The (a) burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.
(a) That is, the great calamity which was prophesied to come on Babel,
a grievous burden which they were not able to bear. In these twelve
Chapter s following he speaks of the plagues with which God would
smite the strange nations (whom t... [ Continue Reading ]
Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice to them,
shake the (b) hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.
(b) That is, the Medes and Persians.... [ Continue Reading ]
I have commanded my (c) sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty
ones for my anger, [even] them that rejoice in my (d) highness.
(c) That is, prepared and appointed to execute my judgments.
(d) Who willingly go about to the work to which I appoint them, but
how the wicked do this, read (Isaia... [ Continue Reading ]
They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, [even] the LORD,
and the (e) weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.
(e) The army of the Medes and the Persians against Babylon.... [ Continue Reading ]
Wail (f) ye; for the day of the LORD [is] at hand; it shall come as a
destruction from the Almighty.
(f) You Babylonians.... [ Continue Reading ]
And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them;
they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed
one at another; their faces [shall be as] (g) flames.
(g) The Babylonians anger and grief will be so much that their faces
will burn as fire.... [ Continue Reading ]
For the (h) stars of heaven and its constellations shall not give
their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the
moon shall not cause her light to shine.
(h) They who are overcome will think that all the powers of heaven and
earth are against them, (Ezekiel 32:7; Joel 3:15; Matt... [ Continue Reading ]
And I will punish the (i) world for [their] evil, and the wicked for
their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogance of the (k) proud to
cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
(i) He compares Babylon to the whole world because they so esteemed
themselves by reason of their great em... [ Continue Reading ]
I will make a (l) man more rare than fine gold; even a man than the
golden wedge of Ophir.
(l) He notes the great slaughter that will be, seeing the enemy will
neither for gold or silver spare a man's life as in (Isaiah 13:17).... [ Continue Reading ]
And (m) it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man
taketh up: they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every
one to his own land.
(m) Meaning the power of Babylon with their hired soldiers.... [ Continue Reading ]
Their (n) children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes;
their houses shall be plundered, and their wives ravished.
(n) This was not accomplished when Cyrus took Babylon, but after the
death of Alexander the great.... [ Continue Reading ]
It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from
generation to generation: neither shall the (o) Arabian pitch tent
there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there.
(o) Who used to go from country to country to find pasture for their
beasts, but they will find none.... [ Continue Reading ]
But (p) wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses
shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and
satyrs shall dance there.
(p) Who were either wild beasts or fools, or wicked spirits, by which
Satan deluded man, as by the fairies, goblins, and such like
fantas... [ Continue Reading ]