Jeremiah 16:6

16:6 Rich and poor alike will die in this land. They will not be buried or mourned. People will not cut their bodies or shave off their hair to show their grief for them. ¹ 

Jeremiah 27:7

27:7 All nations must serve him and his son and grandson ²  until the time comes for his own nation to fall. ³  Then many nations and great kings will in turn subjugate Babylon. ⁴ 

Jeremiah 50:9

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

a host of mighty nations ⁵  from the land of the north.

They will set up their battle lines against her.

They will come from the north and capture her. ⁶ 

Their arrows will be like a skilled soldier ⁷ 

who does not return from the battle empty-handed. ⁸ 

[16:6]  ¹ sn These were apparently pagan customs associated with mourning (Isa 15:2; Jer 47:5) which were forbidden in Israel (Lev 19:8; 21:5) but apparently practiced anyway (Jer 41:5).

[27:7]  ² 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]  ³ 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]  ⁴ 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]  ³ sn Some of these are named in Jer 51:27-28.

[50:9]  ⁴ tn Heb “She will be captured from there (i.e., from the north).”

[50:9]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ tn Or more freely, “Their arrows will be as successful at hitting their mark // as a skilled soldier always returns from battle with plunder.”