ISAIAH CHAPTER 21 The prophet's fear and trouble at his vision of Babylon's ruin by the Medes and Persians, ISAIAH 21:1. He mocketh Babel, ISAIAH 21:5. Edom, scorning the prophet, is called to repentance, ISAIAH 21:11,12. The time of Arabia's calamity set. THE DESERT OF THE SEA; Babylon, as is evide... [ Continue Reading ]
A GRIEVOUS VISION; a vision or prophecy, containing dreadful calamities which were to fall upon Babylon. THE TREACHEROUS DEALER DEALETH TREACHEROUSLY, AND THE SPOILER SPOILETH: this is spoken either, 1. Of the Chaldeans, as their sin, for which God sends the following judgment. So the sense is, The... [ Continue Reading ]
MY LOINS; which he mentions with respect to the following similitude of child-bearing, in which the loins are sorely pained. And this the prophet speaks, either, 1. In the name and person of the Babylonian. Or rather, 2. In his own name; which is most natural, and agrees best with the last clause... [ Continue Reading ]
THE NIGHT OF MY PLEASURE; the night, in which I used to have a sweet repose and sleep. He seems to have had this vision in a night. But withal this horror of the prophet by night was typical, and did signify that grievous horror and destruction which should befall the Babylonians in a night of great... [ Continue Reading ]
PREPARE THE TABLE; furnish it with meats and drinks, as it follows. The prophet foretells what the Babylonians would be doing when their enemies were at their doors, that they would give up themselves to feasting and security. WATCH IN THE WATCH-TOWER, to give us notice of any approaching danger, th... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS HATH THE LORD SAID UNTO ME; I speak not my own fancies, but what God hath made me to see and hear in a vision; the particulars whereof are related in the following verses. A WATCHMAN; either, 1. A prophet; such being oft so called, as EZEKIEL 3:17, EZEKIEL 33:2. Or rather, 2. A military watch... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAW; a short speech for he told me that he saw. A CHARIOT, not for burden, but for war, in which chariots were then much used. With a couple of horsemen; attended with two horsemen. So there were both chariots and troops of horsemen. Or, WITH A COUPLE OF HORSES, as this word is sometimes used... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE CRIED, A LION: the sense of the words thus rendered is this, The watchman cried out, I see also a lion, to wit, marching before the horsemen and chariots already mentioned; which they suppose to represent Cyrus or Darius marching in the head of their armies. Or, as it is rendered in the margi... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD; the sum of what I have discovered is this. A CHARIOT OF MEN; not filled with goods, as chariots of burden used to be; but provided with men, to fight from or with them. WITH A COUPLE OF HORSEMEN; understand, _and a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels_; which is easily understood from I... [ Continue Reading ]
THRESHING is here put for the corn threshed, as it is explained in the following words; the act being frequently put for the object, as _captivity_ for the captives, _fear_ for the thing feared, &c., as hath been noted before. And the corn threshed is here metaphorically put for people sorely afflic... [ Continue Reading ]
OF DUMAH; either, 1. Of a part of Arabia, so called from Dumah, one of Ishmael's race, GENESIS 25:14 1 CHRONICLES 1:30. Or rather, 2. Of Edom or Idumea, as seems most probable from the mention of Mount Seir, which was a part of Edom; which may here be called _Dumah_, either by an abbreviation, or c... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MORNING COMETH, AND ALSO THE NIGHT: the night is past without any great mischief to you, and the comfortable light of the morning is approaching, which freeth men's minds from the terrors of the night; but although the morning be coming, it will be gone, and the night will return, and your fears... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE FOREST; not as you used to do, in the houses or tents of the Arabians; whereby he implies that that populous country should be turned into a desolate wilderness. TRAVELLING COMPANIES: in those parts travellers then did and still do go together in companies. See GENESIS 37:25,28 JOB 6:19. DEDA... [ Continue Reading ]
TEMA; a part of Arabia; of which see JOB 6:19 JEREMIAH 25:23. THEY PREVENTED WITH THEIR BREAD HIM THAT FLED; whereby he implies that those other Arabians, against whom this prophecy is principally directed, should be reduced to great scarcity of all necessary provisions, and forced to flee for their... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
WITHIN A YEAR, from the time of this prophecy. ACCORDING TO THE YEARS OF AN HIRELING, to wit, an exact year; for hirelings diligently observe and wait for the end of the year, when they are to receive their wages. ALL THE GLORY; their power, and riches, and all things wherein they used to glory. Thi... [ Continue Reading ]
ARCHERS; bows and arrows were their: chief weapons, and they were expert in the use of them, both against beasts and men, as occasion required.... [ Continue Reading ]