John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 50:15

"Shout against her round about: she hath submitted herself; her bulwarks are fallen, her walls are thrown down; for it is the vengeance of Jehovah: take vengeance upon her; as she hath done, do unto her." — Jeremiah 50:15 (ASV)

Jeremiah continues to exhort the Persians and the Medes, not that he had ever spoken to them; but this way of speaking, as has been said, served to confirm the minds of the godly, so that they might feel assured that what had come from Jeremiah's mouth was not in vain. Here, then, he speaks as God himself, and with authority commands the Persians and the Medes about what they were to do. He says again, Cry aloud against her. By crying aloud or shouting, he means the cry of triumph which soldiers utter when a city is taken, or rather, as I think, the encouraging cries by which soldiers rouse one another when they make an attack; for battles are never without shouting, nor the storming of cities. God then bids the soldiers to encourage one another in their usual way to make a strenuous effort. Shout, he says, and then adds, all around.

He then says, She has given her hand. By these words he intimates that Babylon would not be able to resist. Hands are usually given as a token of union; but a person is also said to give his hand who confesses himself to be conquered. In this sense we may take Jeremiah's words, that Babylon had given her hand, because she could not defend herself against the Medes and Persians. But as we know that the city was taken by treachery, in this manner also what Jeremiah had announced was fulfilled, when two Satraps, in order to avenge private wrongs, sent for Cyrus: for thus it happened that Babylon, or those within it, willingly stretched out their hands.

It is added, her foundations have fallen, and her walls have been overthrown; not that Cyrus attacked the city with war machines, for he entered by the fords; but still the soldiers readily mounted the walls. Jeremiah then speaks figuratively, as though he had said that the Chaldeans were mistaken in thinking that they had strong fortresses, because the walls would be of no use to them, however high and wide they were.

And we know what ancient historians relate about these walls and towers. The event was almost incredible, for no one could have thought it possible that a city so fortified could be taken by assault.

But the Prophet derides this confidence and declares that the walls would be overthrown, together with their foundations. But as this was difficult to believe, he again adds a confirmation: that it would be the vengeance of Jehovah. It was as though he had said that the destruction of Babylon ought not to be estimated according to human thinking, because God would there display His wonderful power.

In the meantime, he again encourages the Persians and the Medes to take vengeance and to give the Babylonians what they deserved. In short, the Prophet intimates that the Persians and the Medes would be armed to execute God’s vengeance on the Babylonians.

But we must notice the last clause, Do to her as she has done to others; for from this we learn, what we have also observed elsewhere, that a reward is rendered to everyone, so that those who have been cruel to others find out how dreadful God’s judgment is. God does not always execute His judgment by men; but still these truths are always valid:

• Woe to you who plunder, for you will be plundered (Isaiah 33:1).
• And also this: Judgment without mercy will be to him
  who has shown no mercy (James 2:13).
• And still further: With what measure anyone measures,
  the same will be rendered to him (Matthew 7:2).

This truth, then, remains fixed and unchangeable. But God in various ways renders to the ungodly their reward; for He sometimes punishes them by the hand of man, and sometimes He suspends His judgment.

Here He shows that the Persians and the Medes would be the executioners of His vengeance, even as the Chaldeans themselves had been His scourges, as it were, when He chastised His people for their sins, for He had employed the Chaldeans in carrying on war against the Jews.

But God has many ways by which He calls each one to account. Thus, at length, He punished the Chaldeans because they indulged only their avarice and ambition in oppressing the Jews; for it was not their purpose to punish the Jews as they deserved, but their own lust, as I have just said, led them to cruelty and slaughter. It was, therefore, only just that they should in their turn be chastised by God’s hand.