The origin and initiation of Babylon was Babel (Gen. 11:7-9). Babel was built by Nimrod, a descendant of Ham, and was the beginning of human government on earth formed in opposition to God (Gen. 10:6-11; Dan. 2:31-32, 38). It was a land full of idols, where man worshipped idols, exalted man’s self, and opposed God (v. 38b; Josh. 24:2; Gen. 11:3-4). Babel had its continuation in Babylon, which, in the sight of God, is the consummation of human government. Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, was even identified with Satan as Satan’s embodiment (Isa. 14:4, 11-15). It was this Babylon that destroyed God’s holy city and His holy temple and carried God’s holy people and the vessels of God’s temple into captivity (2 Chron. 36:17-20). The coming restored Roman Empire under Antichrist, and the Roman Church, will both, in the spiritual sense, be called Babylon the Great (Rev. 17:5; 18:2). Hence, Babylon typifies the world, both physically and spiritually, that worships idols, exalts man, and rebels against God to the uttermost, all of which was or will be utterly destroyed by God (Jer. 51:11; Rev. 14:8; Rev. 16:19b; Rev. 17:16; 18:8-10).

God will judge Babylon to such an extent that nothing of Babylon will remain in the universe. Both Isaiah and Jeremiah prophesied that once Babylon has been destroyed, it will not be restored (Isa. 14:22-23; Jer. 50:39; 51:62). When God destroys both the religious and the political Babylon at the end of the age, that will be the end of the judgment on Babylon prophesied in chs. 50—51. After this, there will be no more human government on earth. See Dan. 2:32-34 and notes.

Two Babylonian idols, Bel being the chief idol (Isa. 46:1).

The Medes (Jer. 51:11, 28).

God is the habitation, the dwelling place, of His chosen people (Deut. 33:27; Psa. 90:1; 1 John 4:16; Rev. 21:22).

See note Isa. 48:20¹.

In addition to destroying the nation of Israel, the people of Israel, the holy temple of God, the holy city of God, and the holy land of God, Nebuchadnezzar with the Babylonian army captured the holy vessels, which were used to serve God in the temple, and brought a great part of these vessels to Babylon and put them in the temple of his god (2 Chron. 36:7, 18; Dan. 1:1-2). This insulted God to the uttermost and was the reason that God’s verdict on Babylon is described as His vengeance (v. 28; 51:11). See Dan. 5 and notes.

A region of Babylon, the name of which also means double rebellion. “Some take the word as a symbolic name of Babylon” (Darby).

See note Jer. 50:15¹.

Others read, many.

The noun, here and in v. 32, is a personified reference to Babylon.

Lit., his.