15 For thus the Lord , the God of Israel , says to me, "Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand and cause all the nations to whom I send you to drink it. 16 "They will drink and stagger and go mad because e of the sword that I will send among them." 17 Then I took the cup from the Lord'S hand and made all the nations to whom the Lord sent me drink it: 18 Jerusalem and the cities of Judah and its kings and its princes , to make them a ruin , a horror , a hissing and a curse , as it is this day ; 19 Pharaoh king of Egypt , his servants , his princes and all his people ; 20 and all the foreign people , all the kings of the land of Uz , all the kings of the land of the Philistines (even Ashkelon , Gaza , Ekron and the remnant of Ashdod ); 21 Edom , Moab and the sons of Ammon ; 22 and all the kings of Tyre , all the kings of Sidon and the kings of the coastlands which are beyond the sea ; 23 and Dedan , Tema , Buz and all who cut the corners of their hair; 24 and all the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the foreign people who dwell in the desert ; 25 and all the kings of Zimri , all the kings of Elam and all the kings of Media ; 26 and all the kings of the north , near and far , one with another ; and all the kingdoms of the earth which are upon the face of the ground , and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them. 27 "You shall say to them, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts , the God of Israel , " Drink , be drunk , vomit , fall and rise no more because e of the sword which I will send among you."' 28 "And it will be, if they refuse to take the cup from your hand to drink , then you will say to them, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts : " You shall surely drink ! 29 "For behold , I am beginning to work calamity in this city which is called by My name , and shall you be completely free from punishment ? You will not be free from punishment ; for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth ," declares the Lord of hosts .'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Jeremiah 25:15-29
Commentary on Jeremiah 25:15-29
(Read Jeremiah 25:15-29)
The evil and the good events of life are often represented in Scripture as cups. Under this figure is represented the desolation then coming upon that part of the world, of which Nebuchadnezzar, who had just began to reign and act, was to be the instrument; but this destroying sword would come from the hand of God. The desolations the sword should make in all these kingdoms, are represented by the consequences of excessive drinking. This may make us loathe the sin of drunkenness, that the consequences of it are used to set forth such a woful condition. Drunkenness deprives men of the use of their reason, makes men as mad. It takes from them the valuable blessing, health; and is a sin which is its own punishment. This may also make us dread the judgments of war. It soon fills a nation with confusion. They will refuse to take the cup at thy hand. They will not believe Jeremiah; but he must tell them it is the word of the Lord of hosts, and it is in vain for them to struggle against Almighty power. And if God's judgments begin with backsliding professors, let not the wicked expect to escape.