Jeremiah 51:46

“And lest your heart faint, and ye fear for the rumour that shall be heard in the land, etc.] The rumour of war in the land of Chaldea; the report of the Medes and Persians preparing to invade it, and besiege Babylon, in the peace of which city the Jews had peace; and therefore might fear they should suffer in the calamities of it; but, lest they should, they are ordered to go cut of it, and accept the liberty that should be granted by the conqueror, who would do them no hurt, but good; and had therefore nothing to fear from him; and, as a token, assuring them of this, the following things are declared; which, when they should observe, they need not be troubled, being forewarned; yea, might…”

“And lest--Compare, for the same ellipsis, Gen 3:22; Exo 13:17; Deu 8:12. "And in order that your heart may not faint at the (first) rumor" (of war), I will give you some intimation of the time. In the first "year" there shall "come a rumor" that Cyrus is preparing for war against Babylon. "After that, in another year, shall come a rumor," namely, that Cyrus is approaching, and has already entered Assyria. Then is your time to "go out" (Jer 51:45). Babylon was taken the following or third year of Belshazzar's reign [GROTIUS]. violence in the land--of Babylon (Psa 7:16). ruler against ruler--or, "ruler upon ruler," a continual change of rulers in a short space. Belshazzar and Nabonidus,…”

“Literally, “And beware lest your heart faint, and ye be afraid because of the rumour that is heard in the land: for in one year shall one rumour come, and afterward in another year another rumour; and violence shall be in the land etc.” The fall of Babylon was to be preceded by a state of unquiet, men’s minds being unsettled partly by rumors of the warlike preparations of the Medes, and of actual invasions: partly by intestine feuds. So before the conquest of Jerusalem by the Romans the Church had similar warnings Matthew 24:6-7. return to 'Top of Page'”

“51:46 Violence will erupt: As an enemy army headed toward Babylon, the leaders inside the city were blaming each other. Vicious in-fighting was tearing Babylon apart.”

“lest: or, let not, Kg2 19:7; Mat 24:6-8; Mar 13:7, Mar 13:8; Luk 21:9-19, Luk 21:28 a rumour shall: Isa 13:3-5, Isa 21:2, Isa 21:3 ruler against: Jdg 7:22; Sa1 14:16-20; Ch2 20:23; Isa 19:2 Jeremiah 51:47”

“Yet they are not to despair when the catastrophe draws near, and all kinds of rumours of war and oppression are abroad. The repetition of השּׁמוּעה expresses the correlative relation, - this and that report; cf. Ewald, 360, c. The suffix in אחריו has a neuter sense; the word means "afterwards" (= אחרי זאת, Job 42:16). וחמס בּארץ is also to be taken as dependent, grammatically, on וּבא: "and when a deed of violence is committed in the land, one ruler (rises up) against the other." These words presuppose not merely a pretty long duration of the war, but also rebellion and revolution, through which Babylon is to go to ruin. In this sense they are employed by Christ for describing the wars and…”