Jeremiah 50:21
“Go up against the land of Merathaim, and against the inhabitants of Pekod. Kill, and devote them to destruction, declares the LORD, and do all that I have commanded you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The prophet uses wordplay, transforming place names into descriptions of judgment. "Merathaim," likely referencing a real place, sounds like "double rebellion," while "Pekod" sounds like "visitation," highlighting Babylon's guilt and the divine punishment awaiting them. This isn't just geography; it's God naming his enemies by their sin.
God is directing the Medes and Persians, represented by Cyrus, to attack Babylon. The prophet uses evocative names, "Merathaim" (double rebellion) and "Pekod" (punishment/visitation), to describe the land and its people, highlighting their deep sinfulness and the impending divine judgment. This command sets the stage for the complete destruction of Babylon as prophesied throughout the chapter.
Why does God use such harsh-sounding names like 'Merathaim' and 'Pekod' for His enemies?
Jeremiah 50:21 uses names that aren't just place names, but loaded descriptions of Babylon's character and fate.
'Merathaim' – Double Rebellion
The word 'Merathaim' likely means 'double rebellion' or 'double bitterness.' It points to Babylon's extreme defiance against God and its oppressive cruelty towards His people. This wasn't just one act of rebellion, but a pattern, a deep-seated defiance that earned it God's severe judgment. God isn't caught off guard by such nations; He names their sin precisely.
'Pekod' – The Coming Judgment
'Pekod' is closely related to the idea of 'visitation' or 'punishment.' It's a stark warning: those who engage in double rebellion will face a divine reckoning. God declares that judgment is coming, and it will be thorough. The names themselves reveal God's perspective – He sees the sin and the inevitable consequence.
Who is God speaking to in this verse, and how can He command non-believers to act?
This passage is a powerful reminder that God is sovereign over all nations, including those who don't know Him.
An Army on a Mission
The command to 'Go up against the land of Merathaim' is directed at the Medes and Persians, led by Cyrus. These were pagan nations, not followers of Yahweh. Yet, God uses them as instruments of His wrath against Babylon.
God's Unseen Hand
While Cyrus and his army fought for their own reasons – conquest and expansion – God's purposes were at work behind the scenes. He 'commands' them not by giving them a moral law (as He does believers), but by influencing their hearts and guiding their actions through His sovereign power. As Proverbs 21:1 says, 'The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.' God orchestrates history, using even the ungodly to accomplish His will and bring judgment on those who defy Him.
Understand the original words
Merathayim · Hebrew Noun
A Hebrew term meaning "double rebellion," used here as a symbolic name for Babylon to highlight its deep, persistent, and multi-faceted defiance against God.
Pekod · Hebrew Noun
A Hebrew term meaning "punishment" or "visitation," used symbolically here to signify that the time for divine judgment and recompense against Babylon has arrived.
charam · Hebrew Verb
In a military context, this refers to the religious act of placing an entity or group under a total ban, dedicating them entirely to destruction as an offering to God's holiness and justice.
YHWH · Hebrew Noun
Yahweh; the self-existent, covenant-keeping God of Israel who is personal, holy, and the ultimate sovereign over all history and nations.
Jeremiah prophesies the judgment against Babylon, using descriptive Hebrew names like 'Merathaim' (land of double rebellion) and 'Pekod' (visitation) to highlight its sin and impending doom. This prophecy was delivered during the height of Babylonian power, yet it anticipates their ultimate downfall by the Medes and Persians, a judgment the people of Judah would eventually witness from exile.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Assyrian Deportations
The northern Kingdom of Israel falls to the Assyrian Empire, leading to mass deportations and the scattering of the Israelite population, a foreshadowing of the Babylonian exile to come.
626 BC
Rise of Nebuchadnezzar I
Nebuchadnezzar I begins his reign, establishing a powerful Neo-Babylonian Empire that would eventually conquer Judah and dominate the region.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar II conquers Jerusalem and deports a significant portion of the Judean elite, including Daniel, to Babylon, marking the beginning of the Babylonian Exile.
587/586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Destruction of the Temple
The Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar II sack Jerusalem, destroy Solomon's Temple, and deport the majority of the remaining population to Babylon, devastating the nation of Judah.
This passage lists the Babylonians, alongside Chaldeans and all their associates, as those who will be judged. It connects to Jeremiah 50:21 by identifying the 'inhabitants of Pekod' with the broader Babylonian empire facing divine wrath.
Isaiah 47:1This prophecy describes the downfall of Babylon, calling it a 'virgin daughter' and predicting its humiliation. It echoes the theme of judgment found in Jeremiah 50:21, portraying Babylon as a proud entity destined for destruction.
Jeremiah 51:3This verse continues the theme of judgment against Babylon, urging the Medes to prepare their bows against it. It reinforces the military campaign described in Jeremiah 50:21, emphasizing the totality of the destruction to be wrought upon the city and its people.
Revelation 18:2This New Testament passage declares Babylon 'has fallen, has fallen, that great city' and describes it as a 'dwelling place for demons.' It functions as a spiritual fulfillment, showing how the ancient judgment on literal Babylon foreshadows a future, spiritual judgment on systems of opposition to God.
gillJeremiah 50:21: "Go up against the land of Merathaim, even against it, and against the inhabitants of Pekod: waste and utterly destroy after them, saith the LORD, and do according to all that I have commanded thee."
Go up against the land of Merathaim,.... Thought to be the country of the Mardi, which lay part of it in Assyria, and part of it in Armenia; expressed in the dual number, because one part of it lay on one side the Tigris, and the other on the other side. Cyrus, with his army of Mede…
pooleJeremiah 50:21: "Go up against the land of Merathaim, even against it, and against the inhabitants of Pekod: waste and utterly destroy after them, saith the LORD, and do according to all that I have commanded thee."
There is some disputes amongst interpreters, whether the words here, Merathaim and Pekod, be to be taken as common nouns, the one signifying rebels or rulers, the other visitation, because the Chaldeans were rebels against the Lord, and were great rulers over all the contiguous nati…
The prophet uses wordplay, transforming place names into descriptions of judgment. "Merathaim," likely referencing a real place, sounds like "double rebellion," while "Pekod" sounds like "visitation," highlighting Babylon's guilt and the divine punishment awaiting them. This isn't just geography; it's God naming his enemies by their sin.
God is directing the Medes and Persians, represented by Cyrus, to attack Babylon. The prophet uses evocative names, "Merathaim" (double rebellion) and "Pekod" (punishment/visitation), to describe the land and its people, highlighting their deep sinfulness and the impending divine judgment. This command sets the stage for the complete destruction of Babylon as prophesied throughout the chapter.
God is directing the Medes and Persians, represented by Cyrus, to attack Babylon. The prophet uses evocative names, "Merathaim" (double rebellion) and "Pekod" (punishment/visitation), to describe the land and its people, highlighting their deep sinfulness and the impending divine judgment. This command sets the stage for the complete destruction of Babylon as prophesied throughout the chapter.
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539 BC
Cyrus the Great Conquers Babylon
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538 BC
Edict of Cyrus and Return of Exiles
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"“Go up against the land of Merathaim, and against the inhabitants of Pekod. Kill, and devote them to destruction, declares the LORD, and do all that I have commanded you." — The prophet uses wordplay, transforming place names into descriptions of judgment. "Merathaim," likely referencing a real place, sounds like "double rebellion," while "Pekod" sounds like "visitation,…
