Jer 51:25, 27, 30, 58 | Clarke | e4.org | Verse 25. O destroying mountain ] An epithet which he applies to the Babylonish government; it is like a burning mountain, which, by vomiting continual streams of burning lava , inundates and destroys all towns, villages fields, &c., in its vicinity. And roll thee down from the rocks ] I will tumble thee from the rocky base on which thou restest. The combustible matter in thy bowels being exhausted, thou shalt appear as an extinguished crater; and the stony matter which thou castest out shall not be of sufficient substance to make a foundation stone for solidity, or a corner stone for beauty, . Under this beautiful and most expressive metaphor, the prophet shows the nature of the Babylonish government; setting the nations on fire, deluging and destroying them by its troops, till at last, exhausted, it tumbles down, is extinguished, and leaves nothing as a basis to erect a new form of government on; but is altogether useless , like the cooled lava, which is, properly speaking, fit for no human purpose.

‏ Jeremiah 51:25

Verse 25. O destroying mountain] An epithet which he applies to the Babylonish government; it is like a burning mountain, which, by vomiting continual streams of burning lava, inundates and destroys all towns, villages fields, &c., in its vicinity.

And roll thee down from the rocks] I will tumble thee from the rocky base on which thou restest. The combustible matter in thy bowels being exhausted, thou shalt appear as an extinguished crater; and the stony matter which thou castest out shall not be of sufficient substance to make a foundation stone for solidity, or a corner stone for beauty, Jer 51:26. Under this beautiful and most expressive metaphor, the prophet shows the nature of the Babylonish government; setting the nations on fire, deluging and destroying them by its troops, till at last, exhausted, it tumbles down, is extinguished, and leaves nothing as a basis to erect a new form of government on; but is altogether useless, like the cooled lava, which is, properly speaking, fit for no human purpose.

‏ Jeremiah 51:27

Verse 27. Set ye up a standard] Another summons to the Medes and Persians to attack Babylon.

Ararat, Minni] The Greater and Lesser Armenia.

And Ashchenaz] A part of Phrygia, near the Hellespont. So Bochart, Phaleg, lib. i. c. 3, lib. iii. c. 9. Concerning Ashchenaz Homer seems to speak, Il. ii. 370, 371:-

φορκυςαυφρυγαςηγεκαιασκανιοςθεοειδης

τηλεξασκανιης

"Ascanius, godlike youth, and Phorcys led

The Phrygians from Ascania's distant land."

Calmet thinks that the Ascantes, who dwelt in the vicinity of the Tanais, are meant.

‏ Jeremiah 51:30

Verse 30. The mighty men-have forborne to fight] They were panic-struck when they found the Medes and Persians within their walls, and at once saw that resistance was useless.

‏ Jeremiah 51:58

Verse 58. The broad walls of Babylon] Herodotus, who saw these walls, says, "The city was a regular square, each side of which was one hundred and twenty stadia, the circumference four hundred and eighty stadia. It was surrounded by a wall fifty cubits broad, and two hundred cubits high; and each side had twenty-five brazen gates."-Herod. lib. i. c. 178. Had not Cyrus resorted to stratagem, humanly speaking, he could not have taken this city. For the destruction of this wall and its very vestiges, See Clarke on Isa 13:19.