Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition)
Threatened Desttuction of Babyhn, ISAIAH XIV. The Eeslorution of Israd.
Chaldees ; it was their glory and boast, as . . . Gomor> rah—as utterly (Jeremiah 49. 18; 50. 40; AtQOs 4. 11). Taken by Cyrus, by clearing out the canal made for emptying the superfluous waters of the Euphrates, and directing the river into this new channel, so that he was able to enter the city by the old bed in the night. 20. lit., hau Klitily exulting ones" (Zephaniah 3. 11); a special characteristic of the Persians (Hkrodotus, 1. 88). They reioiced in their own highness, but it was His that they were uiiconsciously glorifying. 4. the juouiitains--uiz., which separate Media and Assyria, and on one of which the banner to rally the hosts is supposed to be reared, tumultuous noise—The Babylonians are vividly depicted fulfilled, neither . . . Arabian pitch . . . tentnot only shall It not be a permanent residence, but not even a temporary resting-place. The Arabs, through dread of as hearing some unwonted sound like the din of a host; they try to distinguish the sounds, but can only perceive evil spirits, and believing the ghost of Nimrod to haunt a tumultuous noise, uatlous—Medes, Persians, and Armenians composed Cyrus' army. 5. TUey—viz., "Jehovah," and the armies whicli are " the weapons of His indignait, will not pass the night there (cf. v. 21). ncitlier . . . shepherds—the region was once most fertile; but owing to the Euphrates being now no longer kept within its former channels, it has become a stagnant marsh, unfit tion." far country—Media and Persia, stretching to the far north and east, end of heaven-the far east (Psalm for flocks; and on the wastes of Its ruins, bricks and cement, no grass grows. 31. wild beasts Hebrew, tsiyim, animals dwelling in and wastes. Wild cats, remarkable
19. G). destroy—rather, to seize. [Hoxisley.] 6. day of the liord—day of His vengeance on Babylon (ch. 2. 12). Type of the future "day of wrath" (Revelation 6. 17). destruction— a devastating tempest, from the Almighty—not from mere man; therefore Irresistible. "Almighty," Hebrew, Shaddai. 7. faint . . . melt— So Jeremiah 50.43; cf. Joshua 7.5. Babylon was taken by surprise on the night of Belshazzar's Impious feast (Daniel lor their howl. [Bochart.] doleful creatures howling beasts, lit., " bowlings." [Maurer.] owls—rather, ostriches; a timorous creature, delighting in solitary deserts, and making a liideous noise. [Bochart.] satyrs— .syl-van demi-gods—half man, half goat—believed by the Arabs to haunt these ruins; probably animals of the goat-ape
5. 30). Hence the sudden fainting and melting of hearts. 8. pangs—Tlie Hebrew means also a messenger. Hokslby, species. [VlTBiNGA.] Devil-worshipiiers, "wiio dance am\titit the ruins on a certain night. [J. Wolff.] 33. wild beasts of the islands T&M\ev, jackals ; called by the Arabs sons of howling ; an animal standing midway between a fox and a wolf. [Bochart and Mauber.] ci-y—rather, answer, respond to each other, as wolves do at night, producing a most dismal effect, dragons serpents of various species, which hiss and utter dolorous sounds. Fable gave them wings, because they stand with much of the body elevated and then dart swiftly. Maitrer understands here another species of jackal, her time . . . near —though 174 years distant, yet "near" to Isaiah, who is supposed to be speaking to tlie Jews as if now captives in Babylon (ch. 14. 1, 2).
therefore, with LXX., translates, "The heralds (who bring word of the unexpected invasion) are terrified." Maukek agrees with KnrjU.ih Version, lit., "they shall take hold of pangs and sorrows." woman. . . travaileth—(1 Thessalonians 5.3.) amnied—the stupid, bewildered gaze of consternation, faces . . . flame»—"thelrvisageshave the livid hue of flame" [Horsley]; with anguish and Indignation. 0. cruel—not strictly, but unsparingly just ; opposed to mercij. Also answering to the cruelty (in the strict sense) of Babylon towards others (ch. 14. 17), now abont to be visited on itself, the land—"the earth." [Horsley.] The language from v. 9 to v. 13 can only primarily and partially apply to Babylon ; fully and exhaust-
CHAPTEE XIV.
ively, the judgments to come, hereafter, on the whole earth. Cf. v. 10 with Jlatthew 24. 29; Revelation 8. 12. The sins of Babylon, arrogancy (v. 11; ch. 14. 11; 47. 7, 8),
Ver. 1-3. The Certainty of Deliverance from Babylon. 4-23. The Jews' Triumphal Song thereat. "It moves In lengthened elegiac measure like a song of lamentation for the dead, and Is full of lofty scorn." [Herder.] 24-27. Confirmation or this by the iierefobetold Destruction of the Assyrians under Sennacherib; a pledge to assure the captives in Babylon that He who, with such ease, overthrew the Assyrian, could likewise ef Tect His purpose as to Babylon. The Babylonian king, the subject of this prediction, is Belshazzar, as representative of the kingdom (Daniel 5). 1. choose set His choice upon. A deliberate predilection. [Horsley.] Their restoration is grounded on their election (see Psalm 102. 13-22). strangers—proselytes (Esther 8. 17; Acts 2. 10; 17. 4, 17). Tacitus, a heathen (Hist. 5. 5), attests the fact of numbers of the Gentiles having become Jews in his time. An f:arnest of the future effect on the heathea world of the Jews' spiritual restoration (ch. 60. 4, 5,10; Micah 5. 7; Zechariah 14. 16; Romans 11. 12). 3. the people —of Babylon, primarily. Of the whole Gentile world ultimately (ch. 49. 22; 66. 20 ; 60. 9). their place—Judea (Ezra 1). possess—receive In possession, captives—not by physical, but by moral might ; the force of love, and regard to Israel's God (ch. 60. 14). 3. rest—(Cli. 28. 12; Ezekiel 28. 25, 26.)
cruelty, false worship (Jeremiah 50. 38), persecution of the people of God (ch. 47. 6), are peculiarly characteristic of the Antlchristian world of the latter days (Daniel 11. 32-37; Revelation 17. 3, 6; 18. 6, 7, 9-14, 24). 10. stars, &c.—flg. for anarchy, distress, and revolutions of kingdoms (ch. 34. 4; Joel 2.10; Izekiel 32. 7, 8 ; Amos 8. 9; Revelation 6. 12-14). There may be a literal fulfilment finally, shadowed forth under this imagery (Revelation 21. 1). constellations
Hehreiv, a fool, or impious one ; applied to the constellation
Orion, wlio was represented as an Impious giant (Ninorod deified, the founder of Babylon) chained to the sky. See Note, Job 38. 31. 11. worlA—the impious of the world (cf. ch. 11. 4). arrogancy—Babylon's besetting sin (Daniel 4.
22, 30). the terrible—rather, tyrants. [Horsley.] 13. man . . . precious—I will so cut off Babylon's defenders, that a single man shall bea.srare and precious as the finest gold. 13. Image for mighty revolutions (ch. 24. 19; 34.4; Hab.akkuk 3. 6, 10; Hggal 2. 6, 7; Revelation 20. 11). 1*. it—Babylon, roe—gazelle; the most timid and easily startled, no man taketh up—sheep defenceless, without a 4/iepfte?-rf (Zechariah 13.7). every man . . . to his ovrn people—the " mingled peoples" of foreign lands shall flee out of her (Jeremiah 50. 16, 28, 37 ; 51. 9). 15. found—in the city, joined—"intercepted." [Maurer.] "Every one that has withdrawn himself," viz., to hide in the houses. {Gksenius.] 16. (Psalm i:}7. 8, 9.) 17. Mede»-<Cli. 21. 2; Jeremiah 51. 11,28.) At that time they were subject to Assyria; subsequently Arljaces, satrap of Media, revolted Against the el Temlnate Sardanapalus, king of Assyria, destroyed Nineveh, and became king of Media, In the ninth
4-8. A Chorus of Jews express their Joyful Surprise AT Babylon's Downfall -.—the whole earth rejoices; the cedars of Lebanon taunt him. 4. proverb—Tlie Orientals, having few books, embodied their thoughts in weighty, figurative, briefly-expressed gnomes. Here a taunting song of triumph (Micah 2. 4 ; Habakkuk 2. 6). the king the ideal representative of Babylon; perhaps Belshazzar (Daniel 5). The mystical Babylon is ultimately meant, golden city— rather, the exactress of gold. [Mauber.
century b. C. not regard silver—in vain will one try to buy his life from them for a ransom. The heathen Xenopbon (Cyrop. 5. 1, 10) represents Cyrus as attributing this characteristic to the Medes, disregard of riches. A curious confirmation of this prophecj'. 18. bows—In the use of which the Persians were particularly skilled. 19. glory of kingdoms—(Ch. 14. 4; 47.5; Jeremiah 51.41.) beauty of . . . ei.ctillency—Hebrew, the glory of the pride of the
But the old translators read differently in the Hebrew, opp)-ession, which the parallelism favours (cf. ch. 3. 5). 5. staff—not the sceptre (Psalm 2. 9), but the stajf with which one strikes others, as he is speaking of more tyrants than one (ch. y. 4 ; 10. 24 ; 14. 29). [Maurer.] rulen—tyi ants, a,a