Jeremiah 50:1-46. AND 51. ON BABYLON.
EXPOSITION
We have now reached a point at which some reference is necessary to the centre versies of the so called "higher criticism." An attempt must be made to put the reader in possession of the data which are so variously estimated by critics of different schools. Theological considerations need not, and therefore ought not, to be admitted; like every other critical question, that which we are now approaching can be argued out on purely literary grounds. At first sight, indeed, it would appear not to require a long debate, seeing that in Jeremiah 1:1 and Jeremiah 51:60 the prophecy is expressly attributed to Jeremiah. But, on the other hand, it must be observed that the authorship of the heading in Jeremiah 1:1 is altogether obscure; very possibly, like those of so many of the psalms, the heading may be incorrect. And as to Jeremiah 51:60, can we be absolutely certain that the expression, "all these words," was intended to refer to the prophecy which now precedes Jeremiah 51:59-64? No doubt Jeremiah did write a prophecy against Babylon, and give it to Seraish with the charge described in Jeremiah 51:61-64. But how do we know that this prophecy has come down to us in the form in which it was written?
This attitude of reserve is not assumed without substantial grounds, derived from two sources—the epilogue (Jeremiah 51:59-64) and the prophecy itself. First, as to the epilogue. It is clear that the words, "and they shall be weary," are out of place in Jeremiah 51:64, and that they are wrongly repeated from Jeremiah 51:58. But how came they to be repeated? Because, originally, the declaration, "Thus far are the words of Jeremiah," stood at the end of verse 58. When the short narrative in verses 59-64 (ending at "I will bring upon her") was combined with Jeremiah 1:1-51:58, the declaration in question was removed from Jeremiah 51:58 to Jeremiah 51:64, and, by accident, the preceding word (in the Hebrew) was removed with it. This leaves it open to us to doubt whether the present prophecy on Babylon is really the one referred to in Jeremiah 51:60, supposing, that is, there are other reasons, derived from the prophecy itself, for questioning its Jeremianic authorship.
The reasons which have been adduced for doing so are analogous to those which lead so many students to doubt the Isaianic authorship of Isaiah 40:1-31 :46. ‹je-5›
I. The author of the latter prophecy (or the greater part thereof) writes as if he were living at the close of the Babylonian exile. So does the author of Isaiah 1:1-31 and Isaiah 51:1-23. "Yet a little while," he says (Jeremiah 51:33), "and the time of her harvest shall come" the time, that is, of that judicial interposition which (comp. Isaiah 17:5, Isaiah 17:11; Matthew 13:39) is the heavenly antitype of harvest. He urges his fellow countrymen to flee, while there is still time, from the doomed city (Jeremiah 51:6, Jeremiah 51:45). He mentions, as the instruments of the Divine vengeance, the Medes (Jeremiah 51:11, Jeremiah 51:28), and, as it would seem, refers, though obscurely, to Cyrus (Jeremiah 51:20-23).
2. Although the above statement is literally true of most of Isaiah 40:1-31 :66; yet there are some passages which are much more suggestive of a Palestinian origin than of a Babylonian (see Cheyne's 'Prophecies of Isaiah,' 2:202). Precisely so in Isaiah 50:1-11 and Isaiah 51:1-23; at least according to one prevalent interpretation of Jeremiah 50:5; Jeremiah 51:50 (which are thought to imply a residence in Jerusalem); Jeremiah 50:28; Jeremiah 51:11, Jeremiah 51:35, Jeremiah 51:51 (suggestive, perhaps, of the continuance of Jerusalem and the temple); Jeremiah 1:17; Jeremiah 51:34 (implying, as some think, that Nebuchadnezzar was still alive). Still, there is so much doubt respecting the soundness of the inferences, that it is hardly safe to rely too confidently upon them. The case of Jeremiah 1:1-19, and Jeremiah 51:1-64. is, therefore, in so far rather less favourable to Jeremiah's authorship than that of Isaiah 40-66, is to that of Isaiah.
3. Amongst much that is new and strange in the style of phraseology of Isaiah 40-66; there is not a little that reminds one forcibly of the old Isaiah. Similarly with Isaiah 50:1-11 and Isaiah 51:1-23, as compared with Jeremiah, "Every impartial judge," says Kuenen (who will not be suspected of a prejudice for tradition), "must admit that the number of parallel passages is very large, and that the author of Jeremiah 50:1-46 and Jeremiah 51:1-64. agrees with no one more than with Jeremiah." For instance, the formula, "Thus saith Jehovah Sabaoth, the God of Israel" (Jeremiah 1:18; Jeremiah 51:33), also occurs in Jeremiah 7:3; Jeremiah 9:15, and some twenty-six other passages; comp. also Jeremiah 1:3 with Jeremiah 9:9; Jeremiah 1:5 with Jeremiah 32:40; Jeremiah 1:7 with Jeremiah 2:3, Jeremiah 14:18, Jeremiah 17:13; and see other passages referred to in the Exposition.
The probability would, therefore, appear to be that, whatever solution we adopt for the literary problems of Isaiah 40-66; an analogous solution must be adopted for Isaiah 50:1-11 and Isaiah 51:1-23. The whole question is so large, and connects itself with so many other problems, that the present writer declines to pronounce upon it here. Only it should be observed
Here, in justification of
(a) "To consecrate [or, 'sanctify']," used of persons, Jeremiah 51:27; Isaiah 13:3. Here only (elsewhere with "war" following).
(b) "Lift ye up a banner," Jeremiah 50:2; Jeremiah 51:27; also Isaiah 13:2.
(c) Comp. Jeremiah 50:16 with Isaiah 13:14; close phraseological agreement.
(d) Comp. Jeremiah 50:6, Jeremiah 50:17 with first part of Jeremiah 13:14; agreement as to sense.
(e) "Behold, I will stir up against Babylon," Jeremiah 51:1 (comp. Jeremiah 50:9); so Isaiah 13:17. Comp. also, however, Isaiah 41:25; Joel 3:1-21. (Hebrew, 4.) 7-9.
(f) Comp. Jeremiah 51:3 (Jeremiah 50:14, Jeremiah 50:29) with Isaiah 13:18; agreement as to sense.
(g) Comp. Jeremiah 51:11, Jeremiah 51:28 with Isaiah 13:17 (mention of the Medes).
(h) Comp. Jeremiah 50:39, Jeremiah 50:40 with Isaiah 13:19-22.
This last parallel may, perhaps, be questioned. At first sight it may appear that both Jeremiah 50:40 and Isaiah 13:19 are based upon Jeremiah 49:18 (which see), but when we inspect Isaiah 13:19 more closely in the Hebrew, we shall find reason to conclude that the original, both of this passage and of Jeremiah 50:40, is Amos 4:11. We must, therefore, put Jeremiah 49:18 out of the question, and learn to be on our guard against plausible inferences. The only point which remains to be decided is the relation between Jeremiah 50:40 and Isaiah 13:19; which passage is the original? One important element in our decision will be the naturalness in the mode of reference to Sodom and Gomorrah; to the present writer this seems to determine the question against Isaiah 50:1-11 and Isaiah 51:1-23. and in favour of Isaiah 13:1-22. (The imitation is limited to Isaiah 13:1-22. because Isaiah 14:1-32. passes on to another though a related subject.)
And here, in justification of
(a) Ideas and "motives."
( α) Figure of scattered flock, Jeremiah 50:6, Jeremiah 50:7 (Ezekiel 34:1-31.).
( β) Effects of the avenging Sword of Jehovah, Jeremiah 5:1-31 :35-38 (Ezekiel 21:1-32 :80; Ezekiel 33:1-6).
(b) Words and phrases
( α) No word is more distinctly peculiar to Ezekiel than gillulim, idol blocks, which occurs no less than thirty-nine times in his book, and elsewhere only once in Leviticus, once in Deuteronomy, six times in Kings, and once in Jeremiah (Jeremiah 50:2).
( β) Anaq, to groan, occurs thrice in Ezekiel, once in Jeremiah (Jeremiah 51:52), and nowhere else. It is remarkable that in the latter passage we find not only a word but a phrase of Ezekiel's (see Ezekiel 26:13).
( γ) Pekod, the name of a Chaldean district, occurs in Jeremiah 50:21; also Ezekiel 23:23.
( δ) The striking combination, pakhoth useghanim, occurs in Jeremiah 51:28, Jeremiah 51:57; also Ezekiel 23:6, Ezekiel 23:12, Ezekiel 23:23.
( ε) Kasdim for "Chaldea" (properly the Chaldeans), Jeremiah 51:10; Jeremiah 51:24, Jeremiah 51:35; also Ezekiel 16:29; Ezekiel 23:16.
( ζ) Ch. 51:25, 26 seems to allude to Ezekiel 35:3-5, Ezekiel 35:9 (see the Hebrew, and verify the statement by the Hebrew concordance).
(c) General characteristics of style. Granting that the style of ch. 50. and It. approaches nearest on the whole to that of Jeremiah, it must be admitted, in the words of the latest German critic, Budde, that it "frequently enough declines from the simple, plain, and rather loose style of Jeremiah, to the flowery and turgid manner of speech of Ezekiel;" also that the points of contact are such as imply the originality of Ezekiel and the dependence upon him of ch. 50 and 51.