Jeremiah 51:44

“And I will punish Bel in Babylon, etc.] The idol of the Babylonians, who had a temple in Babylon, where he was worshipped: the same is called Belus by Aelianusf1064, Curtiusf1065, and Pausaniasf1066; perhaps the same Herodianf1067 calls Belis, and says some take him to be Apollo; for more of him, (see Gill on “<234601>Isaiah 46:1”); and (see Gill on “<245002>Jeremiah 50:2”); who was punished when his temple was demolished, and plundered of its wealth; this golden image of Belus was broke to pieces, and the gold of it carried away. The Targum is, “I will visit or punish them that worship Bel in Babylon:” and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up; the rich…”

“Bel . . . swallowed--in allusion to the many sacrifices to the idol which its priests pretended it swallowed at night; or rather, the precious gifts taken from other nations and offered to it (which it is said to have "swallowed"; compare "devoured," "swallowed," Jer 51:34; Jer 50:17), which it should have to disgorge (compare Jer 51:13; Jer 50:37). Of these gifts were the vessels of Jehovah's temple in Jerusalem (Ch2 36:7; Dan 1:2). The restoration of these, as foretold here, is recorded in Ezr 1:7-11. flow--as a river; fitly depicting the influx of pilgrims of all "nations" to the idol.”

“The sacred vessels plundered from Jerusalem, and laid up in the very temple of Bel, should be restored; the men and women dragged from other lands to people the city, released; and its wall falling would show the insignificance to which it should be reduced. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Bel - Bel was the principal Babylonian idol. Bring forth - All the vessels of the temple, Ch2 36:7, and whatever gifts the Babylonians had presented to him. The wall - And the city of Babylon shall be also ruined. Jeremiah 51:45”

“51:44 The defeat of its chief deity, Bel, was the ultimate disaster for Babylon. This idol’s lavish adornments would be taken away, and its supposed power would be exposed as a monumental fraud.”

“I will punish: Jer 51:18, Jer 51:47, Jer 50:2; Isa 46:1, Isa 46:2 I will bring: Jer 51:34; Ch2 36:7; Ezr 1:7; Dan 1:2, Dan 5:2-4, Dan 5:26 the nations: Isa 2:2, Isa 60:5; Dan 3:2, Dan 3:3, Dan 3:29, Dan 4:1, Dan 4:22, Dan 5:19, Dan 5:31; Rev 18:9-19 the wall: Jer 51:53, Jer 51:58 Jeremiah 51:45”

“With the conquest of Babylon, Bel, the chief deity of the Babylonians (see on Jer 50:2), is punished; and not only is his prey torn from him, but his fame also, which attracted the nations, is destroyed. Under the prey which Bel has swallowed, and which is to be torn out of his mouth, we must include not merely the sacred vessels which had been deposited in the temple of Belus ( Dan 1:3), and the voluntary offerings presented him (Hitzig), but all the property which Babylon had taken as spoil from the nations; and the nations themselves, with life and property, Babylon has swallowed (see 34 and Jer 50:17). All this is now to be torn out of his jaws. Bel falls with the fall of Babylon (cf.…”