Indictment of Judah and the Nations (25:1-38) 265all the kings of Elam. Elam was located east of the lower Tigris, opposite
southern Babylonia (Chaldea). To the north was Media and Assyria; to the
south the Persian Gulf. In the seventh and possibly early sixth centuries B.C.,
Elam was much involved in world affairs, which may explain Jeremiah's judg-
ment on such a faraway nation here and in 49:34-39, where there are two ora-
cles in the Foreign Nation Collection (see Note for 49:34).
all the kings of Media. Media was an ancient kingdom in what today is
northwest Iran, eastern Turkey, and Azerbaijan. The Medes, who were fre-
quently associated with the Elamites (Isa 21:2), rose to power in the late sev-
enth century, joining forces with Babylon to overthrow Nineveh in 612 B.C.
Thereafter, Media continued as a force to be reckoned with, annexing territory
north and east of Mesopotamia in 585 B.C., e.g., Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz
(51:27). But its predicted attack on Babylon (51:11, 28; Isa 13:17), as far as we
know, never materialized. Media was conquered by Cyrus in 5 50 B.C., after
which it became absorbed into the Persian Empire. From this point on, the
Medes and Persians became closely identified (Esth 10:2 and Dan 8:20: "kings
of Media and Persia"). The LXX translation here is "all the kings of the Per-
sians." On the geography and history of Media, see Note for 51:28. There are
no oracles against Media in the Foreign Nation Collection, but "the kings of
Media" are mentioned in 51: 11 and 28.
- all the kings of the north. Not the "tribes of the north" in 1: 15 and 2 5 :9,
who formed an enemy coalition from the more immediate north and east
against Judah in 599-598 B.C. The kings referred to here would be primarily
those of Ararat (= Urartu), Minni (= Mannai), and Ashkenaz (= Ashguzai/
Scythians) in the far north, who are cited in 51 :27. A confusion of peoples may
lie behind LXX's pavtas basileis apo apeliotou ("all the kings of the east"),
which cannot be right.
those near and those far. Hebrew haqqerobfm weharel;oqfm, which has in-
verted assonance. Compare a similar expression in 48:24. The inclusiveness
may be within the far northern region; on the other hand, kings in Syria may
also be "those near," particularly since Damascus, which receives a judgment
oracle in 49:23-27, is not named in the present list.
one to another. Hebrew >rs >ez_>a!Jfw, lit., "each (man) to his brother." In
25:32 it says that "evil shall go forth from nation to nation." Here each nation
passes the cup of wrath to the next. Compare the passing of the cup of blessing
in the Christian Eucharist, which is both death and life ( 1 Cor 10: 16; cf. Mark
14:23-24 and parallels).
yes, all the world's kingdoms that are on the face of the earth. Reading ha> are$
as "the world," with the AV and RSV, as the Hebrew is otherwise difficult to ren-
der into English. The NJV has "all the royal lands which are on the earth."
This is a summary statement intending to include any nation or region not
mentioned, excepting Babylon, which follows climactically. Judgment will be
worldwide (cf. Isa 24:1-13). The LXX and Slack ha>are$ ("the earth, world"),
which does appear to be out of place. The Masoretes, for their part, took ham-
mamlek6t ha>are$ as a construct chain, but that violates the rule of construct