And the land shall tremble and sorrow: for every purpose of the LORD shall be performed against Babylon, to make the land of Babylon a desolation without an inhabitant.
And the land shall tremble and sorrow: for every purpose of the LORD shall be performed against Babylon, to make the land of Babylon a desolation without an inhabitant—The Hebrew verbs "tremble" (ra'ash, רָעַשׁ) and "sorrow" (chul, חוּל) create vivid imagery: the land itself convulses in birth pangs or earthquake tremors as God's judgment arrives. This personification appears throughout prophetic literature (Isaiah 24:19-20; Nahum 1:5), emphasizing that divine judgment affects all creation, not just human inhabitants.
The phrase "every purpose of the LORD shall be performed" (kol-machashebet YHWH, כָּל־מַחֲשֶׁבֶת יְהוָה) uses machashebet (plans/purposes), the same word for human scheming. God's purposes are infinitely superior to human plans; Isaiah 46:10 declares, "My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure." What God purposes inevitably comes to pass—unlike human schemes that fail (Psalm 33:10-11).
"Without an inhabitant" (me'en yoshev, מֵאֵין יוֹשֵׁב) echoes the curse formula throughout Jeremiah 46-51. While literal depopulation didn't occur immediately, Babylon's gradual abandonment over centuries fulfilled this prophecy. Theologically, this demonstrates that God's prophetic purposes operate on His timeline, not ours—delay doesn't equal failure.
Historical Context
The Babylonian Chronicle records that Babylon fell to Cyrus with minimal military resistance—the city didn't experience earthquake or violent convulsion during the actual conquest. The "trembling" is therefore prophetic-poetic language describing the shock and terror of sudden imperial collapse. Herodotus and Xenophon describe the surprise when Persian forces entered Babylon during a feast.
The gradual depopulation fulfilled "without an inhabitant" over centuries. After Persian conquest (539 BCE), revolts under Darius (522 BCE) and Xerxes (482 BCE) led to partial destruction and population decline. Seleucus I founded Seleucia on the Tigris (305 BCE), drawing away inhabitants. By Strabo's time (first century BCE/CE), Babylon was mostly deserted. Modern archaeological surveys show minimal occupation after the Parthian period. The prophecy's fulfillment wasn't instantaneous but inexorable—God's purposes performed over centuries.
Questions for Reflection
How does creation's response to judgment (trembling, sorrow) reveal that sin's consequences extend beyond humanity?
What comfort comes from knowing that 'every purpose of the LORD shall be performed' despite apparent delays?
How should believers respond when God's prophetic timeline doesn't match human expectations?
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Analysis & Commentary
And the land shall tremble and sorrow: for every purpose of the LORD shall be performed against Babylon, to make the land of Babylon a desolation without an inhabitant—The Hebrew verbs "tremble" (ra'ash, רָעַשׁ) and "sorrow" (chul, חוּל) create vivid imagery: the land itself convulses in birth pangs or earthquake tremors as God's judgment arrives. This personification appears throughout prophetic literature (Isaiah 24:19-20; Nahum 1:5), emphasizing that divine judgment affects all creation, not just human inhabitants.
The phrase "every purpose of the LORD shall be performed" (kol-machashebet YHWH, כָּל־מַחֲשֶׁבֶת יְהוָה) uses machashebet (plans/purposes), the same word for human scheming. God's purposes are infinitely superior to human plans; Isaiah 46:10 declares, "My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure." What God purposes inevitably comes to pass—unlike human schemes that fail (Psalm 33:10-11).
"Without an inhabitant" (me'en yoshev, מֵאֵין יוֹשֵׁב) echoes the curse formula throughout Jeremiah 46-51. While literal depopulation didn't occur immediately, Babylon's gradual abandonment over centuries fulfilled this prophecy. Theologically, this demonstrates that God's prophetic purposes operate on His timeline, not ours—delay doesn't equal failure.