Jeremiah 50:25

The LORD hath opened his armoury, and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation: for this is the work of the Lord GOD of hosts in the land of the Chaldeans.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(25) The Lord hath opened his armoury.—The word is the same as that for “treasures” in Jeremiah 10:13; Jeremiah 51:16, the choice of the appropriate English word being determined, in each case, by the context. Here the figure is that of a mighty king going to his arsenal and equipping himself with the weapons which will insure his victory. An expansion of the same imagery is found in Wisdom Of Solomon 5:17-23; Wisdom Of Solomon 18:15-16.

This is the work of the Lord God of hosts.—Better, the Lord God of hosts hath a work . . .

Benson Commentary

Jeremiah 50:25-32. The Lord hath opened his armory, &c. — God hath raised up enemies to subdue the Chaldeans, namely, Cyrus and his confederates, and hath furnished them with all the means necessary for such an undertaking. Come against her from the utmost border — From distant parts, namely, from the Caspian and Euxine seas. Cast her up as heaps — The marginal rendering seems preferable; Tread her, trample over her, as heaps of ruins; or tread her as the corn is trodden down when it is thrashed. Slay her bullocks — That is, Her strong men, as the Vulgate and the Chaldee interpret the expression. Wo unto them, for their day is come — The time in which they are to be punished. The voice of them that escape, to declare in Zion, &c. — This may either foretel that some of the Babylonians would flee as far as Judea for refuge, and there publish what had befallen Babylon, or, which seems more likely, that some of those Jews or proselytes to the Jewish religion in Chaldea, who were more than ordinarily zealous for the welfare of God’s church and people, would be ready, upon the first news of the taking of Babylon, to bring the glad tidings to Judea, that God had avenged his people, and executed his judgments on those who destroyed his temple, and profaned the holy vessels of it: see Jeremiah 51:51; Daniel 5:1-3; Daniel 5:5; Daniel 5:30. Call together the archers — See Jeremiah 50:9; Jeremiah 50:14. Recompense her according to her work — This is applied to mystical Babylon, Revelation 18:6, which, when fulfilled, will be a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, as St. Paul speaks, 2 Thessalonians 1:5, at which all good men ought to rejoice, and give glory to God when they see it effected. For she hath been proud against the Lord — Hath exalted herself against God, saying, I am, and there is none besides me, Isaiah 47:7-8, where see the notes. Therefore shall her young men fall in the streets — Xenophon relates, lib. 7., that when Gobryas and Gadates, two of Cyrus’s generals, with their soldiers, had got into the city, they marched directly toward the palace, killing all they met, and, having surprised the guards, cut them in pieces, and slain the king himself, they, without difficulty, made themselves masters of the palace. I will kindle a fire in his cities — This may be meant of the destruction made in the Babylonian territories, in the several expeditions Cyrus undertook against that monarchy before the taking of Babylon.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

50:21-32 The forces are mustered and empowered to destroy Babylon. Let them do what God demands, and they shall bring to pass what he threatens. The pride of men's hearts sets God against them, and ripens them apace for ruin. Babylon's pride must be her ruin; she has been proud against the Holy One of Israel; who can keep those up whom God will throw down?

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

By a grand figure the prophet describes Yahweh arming Himself that in person He may execute justice upon the wicked city.

For this is the work - Rather, for my Lord Yahweh of hosts hath a work to do in the land of the Chaldaeans.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

25. weapons of his indignation—the Medes and Persians (Isa 13:5).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Babylon was so rich and potent a nation, and had been so great a conqueror, that people looking only with the eye of sense, and judging according to probabilities in the eyes of men, might well ask how these things could possibly be. To which the prophet here answereth, that the hand of God was to be eyed in the case, this was the Lord’s work upon the Chaldeans; God had

opened his armoury, and the Medes were to make use of the weapons of his indignation. He who threatened this destruction was able to carry it through, and it was no great matter what weapons either the Babylonians had to defend themselves, or the Medes to offend them, God’s power and strength as only to be regarded.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

The Lord hath opened his armoury,.... Alluding to the manner of kings, who have some particular edifice built for an armoury; see Sol 4:4; wherein are provided and laid up all sorts of armour, small and great, which are fetched out from thence, in time of need. This armoury is to be understood of Media and Persia, and other parts, from whence a mighty army, well accoutred, was brought by the powerful providence of God; and indeed the whole world is his armoury, from whence he can raise up instruments to do his will at pleasure; or, "his treasury" (y); so the Targum; and some think this is said with reference to the treasure of the Lord's house the king of Babylon had seized upon, and now by way of retaliation the Lord would open his treasury to his ruin:

and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation; as a king, when he goes to war, opens his armoury, and takes out armour of every kind, both offensive and defensive, swords, spears, shields, &c. so the Lord would now bring the Medes and Persians, well armed, to be the instruments of his wrath and vengeance on Babylon: or, "the vessels of his indignation" (z); having some view to the vessels of the sanctuary, as some think, the king of Babylon had taken away and profaned; these may well be applied to the vials of wrath poured out on the antichristian states by the angels, called forth out of the temple, Revelation 15:1;

for this is the work of the Lord God of hosts in the land of the Chaldeans; which he decreed and ordered to be done; and which, without his power and providence, could never have been done: compare with this Revelation 18:8.

(y) "thesaurum suum", Vulg. Lat. Vatablus, Pagninus, Montanus, Schmidt. (z) "vasa irae suae", Vulg. Lat. Pagninus; "vasa indignationis suae", Montanus.

Geneva Study Bible

The LORD hath opened his armoury, and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation: for this is the work of the Lord GOD of hosts in the land of the Chaldeans.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

25. the weapons of his indignation] used also in Isaiah 13:5 of the nations who unconsciously discharge God’s bidding in war.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 25. - Hath opened his armoury. A truly grand figure. The north country (the "hidden" part of the earth, as it was called in Hebrew) is regarded by the prophet as a storehouse of young and "inexhaustible" nations, from which Jehovah can at any time "bring forth weapons of his indignation." The latter phrase, occurs again in the parallel prophecy (Isaiah 13:5), where it is evidently applied to the army of Medo-Persian invaders. For this is the work, etc.; rather, For the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, hath a work. Jeremiah 50:25

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

This annihilation will come unexpectedly. As the bird by the snare of the fowler, so shall Babylon be laid hold of by Jahveh, because it has striven against Him. The Lord lays the snare for it, that it may be caught. יקושׁ, "to lay snares;" cf. Psalm 141:9, where פּח is also found. ולא , "and thou didst not perceive," i.e., didst not mark it: this is a paraphrase of the idea "unexpectedly," suddenly; cf. Jeremiah 51:8; Isaiah 47:11. This has been literally fulfilled on Babylon. According to Herodotus (i. 191), Cyrus took Babylon by diverting the Euphrates into a trench he had dug. By this stratagem the Persians threw themselves so unexpectedly on the Babylonians (ἐξ ἀπροσδοκήτου σφι παρέστησαν οἱ Πέρσαι), that when the outmost portions of the city had been already seized, those who lived in the middle had not observed at all that they were captured (τοὺς τὸ μέσον οἰκέοντας ου ̓ μανθάνειν ἑαλωκότας). Similarly, when the city was taken under Darius Hystaspes, they were surprised that Zopyrus traitorously opened the gates to the besiegers (Herodotus, iii. 158). Babylon has contended against Jahveh, because, in its pride, it refused to let the people of God depart; cf. Jeremiah 50:29 and Jeremiah 50:33. In Jeremiah 50:25 the sudden devastation of Babylon is accounted for. Jahveh opens His armoury, and brings out the instruments of His wrath, in order to execute His work on the land of the Chaldeans. אוצר, "magazine, treasure-chamber," is here applied to an armoury. The "instruments of His wrath" are, in Isaiah 13:5, the nations which execute the judgment of god-here, the instruments of war and weapons with which Jahveh Himself marches into battle against Babylon. On 'מלאכה וגו, cf. Jeremiah 48:10. The business which the Lord has there regards the chastisement of Babylon for its insolence. For the transaction of this business He summons His servants, Jeremiah 50:26. באוּ־להּ, as in Jeremiah 46:22; Jeremiah 49:9, is substantially the same as באוּ עליה, Jeremiah 49:14; Jeremiah 48:8. מקּץ, "from the end," or from the last hitherwards, the same as מקּצה, Jeremiah 51:31, i.e., all together on to the last; cf. Genesis 19:4; Genesis 47:2, etc. "Open her (Babylon's) barns" or granaries; "heap it up (viz., what was in the granaries) like heaps" of grain or sheaves, "and devote it to destruction," i.e., consume it with fire, because things on which the curse was imposed must be burnt; cf. Joshua 11:12 and Joshua 11:13. All the property found in Babylon is to be collected in heaps, and then burnt with the city. The use of the image is occasioned by the granaries. מאבסיה is ἅπ. λεγ., from אבס, to give fodder to cattle, - properly a stall for fodder, then a barn, granary. ערמה is a heap of grain (Sol 7:3), sheaves (Ruth 3:7), also of rubbish (Nehemiah 3:34). As Jeremiah 50:26 declares what is to be done with goods and chattels, so does Jeremiah 50:27 state what is to be done with the population. The figure employed in Jeremiah 50:26 is followed by the representation of the people as oxen destined for slaughter; in this Jeremiah had in his mind the prophecy found in Isaiah 34, in which the judgment to come on Edom is depicted as a slaughter of lambs, rams, and he-goats: the people of Edom are thus compared to cattle that may be offered in sacrifice. This figure also forms the basis of the expression ירד לטּבח in Jeremiah 48:15, where this style of speaking is used with regard to the youths or the young troops; cf. also Jeremiah 51:40. The פּרים, accordingly, designate not merely the chief among the people, or the men of rank, but represent the whole human population. In the last clause ("for their day is come," etc.), there is a transition in the discourse from the figure to the real subject itself. The suffix in עליהם does not refer to the oxen, but to the men over whose murder there is an exclamation of woe. In like manner, "their day" means the day of judgment for men, viz., the time of their visitation with punishment; see on Jeremiah 46:21. Fugitives and escaped ones will bring to Zion, and proclaim the news of the execution of this fearful judgment, that the Lord has fulfilled the vengeance of His temple, i.e., avenged on Babylon the burning of His temple by the Chaldeans. The fugitives and escaped ones are the Israelites, who were summoned to flee from Babylon, Jeremiah 50:3. On "the vengeance of Jahveh," cf. Jeremiah 50:15 and Jeremiah 51:11.