INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 47 This chapter is a prophecy of the destruction of Babylon, and of the Chaldeans, and declares the causes of it. The mean, low, ignominious, and miserable condition Babylon and the Chaldeans should be brought into by the Lord, the Redeemer of his people, is described, Isaiah... [ Continue Reading ]
COME DOWN, AND SIT IN THE DUST, O VIRGIN DAUGHTER OF BABYLON,.... The kingdom of Babylon is meant, as the Targum paraphrases it; or the Babylonish monarchy, called a virgin, because it had never been subdued and conquered from the first setting of it up, until it was by Cyrus; so Herodotus c says, t... [ Continue Reading ]
TAKE THE MILLSTONES, AND GRIND MEAL,.... Foretelling that the Chaldeans should be taken captives, and used as such, and sent to prison houses, where they should turn the mill, and grind corn into meal; a very servile work, and which used to be done by captives and slaves, even by female ones, Exodus... [ Continue Reading ]
THY NAKEDNESS SHALL BE UNCOVERED, YEA, THY SHAME SHALL BE SEEN,.... Not only stripped of their garments, and have nothing to cover their naked bodies, being spoiled of all by the soldiers; but should have nothing to cover those parts which women are most ashamed should be exposed to view, and which... [ Continue Reading ]
AS FOR OUR REDEEMER,.... Or, "saith our Redeemer", as it may be supplied e: or, "our Redeemer" will do this; inflict this punishment on Babylon, even he who has undertook our cause, and will deliver us from the Babylonish yoke, and return us to our land: these are the words of the Lord's people, exp... [ Continue Reading ]
SIT THOU SILENT,.... Here the speech is directed again to Babylon, which used to be a place of noise and hurry, as well as famous and much talked of all the world over; but now there should be a deep silence in it, no voice to be heard, the inhabitants being gone, and no discourse concerning it; no... [ Continue Reading ]
I WAS WROTH WITH MY PEOPLE,.... The people of Israel, for their sins and transgressions, particularly their idolatries. Here begin the reasons and causes of the destruction of Babylon, and the first mentioned is their cruelty to the people of God; for though he was angry with them himself, yet he re... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU SAIDST, I SHALL BE A LADY FOR EVER,.... That her monarchy would continue in a succession of kings, that should rule over all nations to the end of the world. So mystical Babylon, when near her ruin, will say, "I sit a queen----and shall see no sorrow", Revelation 18:7: SO THAT THOU DIDST N... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE HEAR NOW THIS, THOU THAT ART GIVEN TO PLEASURES,.... To carnal lusts and pleasures; gratifying her sensual appetite; indulging herself in everything that was agreeable to the senses; abounding in delicacies, and living deliciously; as is said of mystical Babylon, Revelation 18:4, particula... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THESE TWO THINGS SHALL COME TO THEE IN A MOMENT ON ONE DAY,.... Suddenly, at once, at one and the same time. The destruction of Babylon was very sudden; the city was taken by surprise, before the inhabitants were aware of it, while the king and his nobles were regaling themselves at a feast; tha... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THOU HAST TRUSTED IN THY WICKEDNESS,.... In wealth and power wickedly obtained; in political schemes wickedly contrived; in her ambition and pride, tyranny and cruelty; and especially in her wicked arts of astrology, divination, and magic: THOU HAST SAID, NONE SEETH ME; lay her schemes of polic... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE SHALL EVIL COME UPON THEE,.... The evil of punishment, a great calamity; so Nebuchadnezzar foretold, as Abydenus relates o, that συμφορη, a calamity, should come upon the Babylonians; a day of evil, because of the above sins Babylon was guilty of: THOU SHALL NOT KNOW FROM WHENCE IT RISETH... [ Continue Reading ]
STAND NOW WITH THINE ENCHANTMENTS, AND WITH THE MULTITUDE OF THY SORCERIES,.... An ironic expression, deriding those evil arts, bidding defiance to them, calling upon the masters of them to do their utmost by them: WHEREIN THOU HAST LABOURED FROM THY YOUTH; from the infancy of their state; as soon... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU ART WEARIED IN THE MULTITUDE OF THY COUNSELS,.... Taken of astrologers, diviners, and soothsayers; who were never able to give any satisfactory answers to questions put to them, or to give good advice in cases of emergency; as appears from Nebuchadnezzar's consultation with them about his dream... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, THEY SHALL BE AS STUBBLE, THE FIRE SHALL BURN THEM,.... That is, these astrologers and diviners shall be like stubble; weak as that, as the Targum; they shall be no more able to stand before the fire of divine wrath, or before the judgments of God, by the hands of the Medes and Persians, tha... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SHALL THEY BE UNTO THEE WITH WHOM THOU HAST LABOURED,.... In training them up in those arts, and in consulting with them in cases of difficulty; in which they were of no service, and now in time of danger as useless as stubble, or a blaze of straw: EVEN THY MERCHANTS FROM THY YOUTH; either the... [ Continue Reading ]