John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 50:32

"And the proud one shall stumble and fall, and none shall raise him up; and I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it shall devour all that are round about him." — Jeremiah 50:32 (ASV)

The Prophet continues the same subject: since he had previously announced in God’s name that the time of visitation would come when God would rise up against the Chaldeans, he now adds, stumble shall the proud, and fall. The verb כשל, cashel, also means to fall; but as ונפל, vanuphel, and fall, is added, it should be rendered stumble here.

Stumble, then, shall the proud, and fall—for the Prophet indicates a progression. Some render the words, “Fall shall the proud and tumble down;” but the rendering I have given is more suitable: that the proud would stumble, and then that he would fall. And no one, he says, shall raise him up. By these words, God indicates that even though Babylon had many nations under its authority, no help would be given to it when the time of visitation came.

It indeed often happens that many exert themselves and make every effort to assist the wicked, but without any success. Therefore, when God declares that there would be no one to raise up Babylon when fallen, the meaning is not that all would lack courage. Instead, it means that the efforts of all would be futile, because God, when Babylon fell, would be against her. Consequently, even if the whole world were to unite for her relief, all their attempts would be useless.

And for the same purpose, he adds, I will kindle a fire which will consume or devour all his cities. God metaphorically calls slaughter fire, for slaughter, like fire, raged and consumed the whole monarchy—not only the city but also all the neighboring nations, as the war reached even to Asia. Cyrus, as is well known, crossed the sea and depopulated Phrygia. In short, even if the victory might have been mild, it was undoubtedly like fire, as it devoured all the neighboring nations.