Jeremiah 51:34 - Exposition

The Jewish captives are introduced, describing the offences of Babylon. Hath devoured me; rather, hath devoured us, and so on. "My delicates" (delights), however, is correct. He hath made me; rather, he hath set us ( down ) as . Swallowed me up like a dragon; or, literally , like the dragon . Comparing this with Jeremiah 51:44 , it is difficult not to see an allusion to the Babylonian myth of the Serpent, who in the fight with Marduk (Meredach) devoured the tempest, which rent asunder her belly. The cuneiform text is given in Transactions of Society of Biblical Archaeology, vol. 4. part 2, appendix plate 6. Part of it runs thus—

25. ip-te-ra pi-i-sa Ti-amtu a-na la-h-a-h-sa

Opened also her mouth Tiamtu to swallow it.

26. rukhu limnu yus-te-ri-ba a-na la ca-par sap-ti-sa

The evil wind he caused to enter into the uncovering of her lips [= into her lips before she could close them]

27. iz-zu-ti rukhi car-sa-sa i-tsa-mi-va

violent (were) the winds (which) her belly filled; and

28. in-ni-kud lib-ba-sa va-pa-a-sa yus-pal-ki (?)

she was pierced in her heart and her mouth it caused to divide.‹je-7›

Readers of Smith's 'Chaldean Genesis' will remember Tiamtu the dragon, and the representations thereof given from the gems. In line 27 the word rendered "her belly" contains the Babylonian analogue of the word rendered in this verse "his belly" (kres). With my delicates, he hath cast me out; rather,… cast us out; or, from my delights he hath cast as out. For the variation of person, comp. 11:19 , "Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land into my place;" and on the whole phrase, Micah 2:9 , "… ye have cast out from their pleasant homes."