And I will make it a possession for the ericius and pools of waters, and I will sweep it and wear it out with a besom, saith the Lord of hosts.
וְשַׂמְתִּ֛יהָ לְמוֹרַ֥שׁ קִפֹּ֖ד וְאַגְמֵי־מָ֑יִם וְטֵֽאטֵאתִ֙יהָ֙ בְּמַטְאֲטֵ֣א הַשְׁמֵ֔ד נְאֻ֖ם יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃
3 Church Fathers comment on this verse
I will transform it into a habitat for hedgehogs and a marshland. Others refer to it as the inheritance of the serpent. I will cleanse it with a sweeping judgment, declares the Lord of hosts, and it will amount to nothing; I will also devastate the thorns. When, due to the sins of the people, the land yields what leads to their ruin, it becomes a greater calamity than surrendering a city to adversaries.
The passages we have cited appear to provide a concise summary of previously articulated thoughts. They convey the stark message that Babylon will be completely abandoned by humanity and will instead be overrun by creatures that favor the wilderness as their home. Since the Euphrates, upon which Babylon was situated, is likely characterized by a powerful flow, it is noted that the river split the city into two parts. When the water was not appropriately redirected through canals, it flooded the city, creating numerous marshes. Consequently, the once magnificent and renowned city, acknowledged as a leader among others and regarded as the epitome of glory, transformed into a quagmire, which led to the ruin of those who ventured within its borders.
The progeny of the wicked shall be utterly eradicated. Prepare your offspring to pay for the wrongdoings of their ancestors; they shall not arise to inherit the land, nor shall they populate the expanse of creation with cities. Historical accounts align with the Scriptures, stating that after the death of Belshazzar, Nebuchadnezzar’s descendant, Darius ascended to power over the Chaldeans, leaving no royal heirs surviving. Thus, Scripture anticipates that Babylon will reach such desolation that not even a member of the royal lineage will remain, and all descendants will face destruction due to the transgressions of the father.
The Hebrew text suggests that instead of thriving as cities, these descendants will not rise as adversaries, indicating that none from this lineage shall seek to reclaim their kingdom. The interpretation of the Seventy where it reads, "O evil seed, prepare thy sons for the sins of thy father, lest they rise up," presents a mystery for consideration.
The Lord of Hosts proclaims that He will rise against them and annihilate the name of Babylon, along with its remnant, offspring, and generations. He will turn it into a landscape fit for hedgehogs and marshlands, sweeping it away thoroughly as if with a broom. Historians like Herodotus have described Babylon’s grandeur, mentioning its vastness with a circumference of sixty-four thousand paces, and its towering structure conceived after the flood, reportedly four thousand paces tall. They recount marble temples, golden idols, and streets glimmering with precious stones, which sound almost beyond belief. We recount this to illustrate that before the wrath of God, all human magnificence is reduced to dust, as ashes and cinders. Were foreign nations to invade and witness the remnants of this mighty city today, they would find only the realm of the hedgehog and swampy waters, confirming the prophecy of Isaiah: "I will sweep it away with a broom, I will sweep it away," as today only crumbling brick walls remain, serving as a desolate prison for beasts.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS