the region of Goshen, where the Israelites settled under Joseph.

43:9 take some large stones. There in Egypt the Lord sends a message for Jeremiah to communicate by means of a sign-act, similar to the ones he had performed earlier in Jerusalem (see notes on 13:1–14). Pharaoh’s palace. This may have been a government building belonging to Pharaoh rather than a royal residence.

43:10 Jeremiah declares that these stones will become the location where Nebuchadnezzar will set up his throne, with its royal canopy protecting him from the sun. In other words, fleeing to Egypt will not put the Jews outside the reach of Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian military. Instead, he will arrive right on their doorstep there in Egypt.

43:12 picks his garment clean of lice. Nebuchadnezzar’s victory will be as one-sided as a shepherd picking annoying vermin off his clothing. In 568 BC, Nebuchadnezzar invaded Egypt as Jeremiah predicted, though it is not clear whether Jeremiah remained alive to see the fulfillment of his prophecy.

43:13 temple of the sun. Located in Heliopolis, a few miles/kilometers south of Tahpanhes. The gods of Egypt will be powerless to protect their sacred objects. sacred pillars. Obelisks.

44:1–30 Disaster Because of Idolatry. Nothing has changed in the hearts of the Judahites simply by relocating them to Egypt. Their old idolatrous practices continue to haunt them, dooming them inevitably to face the same curse that pursued them in Judah.

44:1 Migdol, Tahpanhes and Memphis. Where groups of Jews were living in Egypt at this time: in Lower (northern) Egypt and in Upper (southern) Egypt, notably at Elephantine (Syene), where the Jewish settlers built their own temple to the Lord. We know a great deal about this community because they later carried out extensive correspondence with the postexilic authorities in Jerusalem, and some of these papyri have survived. Yet all of them were under God’s curse because they followed the example of their ancestors in pursuing idols and ignoring the words of the prophets.

44:3 gods that neither they nor you nor your ancestors ever knew. They had never had a relationship with these gods before. The people will share the same fate as those who rebelled in Jerusalem.

44:8 Why arouse my anger . . . ? Pursuing idolatry will result in the same outcome as before: those who escaped from Jerusalem will be completely cut off, leaving no remnant of the Jewish people except those who are in exile in Babylon and a “few fugitives” (v. 14) from Egypt.

44:13 sword, famine and plague. Those “determined to go to Egypt” (v. 12) will die by these covenantal curses (see note on 14:12). Instead of being blessed by God and being a blessing, as Gen 12:1–3 promised, they will become a “curse” (v. 12), a living example of God’s judgment in action.

44:15 wives were burning incense to other gods. Idolatry seems to have affected particularly the women. We know from archaeological sources that women’s religious concerns in antiquity often revolved around basic concerns such as fertility, to which pagan religions often appealed.

44:17, 18, 19 Queen of Heaven. Astarte (see note on 7:18).

44:18 ever since we stopped. The women deny that the Lord is the one who brought judgment on Jerusalem and instead claim that the cessation of their idolatrous worship practices at the time of Josiah’s reforms is the reason (see 2 Kgs 23).

44:19 did not our husbands know . . . ? The men knew that their wives were burning incense to idols, so they were not blameless in this apostasy. Not only did they not stop them; they supported their denunciation of Jeremiah.

44:22 When the LORD could no longer endure. The previous delay between Judah’s sin and God’s judgment was due to God’s mercy, but he eventually judged Judah (v. 23) and will do so again (vv. 26–27).

44:25 Keep your vows! If they consider their vows to the idols so precious, they should go ahead and keep them, but the Lord will also take a vow by himself to ensure that they never take another vow (v. 26).

44:27 I am watching over them for harm. In contrast to the exiles in Babylon, whom he is watching over for good (24:6).

44:29 the sign. The Lord will deliver Pharaoh Hophra into the hands of his enemies to share the fate of his former ally, King Zedekiah of Judah, as a sign to the Jews that the Lord’s word (not theirs) will stand. The Jews in Egypt will be punished!

44:30 Pharaoh Hophra. He tried unsuccessfully in 588 BC to relieve the siege of Jerusalem (see 37:5) and was subsequently deposed in 570 BC in an internal coup. He was executed a few years later.

45:1–5 A Message to Baruch. Baruch, Jeremiah’s faithful scribe, has been carried off with Jeremiah to Egypt. Yet the Lord’s earlier word of blessing to him, recorded here, remains true in the midst of impending judgment on those around him. Apart from the messages against the nations (46:1—51:64), this is the end of Jeremiah’s own prophecies (see 51:64b and note). By locating this short message here, it allows the prophecy to end with words of blessing rather than cursing and shows how God’s words came true. A clay impression from the seal of a scribe named “Berechiahu, son of Neriahu” has been recovered by archaeologists. Most scholars believe this came from the seal of Jeremiah’s scribe, providing independent verification of his existence.

45:1 fourth year of Jehoiakim. 605 BC. Ch. 36 describes in more detail the burning of the scroll by Jehoiakim.

45:3 Woe to me! Like Jeremiah (see 15:10), Baruch finds the hostile reception of his message hard to bear and pronounces the covenant curse on himself (cf. Isa 6:5). Yet at a time when the Lord is overthrowing what he built and uprooting what he planted (v. 4), is any other reception likely? The servant is not greater than the master: if they rejected the Lord, they will reject his servants also (John 15:20).

45:5 At a time when the Lord is bringing “disaster on all people,” Baruch should not expect to see “great things” for himself, whether in terms of a responsive audience and personal popularity or great deliverances by the Lord. Baruch is living in a “day of small things” (Zech 4:10), a time in which it is a remarkable blessing for him merely to “escape with [his] life” (v. 5), the same promise given to Ebed-Melek (39:18).

46:1—51:64 Messages Against the Nations. Like other prophets (e.g., Ezek 25–32), Jeremiah delivers a series of messages against the nations around God’s people. These are not necessarily intended to be delivered exclusively to these nations, however; the messages are far more for God’s own people, reminding them of the Lord’s sovereignty over the whole world. The Lord raises nations up for his own purposes and then brings them down in turn. In addition, these messages often declare judgment on the nations for their assault on God’s people, reassuring them that the negative aspect of the Abrahamic covenant is still in place: “whoever curses you I will curse” (Gen 12:3). Even though the nations came against Judah at the Lord’s direction, they brought their own agendas and will pay the price for their enmity toward Israel and Judah.

46:1–28 A Message About Egypt. Since chs. 42–44 end with Jews who are fleeing to Egypt taking Jeremiah there, it is fitting that the message against Egypt comes first.

46:1 concerning the nations. This covers chs. 46–51 (cf. 1:5).

46:2 fourth year of Jehoiakim. 605 BC; the date links this passage to ch. 45. Pharaoh Necho defeated and killed King Josiah at Megiddo in 609 BC (2 Kgs 23:29–30) and for a brief period controlled Judah. The Babylonians defeat him in 605 BC at the battle of Carchemish. Subsequently, the Judahites become vassals of the Babylonians, yet they continue to harbor hope for help from the Egyptians, hopes that the prophets declare are futile (e.g., Ezek 29).

46:3–5 The extensive preparations of the Egyptians for battle are in vain. They have all of the necessary military equipment (“shields . . . horses . . . helmets . . . spears . . . armor,” vv. 3–4), but they end up retreating in disarray (v. 5).

46:6 swift . . . strong. This proves the dictum of Eccl 9:11: “The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong.” The reason for their defeat is that the Lord is against them, inducing “terror on every side” (v. 5), as he earlier did to his own people (6:25).

46:7–8 Every year the Nile rises and overflows its banks, surging across the countryside. In the same way, Egypt seeks to rise and cover the earth.

46:9 horses . . . charioteers. Elite troops. men of Cush . . . Put . . . Lydia. Mercenaries. Cush. Southern Egypt; modern Sudan. Put . . . Lydia. These locations are debated, ranging from Somalia to Libya to Asia Minor. More important, they were recognized sources of hired soldiers (Isa 66:19; Ezek 27:10; 30:5).

Cushite warriors (Jer 46:9).

Frederick J. Mabie

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46:10 Egypt’s ambitions will be frustrated at Carchemish, for “that day belongs to the Lord” as a “day of vengeance” on Egypt, a day when the sword will quench “its thirst with blood.” that day. The “day of the LORD” is the time when he saves his people and judges their enemies (see note on Amos 2:16). Both salvation and judgment are sure and certain, but they may be carried out at different times and in different stages. offer sacrifice. A victory feast. land of the north. Babylon.

46:11 Gilead. Just as Judah earlier sought in vain for “balm in Gilead” (8:22), though it was famed for its medicines, so now Egypt will find no remedy. Virgin Daughter. See note on 14:17, where the title describes the Lord’s people.

46:13–17 Ezek 29:17–21 also describes Nebuchadnezzar’s attack on Egypt the year after the 605 BC battle of Carchemish.

46:14 Migdol . . . Memphis . . . Tahpanhes. Fortified Egyptian settlements close to the northeastern border (see note on 44:1); Nebuchadnezzar’s early targets. All their preparations will be unavailing, and their mercenaries (see v. 9) will decide to return to their “native lands” (v. 16).

46:15 your warriors . . . cannot stand. Against the might of the Lord.

46:17 Pharaoh could talk impressively, but he could not back it up with actions: there is a pun between the Egyptian name of Pharaoh Hophra and the Hebrew phrase “he has missed his opportunity.”

46:18–24 Hophra might be king of Egypt, but the Lord is the true “King” (v. 18).

46:18 the King. The Lord. LORD Almighty. A title that focuses on God’s power. The Lord swears on oath (“As surely as I live”) that he will bring an opponent against Egypt who will overshadow Egypt as comprehensively as Mount Tabor and Mount Carmel rise impressively above their surroundings in Israel.

46:19 Memphis, Egypt’s capital; it will be left as desolate as Judah’s capital, Jerusalem (see 9:12).

46:20 heifer. A young female cow; may be an ironic comment on Egypt’s real weakness: they are nothing like the powerful bull that depicts their god Apis.

46:21 fattened calves. Egypt’s mercenaries; they are ripe for the slaughter (see v. 10).

46:22 serpent. Symbol of Egypt and an emblem on the Egyptian crown. But the “serpent” will flee away, powerless against the Babylonian forces.

46:25 Amon. The patron deity of Thebes, the capital of Upper (southern) Egypt. Like Memphis, Thebes will be handed over to destruction (v. 19). Yet after this devastation, the Lord promises to restore a remnant from Egypt (v. 26), just as he promised Judah. This anticipation of hope for Egypt also occurs in Isa 19:19–25; 27:13. Egypt and her gods. As in the exodus, the Lord’s judgment is not only upon Pharaoh and Egypt but also upon the gods of Egypt.

46:27–28 This passage is almost identical to 30:10–11. The prophecy of the destruction of Egypt is designed to encourage Judah to trust in the Lord. The day when the Lord destroys “all the nations” is full of hope for his people. God’s people are being disciplined like children, not utterly destroyed like enemies. So they should bear patiently their sufferings and not be afraid that their banishment means that God has abandoned them. On the contrary, though their sojourn in the world might be difficult, like that of their forefather “Jacob” (see Gen 47:9), their ultimate destiny is to be “Israel,” God’s chosen people.

46:27 Jacob my servant. Recalls Isa 41:8–14; 43:1–5.

47:1–7 A Message About the Philistines. The Philistines are among Israel’s oldest enemies. Even though they do not aid the Babylonians in their assault on Judah, the Philistines will be destroyed along with Judah. The city of Ashkelon was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in 604 BC.

47:1 Pharaoh. Necho; he may have attacked the Philistine city of Gaza on several occasions, including prior to engaging Josiah at Megiddo in 609 BC and during 601 BC when he briefly recaptured some of the territory lost to Babylon.

47:2 waters . . . rising in the north. Babylon, not Egypt, is the real enemy for Philistia (see notes on 1:13–14, 15). The Babylonians will overflow the land, as Egypt aspired to do (see 46:8).

47:3 This vividly depicts the sounds of warfare: Babylon will utterly demoralize the Philistines so that their “hands will hang limp” and even the strongest natural bond, that between parents and their children, will be broken.

47:4 the day. Of the Lord’s judgment. Tyre and Sidon. Phoenician cities north of Philistia; they seem to have had an alliance with Philistia. Caphtor. Most likely Crete (see NIV text note), the original homeland of the Sea Peoples who first settled the coastal plain.

47:5 shave her head . . . cut yourselves. See note on 41:5.

47:6 sword of the LORD. The instrument of God’s judgment, which cannot be sheathed until it completes its destructive work (v. 7).

48:1–47 A Message About Moab. Moab also has been one of Israel’s enemies from the time of the exodus onward (Num 22–25). Located east of Judah on the far side of the Dead Sea, Moab does not side with Judah against Babylon in the days of Zedekiah but rebels in 582 BC, at which time Nebuchadnezzar invades it. Shortly after, Arabs overrun them, and they cease to exist as a nation.

48:1 Nebo . . . Kiriathaim. Two northern towns in Moab; they will be first to experience the Babylonian invasion of Moab.

48:2 Heshbon. Northeast of Mount Nebo (cf. Num 21:25–30).

48:3 Horonaim. This place is mentioned on the Moabite Stone (Mesha Stele), which dates back to the ninth century BC.

48:5 Luhith. Location unknown.

48:6 bush in the desert. Probably the juniper, a short, stubby evergreen that clings to life in marginal areas.

48:7 Chemosh. The patron deity of Moab and their northern neighbors, the Ammonites (Judg 11:24); he was known as a god who demanded human sacrifice (2 Kgs 3:27). Yet he had no power to defend his people.

48:9 salt . . . laid waste. Spreading salt on captured territory as a sign of its permanent destruction is attested elsewhere (Judg 9:45) and fits well in this context.

48:10 Destroying Moab was nothing less than “doing the LORD’s work.”

48:11 at rest. While the surrounding nations endure invasion and exile, Moab remains secure in its remote location. left on its dregs. The Moabites are like wine that has been left to settle rather than carefully transferred into a new container, leaving the dregs behind. But to adjust the metaphor, they will not be poured from “one jar to another” in order to mature properly; rather, the invaders will “empty her pitchers” and “smash her jars” (v. 12), destroying Moab’s entire community.

48:13 The result will be that Moab will abandon trust in their god Chemosh, just as the northern kingdom of Israel became ashamed of their confidence in the high place that Jeroboam set up at Bethel (1 Kgs 12:26–33).

48:14–16 This disaster will come in spite of Moab’s confidence in their “warriors” (v. 14). Like Egypt, they will discover the emptiness of military might (46:3–6) when pitted against the sovereign decree of the King, the Lord Almighty (46:18).

48:17 Mourn for her. The nations around Moab are called to join in mourning for her. A call to mourn for someone who has not yet died is a rhetorical device to affirm the utter certainty of the prophecy of their doom (cf. Ezek 19). mighty scepter . . . glorious staff! Symbols of Moab’s power. They will be broken, leaving Moab utterly defenseless.

48:25 horn is cut off. Another symbol of Moab’s broken power (see note on v. 17). horn. See NIV text note.

48:27 ridicule. Moab ridiculed the sufferings of Israel. caught among thieves. Moab suggested that Judah’s fate was purely the result of the Judahites’ own folly. The Lord will make Moab herself the object of ridicule by making her “drunk” (v. 26), just as he made Judah drink the cup of his wrath (see 25:15–38 and note).

48:29 arrogance . . . insolence . . . pride . . . conceit . . . haughtiness. Resulted from Moab’s confidence in its safety and strength (see Isa 25:10–11; Zeph 2:8–10).

48:31 I wail over Moab. The prophet himself joins in the mourning song for Moab.

48:32 Jazer . . . Sibmah. At the northern end of the Dead Sea; famous for their vineyards and orchards, but these would be destroyed.

48:33 shouts. The shouts that resound will no longer be the joyful shouts of people treading the grapes but rather the fierce shouts of battle.

48:35 put an end to those who make offerings on the high places and burn incense to their gods. The goal of Moab’s destruction; the same reason the Lord will destroy Judah (17:3).

48:36 music of a pipe. Often accompanied mourning (e.g., Job 30:31).

48:37 A reference to various mourning practices (see note on 41:5).

48:38–39 See 19:11; 22:28.

48:40 eagle. Often represents the threat of foreign powers in the prophetic books (Ezek 17:3; Hab 1:8).

48:42 she defied the LORD. The reason for Moab’s fate. No one can escape the Lord’s wrath.

48:44 fall into a pit. Like hunted animals. If they escape the pit, they will be taken in a “snare.”

48:47 There will be a day when the Lord “will restore the fortunes of Moab” (cf. Egypt in 46:26). Even Moab can repent and be added to the kingdom of the Lord.

49:1–6 A Message About Ammon. The Ammonites are Moab’s northern neighbors and have been Israel’s enemies since the time of the exodus (Judg 11:15–27). They too will face coming destruction.

49:1 Molek. The god of the Ammonites. The name may combine the consonants of melek (“king”; see NIV text note) with the vowels of bōšet (“shame”), which is elsewhere substituted for the name of the god Baal (see, e.g., 2 Sam 2:8; 1 Chr 8:33 and text note). Gad. An Israelite tribe that settled east of the Jordan River at the time of the conquest (see Num 32). Since the Lord gave the land to them, it should have been passed on to their offspring as an inalienable inheritance, but the Ammonites took it over after the Assyrian invasion of 734–732 BC, claiming that it belonged to their god, Molek.

49:2 Rabbah. The capital city of the Ammonites. It will be reduced to ruins, allowing the Israelites to reclaim their old heritage.

49:3 Heshbon. On the border between Moab and Ammon, which accounts for its appearing in both messages (48:2; 49:3). Ai. Not the same as the village destroyed in Josh 7, which was close to Jericho. The judgment is not merely on Ammon but also on their god, Molek, who will “go into exile” with Ammon. The gods of the nations were regional deities, unlike the Lord, who is the God of the whole earth.

49:5 terror on you from all those around you. Recalls the refrain “Terror on every side” (6:25; 20:3; 46:5).

49:6 In the end, God will restore the fortunes of Ammon just as he promised to do for Egypt (46:26) and Moab (48:47). This theme is important to the prophet’s Judahite hearers: if God will restore Ammon, Moab, and Egypt after destroying them, how much more will that be the case for Israel and Judah?

49:7–22 A Message About Edom. The Edomites seem to have celebrated with joy and even participated in Judah’s downfall at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar (Obad 13–14), for which reason they are sometimes singled out for judgment messages (the book of Obadiah, e.g., shares much in common with this passage).

49:7-8 Teman . . . Dedan. Represent the northern and southern limits of Edom, respectively (Ezek 25:13), so a disaster that strikes both will engulf the whole land.

49:7 Edom. The Edomites were the descendants of “Esau” (v. 8), Jacob’s brother, who was also known as “Edom” (Gen 25:30). The Edomites lived in the region to the south and east of the Dead Sea, and by the time of Jeremiah they had expanded northwest from there into Judahite territory. wisdom. The link between Edom and wisdom also occurs in Obad 8.

49:9 grape pickers . . . thieves. Metaphors virtually identical to Obad 5. The point of the metaphors: while both of these groups will take everything of value, they will usually leave something behind. Not so when the Babylonians come: the destruction will be so complete that there will be no intact families to whom the many widows and fatherless can look for support.

49:12 drink the cup. Drinking the cup of the Lord’s wrath is a common image in the prophetic books (25:15–17; Isa 51:17–23), but the idea of it being given to those who do not deserve it is unusual. Perhaps it reflects the fact that the Lord’s faithful followers (like Jeremiah and Baruch) share the exile’s judgment and pain with those who actively opposed God. If these people share the pain in Judah, why should the actively wicked outside their borders escape unpunished? Lam 4:21 also refers to the cup coming to Edom.

49:13 Bozrah. The capital of Edom; it will be destroyed, like the chief cities of its neighbors.

49:14–16 These verses are very similar to Obad 1–4.

49:16 Much of Edom’s confidence came from its inaccessible rocky location: in some cases, like the ancient city of Petra, the Edomites literally lived “in the clefts of the rocks.” But this will not save them from the Lord’s judgment.

49:18 Sodom and Gomorrah. These archetypal wicked cities that faced destruction (Gen 19:24–25) were geographically not far away from the territory of Edom.

49:19 lion. In Bible times, lions were found in the lush thickets around the Jordan River and were a constant threat to shepherds (1 Sam 17:37; Amos 3:12). In 4:7, the lion represents Nebuchadnezzar, but here it represents the one who sent Nebuchadnezzar: the Lord himself. Who is like him or can stand against him?

49:22 Almost exactly parallel to 48:40–41; however, unlike the other nations, there is no mention of restoration for Edom (cf. 46:26; 48:47).

49:23–27 A Message About Damascus. Damascus was the capital of Aram, to the north of Israel. Babylon will destroy Aram like the rest of Israel’s neighbors. Since Aram was at a distance from Judah, the Arameans were not usually an immediate threat. But in the days of Isaiah, an alliance between the northern kingdom of Israel and Aram sought to invade Judah and replace King Ahaz of Judah with a puppet king (Isa 7).

49:23 Hamath and Arpad. North of Damascus; they would be first to experience the assault of an invader from the north.

49:27 Ben-Hadad. Not a personal name but the title of the ruler of Aram, meaning “the son of [the storm-god] Hadad” (cf. 1 Kgs 15:18; 20:1; 2 Kgs 6:24; 13:3). The last part of v. 27 echoes Amos 1:4.

49:28–33 A Message About Kedar and Hazor. Kedar was a nomadic tribe of shepherds who lived in the Arabian desert, east of the Ammonites. This Hazor was a collection of villages or nomadic tribes in the desert, not the town in northern Israel. Nebuchadnezzar conducted a campaign in this region in 599/598 BC.

49:28 the people of the East. The nomadic desert tribes.

49:29 tents . . . flocks . . . camels. Sources of wealth for nomads. Terror on every side! They will experience the same terror as the other victims of the Babylonians (6:25; 20:3; 46:5).

49:30 plotted . . . devised a plan against you. Just as the Lord did against Jerusalem (18:11). Yet even though it is Nebuchadnezzar’s plan, he can do nothing apart from God’s purpose.

49:31 a nation that has neither gates nor bars. Since these people were nomads, there were no significant cities to sack.

49:32 bring disaster on them from every side. Sums up the Lord’s purpose.

49:33 jackals. Known to haunt desert ruins (cf. Mal 1:3).

49:34–39 A Message About Elam. Elam, an ancient kingdom southeast of Babylon, was brought under Assyrian control during the days of Ashurbanipal (669–627 BC) before regaining its independence. That freedom did not last: it was brought under the yoke of the Babylonians in ca. 594 BC.

49:34 early in the reign of Zedekiah. Zedekiah began his reign in 597 BC. Unlike the other messages against the nations, this message is dated. At this time, Elam is a source of hope for those in Judah who believe that Babylonian power will soon come to an end, resulting in a swift return of those who had been exiled there (28:1–4). Jeremiah’s words in this message, like those in his other messages, show that hope to be empty.

49:35 bow. The symbol of Elam’s strength, since they were noted for their archers.

49:36 the four winds. All four points of the compass; they will be utterly destroyed before Nebuchadnezzar.

49:38 set my throne. The defeat of Elam and its allies by the Babylonians will not be on account of the strength of the Babylonian god Marduk. It will be the means by which the Lord will “set [his] throne in Elam.” Pagan powers cannot triumph without the express permission and direction of the sovereign Lord of the universe.

49:39 Like Egypt (46:26), Moab (48:47), and Ammon (49:6), the Lord will “restore” Elam after destroying them. The God who uproots and tears down also plants and builds (1:10).

50:1—51:64 A Message About Babylon. The last and longest message against the nations is reserved for Babylon. The Lord will in due course bring low and punish the nation that he raised up and used to judge the other nations, including Judah, because the Babylonians are arrogant and cruel. As prophesied, Babylon fell in 539 BC to an alliance of the Medes and the Persians (Dan 5:30).

50:2 Bel . . . Marduk. The gods of Babylon, to whom the Babylonians attribute their great victories. Yet they are nothing more than “images” and “idols,” unable to protect their people from the “shame” and “terror” they had inflicted on other nations.

50:3 A nation from the north. In the book of Jeremiah, this usually indicates Babylon coming to attack Judah (e.g., 1:13–15 and notes on 1:13–14, 15), but here it ironically refers to the Medes and Persians, who will destroy Babylon.

50:4 the people of Israel and the people of Judah together. See 31:31. The Lord does not direct these messages primarily to the nations about which he speaks; rather, the news of the impending fall of Babylon is good news for his people, who in those days “will go in tears [of repentance] to seek the LORD.”

50:5 turn . . . come . . . bind. God’s people will return to the site of the temple on Mount Zion and “bind themselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant” (cf. 32:37–40). Unlike the old covenant, which the people broke (31:32), this one “will not be forgotten”: the law will now be written on their hearts (31:33).

50:6 God’s people were previously “lost sheep,” led astray by bad “shepherds” (see 23:1, 2 and note).

50:7 Enemies freely assaulted God’s people and claimed the people’s sins “against the LORD” as the reason for their actions (40:2–3). Yet the location of this message within the message against Babylon shows that the Lord does not accept that argument. Even though he judged Israel and Judah for their sins, their enemies are still culpable under the terms of the Abrahamic covenant (Gen 12:2–3), which was “the hope of their ancestors.”

50:8 Flee . . . leave. When the day of judgment against Babylon comes, it will be time for the remnant of God’s people to go back to Judah (Isa 48:20; Zech 2:6; Rev 18:4).

50:9–10 The Lord will bring against Babylon “an alliance of great nations from the land of the north” (see note on v. 3) that will “plunder” Babylon as they once “plundered” others (20:5).

50:11 my inheritance. God’s people. The Lord regards an attack on Judah as pillaging his “inheritance.” To do so with delight and joy, like a cow allowed to eat its fill on the threshing floor, inevitably stirs “the LORD’s anger” (v. 13) against them, which must result in their judgment.

50:14 Even though the Lord brings Babylon against Judah, the way Babylon carries out its calling means that “she has sinned against the LORD.” As a result, the Lord will bring others to “take vengeance on her” (v. 15).

50:17 Israel. Not simply the former northern kingdom but the original people of God consisting of the 12 tribes, the Lord’s special possession (Zech 2:8). lions. Assyria scattered the former northern kingdom, while Nebuchadnezzar will crush the southern kingdom of Judah.

50:18–19 The Lord will punish both Babylon and Assyria, and the Good Shepherd will bring Israel back to the green pastures of Carmel and Bashan, famous for producing fat livestock (Ezek 39:18; Amos 4:1).

50:20 In contrast to Babylon’s sins that cry out for judgment (v. 14), in that day the Lord will completely remove (“forgive”) the “guilt” of Israel and Judah, as he does ultimately in Christ (Col 1:14; Heb 10:1–14).

50:21 Merathaim. An area of Babylon where the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers come together at the head of the Persian Gulf; but in Hebrew it also sounds like “[the land of] Double Rebellion.” Pekod. An area in eastern Babylon that sounds in Hebrew like “punished” (v. 18).

50:23 hammer of the whole earth! Babylon. Hammers were used for breaking up rocks (23:29), but now Babylon itself will be shattered.

50:28 fugitives and refugees from Babylon. Those who return from exile in Babylon. They will give their testimonies of how “the LORD [their] God has taken vengeance . . . for his temple.” Zion. The site of the temple in Jerusalem.

50:29 let no one escape. There will be no remnant from Babylon. Repay her. Doing to her what she did to Jerusalem (cf. Dan 6:24). When she praised her gods for giving the victory (Hab 1:15–17), she “defied the LORD, the Holy One of Israel.” There will be no one left to help her on the day when her arrogance is finally exposed as empty posturing.

50:34 Redeemer. The kinsman whose responsibility it was to buy back a relative who had been sold into slavery or to bring justice to a relative who was oppressed (Lev 25:25). The Lord’s concern for his people—both Israel and Judah—motivates him to help them, and when he decides to act, no one can stay his hand. defend their cause. As Israel’s legal advocate, the Lord will certainly win their case, which means “rest” for their land but “unrest” for those who oppressed them (Zech 1:8–17).

50:35–38 When the Lord summons a “sword” against the Babylonians (v. 35), everything in which they might trust will prove hollow: the “false prophets” will have no wisdom (v. 36); the “warriors,” no courage (v. 36); the “horses and chariots” and “foreigners” (mercenaries), no strength (v. 37). “Her treasures . . . will be plundered” (v. 37). Even her “waters” (v. 38), the source of her intricate irrigation canals, will dry up. Their “idols” that inspired such fear in their devotees will themselves be driven “mad with terror” (v. 38).

50:39 hyenas. Desert scavengers. owl. Possibly “ostrich”; the exact identification of the bird in view is not clear.

50:40 Sodom and Gomorrah. See note on 49:18. Babylon’s downfall will be complete and permanent.

50:41 from the north. See note on v. 3. ends of the earth. Jer 6:22–24 depicts the armies of Babylon coming from the ends of the earth against Judah. Now exactly the same kind of fierce foe is coming against Babylon.

50:44–46 A parallel message in 49:19–22 describes Babylon’s advance against Edom. Now Babylon is the one who is defenseless against “what the LORD has planned” (v. 45). What the Babylonians did to others will now be done to them (v. 15).

51:1 Leb Kamai. This name means “the heart of those who rise against me”; see NIV text note (the same device is used in the name Sheshak in v. 41; 25:26 [see NIV text notes there]).

51:2 winnow her . . . devastate her land. The nations are coming to destroy Babylon because “the LORD Almighty” has not forsaken his people (v. 5).

51:3 completely destroy. See NIV text note; see also Introduction to Deuteronomy: Themes and Theology (Holy War). Babylon’s army will be treated according to the rules of war during the conquest of Canaan, according to which no one was to be left alive (cf. Josh 6:17).

51:5 land. It is unclear which land is in view, Judah or Babylon (see NIV text note).

51:6 Flee from Babylon! Those Judahites who remain in Babylon when Babylon’s judgment finally comes should flee back to Judah at once and not be caught up in her demise for her sins (see Isa 48:20; Rev 18:5). This does not mean that people like Daniel should have left in Jeremiah’s day: they were not free to return to Judah until the edict of Cyrus in 539 BC.

51:7 gold cup. Containing the wine of God’s vengeance on other nations (25:15; see note on 25:15–38). Now the Babylonians themselves will have to drink the cup of God’s judgment.

51:8 balm. The Babylonians are wounded and cannot be healed (cf. 8:22; see note there).

51:9 as high as the heavens. In Ps 103:11, this describes the extent of the Lord’s faithfulness to his people. Here Babylon’s judgment will be of the same magnitude, leading the Lord’s people to sing of his salvation at his temple in Zion (v. 10).

51:11 kings of the Medes. Includes Darius the Mede, who ruled Babylon immediately after its downfall (Dan 5:30–31). The destruction of Babylon by the Medes and the Persians was the Lord’s judgment for the Babylonian destruction of his temple (50:28).

51:13 live by many waters. Babylon’s location was a source of both pride and prosperity; the waters fed her irrigation canals. But none of those natural assets would help her when the time came for her to be destroyed. In the same way, the great prostitute of Rev 17:1 is a kind of new Babylon who also sits on many waters.

51:15–19 Almost identical to 10:12–16, where the Lord brings his power and wisdom to bear against Israel; here, a virtually identical judgment is brought against Babylon.

51:17–19 In contrast to the Creator God, idols have no power. They are made by mere humans and have “no breath” (v. 17) with which to speak or accomplish anything. Those who trust in them are “senseless and without knowledge” (v. 17). But the Lord is “the Maker of all things” (v. 19), the one who made everything out of nothing and who chose Israel as his people.

51:19 the people of his inheritance. In Eph 1:18 Paul applies this to Christians. Because God chose us to belong to him, no one and nothing can separate us from his love (Rom 8:38–39).

51:20–24 The Lord addresses his “war club” (v. 20), which comes to shatter the Babylonians as the hammer of God’s wrath (50:23). The Persian king Cyrus now takes up the role that Nebuchadnezzar previously held (Isa 41:2–4). Babylon’s punishment is not for their crimes against humanity as a whole but specifically “for all the wrong they have done in Zion” (v. 24).

51:25–26 This is the reverse of Dan 2:31–35, where a stone becomes a mountain that fills the whole earth, representing the kingdom of God. In contrast, the kingdom of Babylon starts out as a mountain that destroys the whole earth but shrinks to become small enough to be rolled off the cliffs and then burned. It will not contribute a “cornerstone” or “stone for a foundation” but will remain desolate forever. But the Lord declares in Isa 28:16 that he will lay in Zion “a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation.” Mount Zion will endure in spite of Israel’s sin, while the kingdoms of this world will all pass away.

51:27 Ararat, Minni and Ashkenaz. Districts of the kingdom of Media; the Lord summons them, along with their kings (v. 28), to fight against Babylon.

51:29 the LORD’s purposes against Babylon stand. The outcome is certain.

51:32 marshes. Possible hiding places.

51:33 like a threshing floor. Where wheat was beaten with sticks and “trampled” to separate the grain from the chaff.

51:34 serpent. Hebrew tannîn, which describes the great sea creatures in Gen 1:21 and the sea monsters in Ps 74:13 (see note on Ps 74:13–17). It is thus much more than an ordinary snake that has “swallowed” God’s people.

51:39 drunk . . . sleep forever. The Babylonians will sink into a drunken stupor from which they will never awake.

51:41 Sheshak. See NIV text note; see also note on 25:26.

51:44 Bel. One of the gods of the Babylonians (50:2), here identified with the serpent that swallows Zion in v. 34. The nations will no longer “stream” to this idol. According to Isa 2:2, in the last days the nations will instead stream to Zion, the home of the Lord. wall of Babylon. Famous in antiquity; it was reputedly wide enough for several chariots to drive side by side on its top.

51:45 Come out of her . . . Run for your lives! When Babylon’s demise comes, the Lord’s people should be ready to leave and escape for their lives (see v. 6 and note).

51:46 Even though it will be some time coming and there will be conflicting “rumors” and reports in the meantime, the Lord’s victory over the “idols”(v. 47) will surely arrive.

51:48 shout for joy. All creation will rejoice in Babylon’s fall. out of the north. See note on 50:3.

51:50 Remember the LORD in a distant land. See Ps 137:4 and note. Even though God’s people are to settle down and seek Babylon’s peace in the short term (29:4–7), they are never to forget that Babylon is not their home.

51:51 It might seem that Babylon’s gods are powerful because their soldiers have been allowed to enter “the holy places of the LORD’s house,” but the situation will soon be reversed: God will punish Babylon’s idols and expose their powerlessness (v. 52).

51:53 ascends to the heavens. Reminiscent of Gen 11:1–9.

51:56 the LORD is a God of retribution. Babylon’s sins against Jerusalem and the Lord’s people cry out for vindication (v. 35), and that cry must be answered.

51:58 Babylon’s thick wall. See note on v. 44.

51:59 fourth year of [Zedekiah’s] reign. 594/593 BC, several years before Babylon conquers Jerusalem. Jeremiah is under no illusions as to the ultimate fate of Babylon, even while he urges his fellow countrymen to surrender to them (38:1–3).

51:60 Jeremiah had written on a scroll about all the disasters that would come upon Babylon. A dramatic sign-act attesting the veracity of these words.

51:61 Seraiah. May have been Baruch’s brother. When Seraiah accompanies Zedekiah on a visit to Babylon, he is to read the contents of the scroll aloud.

51:64a sink. After reading the scroll aloud, Seraiah is to attach it to a stone (v. 63) and throw it into the Euphrates River. Just as the scroll will sink without a trace, so Babylon will “sink” forever under God’s judgment.

51:64b The words of Jeremiah end here. Ch. 52 is a postscript that records the fulfillment of some of Jeremiah’s prophecies.

52:1–34 The Fall of Jerusalem and Its Aftermath. The book concludes with an account of historical events drawn from 2 Kgs 24–25; some of these events are already recorded in ch. 39. This omits the section from 2 Kings dealing with the assassination of Gedaliah, probably because chs. 40–41 already recount that story. There are many echoes of ch. 52 in Rev 18, where the city made by humans opposes God’s people in all ages and times (called “Babylon”); it reflects many of the characteristics of ancient Babylon and therefore shares the same ultimate fate of destruction (see note on Rev 18:1–3).

52:1–30 The Fall of Jerusalem. This is a historical account of the fall of Jerusalem.

52:1 eleven years. 597–586 BC. Zedekiah, the uncle of the previous king (Jehoiachin), was placed on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar, who carried off Jehoiachin to exile in Babylon.

52:2–3a did evil in the eyes of the LORD. In 1-2 Kings, all of the kings of Israel and Judah are rated as good or evil largely based on their commitment to encouraging and maintaining faithful worship in Jerusalem (see note on 1 Kgs 15:26). Zedekiah failed to do this. Since he is the last in a long series of kings who mostly “did evil in the eyes of the LORD,” the Lord’s anger is stirred up against Jerusalem and Judah.

52:3b–16 Zedekiah rebels against the king of Babylon (see note on 2 Kgs 24:20b), and so Nebuchadnezzar lays siege to Jerusalem for about 18 months (see note on Jer 39:2), leading to a severe famine (see note on 2 Kgs 25:3). When the walls are finally breached (see note on 2 Kgs 25:10), Zedekiah tries to flee the city but is quickly captured and taken to Riblah (see notes on Jer 39:4, 5), where his sons are executed and his eyes put out (see note on 2 Kgs 25:7). Meanwhile, Jerusalem is burned to the ground (see note on 2 Kgs 25:9).

52:4 ninth year . . . tenth day of the tenth month. Jan. 15, 588 BC.

52:17–23 The sacred objects of the temple are taken away into exile to Babylon rather than destroyed in the temple fire (see note on 2 Kgs 25:13). They are later brought out for Belshazzar’s ill-fated feast (Dan 5:1–4) before being repatriated with the returning exiles during the reign of Cyrus (Ezra 1:7). They thus provide an element of continuity between the first temple and its successor.

52:24–30 The people are not as fortunate as the temple’s sacred objects (see note on vv. 17–23).

52:24 Seraiah the chief priest. Not the same Seraiah as in 51:61.

52:27 executed. Babylon executes many of the leading officials of the king, including “Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers [of the temple]” (v. 24). Judah went into captivity. The remainder of the people, with the exception of the poorest (v. 16), are taken into exile.

52:28–30 These verses mention three deportations, but the first deportation was actually in 605 BC, shortly after Nebuchadnezzar came to the throne. The deportation in 605 BC probably included Daniel. The first deportation mentioned here (but the second deportation) refers to the largest deportation, which took place in Nebuchadnezzar’s “seventh year” (597 BC), when Nebuchadnezzar took away Jehoiachin and replaced him with Zedekiah. The deportation of 597 BC probably included Ezekiel. The number given here (“3,023”) is much smaller than that in 2 Kgs 24:14 (10,000), so it may count only the leaders. The second deportation mentioned here (but the third deportation) was in 586 BC, in the “eighteenth year” of Nebuchadnezzar. The third deportation mentioned here (but the fourth deportation) was in 581 BC. It may have come in response to the assassination of Gedaliah.

52:31–34 Jehoiachin Released. The book of Jeremiah, like 2 Kings, ends on a hopeful note: the good treatment extended to Jehoiachin in Babylon.

52:31 Awel-Marduk. Traditionally known as Evil-Merodach (which means “devotee of Marduk”). He releases Jehoiachin from prison on his accession in 561/60 BC and gives Jehoiachin royal clothing and a place at the royal table (vv. 32–33).

Babylonian Chronicles that mention how Jehoiachin was fed rations at the table of the later Babylonian king, as in Jer 52:33.

Todd Bolen/www.BiblePlaces.com taken at the British Museum

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52:34 till the day of his death. Jeremiah prophesied that Jehoiachin would die in exile (22:24–30) and that the Davidic line would continue (23:5). Since this vindication of Jeremiah’s prophecies does not refer to the return from exile, it is reasonable to suppose that the book reached its present form prior to the decree of Cyrus allowing the Jews to return in 539 BC (Ezra 1:1–4).