John Gill 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)

Call together the archers against Babylon The Medes and Persians, who were well skilled in archery, especially the Elamites; see (Isaiah 22:6); hence Horace ^F4 makes mention of "Medi pharetra"; and Cyrus in Xenophon ^F5 says, that he had under his command sixty thousand men that wore targets and were archers; (See Gill on Jeremiah 50:9).

Some render it "many", as the Targum; and the sense is, either gather many together against Babylon, a large army; or cause many to hear the vengeance against Babylon; publish this good news; so the word used by the Targum signifies; and this will be done by Gospel preachers, with respect to mystical Babylon, (Revelation 14:6Revelation 14:8);

all you that bend the bow, camp against it round about; let none thereof escape; surround it on every side; besiege it so closely that none may be able to escape:

recompense her according to her work: according to all that she has done, do unto her; which is the law of retaliation; (See Gill on Jeremiah 50:15); and with it compare (Revelation 18:6);

for she has been proud against the Lord, against the Holy One of Israel; behaved haughtily and contemptuously towards the Lord and his people; burning the city and temple of Jerusalem; profaning the vessels of it, and ill treating the captive Jews; so the Targum, "because she has spoken ill against the people of the Lord, saying words which were not right before the Holy One of Israel;" which may fitly be applied to antichrist the man of sin, sitting in the temple of God, showing himself as God; opening his mouth in blasphemy against him and his saints, (2 Thessalonians 2:4) (Revelation 13:5Revelation 13:6).

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FOOTNOTES:

• F4: Carmin. l. 2. Ode 16.
• F5: Cyropaedia, l. 2. c. 1.