Introduction
Chapter 50 in Yirmiyahu is the great prophecy of doom concerning Babylon. In the section before us, the prophet turns to describe the manner of the conquest: how the enemies will array themselves around Babylon, how its walls will fall, and why it deserves all of this - both as Hashem's vengeance for the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash, and as measure for measure for what it did to the other nations. Alongside this, prophecies of consolation are woven throughout the chapter: the return of Israel to its dwelling place, the forgiveness of iniquities, and the redemption of the oppressed at the hands of their "mighty Redeemer."
Do Not Spare an Arrow - The Arrow that Costs a Fortune
עִרְכוּ עַל־בָּבֶל סָבִיב כׇּל־דֹּרְכֵי קֶשֶׁת, יְדוּ אֵלֶיהָ אַל־תַּחְמְלוּ אֶל־חֵץ, כִּי לַיהֹוָה חָטָאָה׃ (יד) - Array yourselves against Babylon all around, all you who bend the bow; shoot at her, do not spare an arrow, for she has sinned against Hashem. (14)
"Array yourselves against Babylon all around" - wage war against Babylon from every side. "All you who bend the bow, shoot (yedu) at her" - yedu is an expression of casting or throwing, as in "to cast down (leyadot) the horns of the nations": cast arrows and stones at her. "Do not spare an arrow (el chetz)" - meaning al chetz: do not spare the arrows, thinking, "Perhaps we will shoot and hit no one, and we will have wasted them in vain." Do not fear, for every arrow you cast will strike and kill, because "she has sinned against Hashem."
This might have seemed puzzling at the time it was written: who spares an arrow? It is just a piece of wood with a sharpened tip. But today, when one realizes that every "arrow" fired can cost half a million dollars - a missile worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, with its fuel alone costing a substantial sum - one understands that before launching, military planners think multiple times before using it. Arrows can be fired freely in theory, but each shot costs a fortune. Therefore, there really is room to spare arrows, and to this the verse says: do not spare them out of concern that you are shooting in vain. Since "she has sinned against Hashem," the arrow will certainly reach them and strike them. The arrow here is a "skillful arrow" that will reach its target and fulfill its mission, and one should not spare it even if it is costly.
The Malbim explains that here begins the description of the manner of conquest: "Array yourselves against Babylon all around" - the conquest will be accomplished by surrounding it like a ring. And in explaining "shoot (yedu) at her," he offers a novel insight: one who shoots with a bow is not normally described with the root y-d-h, since the actual shooting is done via the bowstring; leyadot specifically refers to throwing a stone by hand. If so, the verse speaks by way of hyperbole: even the archers, even if they were to take the arrow in their hand and throw it at her without any weapon - even then they would hit the mark and kill. To such an extent was Babylon delivered into the hand of its enemies. Hence, there would again be room to worry, "Perhaps the arrow I throw by hand will miss, so let us spare it," and to this comes the assurance: do not spare it, for she has sinned against Hashem.
She Has Given Her Hand, and Her Foundations Have Fallen
הָרִיעוּ עָלֶיהָ סָבִיב נָתְנָה יָדָהּ, נָפְלוּ אׇשְׁיוֹתֶיהָ נֶהֶרְסוּ חוֹמוֹתֶיהָ, כִּי נִקְמַת יְהֹוָה הִיא הִנָּקְמוּ בָהּ, כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשְׂתָה עֲשׂוּ־לָהּ׃ (טו) - Shout against her all around; she has given her hand, her foundations have fallen, her walls are thrown down, for it is the vengeance of Hashem; take vengeance upon her; as she has done, do to her. (15)
"She has given her hand" - Rashi explains this as a person who has no strength left, who reaches out his hand pleading that whoever can have pity and compassion on him should do so. Rashi similarly explained, "To Egypt we gave a hand, to Assyria, to be satisfied with bread" (Eichah 5:6): we reached out a hand to Egypt to help us and extract us from distress. According to this, Babylon is like one reaching out a hand, crying: Save me, pull me out.
"Her foundations (oshyoteha)" - the foundations, the strength of the foundations. In the language of the Mishna, "they dig for the foundations (ushin)," digging into the ground for the sake of the foundations. Likewise, the modern Hebrew word mit'oshesh (recovering) derives from oshiyot - regaining strength in one's foundations.
The Radak explains "Shout against her all around" - to terrify them, just as they did at Jericho. In his view, "she has given her hand" is not a plea for mercy, but rather surrendering herself to the enemies because she cannot withstand them, much like the modern expression "she threw up her hands" - she surrendered.
The Malbim explains that the purpose of the shout (the teruah) is to announce and signal that the wall has been breached. For the entire struggle revolves around the wall, and once the wall is conquered, the city falls into their hands. Therefore: "Raise a shout all around" - a sign that the wall has fallen; "she has surrendered" (natnah yadah) - she has ceased fighting; "her ramparts have fallen" - not only the wall, but even its foundations. And then, know that you are taking the vengeance of Hashem: first, because he destroyed the Beis HaMikdash and thereby desecrated Hashem's Name; and second, "as she has done, do to her" - for Babylon destroyed the walls of Jerusalem, and besides persecuting us, she persecuted many nations. Nevuchadnetzar attacked many peoples and exiled them from place to place: he brought people here from Avva, Cuthah, Sepharvaim, from the Gozan River, Chalach, and Chavor, and from Eretz Yisrael he exiled people to those same places. Thus, there is double vengeance here - both for us and for the rest of the nations.
Cut Off the Sower from Babylon
כִּרְתוּ זוֹרֵעַ מִבָּבֶל וְתֹפֵשׂ מַגָּל בְּעֵת קָצִיר, מִפְּנֵי חֶרֶב הַיּוֹנָה אִישׁ אֶל־עַמּוֹ יִפְנוּ וְאִישׁ לְאַרְצוֹ יָנֻסוּ׃ (טז) - Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handles the sickle in harvest time; from before the oppressing sword each man shall turn to his people, and each man shall flee to his land.
Once it becomes a desolation, no man will sow in it and no man will reap in it, for a desolate place needs neither a sower nor a reaper. And Yonatan, as the Radak cites him, translates this allegorically: "Cut off the sower" - destroy the king of Babylon; and "him that handles the sickle" - take hold of the sword at the time of slaughter and slaying. According to this, "him that handles the sickle" is an expression for wielding a sword, and "sower" is an epithet for the king.
"The oppressing sword" (cherev hayonah) - an expression we have already encountered. Some explain it as related to ona'ah (oppression or wrongdoing), as in "And I will feed your oppressors (monayich)" or "You shall not wrong (tonu) one another" - the sword that oppresses and afflicts. Targum Yonatan explains it as "the sword of the enemy, which is saturated like wine" - like a wine-drinker, from the root yayin: just as a drunkard is constantly seeking wine to drink, so the enemy's sword constantly seeks blood to spill. "Each man shall turn to his people" - since there were exiles in Babylon from many nations, each one will turn back to his own people and depart from the exile.
The Malbim emphasizes: "Cut off the sower from Babylon" - do not leave even a small remnant of people in it. For when they destroyed the inhabitants of this land [Judah], they left behind a few "for vinedressers and plowmen" (le-chormim u-le-yogvim). The reason was simple: if he destroyed everyone, when he later wished to settle another nation here, he would find that all the vineyards and fields had become overgrown with thorns and everything was ruined. Therefore, he left some of the poorest of the land as maintenance workers to continue tending the fields and vineyards. But concerning Babylon, it is said: Do not leave behind vinedressers and plowmen in it, and not even one who handles a sickle at harvest time will be found there - even what was already sown, there will be no one to harvest. Until now, the foreign exiles in Babylon served as the farmers, vinedressers, and plowmen; now, however, because "each man shall turn to his people" - in the wake of Babylon's downfall, all the captives within it, including the people of Israel whom Nevuchadnetzar exiled, will return to their people - consequently, neither sower nor reaper will remain. They were the ones who did the menial labor, and once they return to their nations, no one will be left.
Israel Is a Scattered Sheep - Between the One Who Eats the Flesh and the One Who Breaks the Bones
שֶׂה פְזוּרָה יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲרָיוֹת הִדִּיחוּ, הָרִאשׁוֹן אֲכָלוֹ מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר, וְזֶה הָאַחֲרוֹן עִצְּמוֹ נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל׃ (יז) - Israel is a scattered sheep, lions have driven him away; first the king of Assyria devoured him, and this last one, Nevuchadrezzar king of Babylon, has broken his bones.
The Malbim explains the order of the verse: lions drove away and scattered the sheep, and Israel is now a "scattered sheep" in exile. The first lion "devoured him" - ate the flesh; this is the king of Assyria. And the last lion "itzmo" - broke and crushed his bones; this is Nevuchadrezzar, king of Babylon. Thus, our suffering transitioned from the first king to the second: the first ate the flesh, and the second breaks the bones.
לָכֵן כֹּה־אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, הִנְנִי פֹקֵד אֶל־מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל וְאֶל־אַרְצוֹ, כַּאֲשֶׁר פָּקַדְתִּי אֶל־מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר׃ (יח) - Therefore, so says Hashem of Hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, just as I punished the king of Assyria.
Just as I punished the king of Assyria, so will I punish the king of Babylon.
And I Will Bring Israel Back to His Habitation - The Revealed End of Days
וְשֹׁבַבְתִּי אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־נָוֵהוּ, וְרָעָה הַכַּרְמֶל וְהַבָּשָׁן, וּבְהַר אֶפְרַיִם וְהַגִּלְעָד תִּשְׂבַּע נַפְשׁוֹ׃ (יט) - And I will restore Israel to his pasture, and he shall graze on Carmel and Bashan, and upon Mount Ephraim and Gilead his soul shall be satisfied. (19)
"And I will restore" - I will return the sheep, which is the nation of Israel, to its pasture; and "pasture" (naveh) refers to the grazing ground of the flock, just as the verse previously compared them to a scattered lamb. Israel will return to Eretz Yisrael and graze upon Carmel and Bashan, the rich and fertile pasturelands of the Land of Israel, and upon Mount Ephraim and Gilead "his soul shall be satisfied" - to absolute fullness, far more than enough. Metzudat David explains that these words refer to the Messianic era, that a time will yet come when I will bring him back to his pasture, and he will graze in the lush fields of Carmel and Bashan.
These are prophecies that have already begun to materialize before our very eyes. After all, it is written, "And you, mountains of Israel, shall yield your branch and bear your fruit for My people Israel, for they are soon to come," on which Chazal stated: "You have no more clearly revealed sign of the End of Days than this." There was a long-standing promise that the land would lie in ruins - "and your enemies who dwell therein shall be astonished at it" - and this prophecy held true for two thousand years. No nation ever succeeded in settling and cultivating the Land of Israel here, no matter how much they desired, strived, or fought for it, and to this day the Palestinians fight over it. Where were you until we returned? Why did you not make the desert bloom, why did you not settle the Sharon plain, plant orchards, and drain the swamps? The answer is simple: an ancient decree dictated that Eretz Yisrael would remain a desolate wilderness. But when the Jewish people are close to returning and the End approaches, the Gemara teaches that there is no more explicit sign of redemption - when the mountains of Israel begin yielding their branches and bearing their fruit, it is a sign that the redemption is near. Although we are still only in the midst of this process, since regrettably the majority of Am Yisrael is still in the Diaspora, we see the process itself actively unfolding: the Carmel, the Bashan, Mount Ephraim, and Gilead are once again becoming flourishing pasturelands - thriving regions fit for human settlement.
The Iniquity of Israel and the Sins of Judah - Between Distortion of the Intellect and Lust
בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם וּבָעֵת הַהִיא נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה, יְבֻקַּשׁ אֶת־עֲוֺן יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֵינֶנּוּ, וְאֶת־חַטֹּאת יְהוּדָה וְלֹא תִמָּצֶאינָה, כִּי אֶסְלַח לַאֲשֶׁר אַשְׁאִיר׃ (כ) - In those days and at that time, says the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, but it shall not be, and the sins of Judah, but they shall not be found; for I will pardon those whom I leave as a remnant. (20)
We have already explained the distinction between "in those days" and "at that time": "in those days" refers to the overarching era in general, whereas "at that time" points to the precise moment.
"The iniquity of Israel" - this refers to the Ten Tribes, who worshipped idols, which is termed avon (iniquity). And what is the distinction between an avon and a chet (sin)? Beyond the standard explanation that an avon is an intentional transgression while a chet is unintentional, the Malbim follows his own consistent principle: an avon always denotes a distortion of the intellect, whereas a chet stems from bodily lust. These two definitions actually complement each other, for a distortion of the intellect represents deliberate rebellion, whereas yielding to lust is not defined as pure malice - the individual does not act out of a spiteful desire to provoke his Creator, but is simply dragged along by his physical desires.
When a person commits a transgression while fully aware that he is doing wrong and feeling remorse over it, he is termed a choteh (sinner), and this is still a lower, less ingrained level of wrongdoing. "Why are you doing this?" - his evil inclination simply overpowered him. While this is certainly no justification, it is nonetheless a mitigating circumstance. When does the situation become far graver? When a person begins to invent rationalizations and justifications for his actions. At that point, the sin ceases to be a mere external stumble and becomes an internal worldview with which he identifies. Initially, a person might smoke on Shabbat and lament, "I just can't stop, I don't have the strength," offering excuses. After a while, his conscience troubles him, so he devises an intellectual justification: "In antiquity, producing fire required striking two flint stones together, which was strenuous and difficult labor; nowadays, one merely presses a lighter and there is fire. If Moshe Rabbeinu were to see modern lighters, he surely would have ruled differently!" Such a person has descended into an intellectual distortion. As long as you admit, "I failed, my desires overpowered me," you are still in the realm of chet, and there is genuine hope for repentance and rectification. But one who has succumbed to intellectual distortion is exceedingly difficult to bring back, for he has armed himself with justifications, rationale, and twisted logic.
This also accounts for the distinction discussed at length on another occasion between those who grew estranged from mitzvot in Europe and those from Sephardic and Middle Eastern backgrounds. Among the former, as a rule, whatever they did was driven by a formulated ideology. On the one hand, when directed toward Torah matters, this trait is magnificent - they possess deep conviction and follow it to the very end. But when they strayed from the path and embraced the Haskalah, they constructed an entire ideology around that as well. These are the modern leftists with whom there is virtually no common ground for dialogue, because their lifestyle is rooted in a structured doctrine of transgressions - a distortion of the intellect. By contrast, Sephardic Jewry acted out of simplicity and a natural closeness to Hashem; even when an individual deteriorated, drifted away, drove on Shabbat, and committed other grave offenses, it was never grounded in an anti-Torah ideology. This falls under the category of chet, for his mind does not actually believe that this is how a Jew ought to act; rather, he was merely swept along and overpowered by his impulses. Consequently, it is far easier to inspire him to return: he has not erected an elaborate ideological fortress around his wrongdoing.
Therefore: "The iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, but it shall not be" - referring to the Ten Tribes who practiced idolatry, which was an ideology, an intellectual distortion, and outright heresy; this will be completely eradicated, because the evil inclination for idolatry will be permanently abolished. "And the sins of Judah, but they shall not be found" - Judah and Benjamin never denied Hashem; rather, their transgressions stemmed from lust, immorality, and similar impulses. While these sins did indeed exist in reality, "they shall not be found, for I will pardon those whom I leave as a remnant" - I will forgive their sins, and through that forgiveness, they will cease to be found.
Open Her Granaries - The Plunder Is Arranged and Ready
בֹּאוּ־לָהּ מִקֵּץ פִּתְחוּ מַאֲבֻסֶיהָ, סׇלּוּהָ כְמוֹ־עֲרֵמִים וְהַחֲרִימוּהָ, אַל־תְּהִי־לָהּ שְׁאֵרִית׃ (כו) - Come against her from every border, open her granaries; pile her up like heaps of grain and destroy her utterly; let nothing of her remain. (26)
You need only open the granaries, those places where the bulls are fattened, and you come simply to collect the spoil. There is no longer any need to fight - the booty is already laid out. "Cast her up as heaps" - they piled up and elevated the grain in the feeding troughs like heaps. Grain is sometimes laid in small piles, and sometimes it is stacked and arranged in storehouses in large, neat heaps. Scripture says: Open her granaries and you will see that everything is piled up and arranged in heaps - you need only come and gather it. "And destroy her utterly, let nothing of her be left" - take everything, leave her nothing of what she had there.
The Malbim explains that saluha is an expression of elevating, as in "Extol her (salsaleha), and she shall promote you" (Mishlei 4:8), and its root is related to paving a ramp, as in "and they cast up a siege mound (solelah)." When an army wished to conquer a wall, they would pour a mound, paving an earthen ramp toward the wall and ascending it up to the wall, like a paved path along which to climb. So too here: what was in the granary they built up into high heaps, and you can come and take it. We have already seen a similar expression: "Your belly is like a heap of wheat" - a concept of a wheat heap; and here it refers to the heap of grain that was placed in the animal feeding trough.
חִרְבוּ כׇּל־פָּרֶיהָ יֵרְדוּ לַטָּבַח, הוֹי עֲלֵיהֶם כִּי־בָא יוֹמָם עֵת פְּקֻדָּתָם׃ (כז) - Slay all her bulls, let them go down to the slaughter; woe unto them, for their day has come, the time of their visitation.
Strike all the bulls with the sword, and proclaim "woe" over them, which is an expression of lament. The reason for this cry is: for their day has come, the time of reckoning has arrived, the hour decreed for their slaughter has come - and now they are being butchered.
The Voice of Fugitives and Refugees - The Vengeance of Hashem and the Vengeance of His Temple
קוֹל נָסִים וּפְלֵטִים מֵאֶרֶץ בָּבֶל, לְהַגִּיד בְּצִיּוֹן אֶת־נִקְמַת יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ נִקְמַת הֵיכָלוֹ׃ (כח) - The voice of those who flee and escape out of the land of Babylon, to declare in Zion the vengeance of Hashem our God, the vengeance of His Temple.
Those who flee and escape are the people of Israel. Radak asks: Why did they need to flee? After all, Cyrus issued a proclamation throughout his kingdom, "Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him, and let him go up" (Ezra 1:3), and we returned by royal decree to build the Second Temple under Ezra, Nechemiah, and Zerubbabel. Why, then, does the verse speak of flight?
Radak explains that Darius reigned before Cyrus, and he conquered Babylon and destroyed it. When his army descended upon Babylon, Israel did not yet know how matters would unfold; therefore, they fled and escaped toward Zion, understanding that this destruction was the beginning of our redemption. In the first stage, Cyrus's proclamation had not yet been issued, as this was in the days of Darius, and they feared they might remain in exile, so they fled to rebuild the Land of Israel. Only in the second stage did Cyrus assume power and issue his public proclamation that whoever wished could go up and rebuild.
The Malbim explains that there are two aspects here: "To declare in Zion the vengeance of Hashem" - that Hashem avenged His desecrated Name; and "the vengeance of His Temple" - for the Babylonians burned the Beit HaMikdash, and here is vengeance for the burning of the Temple and for the desecration of the sacred vessels committed by Belshazzar.
הַשְׁמִיעוּ אֶל־בָּבֶל רַבִּים כׇּל־דֹּרְכֵי קֶשֶׁת, חֲנוּ עָלֶיהָ סָבִיב אַל־יְהִי־לָהּ פְּלֵיטָה, שַׁלְּמוּ־לָהּ כְּפׇעֳלָהּ כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר עָשְׂתָה עֲשׂוּ־לָהּ, כִּי אֶל־יְהֹוָה זָדָה אֶל־קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ (כט) - Summon the archers against Babylon, all who bend the bow; encamp against her on all sides, let none escape. Repay her according to her work; according to all that she has done, do to her, for she has acted presumptuously against Hashem, against the Holy One of Israel.
The Malbim explains that after Israel flees from the land of Babylon, the prophet commands the nations to come and gather, all who bend the bow, and encamp around her to cut off any escape: when we begin to flee, the Babylonians also begin to run, realizing they are caught in a trap; therefore, the prophet commands that the surrounding nations strike down anyone attempting to escape.
"Repay her according to her work" - the Malbim explains that po'al refers to the ongoing endeavor, while ma'aseh refers to the completion and final outcome of the deed. That is, repay her in accordance with the wicked labor in which she engaged, and deal with her measure for measure, "according to all that she has done" - according to the final outcome of her actions. Simply put: they will be held accountable for everything - for the action, for the outcome, and for all that resulted from the evil they inflicted upon us.
And why "repay her according to her deeds"? "For she has acted presumptuously against Hashem" - her offense stemmed from her denial, as it were, of Hashem's power, saying that He lacks the ability to save, as if He has aged and can no longer rescue His people. Whenever scripture writes "the Holy One of Israel" - as we have learned from the Malbim multiple times - the unqualified Name refers to the Holy One, Blessed be He, Who created the world, whereas "the Holy One of Israel" speaks of His connection to the Jewish people and the divine providence (hashgachah pratit) watching over us. Here, "she has acted presumptuously against the Holy One of Israel": they burned the Beis HaMikdash and the holy city, which was an act directed specifically against the Holy One of Israel, for Hashem is bound to us through the Beis HaMikdash - demonstrating the enormity of their insolence and malice.
לָכֵן יִפְּלוּ בַחוּרֶיהָ בִּרְחֹבֹתֶיהָ, וְכׇל־אַנְשֵׁי מִלְחַמְתָּהּ יִדַּמּוּ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה׃ (ל) - Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all her men of war shall be silenced on that day, says Hashem.
"Therefore" is an expression of an oath, and this is their punishment. The young men will fall in the streets because an army will encamp around them and they will be unable to escape, and thereby "they shall be silenced on that day" - they will be cut down.
"Behold, I Am Against You, O Arrogant One" - The King's Downfall
הִנְנִי אֵלֶיךָ זָדוֹן נְאֻם־אֲדֹנָי יֱהֹוִה צְבָאוֹת, כִּי בָּא יוֹמְךָ עֵת פְּקַדְתִּיךָ׃ (לא) - Behold, I am against you, O arrogant one, says the Lord, Hashem of Hosts, for your day has come, the time that I will punish you.
Here the prophet begins to speak of the king's downfall, as the Malbim explains. "Your day has come" - according to the Malbim's approach, this always refers to the celestial order: the day has arrived when, according to the alignment of the stars, this is what is due to him; the sun of his success has set. "The time that I will punish you" - this always refers to divine providence: according to providence, the time of his reckoning has arrived, the day decreed from Heaven for him to receive his punishment.
וְכָשַׁל זָדוֹן וְנָפַל וְאֵין לוֹ מֵקִים, וְהִצַּתִּי אֵשׁ בְּעָרָיו וְאָכְלָה כׇּל־סְבִיבֹתָיו׃ (לב) - And the arrogant one shall stumble and fall, and there will be none to raise him up; and I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it shall devour all his surroundings.
Who is the "arrogant one" who falls? This is Belshazzar, as explained previously - "that very night Belshazzar was killed." "And there will be none to raise him up" - there will be no one of his descendants to reign after him in Babylonia.
"And I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it shall devour all his surroundings" - the Malbim notes that normally, fire begins in the surrounding areas and spreads inward into the cities. Here, however, the reverse will occur: the fire will start in the cities and spread outward to the surroundings, proving that everything is guided by divine providence from Hashem.
"Their Redeemer Is Strong" - Beyond the Natural Order
כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת, עֲשׁוּקִים בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל וּבְנֵי־יְהוּדָה יַחְדָּו, וְכׇל־שֹׁבֵיהֶם הֶחֱזִיקוּ בָם מֵאֲנוּ שַׁלְּחָם׃ (לג) - So says Hashem of Hosts: The Children of Israel and the Children of Judah are oppressed together; all who took them captive held them fast; they refused to let them go.
Hashem, as it were, says: Naturally speaking, it would be impossible to redeem Israel. The first reason is that under normal circumstances, the portion of the nation that is not in exile can redeem those who are, but here, "the Children of Israel and the Children of Judah are oppressed together" - both are in exile, and there is no free part of the nation left to redeem the rest. Lest one suggest that perhaps not all the captors held them fast as slaves, scripture states, "all who took them captive held them fast," which is an additional reason making their release difficult. And third, "they refused to let them go" - even if there were an external circumstance that might persuade them, they refuse. All of this holds true when dealing with a flesh-and-blood redeemer, but when it comes to Hashem, nothing is difficult.
גֹּאֲלָם חָזָק יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת שְׁמוֹ, רִיב יָרִיב אֶת־רִיבָם, לְמַעַן הִרְגִּיעַ אֶת־הָאָרֶץ וְהִרְגִּיז לְיֹשְׁבֵי בָבֶל׃ (לד) - Their Redeemer is strong, Hashem of Hosts is His name; He will vigorously plead their cause, so that He may give rest to the earth, and bring turmoil upon the inhabitants of Babylon. (34)
The Holy One, blessed be He, is called "Hashem Tzva'ot" - Ruler over all the hosts, for all the hosts belong to Him, and therefore He will champion their cause. From this, two benefits emerge: "so that He may give rest to the earth" - there will be calm across the land, for Nebuchadnezzar had continually advanced and devastated all the kingdoms; "and bring turmoil upon the inhabitants of Babylon" - Babylon will be punished. In this grievance that Hashem takes up on our behalf, the lands find calm, while Babylon enters into a confrontation with Hashem, may He be blessed, and is punished for what it inflicted upon us and upon the entire world.
A Sword upon the Kasdim - The Sequence of Swords
חֶרֶב עַל־כַּשְׂדִּים נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה, וְאֶל־יֹשְׁבֵי בָבֶל וְאֶל־שָׂרֶיהָ וְאֶל־חֲכָמֶיהָ׃ (לה) - A sword is upon the Kasdim, says Hashem, and upon the inhabitants of Babylon, and upon her officers, and upon her wise men. (35)
The Malbim consistently explains that the difference between "Kasdim" and "Bavel" is that Kasdim refers to the country (Chaldea), while Bavel is the royal seat, what we call today the capital city. "And upon her officers, and upon her wise men" - who likewise reside in Babylon.
חֶרֶב אֶל־הַבַּדִּים וְנֹאָלוּ, חֶרֶב אֶל־גִּבּוֹרֶיהָ וָחָתּוּ׃ (לו) - A sword is upon the false soothsayers, and they shall be made foolish; a sword is upon her mighty men, and they shall be dismayed. (36)
Here it is worth noting how deeply homiletic interpretations (derashot) have taken root. There are verses that, if you ask someone their meaning, he will cite the midrashic exposition, while few are familiar with the plain meaning (peshat). If you ask: What does "a sword is upon the baddim, and they shall be made foolish" mean? He will tell you: A sword is upon Torah scholars who learn in isolation (bad bevad), each one on his own; and not only is a sword upon them, but "they shall be made foolish" - they become dull and foolish. From this, Chazal taught that a person should not learn alone, but only with a chavruta (study partner). It is a beautiful derash and absolute truth, just as Chazal expounded, but it is not the plain meaning of the text.
"Baddim" does not derive from the word for "solitary individuals" (bodedim), but from the connotation of fabrications, tall tales, and falsehoods, as in "shall your fabrications (badecha) put men to silence?" It refers to deceivers, and according to the Malbim, these are the sorcerers and astrologers. "And they shall be made foolish (ve-no'alu)" - as in "the princes of Zoan have become foolish (no'alu)," or "wherein we have done foolishly (no'alnu) and wherein we have sinned": they will become confounded. People expect the sorcerer and the astrologer to provide an accurate forecast, but they will become utter fools; their astrology will grant them no wisdom, and they will find no explanation for what is happening or what is to come. "A sword is upon her mighty men, and they shall be dismayed (vachatu)" - not only will the diviners be helpless and bewildered, but even the mighty warriors will be "broken," crushed in spirit.
חֶרֶב אֶל־סוּסָיו וְאֶל־רִכְבּוֹ וְאֶל־כׇּל־הָעֶרֶב אֲשֶׁר בְּתוֹכָהּ וְהָיוּ לְנָשִׁים, חֶרֶב אֶל־אוֹצְרֹתֶיהָ וּבֻזָּזוּ׃ (לז) - A sword is upon his horses, and upon his chariots, and upon all the mixed multitude that is in her midst, and they shall become as women; a sword is upon her treasures, and they shall be plundered. (37)
"His horses" - the horses prepared for battle. "All the erev that is in her midst" - there are two explanations: either the foreign populations residing in Babylon, a mixed conglomerate of nations within her; or, as in the second explanation of the Radak and also the Malbim, the merchants, related to "the traders of your merchandise (orevei ma'aravech)" - the merchants trading in her midst. "And they shall become as women" - an idiom for weakness, signifying that they will not rise up to fight against the enemies.
"A sword is upon her treasures" - here a difficulty arises: a sword upon horses is understandable, a sword upon merchants is understandable, but how does a sword apply to treasures? Therefore, the Radak offers one explanation: that it is an expression of destruction (churban), as in "for if you lift up your sword (charebcha) upon it" - meaning that all her treasures will be ruined, not by a piercing sword, but by devastation. The Radak brings a second explanation based on Targum Yonatan: "Those who kill by the sword shall come upon her treasuries and plunder them." In other words, it is not that the physical sword strikes inanimate treasures, but that men bearing swords will invade and plunder the treasures.
חֹרֶב אֶל־מֵימֶיהָ וְיָבֵשׁוּ, כִּי אֶרֶץ פְּסִלִים הִיא וּבָאֵימִים יִתְהֹלָלוּ׃ (לח) - A drought is upon her waters, and they shall dry up; for it is a land of graven images, and they act foolishly with dreadful idols. (38)
"Chorev" here means drought and dryness. The Radak explains that Babylon was abundant in water, possessing great rivers - the Euphrates and the Tigris - and therefore this serves as an allegory indicating that her wealth and all her greatness will be nullified. The Metzudat David adds that the Euphrates River ran directly through Babylon, irrigating their fields just as the Nile did in Egypt; thus, a drought is the greatest possible punishment for them.
"For it is a land of carved idols" - because they place their trust in their idols and false deities. "And they act madly over dread images" - these idols are called eimim (dreadful things). Why? The Radak explains: because their worshippers dread them. He also notes that they would become crazed over them and their worship, and the word yitholalu is like "madness and folly" (holelut ve-sikhlu), and like "he feigned madness in their hands" (vayitholel beyadam) said of David when he was captured. That is, the idols cast dread and fear upon them. As the Radak cites, this is also like what Scripture says regarding Maacah, "who made an abominable idol (mifletzet) for Asherah" - and why is it called a mifletzet? Because whoever looked upon it shuddered (yitpaletz), gripped by fear and dread. One can see in museums various idolatrous statues that were sculpted in frightening, terrifying forms specifically so that dread would fall upon their worshippers.
Another explanation follows Targum Yonatan: "and they boast in their abominations" - that they boast and glory in their idols, as though the idols had the power to save them. The Radak wonders at this, noting that according to the Targum's approach, the text should have read yithalelu ("they boast") rather than yitholalu; mishtabchin translates yithalelu, whereas yitholalu conveys frenzy, revelry, and madness, not praise. Evidently, in Targum Yonatan's manuscript, the word was vocalized differently.
Wilderness Beasts Shall Dwell with Howling Creatures - Measure for Measure
לָכֵן יֵשְׁבוּ צִיִּים אֶת־אִיִּים וְיָשְׁבוּ בָהּ בְּנוֹת יַעֲנָה, וְלֹא־תֵשֵׁב עוֹד לָנֶצַח וְלֹא תִשְׁכּוֹן עַד־דּוֹר וָדֹר׃ (לט) - Therefore wild beasts of the desert shall dwell with jackals, and ostriches shall dwell in it; and it shall no longer be inhabited forever, nor shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation. (39)
When Scripture wishes to convey that a certain place is thoroughly ruined, it describes it as being inhabited by animals that naturally dwell only in ruins. The Radak explains that tziyim are creatures that dwell in the tziyah, meaning in the desert and desolate wasteland; tziyah relates to "parched with thirst" (tzecheih tzama) - regions as arid as a desert. Targum Yonatan renders this as "martens (or wild cats) shall meet," and some commentators explain tamavan as mongooses, like the mongoose mentioned by Chazal: "lest the mongoose jump." "With iyim" - with howling creatures, which the Targum renders "with wild cats." These are animals that roam in desolate terrain, illustrating the absolute desolation of the area to the point that no human being is found there: wherever people reside, desert beasts flee, but where humans are absent, they take up residence. "And ostriches (benot ya'anah) shall dwell in it" - these are ostriches, as referred to in the Gemara, and so Targum Yonatan translates as well.
The Malbim adds a dimension of measure for measure here: terrible beasts will reside there in the likeness of the terrifying beasts (eimim) that they fashioned as idols. Since it was said, "and they act madly over dread images (eimim)," and eimim refers to terrifying creatures that inspire dread, corresponding to this, "wild beasts of the desert shall dwell with jackals (iyim)" - fearsome creatures will settle there, corresponding to the very beasts you turned into idols and graven images, in a land that shall never again be inhabited and shall not be dwelt in from generation to generation.
כְּמַהְפֵּכַת אֱלֹהִים אֶת־סְדֹם וְאֶת־עֲמֹרָה וְאֶת־שְׁכֵנֶיהָ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה, לֹא־יֵשֵׁב שָׁם אִישׁ וְלֹא־יָגוּר בָּהּ בֶּן־אָדָם׃ (מ) - Like God's overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring cities, says Hashem, no man shall dwell there, nor shall any human being reside in it. (40)
Just as Hashem overturned Sodom, Gomorrah, and their neighbors - "their neighbors" referring to Admah and Zeboiim, the adjacent cities. "No man shall dwell there, nor shall any human being reside in it" - the Malbim previously elucidated these expressions, and in short: his method is to interpret ish (man/entity) in the sense of yesh, any existing living creature, not necessarily human. "No man (entity) shall dwell there" - no living creature will settle there permanently, although animals may pass through transiently. "Nor shall any human being reside in it" - lagur denotes permanent dwelling, and no human being will ever be able to reside in that place at all.
A People Coming from the North - This Time Against Babylon
הִנֵּה עַם בָּא מִצָּפוֹן, וְגוֹי גָּדוֹל וּמְלָכִים רַבִּים יֵעֹרוּ מִיַּרְכְּתֵי־אָרֶץ׃ (מא) - Behold, a people comes from the north, and a great nation and many kings shall be aroused from the ends of the earth. (41)
We have already seen this verse when it prophesied the onslaught of the Chaldeans against the Land of Israel. Now the stage has arrived where the Chaldeans themselves face retribution, and the prophet prophesies against them in the very same terms: against the Chaldeans as well, a people will arrive from the north. Through the arrival of this northern people, "a great nation and many kings shall be aroused from the ends of the earth" - numerous other nations will join to assist Media and Persia. Who are these "many kings"? The Radak explains rabbim in the sense of great and distinguished leaders, as in "the chief officer of the people" (rabbeh ha'am) and "over every officer of his house" (al kol rav beito), referring specifically to Darius and Cyrus. Alternatively, rabbim is meant literally in number, as other allied nations - the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz - came to assist Media and Persia.
קֶשֶׁת וְכִידֹן יַחֲזִיקוּ, אַכְזָרִי הֵמָּה וְלֹא יְרַחֵמוּ, קוֹלָם כַּיָּם יֶהֱמֶה וְעַל־סוּסִים יִרְכָּבוּ, עָרוּךְ כְּאִישׁ לַמִּלְחָמָה עָלַיִךְ בַּת־בָּבֶל׃ (מב) - They hold bow and spear; they are cruel and show no mercy; their voice roars like the sea, and they ride upon horses, arrayed like a man for battle against you, O daughter of Babylon.
Targum Yonatan explains that a kidon is not what we typically think of, but rather terisin - a shield. Radak himself notes, however, that the kidon may have been a type of spear or javelin, as implied by the verses, "and he laughs at the rattling of the spear" and "the flashing blade of the spear and lance." Today, too, we use the word kidon for a bayonet or spear rather than a shield. "They are cruel and show no mercy" - referring to those marching against Babylon. "Their voice roars like the sea" - it was their custom when going into battle to raise loud shouts and clamor in order to strike terror into the hearts of the opposing troops; psychological warfare. "And they ride upon horses" - fully equipped for battle and advancing swiftly. "Arrayed like a man for battle" - prepared as warriors, against you, O daughter of Babylon.
שָׁמַע מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל אֶת־שִׁמְעָם וְרָפוּ יָדָיו, צָרָה הֶחֱזִיקַתְהוּ חִיל כַּיּוֹלֵדָה׃ (מג) - The king of Babylon heard the report of them, and his hands grew feeble; distress seized him, trembling like a woman giving birth.
The king of Babylon - Belshazzar - heard the report about them, of their formidable might, and his hands grew too weak to wage war against them. "Distress seized him" - the anguish that overtook him was "trembling like a woman giving birth," convulsing like a laboring woman whose entire body feels as though it is coming apart.
Like a Lion from the Pride of the Jordan - And Who Is the Shepherd Who Will Stand Before Me?
הִנֵּה כְּאַרְיֵה יַעֲלֶה מִגְּאוֹן הַיַּרְדֵּן אֶל־נְוֵה אֵיתָן, כִּי־אַרְגִּעָה אֲרִיצֵם מֵעָלֶיהָ, וּמִי בָחוּר אֵלֶיהָ אֶפְקֹד, כִּי מִי כָמוֹנִי וּמִי יוֹעִדֶנִּי וּמִי־זֶה רֹעֶה אֲשֶׁר יַעֲמֹד לְפָנָי׃ (מד) - Behold, like a lion coming up from the pride of the Jordan against a strong habitation, for in an instant I will drive them away from it, and who is the chosen one whom I will appoint over it? For who is like Me, and who will summon Me, and who is that shepherd who will stand before Me?
The destroyer will advance against Babylon like a lion coming up from the thickets along the Jordan - completely fearless. And just as the surging waters of the Jordan swell and overflow all its banks, so will the enemy advance in its haughty power. Why does the prophet specifically mention the Jordan? Because the Jordan is in the Land of Israel, and the calamity befalling them comes "from the pride of the Jordan" - on account of the Land of Israel and the Jewish people. This is no incidental misfortune, nor does it come on account of the other nations, but specifically because you oppressed the Land of Israel and destroyed the Beit HaMikdash. And it will come "against a strong habitation" - a fortified stronghold, which is Babylon.
"For in an instant I will drive them away from it" - Radak explains: When I bring tranquility and relief to the people of Israel, I will cause them to run out from Babylon, meaning I will redeem them and lead them out of there. Though they are still in Babylon, relief will come for them, I will remember them, and they will be able to ascend and rebuild the Beit HaMikdash. According to the Malbim, however, the king of Persia initially laid siege to Babylon, "paused" - relented for a short time - and then returned against it with great force and conquered it.
"And who is the chosen one whom I will appoint over it" - I will appoint the finest young men, the elite warriors, against it. "For who is like Me" - who can protest against the hand of Hashem? "And who will summon Me" - who can set an appointed time to wage war against Me? Armies would sometimes agree upon a set time for battle, and Hashem says: Who can set a date with Me to fight Me? "And who is that shepherd who will stand before Me" - a king is like the shepherd of his people, and the people are his flock; when an intruder comes to seize from the flock, the shepherd immediately rises up against him. Hashem says: Who is the shepherd who can stand against Me and fight Me when I come to rescue My flock from his hand, to save My people Israel and exact retribution from Babylon?
לָכֵן שִׁמְעוּ עֲצַת־יְהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר יָעַץ אֶל־בָּבֶל וּמַחְשְׁבוֹתָיו אֲשֶׁר חָשַׁב אֶל־אֶרֶץ כַּשְׂדִּים, אִם־לֹא יִסְחָבוּם צְעִירֵי הַצֹּאן אִם־לֹא יַשִּׁים עֲלֵיהֶם נָוֶה׃ (מה) - Therefore hear the counsel of Hashem that He has devised against Babylon, and His thoughts that He has conceived against the land of the Kasdim: Surely the youngest of the flock shall drag them away; surely He will lay waste their dwelling over them.
Hear the counsel that Hashem has devised against Babylon, and the thoughts He has planned against the Kasdim - the Malbim has already explained above the distinction between Babylon and the Kasdim, and between "counseled" (ya'atz) and "thought" (chashav). "The youngest of the flock" refers to Am Yisrael. Radak raises a question: we do not find that Israel were the ones who actually waged war against Babylon and the land of the Kasdim! He explains that while they did not do so physically, what was the underlying reason for the war against them? The people of Israel. Thus it is attributed to them: if you ask who brought this upon Babylon, the answer is Israel, for they were the catalyst, and on their account Hashem exacted retribution from Assyria and Babylon for the suffering they inflicted.
And this is what Chazal meant when they said that the Holy One, blessed be He, was destined to destroy the Beit HaMikdash, yet "I will come and wipe My hands on that man" - Hashem brings about the destruction of the Temple, but so to speak wipes His hands on the one who destroyed it; that is, the destroyer will pay a heavy price. The reason is that he acted out of the malice of his own heart, and because "I was angry a little, but they helped for evil." There are several reasons why even the nations who seemingly fulfilled Hashem's will are ultimately punished. "Surely He will lay waste their dwelling over them" - He will turn their habitation into a desolate ruin.
מִקּוֹל נִתְפְּשָׂה בָבֶל נִרְעֲשָׁה הָאָרֶץ, וּזְעָקָה בַּגּוֹיִם נִשְׁמָע׃ (מו) - At the sound, 'Babylon is seized!' the earth quakes, and an outcry is heard among the nations. (46)
From the report that spread far and wide that Babylon was captured and had fallen, a great tremor shook the world - "the earth quakes." "And an outcry is heard among the nations" - meaning that a sound of an outcry is heard among the nations. Why do we supply the word "sound" (kol)? The Radak explains that one is compelled to interpret it this way, viewing the word "sound" (kol) from the beginning of the verse as carrying over to its end as well. The grammatical proof is that otherwise, the verse should have said "וזעקה בגויים תִּשָּׁמַע" (tishama), since "outcry" (ze'akah) is feminine. Because Scripture uses the masculine form "nishma" (is heard), it must refer to the "sound of an outcry" (kol ze'akah), and "sound" is grammatically masculine.
In summary:
In this section of the chapter, Yirmiyahu describes the nature of Babylon's downfall: an encircling siege, arrows that need not be spared because they will not return empty, walls and foundations that collapse, and a land where there is neither sower nor reaper. It is all the vengeance of Hashem - for the desecration of His Name and the burning of His Sanctuary - and measure for measure for what Babylon did to Israel and to all the nations. Facing this stands the consolation: "And I will restore Israel to his pasture," a return to a blooming land in which we witness the revealed end of exile (ketz meguleh); "the iniquity of Israel shall be sought, and there shall be none," the nullification of the sin of idolatry, which was a distortion of the intellect, and forgiveness for the sins of desire committed by Yehudah; and "Their Redeemer is strong, Hashem of Hosts is His Name" - that even when, through natural means, there is no way to redeem an oppressed nation whose captors held them fast and refused to let them go, with the Holy One, Blessed is He, nothing is impossible. The end of Babylon will be like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, and its king falls with none to raise him up: "For who is like Me, and who can summon Me, and who is that shepherd who will stand before Me?"