Jer 50:26-27 | NET2full | STEP | Come from far away and attack Babylonia! Open up the places where she stores her grain . Pile her up in ruins . Destroy her completely ! Do not leave anyone alive !

‏ Jeremiah 50:26-27

26 Come from far away and attack Babylonia! ^{▼▼tn Heb “Come against her from the end.” There is a great deal of debate about the meaning of “from the end” (מִקֵּץ, miqqets). Some follow the suggestion of F. Giesebrecht in BDB 892 s.v. קָצֶה 3 and on the basis of the presumed parallel in Jer 51:31 emend the text to מִקָּצֶה (miqqatseh), which is interpreted as “on all sides,” i.e., “from every quarter/side.” However, the phrase does not mean that in Jer 51:31 but is used, as it is elsewhere, of “from one end to another,” i.e., in its entirety (so Gen 19:4). The only real parallel here is the use of the noun קֵץ (qets) with a suffix in Isa 37:24, referring to the remotest part, hence something like from the end (of the earth), i.e., from a far away place. The pronoun “her” has been clarified here as Babylonia in case someone might not see the connection between v. 25d and v. 26.}
Open up the places where she stores her grain.
Pile her up in ruins. ^{▼▼tn Heb “Pile her up like heaps.” Many commentators understand the comparison to be to heaps of grain (compare usage of עֲרֵמָה [ʿaremah] in Hag 2:16; Neh 13:15; Ruth 3:7). However, BDB 790 s.v. עֲרֵמָה is more likely correct that this refers to heaps of ruins (compare the usage in Neh 4:2 [3:34 HT]).} Destroy her completely! ^{▼▼sn Cf. Jer 50:21 and see the study note on 25:9.}
Do not leave anyone alive! ^{▼▼tn Heb “Do not let there be to her a remnant.” According to BDB 984 s.v. שְׁאֵרִית, this refers to the last remnant of people, i.e., there won’t be any survivors. Cf. Jer 11:23.}
27 Kill all her soldiers. ^{▼▼tn Heb “Kill all her young bulls.” Commentators almost universally agree that “young bulls” is figurative here for the princes and warriors (cf. BDB 831 s.v. פַּר 2.f, which compares Isa 34:7 and Ezek 39:18). This is virtually certain because of the reference to the time coming for them to be punished; this would scarcely fit literal bulls. For the verb rendered “kill” here, see the translator’s note on v. 21.}
Let them be slaughtered. ^{▼▼tn Heb “Let them go down to the slaughter.”}
They are doomed, ^{▼▼tn Or “How terrible it will be for them”; Heb “Woe to them.” See the study note on 22:13; compare usage in 23:1 and 48:1.} for their day of reckoning ^{▼▼tn The words “of reckoning” are not in the text but are implicit from the context. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.} has come,
the time for them to be punished.