Call together the archers against Babylon
The Medes and Persians, who were well skilled in archery, especially the Elamites; see ( Isaiah 22:6 ) ; hence Horace F4 makes mention of "Medi pharetra"; and Cyrus in Xenophon F5 says, that he had under his command sixty thousand men that wore targets and were archers; (See Gill on Jeremiah 50:9). Some render it "many", as the Targum; and the sense is, either gather many together against Babylon, a large army; or cause many to hear the vengeance against Babylon; publish this good news; so the word used by the Targum signifies; and this will be done by Gospel preachers, with respect to mystical Babylon, ( Revelation 14:6 Revelation 14:8 ) ; all ye that bend the bow, camp against it round about; let none thereof
escape;
surround it on every side; besiege it so closely that none may be able to escape: recompence her according to her work: according to all that she hath
done, do unto her;
which is the law of retaliation; (See Gill on Jeremiah 50:15); and with it compare ( Revelation 18:6 ) ; for she hath been proud against the Lord, against the Holy One of
Israel;
behaved haughtily and contemptuously towards the Lord and his people; burning the city and temple of Jerusalem; profaning the vessels of it, and ill treating the captive Jews; so the Targum,
``because she hath spoken ill against the people of the Lord, saying words which were not right before the Holy One of Israel;''which may fitly be applied to antichrist the man of sin, sitting in the temple of God, showing himself as God; opening his mouth in blasphemy against him and his saints, ( 2 Thessalonians 2:4 ) ( Revelation 13:5 Revelation 13:6 ) .