Bible Commentary

Jeremiah 50:26

The Pulpit Commentary on Jeremiah 50:26

The Pulpit Commentary · Joseph S. Exell and contributors · Public domain

Come against her; rather, Come to her. Dr. Payne Smith infers that Babylon has already fallen, and that the persons addressed are not warriors only, but plunderers of every kind. This is almost too subtle.

The prepositions "to" and "against' (literally, upon) are so frequently interchanged (comp. ; ). From the utmost border; rather, all together; it is an idiom expressing universality.

Those who are spoken of are regarded as a totality, "from the utmost end" of which its members come. Cast her up as heaps; rather, Cast it up as sheaves; i.e. ransack the repositories of Babylon's wealth, and heap it up like corn; last of all, destroy her (rather, it) utterly.

The verb is a very emphatic one. Its primary meaning is "to cut off, or shut off." Hence kherem, a devoted thing, is applied in the Law to that which is "tabooed," as it were, cut off from any but sacred uses.

In Le it is used of a field wholly appropriated to the sanctuary, and in and to living beings doomed to destruction. Destruction is generally a part of the meaning; but it is not merely destruction, but an act of homage to the Divine justice.

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