John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 2. She weepeth sore in the night , etc.] Or, “weeping weeps” f9 ; two weepings, one for the first, the other for the second temples f10 ; and while others are taking their sleep and rest; a season fit for mourners, when they can give their grief the greater vent, without any interruption from others; and it being now a night of affliction with her, which occasioned this sore weeping. Jarchi observes, that it was in the night that the temple was burnt: and her tears [are] on her cheeks ; continue there, being always flowing, and never wholly dried up; which shows how great her grief was, and that her weeping was without intermission; or otherwise tears do not lie long, but are soon dried up, or wiped off: among all her lovers she hath none to comfort [her] ; as the Assyrians formerly were, ( Ezekiel 23:5,9,12); and more lately the Egyptians her allies and confederates, in whom she trusted; but these gave her no assistance; nor yielded her any relief in her distress; nor so much as spoke one word of comfort to her: all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies ; those who pretended great friendship to her, and were in strict alliance with her, acted the treacherous part, and withdrew from her, leaving her to the common enemy; and not only so, but behaved towards her in a hostile manner themselves; for “the children of Noph and Tahapanes”, places in Egypt confederate with the Jews, are said to “have broken the crown of their head”, ( Jeremiah 2:16). The Targum interprets the “lovers” of the “idols” she loved to follow, who now could be of no use unto her by way of comfort.
Matthew Henry Commentary
- Babylon's doom; God's controversy with her; encouragements from thenc to the Israel of God. (Jer. 51:1-58) The confirming of this. (Jer 51:59-64)
Jer. 51:1-58 The particulars of this prophecy are dispersed an interwoven, and the same things left and returned to again. Babylon is abundant in treasures, yet neither her waters nor her wealth shal secure her. Destruction comes when they did not think of it. Whereve we are, in the greatest depths, at the greatest distances, we are to remember the Lord our God; and in the times of the greatest fears an hopes, it is most needful to remember the Lord. The feeling excited by Babylon's fall is the same with the New Testament Babylon, Rev 18:9,19. The ruin of all who support idolatry, infidelity, an superstition, is needful for the revival of true godliness; and the threatening prophecies of Scripture yield comfort in this view. The great seat of antichristian tyranny, idolatry, and superstition, the persecutor of true Christians, is as certainly doomed to destruction a ancient Babylon. Then will vast multitudes mourn for sin, and seek the Lord. Then will the lost sheep of the house of Israel be brought bac to the fold of the good Shepherd, and stray no more. And the exac fulfilment of these ancient prophecies encourages us to faith in all the promises and prophecies of the sacred Scriptures.
Jer. 51:59-64 This prophecy is sent to Babylon, to the captives there by Seraiah, who is to read it to his countrymen in captivity. Let the with faith see the end of these threatening powers, and comfor themselves herewith. When we see what this world is, how glittering it shows, and how flattering its proposals, let us read in the book of the Lord that it shall shortly be desolate. The book must be thrown int the river Euphrates. The fall of the New Testament Babylon is thu represented, Rev. 18:21. Those that sink under the weight of God' wrath and curse, sink for ever. Babylon, and every antichrist, wil soon sink and rise no more for ever. Let us hope in God's word, an quietly wait for his salvation; then we shall see, but shall not share the destruction of the wicked _________________________________________________
Original Hebrew בכו1058 תבכה1058 בלילה3915 ודמעתה1832 על5921 לחיה3895 אין369 לה מנחם5162 מכל3605 אהביה157 כל3605 רעיה7453 בגדו898 בה היו1961 לה לאיבים׃341
