Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition) (continued)
Tlie Judgment of Baiylon, JEREMIAH L. and the Rc&loration of Isi-ad.
support English Version. In vnln—without killing him at wliom it was aimed (2 Sumuel 1.22). li. (Isaiah ^7.0.) groivM fat—and so, skip wantonly, at fi;i-ass — lat and frisky. But there is a«<lisagreeineiit of gender in Hebrew reading thus. The Keri reading is better: "a lieifer
Euphrates where it was defended into a different channel, and so entered the city by the dried-up channel at nighl, by the upper and lower gates (Daniel 5. 30, 31). 25. weapons of bis indignation—the Medes and Persians (Isaiah.
13. 5). 20. from the utmost border— I't;;., of the earth. Or, /rum all sides. [LunoviCL'S de Dieu.] storeliouses tliresitint/ the strongest were used for lliresliing, and as the hxw did not allow tlieir mouth to be muzzled in threshing- (Deuteronomy 25. 4), they waxed wanton with eating. Itollow as bulls—rather, " neigh a.s steeds,' M., " strong ones," a poetical expression for steeds {Note, ch. 8.
or, " her houses filled with men and goods." [Michaelis.] When Cyrus took it, the provisions found there were enough to have lasted for many years, as heaps—make of the once glorious city heaps of ruins. Vast mounds of rubbish now mark the site of ancient Babylon. "Tread her as heaps of corn which are wont to be trodden down ia the threshing-floor." [Gkotiu.s.]27. bullocks-j. e.. princes and strong warriors (ch. 4G. 21 ; Psalm 22. 12; Isaiah 34. 7). go down to . . . slaughter—the slaughter-houses lay low beside the river; therefore it is said, "go down;" appropriate to Babylon on the Euphrates, the avenue through which the slaughterers entered the city. 28. declare In Zlon . . . temple—Some Jews "fleeing" from Babylon at
16). [Mauhek.] Di. Your motlicr—Babylon, tlie melropolib' of the empire. Iiiiidcrmoat—marvellous change, that Babylon, once Ine queen of the world, should be now the hindermost of nations, and at last, becoming "a desert,"' coase to be a nation ! 13. (Isaiah l.'j. 20.) 14. Summons to the Median army to attack Babylon, against. . . Lord—by oppressing His people their cause is His cau.se. Also by profaning His sacred vessels (Dan.iel .5. 2).
15. SSioHt—Inspirit one another to the onset with the battle-cry. given . . . lian<l—an idiom for, submi Jled to the conquerors (1 Chronicles 21*. 24, Margin; Lamentations its fall shall tell in Judea how God avenged the cause of Zion and her temple that had been profaned (ch. 52. 13; Daniel 1. 2; 5. 2). 29. archers lit., very many and powei-- fnl ; hence the Hebrew word is used of archcis (Job 16. 13) from the multitude and force of their arrows, according to all that she hath done {yote, v. 15.) proiul against
5. 6). as siie Itatlk tlouv, do unto Uer—just retribution iu kind. She had destroyed many, so must she be destroyed (Psalm 187. 8). So as to spiritual Babylon (Revelation 18.
6. ) This is right, because "it is the vengeance of the Lord;" but this will not justify pci'i'ae revenge in kind (Matthew 5. 44; Romans 12. li)-21); even the Old Testament law forbade this, though breathing a sterner spirit than the New Testament (E.xodus 2;J. 4, 5; Proverbs 25.21,22). IG. Baijyion had the extent rather of a nation than of a tile Loril-not merely cruel towards men (Isaiah 47. 10). 30. (yotc. ch. 49. 2».) in tl»e streets—the Baliylonians were so discouraged by having lost some battles, that they retired within their walls and would notagain meet Cyrus In the field. 31. most proud lit., piridc, i. e., man of pride ; the king of Babylon, visit—punish (v. 27). 33. Israel and city. Therefore grain was grown within the city wall. . . Judah were oppresse<l—He anticipates an objection, in order to answer it : Ye have been, no doubt, " oppressed," therefore ye despair of deliverance; but, remember your " Redeemer is strong," and therefore can and will deliver you. 34:. strong—as opposed to the power of Israel's opi)ressor (Revelation 18. 8). plead . . . cause—as their advocate. Image from a court of justice; appropriate aa God delivers His people not by mere might, but bj' righteousness. His plea against Satan and all their enemies la his own everlasting love, reconciling mercy and justice in the Redeemer's work and person (Micah 7. 9; Zechariah sutticieiit to last for a long siege (AKtsxoTLE, Pol. 3.2; Pliny, 18. 17). Conquerors usually spare agriculturists, out iu tills case all alike were to be "cut oft." for fear of. . . oppressing sword—because of the sword of the oppres.ior. every one to his people—from wliich tliey had been removed to Babylon from all quarters l)y the Chaldean conquerors (ch. 51. 9 ; Isaiah 13.14). 17. lioik«—hostile kings (ch. 4. 7; 49.19). Assyria—(2 Kings 17. G, Siialmaneser; Ezra 4. 2, Esar-haddon.) Nebuclindnezsnr—(2 Kings 24. 10, 14.) 18. puuisli . . . king of Babylon— Nabonidus, or Labynitus. as . . . punislied . . . AsByrian—;-ieiiiiacherib and other kings [Grotius] (2 Kings
3. 1-5 ; 1 John '2. 1). give rest . . . disquiet—There is a play on the similarity of sounds in the two Hebrew verbs, to express more vividly the contrast: " that He may give quiet to the land of Judah (heretofore disquieted by Babylon); but disquiet to the inhabitants of Babylon (heretofore quietly secure)" (Isaiah 14. fj-S). 35-37. The repetition of "A sword" in the beginningof each verse, by the figure anaphora, heightens the effect; the reiterated judgment is universal ; the same sad stroke of the sword is upon each and all connected with guilty Babylon, wise men—(Isaiah
19. 371. i;». (Isaiah 65. 10; Ezekiel 34. 13, 14.) ao. The specification of "Israel," as well as Judah, shows the reference is to times yet to come, iniquity . . . iioiie—not merely idolatry, which ceased among the Jews ever since the Babylonian captivity, but cliiedy their rej(!ctiou of Messiah. As in acnncelled debt, itsliall be as it had never been ; God, for Christ's sake, shall treat them as innocent (ch. 31. 34). Without cleansing away of sin, remission of punishment would be neither to the honour of God nor to the highest interests of the elect, wliom I reserve—the elect " remnant" (Isaiah 1. !)). The "residue" (Zechariah 14.2; 13.8.9). 21. Meratlialm—a symbolical name for Babylon, the doubli/ rebellions, viz., against Ood.
47. 13.) Babylon boasted tliat it was the peouliarseat of wisdom and wise men, especially in astronomy and astrology.
liars-those whom he before termed "wise men," he here calls "liars" (impostors), viz., the astrologers (cf. Isaiah 41. 25; Roinaivs 1. 21-25; 1 Corinthians 1. 20). 37. as women—tlivesled of all manliness (Nahum 3. 13). 38. d»-oug!it—Altering the pointing, this verse will begin as
Cf. V. 24, "thou hast striven against the Lord;" and. o. 29, "proud against the Lord." Tlie "doubly" refers to, first, the Assyrian's ojipression of Israel, next, the kindred Chalitean's oppression of ,Iudah (cf. v. 17-20, 33; especially tliethri'e previous verses, "A sword." However, all the pointed MSS. read, "A drought," as English Version. Cyrus turned oil' the waters of the Euphrates into a new channel, and so marched through the dried-up bed into the city (ch. 51. 32). Babylonia once was famed for its corn, which often yielded from one to two hundred-fold.
V. 18). Pekod—(Ezekiel 23. 23); a chief province of Assyria, in which Nineveli, now overthrown, once lay. But, as in Merrilliaint. the allusion is to the meaning of Pckod, viz., visitation ; the inhabitants whose time of deserved visitation in punishment is come; not, however, without reference to the iiow Babylonian province, Pekod. The visitation on Babylon was a following up of that on Assyria, afier tlieia—even their posterity, and all that is
[lIiciiODOTU.s.l This was due to its network of watercourses from the Euphrates foi irrigation, traces of winch [LayaiidJ are seen still on all sides, but dry and barren (Isaiah 44. 27). tlieir idols—ZiV., terrors. They are mad after idols that are more calculated to frighten than to attract (ch.51. 41, 17, 52; Daniel 3. 1). Mere bugbears to frighten chi UlnMi with. :i'J. wild beasts of the desert wild cats, remarkable for their liowl. [BocirAUT.] wild beasts of the Ittlatula—jackals {note, Isaiah 13. 21). owls rather, female o.strirhes ; they ilelight in solitary places.
still left of Babylon, until the very name is extinct. (OKOTif.s.) Devastate the city, nr/<«?- Its Inhabitants have deserted il. all . . . 1 . . . commanded-by Isaiah (Isaiah
13. 1, Ac). lianimer— J. e., Baby Ion, so called because of its ponderous desli uctive power; justas " Martel," i. e., a little hammer, was the surname of a king of the Franks (Isaiah 14. 0). 24. I—Thou hast to do with God, not merely with men. taken . . . not aware—Heuodotus relates that one half of tlie city was taken before tliose In the other were "aware" of it. Cyrus turned the wateis of 556
Lit., daughters of crying, (,'f. as to spiritual Babylon, Revelation 18. 2. no luore inliabitrd for e\'er—the accumulation of phrases is to express the final and utter ex tiuo*