INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 34 This chapter is a prophecy of the destruction of all the antichristian nations of the world, and particularly of Rome, signified by Idumea; which is introduced with a call to a general attention to it, it being a very awful and solemn affair, Isaiah 34:1 utter and universa... [ Continue Reading ]
COME NEAR, YE NATIONS, TO HEAR; AND HEARKEN, YE PEOPLE,.... Not the people of the Jews, as some, whose utter destruction, after their rejection of the Messiah, is here thought to be prophesied of; and much less are these people called upon to hear the Gospel preached to them, as Cocceius thinks; for... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE INDIGNATION OF THE LORD [IS] UPON ALL NATIONS,.... All the nations of the earth, which have committed fornication with the whore of Rome, or have given in to her false worship, superstition, and idolatry; which is the reason of God's wrath and indignation against them, and of such severe pun... [ Continue Reading ]
THEIR SLAIN ALSO SHALL BE CAST OUT,.... Upon the open fields, and there lie unburied, and become meat for the fowls of heaven, who are invited to them as to a supper, even the supper of the great God, Revelation 19:17: AND THEIR STINK SHALL COME UP OUT OF THEIR CARCASSES; so that they shall become... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL THE HOSTS OF HEAVEN SHALL BE DISSOLVED,.... "Pine away" i, as with sickness, grow languid, become obscure, lose their light, and be turned into blood and darkness; this figure is used to express the horror of this calamity, as if the very heavens themselves, and the sun, and moon, and stars,... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR MY SWORD SHALL BE BATHED IN HEAVEN,.... That is, the sword of the Lord, as it is called in the next verse Isaiah 34:6, and it is he that is speaking; it designs the vengeance of the Lord, the punishment he will inflict on the wicked, said to be "bathed in heaven", because determined and prepared... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SWORD OF THE LORD IS FILLED WITH BLOOD,.... Multitudes being slain by it; the "Lord" here is that divine Person that is described as a warrior, as a General of an army, with a sharp sword, by whom many are slain, such a number as that it is filled with the blood of them, Revelation 19:11: IT IS... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE UNICORNS SHALL COME DOWN WITH THEM,.... With the lambs, goats, and rams; that is, either the rhinoceros, as some, there being no such creature as the unicorn; or the buffaloes, as m others; these "shall fall", as the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions render it, they shall be slain, as... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR [IT IS] THE DAY OF THE LORD'S VENGEANCE,.... The time which he has appointed to take vengeance on antichrist, his 1260 days, or years; being up, in which he is to reign; these being expired, the time is come for the Lord to avenge the blood of his saints; see Revelation 18:20: [AND] THE YEAR O... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE STREAMS THEREOF SHALL BE TURNED INTO PITCH,.... The Septuagint render it, "the valleys"; the word signifying both rivers and valleys, most render it rivers or streams. The Targum is express, "the rivers of Rome shall be turned into pitch;'' by which may be meant the maritime places belongi... [ Continue Reading ]
IT SHALL NOT BE QUENCHED NIGHT NOR DAY,.... It will be long burning, and shall not be extinguished until it is utterly consumed. The burning of Rome will continue long, especially the smoke of it; the kings of the earth, and others, are represented as standing and looking at it, and lamenting for it... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE CORMORANT AND THE BITTERN SHALL POSSESS IT,.... The word for "cormorant" is rendered a "pelican", in Psalms 102:6 they were both unclean fowls according to the law, of which see Leviticus 11:17 and Isaiah 14:23: THE OWL ALSO AND THE RAVEN SHALL DWELL IN IT; which were likewise unclean creat... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SHALL CALL THE NOBLES THEREOF TO THE KINGDOM, BUT NONE [SHALL BE] THERE,.... They shall call them to take upon them the kingdom and government, and there shall be none to do it, or that will care to do it; or rather there will be no kingdom to take unto them. The words may be rendered either, ... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THORNS SHALL COME UP IN HER PALACES,.... Where their kings and princes dwelt, and kept their courts, popes and cardinals; here will be the tokens of God's curse, as thorns are, these being the people of his curse, as in Isaiah 34:5: NETTLES AND BRAMBLES IN THE FORTRESSES THEREOF; alluding to "B... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WILD BEASTS OF THE DESERT SHALL ALSO MEET WITH THE WILD BEASTS OF THE ISLANDS,.... In Rome, and take up their abode there; of these creatures, the first of which the Targum renders monstrous ones, and the latter wild cats, Isaiah 13:22: AND THE SATYR SHALL CRY TO HIS FELLOW; or the "hairy" one... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE SHALL THE GREAT OWL MAKE HER NEST,.... Jarchi, Kimchi, and Ben Melech, say that "kippoz" here is the same with "kippod", rendered "bittern" in Isaiah 34:11 but Aben Ezra takes them to be two different birds; it is hard to say what is designed by it. Bochart thinks that one kind of serpent is h... [ Continue Reading ]
SEEK YE OUT OF THE BOOK OF THE LORD, AND READ,.... Joseph Kimchi interprets this of the book of the law of Moses; which being consulted, it will appear that punishment was threatened to be inflicted on the enemies of God's people, particularly the Edomites. Jarchi thinks the book of Genesis is inten... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE HATH CAST THE LOT FOR THEM,.... The Targum adds, "by his word:'' AND HIS HAND HATH DIVIDED IT UNTO THEM BY LINE; the same adds, "by his will.'' The allusion is to the dividing of the land of Canaan by lot and line, to the children of Israel, for their inheritance and possession; and in li... [ Continue Reading ]