Judgment on Babylon
Jer
50:2 Declare ye among the nations, and publish, and set up a
standard; publish, and
conceal not: say, Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodach is
broken in pieces; her idols are confounded, her images are broken in
pieces.
Declare...
נָגַד
nāg̱aḏ
A verb meaning to tell, to report, to make known, to explain, to be reported. The root idea of the word and the causative form in which it is used is to declare something. The manner and context in which this is done creates the various shades of meaning of the verb. Its simplest use is to announce, to report, to share. Samuel, when a child, was afraid to report the vision he had to Eli (1Sam. 3:15, 3:18; 1Kgs. 1:23). In some cases, it means to solve or explain, to make known. God asked Adam who had made him know he was naked (Gen. 3:11; 12:18); it indicated the resolution of a riddle (Jdg. 14:12, Jdg. 14:15); or dream (Job 11:6; Dan. 2:2). Close to this is its meaning to share with or to inform someone of something, to speak out. People were responsible to speak out when they knew something relevant to a case (Lev. 5:1; Jos. 2:14; Prov. 29:24). It is used to proclaim or announce something, often proclaiming the character and attributes of the Lord. The psalmist proclaimed the great deeds of the Lord (Psm. 9:11,12); the posterity of the righteous psalmist would declare God's righteousness (Psm. 22:3,32); the Lord's love was regularly proclaimed (Psm. 92:2,3). The participle of the verb may indicate a messenger (Jer. 51:31).
The passive use of the verb means to be told, to be announced. If an Israelite turned and followed false gods, this act of rebellion was to be brought to the attention of the leaders (Deut. 17:4); anything that needed to be reported could be covered by this verb (Jdg. 9:25; 2Sam. 10:17). The Queen of Sheba used this verb when she declared that not even half the splendor of Solomon's wisdom and wealth had been told her (1Kgs. 10:7; Isa. 21:2).
ye among the nations...
גּוֹי
gôy, גּוֹיִם
gôyim, הַגּוֹיִם
hāggôyim
A masculine noun meaning nation, people, Gentiles, country. The word is used to indicate a nation or nations in various contexts and settings: it especially indicates the offspring of Abraham that God made into a nation (Gen. 12:2) and thereby set the stage for Israel's appearance in history as a nation (Gen. 18:18; Psm. 106:5). Israel was to be a holy nation (Exo. 19:6). Even the descendants of Abraham that did not come from the seed of Isaac would develop into nations (Gen. 21:13). God can create a nation, even a holy nation like Israel, through the descendants of the person whom He chooses, as He nearly does in the case of Moses when Israel rebels (Exo. 32:10). Edom refers to Israel and Judah as two separate nations (Eze. 35:10), but God planned for them to be united forever into one nation (Eze. 37:22). Then they would become the head of the nations (Deut. 28:12). In this overall literary, theological, and historical context, it is clear that Israel would share common ancestors and would have a sufficient increase in numbers to be considered a nation. It would have a common place of habitation and a common origin, not only in flesh and blood, but in their religious heritage. It would share a common history, culture, society, religious worship, and purposes for the present and the future.
This noun is used to mean nations other than Israel as well; pagan, Gentile, or heathen nations (Exo. 9:24; 34:10; Eze. 5:6-8), for all the earth and all the nations belong to God (cf. Exo. 19:5). Israel was to keep herself from the false religions, unclean practices, and views of these nations (Ezra 6:21). In the plural, the noun may indicate the generic humankind (Isa. 42:6). In a few instances, the word refers to a group of people rather than to a nation (2Kgs. 6:18; Psm. 43:1; Isa. 26:2), although the exact translation is difficult in these cases.
The word is used in a figurative sense to refer to animals or insects, such as in Joel 1:6 where it depicts locusts.
and publish...
שָׁמַע
šāma‛
A verb meaning to hear, to obey, to listen, to be heard of, to be regarded, to cause to hear, to proclaim, to sound aloud. The verb basically means to hear and in context expresses various connotations of this. The most famous use of this word is to introduce the Shema, Hear, O, Israel, followed by the content of what the Israelites are to understand about the Lord their God and how they are to respond to Him (Deut. 6:4). In a parallel usage, the heavens are commanded to Hear, Oh heavens! to the prophet's message about Israel (Isa. 1:2). The word calls attention to hear various things: It means to hear another person speaking (Gen. 27:6); the Lord's voice (Gen. 3:10); or anything that can be perceived by the ear. Used with or without the preposition ’el following, the word means to listen to someone. The house of Israel was not willing to listen to Ezekiel (Eze. 3:7); the Lord was not willing to listen to the beautiful worship services of God's people, for they were not following justice (Gen. 27:5; Amos 5:23).
The word takes on the connotation of obedience in certain contexts and with certain Hebrew constructions: It can mean to heed a request or command, such as Abraham's request concerning Ishmael (Gen. 17:20). The Lord listened to Hagar's prayer and gave her a son (Gen. 16:11; 30:6). It means to obey in certain contexts (Gen. 3:17; 22:18; Exo. 24:7; 2Kgs. 14:11).
The word is used to connote the idea of understanding. God confused the speech of the people at the Tower of Babel so they could not understand each other (Gen. 11:7; Isa. 33:19). Solomon wanted a heart of discernment and understanding hearing to govern his people (Deut. 1:16; 1Kgs. 3:9); to be able to decide between good and evil (2Sam. 14:17).
In the passive stem, the word means to be heard. Pharaoh heard the news that Joseph's brothers had arrived in Egypt (Gen. 45:16). No sound of a tool was heard as the Temple was being built (Deut. 4:32; 1Kgs. 6:7). It also meant to be obedient to King David (2Sam. 22:45); or to make hear, to call, or to summon as when Saul summoned his soldiers (1Sam. 15:4; 23:8).
The word is used often in the causative stem to mean to cause to listen, to proclaim, to announce. When Israel assembled at Mount Horeb Sinai, the Lord caused them to hear His words (Deut. 4:10; Jos. 6:10). It also means to proclaim, to summon; Isaiah spoke of those who proclaim peace (1Kgs. 15:22; Isa. 52:7); and the psalmist proclaimed the praise of the Lord (Psm. 26:7).
and set up...
נָשָׂא
nāśā’
A verb meaning to lift, to carry, to take away. This verb is used almost six hundred times in the Hebrew Bible and covers three distinct semantic ranges. The first range is to lift, which occurs in both literal (Gen. 7:17; 29:1; Eze. 10:16) and figurative statements: to lift the hand in taking an oath (Deut. 32:40); in combat (2Sam. 18:28); as a sign (Isa. 49:22); in retribution (Psm. 10:12). Other figurative statements include the lifting of the head (Gen. 40:13); the face (2Sam. 2:22); the eyes (Gen. 13:10); the voice (1Sam. 30:4). It is also important to note that a person can take up or induce iniquity by a number of actions (Exo. 28:43; Lev. 19:17; 22:9; Num. 18:32). The second semantic category is to bear or to carry and is used especially in reference to the bearing of guilt or punishment of sin (Gen. 4:13; Lev. 5:1). This flows easily then into the concept of the representative or substitutionary bearing of one person's guilt by another (Lev. 10:17; 16:22). The final category is to take away. It can be used in the simple sense of taking something (Gen. 27:3); to take a wife or to get married (Ruth 1:4); to take away guilt or to forgive (Gen. 50:17); to take away or to destroy (Job 32:22).
a standard...
נֵס
nēs
A masculine noun indicating a banner, a standard. It refers to a symbol or sign representing a cause, a person, God: a standard, a representation of the Lord (Exo. 17:15); and the name of an altar dedicated to the Lord. It indicates a pole on which to display something (Num. 21:8-9). It signifies a sign representing Zion (Isa. 31:9; Jer. 4:6); or a tragedy that could serve as a nēs, a warning or a sign (Num. 26:10). It indicates a flag or a symbol to rally around (Exo. 17:15; Isa. 18:3). The Root of Jesse will stand as an ensign, a signal for the people (Isa. 11:10).
and conceal...
כָּחַד
kāḥaḏ
A verb meaning to hide, to conceal, to cut off, to destroy. It has the basic idea of hiding or destroying by various measures: by cutting off or destroying Pharaoh and his people in plagues (Exo. 9:15); or by the Lord's destroying angel (Exo. 23:23). It has the meaning to make something disappear, to destroy or to efface it, such as the dynasty of Jeroboam (1Kgs. 13:34). It has the sense of hiding or not revealing something in Job 20:12 (Psm. 139:15; Hos. 5:3). In other contexts, it means for something to be hidden (2Sam. 18:13; Psm. 69:5,6); or kept hidden (Gen. 47:18; 1Sam. 3:17-18; Psm. 78:4). It is used of persons being effaced, destroyed (Zec, 11:8-9, 11:16) by the Lord, or even scattered.
Not: …
אַל
’al
An adverb meaning no, not, without; a basic adverb of negation. It is used consistently with the imperfect form of the verb to render a negative imperative or prohibition (Gen. 15:1; 22:12; 37:27; Psm. 25:2; Jer. 18:18). With the regular imperative, it expresses purpose, such as, that we may not die (1Sam. 12:19). In poetic sections, it may express the poet's strong emotions (Job 5:22; Psm. 41:2,3; Prov. 3:25; Isa. 2:9). It is also used without a verb to express simple negation in an imperative mode, as in ’al-ṭal, let there be no dew (2Sam. 1:21). It can have the meaning of there is no (Prov. 12:28), i.e., there is no death. It can also function as a noun + le meaning something comes to naught, nothing (Job 24:25). Coupled with the particle nā’, it means please do not or therefore, do not (Gen. 18:3).
say, …
אָמַר
’āmar
A verb meaning to say. It is translated in various ways depending on the context. It is almost always followed by a quotation. In addition to vocal speech, the word refers to thought as internal speech (2Sam. 13:32; Est. 6:6). Further, it also refers to what is being communicated by a person's actions along with his words (Exo. 2:14; 2Chr. 28:13).
Babylon...
בָּבֶל
bāḇel
A proper noun designating Babel or Babylon, a name meaning confession and the name of the foreign power most often mentioned in the Old Testament, Babylon. Its beginnings go back to Nimrod, a mighty warrior and hunter but also a founder of cities and city-states (Gen. 10:8-12). At Babel the languages of the world became mixed and separated (Gen. 11:9), and there great towers ziggurats were built to approach the gods as humankind deemed necessary. God stopped the building of these towers of hubris (Gen. 11:5-8), where humankind tried to gather together as one (Gen. 11:1-2). It was a part of the Assyrian Empire for a while (2Kgs. 17:24, 17:30). The neo-Babylonian Empire, founded by Nabopolassar (626 B.C.) is often mentioned in the prophets (Isa. Jer., Eze., Dan., Mic., Zech.). Its greatest king, Nebuchadnezzar, ruled nearly 43 years and is the topic of much of the Book of Daniel (Dan. 1:1; 2, 3, 4). The Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and took Judah into exile in 587/6 B.C. (2Kgs. 25:1-28; Jer. 52:3-34). Isaiah the prophet especially denounced the idolatry of Babylon (Isa 40-66). Israel was exiled in 587/6 to Babylon for seventy years in fulfillment of both the prophet Moses' and Jeremiah's prophecies (Deut. 28; Jer. 25:1-14). They returned in 538 B.C. under Cyrus, king of Persia (2Chr. 36:20-23; Ezra 1:1-3; Zech. 2:7;11).
is taken...
לָכַד
lāḵaḏ
A verb meaning to capture, to seize. It indicates taking possession of, capturing, or catching various things: a city (Num. 21:32); a land (Jos. 10:42); captives of all social ranks in war (Jdg. 7:25; 2Sam. 8:4); foxes (Jdg. 15:4); a river ford in the sense of seizing and occupying it (Jdg. 3:28); as well as the waters of a river (Jdg. 7:24-25). It has the sense of the Lord choosing or picking something (Jos. 7:14-18); or seizing control of the government reins of a kingdom (1Sam. 14:47), often by force (Dan. 11:15, 11:18). It is used figuratively in metaphors: of a sinner being seized in the snares of a wicked woman (Ecc. 7:26); of persons ensnared by the words of their own mouths (Prov. 6:2). It is used to indicate the seizing of water as it turns to ice and hardens (Job 38:30); of being seized by cords of affliction (Job 36:8). It is used of one thing interlocking with another (Job 41:17;9).
Bel is confounded... The word Bel is a contraction of the Aramaic form—Ba‛al. This was the name of the national god of Babylon (Jer. 51:44; Isa. 46:1).
bel...
בֵּל
bēl
A masculine proper noun meaning Bel. It designates a Babylonian god whose name means lord (Isa. 46:1; Jer. 50:2; 51:44). The Lord is bringing swift judgment on this false pagan god.
is confounded...
יָבַשּׁ
yāḇaš, יָבֵשׁ
yāḇēš
A verb meaning to be dried up, to be dry, to be withered. This common intransitive verb refers to the drying up and withering of plants, trees, grass, crops, and the earth itself after the flood (Gen. 8:14). It also occurs with a intensive and causative sense meaning to dry, to wither. Yahweh dried the waters, particularly the sea (Jos. 2:10; Psm. 74:15; Isa. 42:15; Jer. 51:36; Nah. 1:4). It is used figuratively to denote God destroying Babylon (Eze. 17:24).
Merodach is broken... Merodach—another national god of Babylon. These idols—Bel and Merodach—were to be broken together.
Merodach...
מְרֹדָךּ
merōḏāḵ
A masculine proper noun. It is the name of the chief Babylonian god, Merodach. In more recent translations, it is rendered as Marduk (Jer. 50:2).
is broken in pieces...
חַת
ḥaṯ
I. A masculine noun denoting fear, filled with terror. It describes extreme dread and fear the animals have of humans after the flood (Gen. 9:2). This emotion is unknown to Job's Leviathan (Job 41:33;25).
II. An adjective identifying something as broken, dismayed, terrified. It refers to bows of the mighty as broken ḥattîm (1Sam. 2:4) or to warriors of Egypt who are terrified (Jer. 46:5), causing them to hesitate in fear or draw back.
her idols...
עָצָב
‛āṣāḇ
A masculine noun used to identify an idol. This term always appears in the plural. It is derived from the second meaning of the verb ‛āṣaḇ , meaning to form or fashion, and thereby highlights the fact that these idols gods were formed by human hands. This term can allude to idols in general (Hos. 4:17); idols of silver (Hos. 13:2); or idols of gold and silver (Hos. 8:4). It appears in parallel with massēḵāh, meaning a molten image (Hos. 13:2); and gillûl, meaning idols (Jer. 50:2).
her images...
גִּלּוּל
gillûl
A masculine noun meaning idols. The Hebrew word is always found in the plural form. The term is used thirty-eight times in Ezekiel and nine times in the rest of the Old Testament. The people are told to destroy, abandon, and remove their idols. Deut. 29:17,16 implies idols can be made of wood, stone, silver, or gold. Ezekiel longs for a day when Israel will no longer worship idols (Eze. 37:23).
are broken to pieces...
חָתַת
ḥāṯaṯ
A verb meaning to be shattered, to be dismayed, to dismay, to shatter, to scare. The base meaning is probably breaking or shattering like a bow (Jer. 51:56); or of the drought-cracked ground (Jer. 14:4). Figuratively, it refers to nations shattered by God (Isa. 7:8). It is also used with a intensive and causative meaning to scare, to terrify, or to dismay (Isa. 30:31). Job said that God terrified him with dreams (Job 7:14). God's name can also cause dismay (Mal. 2:5) where it is parallel to the word yārē’.
She would be captured and her protecting god Bel (cf. Jer. 51:44; Isa. 46:1; the storm god Enlil), also known as Marduk, the chief deity of Babylon, would, figuratively speaking, be put to shame (cf. Jer. 46:24) and filled with terror because of his inability to protect her.
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