The waster spoken of here by the Prophet, some consider him to have been Sennacherib, and others, Nebuchodonosor. The verb עלה, _ole, _is also variously explained: it is often taken metaphorically in Hebrew for vanishing, as we say in French,_Il s’en va en fumee _ _; _for smoke ascends, and this is... [ Continue Reading ]
What is now subjoined has been added, in my view, in reference to what had already taken place, that is that God _had taken away the pride of Jacob, as the pride of Israel _Some give this rendering, “God has made to returns or to rest;” and they take גאון, _gaun, _in a good sense, as meaning courage... [ Continue Reading ]
The Prophet describes here how dreadful the Chaldeans would be when prepared against the Assyrians. He says, _The shield of his brave men _(225) _is made red _Some think that their shields were painted red, that blood might not appear; and that the soldiers had on red garments, that they might not b... [ Continue Reading ]
He still goes on with the same subject, — that they shall be furious in the streets that is, that they shall he so turbulent, as though they were out of their minds: as furious men are wont to be who are impetuously carried away beyond all reason and moderation, so shall they also become mad in thei... [ Continue Reading ]
Some interpreters explain this also of the Chaldeans: The king of Babylon then shall remember his mighty men; that is, shall recount his forces and whatever strength he will have under his power; all this he will collect to make war with Nineveh and the Assyrians. Others think that there is here a t... [ Continue Reading ]
By the gates of the rivers the Prophet means that part of the city which was most fortified by the river Tigris; for the Tigris flowed close by the city. As then the Tigris was like the strongest defense, (for we know it to have been a most rapid river,) the Prophet ridicules the confidence of the N... [ Continue Reading ]
There is some ambiguity in these words, and many interpreters think that הצב, _estab, _to be the name of the queen. The queen then they say, of the name of הצב, _estab_, is drawn away into exile; she is bidden to ascend, that she might migrate to a hostile land. But this view is too strained; nor wa... [ Continue Reading ]
The prophet here anticipates a doubt which might have weakened confidence in his words; for Nineveh not only flourished in power, but it had also confirmed its strength during a long course of time; and antiquity not only adds to the strength of kingdoms, but secures authority to them. As then the i... [ Continue Reading ]
Here the Prophet, as it were, by the command and authority of God, gives up Nineveh to the will of its enemies, that they might spoil and plunder it. Some think that this address is made in the name of a general encouraging his soldiers; but we know that the Prophets assume the person of God, when t... [ Continue Reading ]
The Prophet here confirms what the last verse contains; for he shows why he had called the Chaldeans to take away the spoil, — because it was to be so. He did not indeed (as I have already said) command the Chaldeans in such a way as that their obedience to God was praiseworthy: but the Prophet spea... [ Continue Reading ]
Here the Prophet triumphs over the Assyrians, because they thought that the city Nineveh was remote from every danger: as lions, who fear nothing, when they are in their dens, draw thither their prey in their claws or in their mouths: so also was the case with the Assyrians; thinking themselves safe... [ Continue Reading ]
_And filled has he with prey his dens and his recesses with ravin; _it is the same word with a different termination, טרף, _thereph_, and טרפה, _therephe _ Now the repetition, made here by the Prophet, of lion, young lion, and lioness, was not without its use; for he meant by this number of words to... [ Continue Reading ]
To give more effect to what he says, the Prophet introduces God here as the speaker. _Behold, _he says, _I am against thee _He has been hitherto, as it were, the herald of God, and in this character gave an authoritative command to the Chaldeans to plunder Nineveh: but when God himself comes forward... [ Continue Reading ]