Jeremiah 27:7

27:7 All nations must serve him and his son and grandson ¹  until the time comes for his own nation to fall. ²  Then many nations and great kings will in turn subjugate Babylon. ³ 

Jeremiah 50:9

50:9 For I will rouse into action and bring against Babylon

a host of mighty nations ⁴  from the land of the north.

They will set up their battle lines against her.

They will come from the north and capture her. ⁵ 

Their arrows will be like a skilled soldier ⁶ 

who does not return from the battle empty-handed. ⁷ 

Jeremiah 50:41

50:41 “Look! An army is about to come from the north.

A mighty nation and many kings ⁸  are stirring into action

in faraway parts of the earth.

Jeremiah 51:6

51:6 Get out of Babylonia quickly, you foreign people. ⁹ 

Flee to save your lives.

Do not let yourselves be killed because of her sins.

For it is time for the Lord to wreak his revenge.

He will pay Babylonia ¹⁰  back for what she has done. ¹¹ 

Jeremiah 51:27-28

51:27 “Raise up battle flags throughout the lands.

Sound the trumpets calling the nations to do battle.

Prepare the nations to do battle against Babylonia. ¹² 

Call for these kingdoms to attack her:

Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. ¹³ 

Appoint a commander to lead the attack. ¹⁴ 

Send horses ¹⁵  against her like a swarm of locusts. ¹⁶ 

51:28 Prepare the nations to do battle against her. ¹⁷ 

Prepare the kings of the Medes.

Prepare their governors and all their leaders. ¹⁸ 

Prepare all the countries they rule to do battle against her. ¹⁹ 

Isaiah 14:2

14:2 Nations will take them and bring them back to their own place. Then the family of Jacob will make foreigners their servants as they settle in the Lord’s land. ²⁰  They will make their captors captives and rule over the ones who oppressed them.

Isaiah 45:1-3

45:1 This is what the Lord says to his chosen ²¹  one,

to Cyrus, whose right hand I hold ²² 

in order to subdue nations before him,

and disarm kings, ²³ 

to open doors before him,

so gates remain unclosed:

45:2 “I will go before you

and level mountains. ²⁴ 

Bronze doors I will shatter

and iron bars ²⁵  I will hack through.

45:3 I will give you hidden treasures, ²⁶ 

riches stashed away in secret places,

so you may recognize that I am the Lord,

the one who calls you by name, the God of Israel.

Daniel 5:28

5:28 As for peres ²⁷  – your kingdom is divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.”

Habakkuk 2:8-16

2:8 Because you robbed many countries, ²⁸ 

all who are left among the nations ²⁹  will rob you.

You have shed human blood

and committed violent acts against lands, cities, ³⁰  and those who live in them.

2:9 The one who builds his house by unjust gain is as good as dead. ³¹ 

He does this so he can build his nest way up high

and escape the clutches of disaster. ³² 

2:10 Your schemes will bring shame to your house.

Because you destroyed many nations, you will self-destruct. ³³ 

2:11 For the stones in the walls will cry out,

and the wooden rafters will answer back. ³⁴ 

2:12 The one who builds a city by bloodshed is as good as dead ³⁵  –

he who starts ³⁶  a town by unjust deeds.

2:13 Be sure of this! The Lord who commands armies has decreed:

The nations’ efforts will go up in smoke;

their exhausting work will be for nothing. ³⁷ 

2:14 For recognition of the Lord’s sovereign majesty will fill the earth

just as the waters fill up the sea. ³⁸ 

2:15 “You who force your neighbor to drink wine ³⁹  are as good as dead ⁴⁰  –

you who make others intoxicated by forcing them to drink from the bowl of your furious anger, ⁴¹ 

so you can look at their genitals. ⁴² 

2:16 But you will become drunk ⁴³  with shame, not majesty. ⁴⁴ 

Now it is your turn to drink and expose your uncircumcised foreskin! ⁴⁵ 

The cup of wine in the Lord’s right hand ⁴⁶  is coming to you,

and disgrace will replace your majestic glory!

[27:7]  ¹ sn This is a figure that emphasizes that they will serve for a long time but not for an unlimited duration. The kingdom of Babylon lasted a relatively short time by ancient standards. It lasted from 605 b.c. when Nebuchadnezzar defeated Necho at Carchemish until the fall of Babylon in 538 b.c. There were only four rulers. Nebuchadnezzar was succeeded by his son, Evil Merodach (cf. 52:31), and two other rulers who were not descended from him.

[27:7]  ² tn Heb “until the time of his land, even his, comes.” The independent pronoun is placed here for emphasis on the possessive pronoun. The word “time” is used by substitution for the things that are done in it (compare in the NT John 2:4; 7:30; 8:20 “his hour had not yet come”).

[27:7]  ³ tn Heb “him.” This is a good example of the figure of substitution where the person is put for his descendants or the nation or subject he rules. (See Gen 28:13-14 for another good example and Acts 22:7 in the NT.)

[50:9]  ⁴ sn Some of these are named in Jer 51:27-28.

[50:9]  ⁵ tn Heb “She will be captured from there (i.e., from the north).”

[50:9]  ⁶ tc Read Heb ַָמשְׂכִּיל (moskil) with a number of Hebrew mss and some of the versions in place of מַשְׁכִּיל (mashkil, “one who kills children”) with the majority of Hebrew mss and some of the versions. See BHS note d for the details.

[50:9]  ⁷ tn Or more freely, “Their arrows will be as successful at hitting their mark // as a skilled soldier always returns from battle with plunder.”

[50:41]  ⁸ sn A mighty nation and many kings is an allusion to the Medo-Persian empire and the vassal kings who provided forces for the Medo-Persian armies.

[51:6]  ⁹ tn The words “you foreign people” are not in the text and many think the referent is the exiles of Judah. While this is clearly the case in v. 45 the referent seems broader here where the context speaks of every man going to his own country (v. 9).

[51:6]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “her.”

[51:6]  ¹¹ tn Heb “paying to her a recompense [i.e., a payment in kind].”

[51:27]  ¹² tn Heb “Raise up a standard on the earth. Blow a ram’s horn among the nations. Consecrate nations against her.” According to BDB 651 s.v. נֵס 1, the raising of a standard was a signal of a war – a summons to assemble and attack (see usage in Isa 5:26; 13:2; Jer 51:12). The “blowing of the ram’s horn” was also a signal to rally behind a leader and join in an attack (see Judg 3:27; 6:34). For the meaning of “consecrate nations against her” see the study note on 6:4. The usage of this phrase goes back to the concept of holy war where soldiers had to be consecrated for battle by the offering of a sacrifice. The phrase has probably lost its ritual usage in later times and become idiomatic for making necessary preparations for war.

[51:27]  ¹³ sn Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz are three kingdoms who were located in the Lake Van, Lake Urmia region which are now parts of eastern Turkey and northwestern Iran. They were kingdoms which had been conquered and made vassal states by the Medes in the early sixth century. The Medes were the dominant country in this region from around 590 b.c. until they were conquered and incorporated into the Persian empire by Cyrus in 550 b.c.

[51:27]  ¹⁴ tn The translation of this line is uncertain because it includes a word which only occurs here and in Nah 3:17 where it is found in parallelism with a word that is only used once and whose meaning in turn is uncertain. It is probably related to the Akkadian word tupsharru which refers to a scribe (Heb “a tablet writer”). The exact function of this official is disputed. KBL 356 s.v. טִפְסָר relates it to a “recruiting officer,” a sense which is reflected in NAB. The majority of modern English versions render “commander” or “marshal” following the suggestion of BDB 381 s.v. טִפְסָר. G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers (Jeremiah 26-52 [WBC], 351) translate “recruiter (scribe)” but explain the function on p. 371 as that of recording the plunder captured in war. The rendering here follows that of TEV and God’s Word and is the nuance suggested by the majority of modern English versions who rendered “appoint a marshal/commander against it.”

[51:27]  ¹⁵ sn This is probably a poetic or shorthand way of referring to the cavalry and chariotry where horse is put for “rider” and “driver.”

[51:27]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “Bring up horses like bristly locusts.” The meaning of the Hebrew word “bristly” (סָמָר, samar) is uncertain because the word only occurs here. It is generally related to a verb meaning “to bristle” which occurs in Job 4:15 and Ps 119:120. Exactly what is meant by “bristly” in connection with “locust” is uncertain, though most relate it to a stage of the locust in which its wings are still encased in a rough, horny casing. J. A. Thompson (Jeremiah [NICOT], 759) adds that this is when the locust is very destructive. However, no other commentary mentions this. Therefore the present translation omits the word because it is of uncertain meaning and significance. For a fuller discussion of the way the word has been rendered see W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah (Hermeneia), 2:427.

[51:28]  ¹⁷ tn See the first translator’s note on 51:27 and compare also 6:4 and the study note there.

[51:28]  ¹⁸ tn See the translator’s note at 51:23 for the rendering of the terms here.

[51:28]  ¹⁹ tc The Hebrew text has a confusing switch of possessive pronouns in this verse: “Consecrate the nations against her, the kings of the Medes, her governors and prefects, and all the land of his dominion.” This has led to a number of different resolutions. The LXX (the Greek version) renders the word “kings” as singular and levels all the pronouns to “his,” paraphrasing the final clause and combining it with “king of the Medes” to read “and of all the earth.” The Latin Vulgate levels them all to the third masculine plural, and this is followed by the present translation as well as a number of other modern English versions (NASB, NIV, NRSV, TEV, NCV). The ASV and NJPS understand the feminine to refer to Media, i.e., “her governors and all her prefects” and understand the masculine in the last line to be a distributive singular referring back to the lands each of the governors and prefects ruled over. This is probably correct but since governors and prefects refer to officials appointed over provinces and vassal states it amounts to much the same interpretation that the Latin Vulgate, the present translation, and other modern English versions have given.

[14:2]  ²⁰ tn Heb “and the house of Jacob will take possession of them [i.e., the nations], on the land of the Lord, as male servants and female servants.”

[45:1]  ²¹ tn Heb “anointed” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV “his appointed king.”

[45:1]  ²² sn The “right hand” is a symbol of activity and strength; the Lord directs Cyrus’ activities and assures his success.

[45:1]  ²³ tn Heb “and the belts of kings I will loosen”; NRSV “strip kings of their robes”; NIV “strip kings of their armor.”

[45:2]  ²⁴ tc The form הֲדוּרִים (hadurim) makes little, if any, sense here. It is probably a corruption of an original הָרָרִים (hararim, “mountains”), the reduplicated form of הָר (har, “mountain”).

[45:2]  ²⁵ tn That is, on the gates. Cf. CEV “break the iron bars on bronze gates.”

[45:3]  ²⁶ tn Heb “treasures of darkness” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “treasures from dark, secret places.”

[5:28]  ²⁷ sn Peres (פְּרֵס) is the singular form of פַרְסִין (pharsin) in v. 25.

[2:8]  ²⁸ tn Or “nations.”

[2:8]  ²⁹ tn Or “peoples.”

[2:8]  ³⁰ tn Heb “because of the shed blood of humankind and violence against land, city.” The singular forms אֶרֶץ (’erets, “land”) and קִרְיָה (qiryah, “city”) are collective, referring to all the lands and cities terrorized by the Babylonians.

[2:9]  ³¹ tn Heb “Woe [to] the one who profits unjustly by evil unjust gain for his house.” On the term הוֹי (hoy) see the note on the word “dead” in v. 6.

[2:9]  ³² tn Heb “to place his nest in the heights in order to escape from the hand of disaster.”

[2:10]  ³³ tn Heb “you planned shame for your house, cutting off many nations, and sinning [against] your life.”

[2:11]  ³⁴ sn The house mentioned in vv. 9-10 represents the Babylonian empire, which became great through imperialism. Here the materials of this “house” (the stones in the walls, the wooden rafters) are personified as witnesses who testify that the occupants have built the house through wealth stolen from others.

[2:12]  ³⁵ tn On the term הוֹי (hoy) see the note on the word “dead” in v. 6.

[2:12]  ³⁶ tn Or “establishes”; or “founds.”

[2:13]  ³⁷ tn Heb “Is it not, look, from the Lord of hosts that the nations work hard for fire, and the peoples are exhausted for nothing?”

[2:14]  ³⁸ tn Heb “for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, just as the waters cover over the sea.”

[2:15]  ³⁹ tn No direct object is present after “drink” in the Hebrew text. “Wine” is implied, however, and has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[2:15]  ⁴⁰ tn On the term הוֹי (hoy) see the note on the word “dead” in v. 6.

[2:15]  ⁴¹ tc Heb “pouring out your anger and also making drunk”; or “pouring out your anger and [by] rage making drunk.” The present translation assumes that the final khet (ח) on מְסַפֵּחַ (misapeakh, “pouring”) is dittographic and that the form should actually be read מִסַּף (missaf, “from a bowl”).

[2:15]  ⁴² tn Heb “their nakedness,” a euphemism.

[2:16]  ⁴³ tn Heb “are filled.” The translation assumes the verbal form is a perfect of certitude, emphasizing the certainty of Babylon’s coming judgment, which will reduce the majestic empire to shame and humiliation.

[2:16]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “glory.”

[2:16]  ⁴⁵ tc Heb “drink, even you, and show the foreskin.” Instead of הֵעָרֵל (he’arel, “show the foreskin”) one of the Dead Sea scrolls has הֵרָעֵל (hera’el, “stumble”). This reading also has support from several ancient versions and is followed by the NEB (“you too shall drink until you stagger”) and NRSV (“Drink, you yourself, and stagger”). For a defense of the Hebrew text, see P. D. Miller, Jr., Sin and Judgment in the Prophets, 63-64.

[2:16]  ⁴⁶ sn The Lord’s right hand represents his military power. He will force the Babylonians to experience the same humiliating defeat they inflicted on others.