Matthew Henry Commentary Jeremiah 51:59-64

"The word which Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah the son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, when he went with Zedekiah the king of Judah to Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. Now Seraiah was chief chamberlain. And Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that should come upon Babylon, even all these words that are written concerning Babylon. And Jeremiah said to Seraiah, When thou comest to Babylon, then see that thou read all these words, and say, O Jehovah, thou hast spoken concerning this place, to cut it off, that none shall dwell therein, neither man nor beast, but that it shall be desolate for ever. And it shall be, when thou hast made an end of reading this book, that thou shalt bind a stone to it, and cast it into the midst of the Euphrates: and thou shalt say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise again because of the evil that I will bring upon her; and they shall be weary. Thus far are the words of Jeremiah." — Jeremiah 51:59-64 (ASV)

This prophecy is sent to Babylon, to the captives there, by Seraiah, who is to read it to his countrymen in captivity. Let them with faith see the end of these threatening powers, and comfort themselves with this.

When we see what this world is, how glittering its shows, and how flattering its proposals, let us read in the book of the Lord that it will soon be desolate. The book must be thrown into the river Euphrates.

The fall of the New Testament Babylon is thus represented (Revelation 18:21). Those who sink under the weight of God's wrath and curse, sink forever.

Babylon, and every antichrist, will soon sink and rise no more forever. Let us hope in God's word, and quietly wait for his salvation; then we will see, but will not share, the destruction of the wicked.