The Lord hath opened his armory, &c. God hath raised up enemies to subdue the Chaldeans, namely, Cyrus and his confederates, and hath furnished them with all the means necessary for such an undertaking. Come against her from the utmost border From distant parts, namely, from the Caspian and Euxine seas. Cast her up as heaps The marginal rendering seems preferable; Tread her, trample over her, as heaps of ruins; or tread her as the corn is trodden down when it is thrashed. Slay her bullocks That is, Her strong men, as the Vulgate and the Chaldee interpret the expression. Wo unto them, for their day is come The time in which they are to be punished. The voice of them that escape, to declare in Zion, &c. This may either foretel that some of the Babylonians would flee as far as Judea for refuge, and there publish what had befallen Babylon, or, which seems more likely, that some of those Jews or proselytes to the Jewish religion in Chaldea, who were more than ordinarily zealous for the welfare of God's church and people, would be ready, upon the first news of the taking of Babylon, to bring the glad tidings to Judea, that God had avenged his people, and executed his judgments on those who destroyed his temple, and profaned the holy vessels of it: see Jeremiah 51:51; Daniel 5:1-3; Daniel 5:5; Daniel 5:30. Call together the archers See Jeremiah 50:9; Jeremiah 50:14. Recompense her according to her work This is applied to mystical Babylon, Revelation 18:6, which, when fulfilled, will be a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, as St. Paul speaks, 2 Thessalonians 1:5, at which all good men ought to rejoice, and give glory to God when they see it effected. For she hath been proud against the Lord Hath exalted herself against God, saying, I am, and there is none besides me, Isaiah 47:7-8, where see the notes. Therefore shall her young men fall in the streets Xenophon relates, lib. 7., that when Gobryas and Gadates, two of Cyrus's generals, with their soldiers, had got into the city, they marched directly toward the palace, killing all they met, and, having surprised the guards, cut them in pieces, and slain the king himself, they, without difficulty, made themselves masters of the palace. I will kindle a fire in his cities This may be meant of the destruction made in the Babylonian territories, in the several expeditions Cyrus undertook against that monarchy before the taking of Babylon.
Jeremiah 50:25-32
25 The LORD hath opened his armoury, and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation: for this is the work of the Lord GOD of hosts in the land of the Chaldeans.
26 Come against her from the utmost border, open her storehouses: cast her up as heaps, and destroy her utterly: let nothing of her be left.
27 Slay all her bullocks; let them go down to the slaughter: woe unto them! for their day is come, the time of their visitation.
28 The voice of them that flee and escape out of the land of Babylon, to declare in Zion the vengeance of the LORD our God, the vengeance of his temple.
29 Call together the archers against Babylon: all ye that bend the bow, camp against it round about; let none thereof escape: recompense her according to her work; according to all that she hath done, do unto her: for she hath been proud against the LORD, against the Holy One of Israel.
30 Therefore shall her young men fall in the streets, and all her men of war shall be cut off in that day, saith the LORD.
31 Behold, I am against thee, O thou most proud, saith the Lord GOD of hosts: for thy day is come, the time that I will visit thee.
32 And the most proud shall stumble and fall, and none shall raise him up: and I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it shall devour all round about him.