Translation commentary on Jeremiah 51:56

A destroyer: See verse 48.

The passives has come upon … are taken … are broken can also be expressed as actives if necessary: “An enemy has come to destroy Babylon. They have captured Babylon’s soldiers and broken their bows into pieces.”

For the LORD is a God of recompense, he will surely requite: The word for is important. The enemy will destroy Babylon because the LORD is a God who punishes those who have done evil, and does so according to the sins committed. Requite is a high-level word for “pay back” (see verse 24); New International Version renders it “repay in full.” The LORD is a God of recompense, he will surely requite is changed to a first person reference for God by Good News Translation and rendered “I am a God who punishes evil, and I will treat Babylon as it deserves.” Bible en français courant has “the Lord is a God who gets even and retaliates.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Jeremiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2003. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Translation commentary on Jeremiah 52:26

Nebuzaradan is mentioned by name here rather than in verse 24; most translations will prefer to do the reverse.

At Riblah: See verse 9 and 39.5.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Jeremiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2003. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .