John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 50:29

"Call together the archers against Babylon, all them that bend the bow; encamp against her round about; let none thereof escape: recompense her according to her work; according to all that she hath done, do unto her; for she hath been proud against Jehovah, against the Holy One of Israel." — Jeremiah 50:29 (ASV)

The Prophet adopts various ways of speaking, and for good reason, because he had to thunder rather than to speak. Then, as he spoke of something incredible, extraordinary confirmation was needed; the faithful also, almost pining away in their miseries, could scarcely hold onto any hope. This is the reason why the Prophet dwells so long and extensively on a subject not obscure in itself, for there was a need not only for amplification but also for great vehemence.

Then, as though he had many heralds ready to obey, he says, Call together the mighty against Babylon. Some read “many,” but the word רבים, rebim, means both; and I think that “the mighty” or strong are meant here. Why some render it as “arrows” I do not know. It is, indeed, immediately added, all who bend the bow, כל-דרכי קשת, caldereki koshet. But the word, without anything added to it, never means an arrow. They refer to a place in Genesis 21:20, where Ishmael is said to be “an archer,” רבה, rebe; but the word “bow” follows it. We cannot then take rebim here as signifying anything but many or the mighty; and the latter is the most suitable word. Then the Prophet bids the strong and the warlike to come together, and then he mentions them specifically: all who bend the bow, even all skillful archers.

For the Persians excelled in this art; they were archers of the first order. It was indeed a practice common among eastern nations, but the Persians surpassed all others. The Prophet then points them out when he bids archers to assemble.

He adds, encompass (or besiege) her around, that there may be no escape. This also was difficult to believe, for Babylon was more like a country than a city. Then one could hardly have thought that it could have been besieged all around and eventually taken, as indeed happened. Therefore, the Prophet here testifies that what exceeded everyone's expectations would take place.

But he had said before that this would be the work of God, so that the faithful might not form a judgment according to their own limited measure, for nothing is more absurd, as has been said, than to measure the power of God by our own understanding. Since then the Prophet had before declared that the siege of Babylon would be the work of God, he now bids them, with more confidence, to besiege it around, so that there might be no escape.

It is then added, Render to her according to her work; according to what she has done, do to her. By these words the Prophet shows that the vengeance which God would execute on the Chaldeans would be just, for nothing is more equitable than to repay someone for what they have done to others.

With what measure ye mete to others, says Christ, it shall be rendered to you (Luke 6:38).

Since, then, nature itself teaches us that the punishment inflicted on the cruel is most just, the Prophet, therefore, reminds us here that God would be a just avenger in His extreme judgment against the Babylonians. But he looks further, for he assumes this principle: that God is the judge of the world.

Since He is so, it follows that those who unjustly oppress others must eventually receive their due reward; as Paul also says, that the judgment of God, otherwise obscure, will be made evident when He will give relief and rest to the miserable who are now unjustly afflicted, and when He will render their reward to oppressors (2 Thessalonians 1:6–7).

The Prophet then draws confidence from this truth to animate the faithful and to encourage them to maintain hope. How so? Since God is the judge of the world, the Jews should have considered what sort of people the Babylonians had been; indeed, they had already sufficiently experienced how cruel and barbarous they were.

Since, then, the avarice and cruelty of the Chaldeans were sufficiently apparent, the Prophet here reminds them that, as God is in heaven, it could not be otherwise than that He would shortly call them to judgment, for otherwise He would not be God.

Surely, He would not be the judge of the world if He did not regard the miserably and unjustly oppressed, bring them help, and stretch forth His hand to relieve them; and if He did not also, on the other hand, punish the avaricious, the proud, and the cruel.

We now understand the meaning of the Prophet.

He adds, in the last place, because she has acted proudly against Jehovah, against the Holy One of Israel. By saying that the Babylonians had acted proudly, he means that they had not only been harmful to men, but had also been insolent towards God Himself; for the verb used here denotes a sin different from one that happens through levity or lack of thought. When anyone sins inconsiderately, they are said to have erred; but when one sins knowingly, it is a deliberate wickedness, and they are said to be proud; and this we learn from Psalm 19:12, for David there sets pride in opposition to errors:

Errors, he says, who can understand?

And then he asks God to cleanse him from all pride. David indeed had not intentionally raised his horns against God, but he still feared that the wantonness of the flesh might lead him to pride. When, therefore, the Prophet now says that the Chaldeans had acted proudly towards God, it is the same as if he accused them of sacrilegious pride, meaning that they intended to be insolent towards God Himself, and not only cruel to His people.

But an explanation follows, against the Holy One of Israel. The Babylonians might have raised an objection, saying that it was not their purpose to act proudly towards God. But the Prophet here brings forward the word Israel, as if he had said, “If there is a God in heaven, our religion is true; then God’s name dwells with us. Since, then, the Babylonians have basely oppressed the people whom God has chosen, it follows that they have been sacrilegious towards Him.”

And He meant the same thing when He said before, the vengeance of Jehovah our God. Why did He add, our God? So that the Jews might know that whatever wrongs they had suffered reached God Himself, as though He were hurt in His own person.

So also in this place, the Prophet takes away from the Babylonians all means of evasion when he says that they had acted proudly towards the Holy One of Israel. When, therefore, the ungodly seek evasions and say that they do not contend with God, their pretenses are disproved when they carry on war with His Church and fight against His faithful people, whose safety He has undertaken to defend.

For God cannot be the protector of His Church otherwise than by setting Himself up as a shield in its defense whenever He sees His people unjustly attacked by the reprobate.