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Selected Verse: Jeremiah 51:48 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Jer 51:48	Strong Concordance	Then the heaven [08064] and the earth [0776], and all that is therein, shall sing [07442] for Babylon [0894]: for the spoilers [07703] shall come [0935] unto her from the north [06828], saith [05002] the LORD [03068].
	King James	Then the heaven and the earth, and all that is therein, shall sing for Babylon: for the spoilers shall come unto her from the north, saith the LORD.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
heaven . . . earth . . . sing for Babylon-- (Isa 14:7-13; Isa 44:23; Rev 18:20).

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

heaven . . . earth . . . sing for Babylon-- (Isa 14:7-13; Isa 44:23; Rev 18:20).

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
Heaven and earth, with all that is in them (i.e., the whole world, with its animate and inanimate creatures), break out into rejoicing over the fall of Babylon (cf. Isa 44:23), for Babylon has enslaved and laid waste all the world. The second part of Jer 51:48, "for the destroyers shall come from the north," is logically connected with Jer 51:47, to which Jer 51:48 is to be taken as subordinate, in the sense, "over which heaven and earth rejoice." On Jer 51:48, cf. Jer 50:3, Jer 50:9,Jer 50:41. Both parts of Jer 51:49 are placed in mutual relation by גּם־גּם. These two particles, thus used, signify "as well as," "not only...but also," or "as...so." Ewald, Hitzig, and Graf have quite missed the meaning of both clauses, since they take חללי ישׂראל as a vocative, and render the whole thus: "Not only must Babylon fall, O ye slain ones of Israel, but slain ones of the whole earth have fallen on the side of Babylon (or through Babylon)." This view of the expression "slain ones of Israel" cannot be established, either from grammatical considerations or from a regard to the meaning of the whole. Not only is there no occasion for a direct address to the slain ones of Israel; but by such a view of the expression, the antithesis indicated by גּמרררגּם, between "the slain ones of Israel" and "the slain ones of the earth," is thereby destroyed. Viewed grammatically, "the slain ones of Israel" can only be the subject dependent on the inf. לנפּל: "the fall of the slain ones of Israel." Kimchi has long ago hit the meaning in the explanation, גּם בּבל היתה סבּת לנפּל, "as Babylon was the cause of the slain ones of Israel falling." Similarly Jerome: et quomodo fecit Babylon ut caderent occisi ex Israel. This paraphrase may be vindicated on grammatical grounds, for the inf. constr. with ל, with or without היה, is used to express that on which one is engaged, or what one is on the point of doing; cf. Gesenius, 132, 3, Rem. 1. In this meaning, לנפּל stands here without היה: "Just as Babylon was concerned in making the slain ones of Israel fall;" or better: "Just as Babylon was intent on the fall of slain ones in Israel, so also there fall because of Babylon (prop. dative, for Babylon) slain ones of all the earth;" because there are to be found, in the capital of the empire, people from all quarters of the world, who are slain when Babylon is conquered. The perf. נפלוּ is prophetic, like פּקדתּי in Jer 51:47.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

Heaven and earth, with all that is in them (i.e., the whole world, with its animate and inanimate creatures), break out into rejoicing over the fall of Babylon (cf. Isa 44:23), for Babylon has enslaved and laid waste all the world. The second part of Jer 51:48, "for the destroyers shall come from the north," is logically connected with Jer 51:47, to which Jer 51:48 is to be taken as subordinate, in the sense, "over which heaven and earth rejoice." On Jer 51:48, cf. Jer 50:3, Jer 50:9,Jer 50:41. Both parts of Jer 51:49 are placed in mutual relation by גּם־גּם. These two particles, thus used, signify "as well as," "not only...but also," or "as...so." Ewald, Hitzig, and Graf have quite missed the meaning of both clauses, since they take חללי ישׂראל as a vocative, and render the whole thus: "Not only must Babylon fall, O ye slain ones of Israel, but slain ones of the whole earth have fallen on the side of Babylon (or through Babylon)." This view of the expression "slain ones of Israel" cannot be established, either from grammatical considerations or from a regard to the meaning of the whole. Not only is there no occasion for a direct address to the slain ones of Israel; but by such a view of the expression, the antithesis indicated by גּמרררגּם, between "the slain ones of Israel" and "the slain ones of the earth," is thereby destroyed. Viewed grammatically, "the slain ones of Israel" can only be the subject dependent on the inf. לנפּל: "the fall of the slain ones of Israel." Kimchi has long ago hit the meaning in the explanation, גּם בּבל היתה סבּת לנפּל, "as Babylon was the cause of the slain ones of Israel falling." Similarly Jerome: et quomodo fecit Babylon ut caderent occisi ex Israel. This paraphrase may be vindicated on grammatical grounds, for the inf. constr. with ל, with or without היה, is used to express that on which one is engaged, or what one is on the point of doing; cf. Gesenius, 132, 3, Rem. 1. In this meaning, לנפּל stands here without היה: "Just as Babylon was concerned in making the slain ones of Israel fall;" or better: "Just as Babylon was intent on the fall of slain ones in Israel, so also there fall because of Babylon (prop. dative, for Babylon) slain ones of all the earth;" because there are to be found, in the capital of the empire, people from all quarters of the world, who are slain when Babylon is conquered. The perf. נפלוּ is prophetic, like פּקדתּי in Jer 51:47.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
Then - All the creatures in heaven and earth shall rejoice at the vengeance which God shall take upon Babylon.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
The heaven and the earth - shall sing for Babylon - Its fall shall be a subject of universal rejoicing.

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²⁰ Rejoice [2165] over [1909] her [846], thou heaven [3772], and [2532] ye holy [40] apostles [652] and [2532] prophets [4396]; for [3754] God [2316] hath avenged [2917] [2919] you [5216] on [1537] her [846].

²³ Sing [07442], O ye heavens [08064]; for the LORD [03068] hath done [06213] it: shout [07321], ye lower parts [08482] of the earth [0776]: break forth [06476] into singing [07440], ye mountains [02022], O forest [03293], and every tree [06086] therein: for the LORD [03068] hath redeemed [01350] Jacob [03290], and glorified [06286] himself in Israel [03478].

⁷ The whole earth [0776] is at rest [05117], and is quiet [08252]: they break forth [06476] into singing [07440].
⁸ Yea, the fir trees [01265] rejoice [08055] at thee, and the cedars [0730] of Lebanon [03844], saying, Since thou art laid down [07901], no feller [03772] is come up [05927] against us.
⁹ Hell [07585] from beneath is moved [07264] for thee to meet [07125] thee at thy coming [0935]: it stirreth up [05782] the dead [07496] for thee, even all the chief ones [06260] of the earth [0776]; it hath raised up [06965] from their thrones [03678] all the kings [04428] of the nations [01471].
¹⁰ All they shall speak [06030] and say [0559] unto thee, Art thou also become weak [02470] as we? art thou become like [04911] unto us?
¹¹ Thy pomp [01347] is brought down [03381] to the grave [07585], and the noise [01998] of thy viols [05035]: the worm [07415] is spread [03331] under thee, and the worms [08438] cover [04374] thee.
¹² How art thou fallen [05307] from heaven [08064], O Lucifer [01966], son [01121] of the morning [07837] [03213] ! how art thou cut down [01438] to the ground [0776], which didst weaken [02522] the nations [01471]!
¹³ For thou hast said [0559] in thine heart [03824], I will ascend [05927] into heaven [08064], I will exalt [07311] my throne [03678] above [04605] the stars [03556] of God [0410]: I will sit [03427] also upon the mount [02022] of the congregation [04150], in the sides [03411] of the north [06828]:

⁴⁷ Therefore, behold, the days [03117] come [0935], that I will do judgment [06485] upon the graven images [06456] of Babylon [0894]: and her whole land [0776] shall be confounded [0954], and all her slain [02491] shall fall [05307] in the midst [08432] of her.

⁴⁹ As [01571] Babylon [0894] hath caused the slain [02491] of Israel [03478] to fall [05307], so at Babylon [0894] shall fall [05307] the slain [02491] of all the earth [0776].

⁴¹ Behold, a people [05971] shall come [0935] from the north [06828], and a great [01419] nation [01471], and many [07227] kings [04428] shall be raised up [05782] from the coasts [03411] of the earth [0776].

⁹ For, lo, I will raise [05782] and cause to come up [05927] against Babylon [0894] an assembly [06951] of great [01419] nations [01471] from the north [06828] country [0776]: and they shall set themselves in array [06186] against her; from thence she shall be taken [03920]: their arrows [02671] shall be as of a mighty [01368] expert man [07919] [07921]; none shall return [07725] in vain [07387].

³ For out of the north [06828] there cometh up [05927] a nation [01471] against her, which shall make [07896] her land [0776] desolate [08047], and none shall dwell [03427] therein: they shall remove [05110], they shall depart [01980], both man [0120] and beast [0929].

⁴⁸ Then the heaven [08064] and the earth [0776], and all that is therein, shall sing [07442] for Babylon [0894]: for the spoilers [07703] shall come [0935] unto her from the north [06828], saith [05002] the LORD [03068].