38 A drought is upon her waters; and they shall be dried up: for it is the land of graven images, and they are mad upon their idols.
38 A drought against her waters, that they may be dried up! For it is a land of images, and they are mad over idols.
38 War to the death on her water supply - drained dry! A land of make-believe gods gone crazy - hobgoblins!
38 A drought is against her waters, and they will be dried up. For it is the land of carved images, And they are insane with their idols.
38 A drought will strike her water supply, causing it to dry up. And why? Because the whole land is filled with idols, and the people are madly in love with them.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Jeremiah 50:38
Commentary on Jeremiah 50:33-46
(Read Jeremiah 50:33-46)
It is Israel's comfort in distress, that, though they are weak, their Redeemer is strong. This may be applied to believers, who complain of the dominion of sin and corruption, and of their own weakness and manifold infirmities. Their Redeemer is able to keep what they commit to him; and sin shall not have dominion over them. He will give them that rest which remains for the people of God. Also here is Babylon's sin, and their punishment. The sins are, idolatry and persecution. He that will not save his people in their sins, never will countenance the wickedness of his open enemies. The judgments of God for these sins will lay them waste. In the judgments denounced against prosperous Babylon, and the mercies promised to afflicted Israel, we learn to choose to suffer affliction with the people of God, rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.