The Babylonian Response (Jeremiah 51:30-33).
As already mentioned Gobryas, the Persian general, took the city of Babylon by stealth, having diverted the water course that led into the city, thus being able to walk into the city with his men along the dry river bed. We can imagine the effect that the sudden appearance of these Persian soldiers within the city itself would have had on the inhabitants. They had been trusting in Babylon's huge walls to prevent the taking of the city. They knew that no siege weapons would have been effective against them. They would thus have been utterly demoralised.
The mighty men of Babylon have forborne to fight,
They remain in their strongholds,
Their might has failed,
They are become as women,
Her dwelling-places are set on fire,
Her bars are broken.”
We are not surprised therefore to learn that the mighty men of Babylon refrained from taking on the enemy but rather retired into their citadels. They ‘forbore to fight'. They ‘remained in their strongholds'. They knew very well that they were not a match for the whole Persian army which could now walk into the city without hindrance. Thus they ‘became as women', unwilling and unready to fight. Meanwhile many buildings would be set on fire by the Persian looters, in spite of the instructions to spare the city. And the bars of the city gate would have been broken in order to ensure continual access for the invaders. What is remarkable is that this was foreseen by Jeremiah long before. It was YHWH's doing.
“One post will run to meet another,
And one messenger to meet another,
To show the king of Babylon that his city is taken on every quarter,
And the passages are seized,
And the reeds (literally ‘pools') they have burned with fire,
And the men of war are terrified.”
The Babylonian system of postal runners was a marvel of the age, as one runner passed messages on to the next one in relays until they reached their destination. In this case the system was used for the purpose of getting the news of the fall of Babylon to ‘the king of Babylon'. This may have been to Belshazzar as he feasted with his lords in Babylon (crown prince but called king), or to Nabonidus, the king of Babylon, in his Arabian retreat. He quickly learned that every quarter in the city had fallen, and that the ways and ferries over the Euphrates, which joined two parts of the city together, had been seized. Furthermore he learned that the vegetation, (and possibly the boats and other structures), growing in the ‘pools' around the city had been set on fire, in order to bring out the fugitives hiding there, and that his own soldiers were terrified, as well they might be, for they would expect the Persian soldiery to treat them as they would have treated others. The whole emphasis is on the demoralisation of the Babylonian defenders.
“For thus says YHWH of hosts, the God of Israel,
The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing-floor,
At the time when it is trodden,
Yet a little while,
And the time of harvest will come for her.”
For the truth was that Babylon's time had come. It would be trodden down like a threshing floor at the time when the grain was trodden down, at the time of harvest, a harvest which was to come for Babylon in ‘a little while'. And this was the declaration of YHWH of hosts, the God of Israel. For He was repairing the damage done to His people.