“When Oholibah saw them,
She lusted after them.
She sent messengers
To them
In Chaldea.
The Babylonians
Came to her
Into her bed of love.
They defiled her
With their lust.
After she defiled herself
With them,
She turned
From them
In disgust.”
When Oholibah saw these pictures, she lusted after the Babylonians. Thus she sent messengers to them in Chaldea, inviting them to come to Jerusalem. They came to her in her bed of love. Thus they defiled her with their sexual lust. She had, in fact, defiled herself with them. Finally, she turned away from them in disgust.
Chaldea
The planned attack on Babylon (Jer 50:9-50:10)
“‘I am going to stir up
Those against Babylon.
I am bringing
A company of great nations,
Against Babylon,
From the north country.
They shall array themselves
Against her.
From there
She shall be taken.
Their arrows are
Like the arrows
Of a skilled warrior
Who does not return
Empty-handed.
Chaldea shall be
Plundered.
All who plunder her
Shall be sated.’
Says Yahweh.”
Here the attack on Babylon is not from one country, but a series of countries, all from the north, as usual. Yahweh was going to stir up these attackers. Their arrows would be like those of skilled archers. Chaldea would be plundered so that everyone would have their fill.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 