Isaiah 46:1-7
1 Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast.
2 They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but themselvesa are gone into captivity.
3 Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb:
4 And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.
5 To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?
6 They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship.
7 They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble.
Isa. 46:1-7. Bel and Nebo, the gods of Babylon, were first carried by men on their shoulders, verse 7, and then afterwards when Babylon was destroyed they were carried by the beasts. When the Medes and Persians destroyed Babylon they took the cattle of Babylon, and made them carry the gods of Babylon away into captivity, and they were a great burden to the poor cattle, for the images were made of gold and silver, verse 6, and they were very great and heavy, and these gods of Babylon were not able to deliver either the men or so much as the beasts of the city. They were called the protectors of both. [But yet they] must go into captivity; yea, they themselves must go into captivity. They not only could not preserve the cattle from being led away captive, but they could not deliver them from the grievous circumstance of their captivity, of carrying them who were so heavy a burden to them. It was quite otherwise with the God of Israel. He did not need to be supported and borne by His people, much less by their beasts. But, on the contrary, His people were supported by Him. He carried them from the womb, and even to hoar hairs, Isaiah 46:3; Isaiah 46:4.
Isa. 49:23