Verse-by-Verse Bible CommentaryJeremiah 51:3
"Let not him who bends his bow bend it, Nor let him rise up in his scale-armor; So do not spare her young men; Devote all her army to destruction. Jump to: Barne's Notes • Gill's Exposition • Commentary Critical and Explanatory • Calvin's Commentary • Trapp's Commentary • Coke's Commentary • Poole's Annotations • Whedon's Commentary • Haydock's Catholic Commentary • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes • Commentary Critical and Explanatory - Unabridged • Ellicott's Commentary • Treasury of Knowledge Other Authors
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole BibleThe man who bends the bow, and the heavy-armed soldier who vaunts himself in his coat of mail (Jeremiah 46:4 note), represent the Babylonians who defend the city. Copyright Statement Bibliography John Gill's Exposition of the Whole BibleAgainst him that bendeth let the archer bend his bow,.... These are either the words of the Lord to the Medes and Persians, to the archers among them, to bend their bows and level their arrows against the Chaldeans, who had bent their bows and shot their arrows against others; or of the Medes and Persians stirring up one another to draw their bows, and fight manfully against the enemy: and against him that lifteth up himself in his brigandine; or coat of mail; that swaggers about in it, proud of it, and putting his confidence in it, as if out of all danger. The sense is, that they should direct their arrows both against those that were more lightly or more heavily armed; since by them they might do execution among the one and the other: and spare ye not her young men; because of their youth, beauty, and strength: destroy ye utterly all her host; her whole army, whether officers or common soldiers; or let them be accoutred in what manner they will. The Targum is, "consume all her substance.' Copyright Statement Bibliography Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole BibleAgainst him that bendeth — namely, the bow; that is, the Babylonian archer. let the archer bend — that is, the Persian archer (Jeremiah 50:4). The Chaldean version and Jerome, by changing the vowel points, read, “Let not him (the Babylonian) who bendeth his bow bend it.” But the close of the verse is addressed to the Median invaders; therefore it is more likely that the first part of the verse is addressed to them, as in English Version, not to the Babylonians, to warn them against resistance as vain, as in the Chaldean version. The word “bend” is thrice repeated: “Against him that bendeth let him that bendeth bend,” to imply the utmost straining of the bow. Copyright Statement Bibliography Calvin's Commentary on the BibleInterpreters give various expositions of this verse. Some understand a soldier of light armor by him who bends the bow; and by him who elevates himself in his coat of mail, they understand a heavy-armed, soldier, There is also another difference; some take אל, al, for לא, la, when it is said ואל יתעל , veal itol, because a copulative follows; and the words seem not to be well connected, if we read thus, “As to him who raises himself up in his coat of mail, and spare ye not,” etc.; and hence they take negatively the particle אל, al, instead of לא la, “and he may not raise up himself in his coat of mail.” But it is probable that the copulative in the second place is redundant The simple meaning would therefore be, As to him who bends the bow, and who raises himself up in his coat of mall (81) I do not, indeed, give such a refined interpretation as some do, respecting the light and heavy armed soldiers. I doubt not, then, but that he points out the archers, and those clad in mail. If, however, any one prefers the other explanation, let him enjoy his own opinion. As to the main point, it is evident that the Prophet exhorts the Persians and the Medes not to spare the young men among the Chaldeans, but to destroy their whole army, so that no part of it should be left remaining. At him who bends let the bender bend his bow, And at him who glories in his coat of mail; And spare ye not her chosen men, Utterly destroy all her host. There is here perfect consistency. They who take אל as a negative say, that the first part is addressed to the Chaldeans, and the second to their enemies; but this would be strangely abrupt. — Ed. Copyright Statement Bibliography John Trapp Complete CommentaryJeremiah 51:3 Against [him that] bendeth let the archer bend his bow, and against [him that] lifteth himself up in his brigandine: and spare ye not her young men; destroy ye utterly all her host. Ver. 3. Against him that bendeth.] Periphrasis Babylonii, omnibus gentibus infesti. Copyright Statement Bibliography Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy BibleJeremiah 51:3. Against him that bendeth— Let not him who bendeth the bow relax his hand; let him not put off his armour. Houbigant. And against him that lifteth himself up in his brigandine— And let him not lift up himself in his brigandine. This is exactly parallel in sense to the preceding part of the verse, if the posture of him that stoops to bend the bow be considered. For in using the large and strong steel bows, which could not be bent by the force of the arms, they rested one end upon the ground, and pressing the other with the foot or knee, they drew back the arrow with their hands as far as ever they could, in order that it might fly with greater force. Hence the archer is called קשׁת דרךֶ dorec kesheth, one that treadeth the bow. And therefore when he is bid not to lift himself up in his coat of mail, it is the same as bidding him not to desist from shooting with his bow. Copyright Statement Bibliography Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy BibleWhatever arms the Babylonians shall be armed with, they shall meet with their matches; those that are archers shall meet with archers to bend the bow against them, and those who are otherwise armed shall meet with persons prepared to encounter them at their own weapons. Their whole host shall be destroyed, both young and old men. Copyright Statement Bibliography Whedon's Commentary on the Bible3. Archer — Literally, bender. The Masoretes have stumbled over the text of this verse, and there has been some variety of opinion among the critical expositors of recent times. But there is no serious difficulty in the text as it now stands, and it is by all means to be accepted. Copyright Statement Bibliography George Haydock's Catholic Bible CommentaryMail. There will be little or no resistance made, chap. l. 3. (Haydock) --- The Persians denounce destruction to all taken in arms; or, according to Septuagint and Syriac they exhort each other to fight. (Calmet) --- "Let him," &c. (Haydock) --- Hebrew of the Masorets, "you who bend....spare not." (Calmet) --- Protestants, "against him that bendeth let the archer bend his bow," &c. (Haydock) --- Hebrew is printed ne tendat tendat tendans. The second word is properly omitted in some manuscripts. Thus (1 Chronicles xxiv. 6.) we read taken taken, achuz having been put erroneously for achad, one. (Kennicott) Copyright Statement Bibliography E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible NotesAgainst him that bendeth, &c. The Massorah (App-30), instead of cancelling the repeated word "against . . . and against" ("el), directs the substitution of "al, "not . . . and not". The verse will then read, "Let not the archer bend his bow, nor let him lift himself up in his coat of mail" (i.e. in defence of Babylon). This is so read in two early printed editions, Chaldee, Syriac, Vulgate, and Revised Version. brigandine = coat of mail. destroy = break down. Hebrew. haram. Same word as Jeremiah 51:54. Not the same as verses: Jeremiah 51:1, Jeremiah 51:8, Jeremiah 51:11, Jeremiah 51:20, Jeremiah 51:25, Jeremiah 51:25, Jeremiah 51:54, Jeremiah 51:55. Copyright Statement Bibliography Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - UnabridgedAgainst him that bendeth let the archer bend his bow, and against him that lifteth himself up in his brigandine: and spare ye not her young men; destroy ye utterly all her host. Against him that bendeth - namely, the bow, i:e., against the Babylonian archer. Let the archer bend - i:e., the Persian archer (Jeremiah 50:14). The Chaldean version and Jerome, by changing the vowel points, read ['al, instead of 'el], 'Let NOT him (the Babylonian) who bendeth his bow bend it.' But the close of the verse is addressed to the Median invaders; therefore it is more likely that the first part of the verse is addressed to them, as in the 'English version, not to the Babylonians, to warn them against resistance as vain, as in the Chaldaic version. The word bend is thrice repeated in the Hebrew. 'Against him that bendeth, let him that bendeth (the archer, in the English version) bend,' to imply the utmost straining of the bow. Copyright Statement Bibliography Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(3) Let the archer bend his bow.—The words represent the sense of the original, but the Hebrew word for “archer” is literally bender, and so the iteration of the verb gains its full rhetorical force. On “brigandine,” as meaning the “coat of mail” of heavy-armed troops, see Note on Jeremiah 46:4. The two classes of soldiers describe collectively the garrison that defended Babylon. Copyright Statement Bibliography Treasury of Scripture KnowledgeAgainst him that bendeth let the archer bend his bow, and against him that lifteth himself up in his brigandine: and spare ye not her young men; destroy ye utterly all her host.
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