The king of Babylon has heard the report, and his hands hang limp. Anguish has gripped him, pain like that of a woman in labor. The king of BabylonThis phrase refers to the ruler of the Babylonian Empire, historically known as Nebuchadnezzar II during the time of Jeremiah. Babylon was a dominant power, often seen as an instrument of God's judgment against Israel. The mention of the king highlights the impending doom and the reversal of roles, where the once mighty ruler is now in fear. In a broader spiritual context, Babylon often symbolizes worldly power and opposition to God, and the king's fear signifies the ultimate futility of opposing God's will. has heard the report about them
The "report" refers to the news of the advancing armies, likely the Medes and Persians, who were prophesied to conquer Babylon. This hearing signifies the beginning of the fulfillment of God's judgment against Babylon. In a spiritual sense, it reminds believers that God's word and prophecies are true and will come to pass, instilling a sense of awe and reverence for His sovereign plans. and his hands hang limp
This vivid imagery of limp hands symbolizes helplessness and despair. In ancient times, strong hands were a symbol of power and ability to act. The king's limp hands indicate a loss of control and power, a humbling of the proud. Spiritually, it serves as a reminder that human strength is insufficient against divine judgment, and true strength is found in submission to God. anguish has gripped him
The term "anguish" conveys intense emotional and physical distress. The Hebrew root word often describes the pain associated with fear and impending doom. This gripping anguish reflects the king's realization of inevitable defeat. For believers, it is a call to recognize the seriousness of God's judgments and the peace that comes from aligning with His will. agony like a woman in labor
This simile draws a parallel between the king's suffering and the intense pain of childbirth. Labor pains are unavoidable and intense, symbolizing the inescapable and overwhelming nature of God's judgment. In a spiritual context, it serves as a metaphor for the birth of a new era following judgment, where God's purposes are ultimately fulfilled. It also reminds believers of the hope and new beginnings that follow trials and tribulations when one trusts in God's plan. Persons / Places / Events 1. King of BabylonRepresents the ruler of the Babylonian Empire, a powerful and dominant force in the ancient Near East. In this context, he symbolizes the pride and strength of a worldly power that is ultimately subject to God's judgment. 2. BabylonA significant city and empire in biblical history, often associated with idolatry, pride, and opposition to God. It serves as a symbol of human rebellion against divine authority. 3. JeremiahA prophet called by God to deliver messages of warning and hope to the people of Judah and the surrounding nations. His prophecies often included themes of judgment and restoration. 4. Anguish and AgonyThese terms describe the intense emotional and physical distress experienced by the king of Babylon, likened to the pain of childbirth. This imagery conveys the severity of God's impending judgment. 5. The ReportRefers to the news of the advancing forces or the impending judgment that causes fear and despair in the heart of the Babylonian king. Teaching Points God's Sovereignty Over NationsNo earthly power is beyond God's control. Even the mightiest empires are subject to His will and judgment. The Futility of PrideHuman pride and self-reliance are ultimately futile. True security and strength come from trusting in God. The Reality of Divine JudgmentGod's judgment is real and inevitable for those who oppose Him. It serves as a warning to turn from sin and seek His mercy. The Imagery of Labor PainsThe comparison to labor pains highlights the inevitability and intensity of God's judgment, urging us to be prepared and repentant. Hope in God's JusticeWhile judgment is severe, it is also a reminder of God's justice and the hope of restoration for those who turn to Him. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the reaction of the king of Babylon in Jeremiah 50:43 illustrate the limitations of human power in the face of divine judgment? 2. In what ways does the fall of Babylon serve as a warning to modern societies that prioritize power and pride over righteousness? 3. How can the imagery of labor pains in this verse help us understand the nature of God's judgment and the urgency of repentance? 4. What parallels can you draw between the judgment of Babylon in Jeremiah and the depiction of Babylon in Revelation 18? 5. How can believers find comfort and hope in the justice of God, even when facing the reality of His judgment? Connections to Other Scriptures Isaiah 13This chapter also prophesies the fall of Babylon, emphasizing God's sovereignty over nations and His ability to humble the proud. Revelation 18Describes the fall of "Babylon the Great," symbolizing the ultimate defeat of worldly powers opposed to God, echoing the themes of judgment found in Jeremiah. Psalm 48Speaks of the fear that grips the kings of the earth when they witness God's power, similar to the fear experienced by the king of Babylon. People Babylonians, Jeremiah, Nebuchadnezzar, NebuchadrezzarPlaces Assyria, Babylon, Bashan, Carmel, Chaldea, Gilead, Gomorrah, Jordan River, Merathaim, Pekod, Sodom, ZionTopics Agony, Anguish, Babylon, Childbirth, Distress, Fame, Feeble, Fell, Gripped, Hands, Hang, Helpless, Hold, Labor, Limp, News, Pain, Pangs, Report, Reports, Seized, Tidings, Travail, Travailing, Trouble, Wax, WaxedDictionary of Bible Themes Jeremiah 50:42 4266 sea
6691 mercy, human
8421 equipping, physical
8728 enemies, of Israel and Judah Library The Kinsman-Redeemer
'Their Redeemer is strong; the Lord of Hosts is His name: He shall thoroughly plead their cause.'--JER. l. 34. Among the remarkable provisions of the Mosaic law there were some very peculiar ones affecting the next-of-kin. The nearest living blood relation to a man had certain obligations and offices to discharge, under certain contingencies, in respect of which he received a special name; which is sometimes translated in the Old Testament 'Redeemer,' and sometimes 'Avenger' of blood. What the etymological …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureCovenanting Predicted in Prophecy.
The fact of Covenanting, under the Old Testament dispensations, being approved of God, gives a proof that it was proper then, which is accompanied by the voice of prophecy, affording evidence that even in periods then future it should no less be proper. The argument for the service that is afforded by prophecy is peculiar, and, though corresponding with evidence from other sources, is independent. Because that God willed to make known truth through his servants the prophets, we should receive it …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting Moses' Prayer to be Blotted Out of God's Book.
"And Moses returned unto the Lord and said. Oh! this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou--wilt, forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray they, out of thy book which than hast written." In the preceding discourse we endeavored to show that the idea of being willing to be damned for the glory of God is not found in the text--that the sentiment is erroneous and absurd--then adduced the constructions which have been put on the text by sundry expositors, …
Andrew Lee et al—Sermons on Various Important Subjects Covenanting Confers Obligation.
As it has been shown that all duty, and that alone, ought to be vowed to God in covenant, it is manifest that what is lawfully engaged to in swearing by the name of God is enjoined in the moral law, and, because of the authority of that law, ought to be performed as a duty. But it is now to be proved that what is promised to God by vow or oath, ought to be performed also because of the act of Covenanting. The performance of that exercise is commanded, and the same law which enjoins that the duties …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting The Old Testament Canon from Its Beginning to Its Close.
The first important part of the Old Testament put together as a whole was the Pentateuch, or rather, the five books of Moses and Joshua. This was preceded by smaller documents, which one or more redactors embodied in it. The earliest things committed to writing were probably the ten words proceeding from Moses himself, afterwards enlarged into the ten commandments which exist at present in two recensions (Exod. xx., Deut. v.) It is true that we have the oldest form of the decalogue from the Jehovist …
Samuel Davidson—The Canon of the Bible "If So be that the Spirit of God Dwell in You. Now if any Man have not the Spirit of Christ, He is None of His. "
Rom. viii. 9.--"If so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." "But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth?" 2 Chron. vi. 18. It was the wonder of one of the wisest of men, and indeed, considering his infinite highness above the height of heavens, his immense and incomprehensible greatness, that the heaven of heavens cannot contain him, and then the baseness, emptiness, and worthlessness of man, it may be a wonder to the …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning Scriptures Showing the Sin and Danger of Joining with Wicked and Ungodly Men.
Scriptures Showing The Sin And Danger Of Joining With Wicked And Ungodly Men. When the Lord is punishing such a people against whom he hath a controversy, and a notable controversy, every one that is found shall be thrust through: and every one joined with them shall fall, Isa. xiii. 15. They partake in their judgment, not only because in a common calamity all shares, (as in Ezek. xxi. 3.) but chiefly because joined with and partakers with these whom God is pursuing; even as the strangers that join …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning Being Made Archbishop of Armagh, He Suffers Many Troubles. Peace Being Made, from Being Archbishop of Armagh He Becomes Bishop of Down.
[Sidenote: 1129] 19. (12). Meanwhile[365] it happened that Archbishop Cellach[366] fell sick: he it was who ordained Malachy deacon, presbyter and bishop: and knowing that he was dying he made a sort of testament[367] to the effect that Malachy ought to succeed him,[368] because none seemed worthier to be bishop of the first see. This he gave in charge to those who were present, this he commanded to the absent, this to the two kings of Munster[369] and to the magnates of the land he specially enjoined …
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh The Godly are in Some Sense Already Blessed
I proceed now to the second aphorism or conclusion, that the godly are in some sense already blessed. The saints are blessed not only when they are apprehended by God, but while they are travellers to glory. They are blessed before they are crowned. This seems a paradox to flesh and blood. What, reproached and maligned, yet blessed! A man that looks upon the children of God with a carnal eye and sees how they are afflicted, and like the ship in the gospel which was covered with waves' (Matthew 8:24), …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12 Saved by Grace;
OR, A DISCOURSE OF THE GRACE OF GOD: SHOWING-- I. WHAT IT IS TO BE SAVED. II. WHAT IT IS TO BE SAVED BY GRACE. III. WHO THEY AEE THAT ABE SAVED BY GRACE. IV. HOW IT APPEARS THAT THEY ARE SAVED BY GRACE. V. WHAT SHOULD BE THE REASON THAT GOD SHOULD CHOOSE TO SAVE SINNERS BY GRACE RATHER THAN BY ANY OTHER MEANS. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. THIS admirable Treatise upon the most important of all subjects, that of the soul's salvation, was first published in a pocket volume, in the year 1675. This has …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 Covenanting Performed in Former Ages with Approbation from Above.
That the Lord gave special token of his approbation of the exercise of Covenanting, it belongs to this place to show. His approval of the duty was seen when he unfolded the promises of the Everlasting Covenant to his people, while they endeavoured to perform it; and his approval thereof is continually seen in his fulfilment to them of these promises. The special manifestations of his regard, made to them while attending to the service before him, belonged to one or other, or both, of those exhibitions …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting Jeremiah
The interest of the book of Jeremiah is unique. On the one hand, it is our most reliable and elaborate source for the long period of history which it covers; on the other, it presents us with prophecy in its most intensely human phase, manifesting itself through a strangely attractive personality that was subject to like doubts and passions with ourselves. At his call, in 626 B.C., he was young and inexperienced, i. 6, so that he cannot have been born earlier than 650. The political and religious …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Jeremiah 50:43 NIVJeremiah 50:43 NLTJeremiah 50:43 ESVJeremiah 50:43 NASBJeremiah 50:43 KJV
Jeremiah 50:43 Commentaries
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