The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see. The predictions as to foreign nations are for the sake of the covenant people, to preserve them from despair, or reliance on human confederacies, and to strengthen their faith in God;-also in order to extirpate narrow-minded nationality... [ Continue Reading ]
Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles. LIFT YE UP A BANNER - (Isaiah 5:26; Isaiah 11:10.) UPON THE HIGH MOUNTAIN - or else, 'a bare (literally, bald; i:e., without trees) mountain' [ nishpeh (H8192),... [ Continue Reading ]
I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness. I HAVE COMMANDED MY SANCTIFIED ONES - the Median and Persian soldiers solemnly set apart by me for the destruction of Babylon, not inwardly "sanctified," but designated t... [ Continue Reading ]
The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the LORD of hosts mustereth the host of the battle. THE NOISE OF A MULTITUDE IN THE MOUNTAINS - namely, which separate Media and Assyria, and on one of which the... [ Continue Reading ]
They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land. THEY COME - namely, 'Yahweh,' and the armies which are "the weapons of His indignation." FROM A FAR COUNTRY - Media and Persia, stretching to the far north and east... [ Continue Reading ]
Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. THE DAY OF THE LORD IS AT HAND - the day of His vengeance on Babylon (Isaiah 2:12). Type of the future "great day of His wrath" (Revelation 6:17). IT SHALL COME AS A DESTRUCTION - literally, a devast... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt: THEREFORE SHALL ALL HANDS BE FAINT, AND EVERY MAN'S HEART SHALL MELT. So : cf. . Babylon was taken by surprise on the night of Belshazzar's impious feast (). Hence, the sudden fainting and melting of hearts.... [ 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 flames. PANGS AND SORROWS SHALL TAKE HOLD OF THEM. The Hebrew means also a messenger: therefore the Septuagint and A... [ Continue Reading ]
Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. THE DAY OF THE LORD COMETH, CRUEL - not strictly, but unsparingly just; opposed to mercy. Also answering, by just retribution in kind, to the... [ Continue Reading ]
For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. THE STARS ... SHALL NOT GIVE THEIR LIGHT ... - figurative for anarchy, distress, and revolutions of kingdoms (Isaiah 34... [ Continue Reading ]
And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. I WILL PUNISH THE WORLD - the wicked of the world (cf. ). I WILL CAUSE THE ARROGANCY OF THE PROUD TO CEASE - Ba... [ Continue Reading ]
I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. I WILL MAKE A MAN MORE PRECIOUS THAN FINE GOLD - I will so cut off Babylon's defenders, that a single man shall be as rare and precious as the finest gold.... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger. I WILL SHAKE THE HEAVENS - image for mighty revolutions (; ; ; ; Haggai 2:6; ).... [ Continue Reading ]
And 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 into his own land. IT - Babylon. SHALL BE AS THE CHASED ROE - gazelle: the most timid and easily startled. AND AS A SHEEP THAT NO MAN TAKETH UP sheep defen... [ Continue Reading ]
Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined unto them shall fall by the sword. EVERY ONE THAT IS FOUND - in the city. JOINED, [ hanicpeh (H5595)] - 'intercepted' (Maurer). 'Everyone that has withdrawn himself' [from 'aacap (H622)], namely, to hide in the house... [ Continue Reading ]
Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished. (Psalms 137:8.)... [ Continue Reading ]
Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it. BEHOLD, I WILL STIR UP THE MEDES - (; ; .) At that time they were subject to Assyria; subsequently Arbaces, satrap of Media, revolted against the effeminate Sardanapalus,... [ Continue Reading ]
Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children. (Their) bows-in the use of which the Persians were particularly skilled.... [ Continue Reading ]
And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. BABYLON, THE GLORY OF KINGDOMS - (; ; , "the praise of the whole earth.") THE BEAUTY OF THE CHALDEES' EXCELLENCY - Hebrew, the glory of the pride of the Chaldees: it w... [ Continue Reading ]
It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there. IT SHALL NEVER BE INHABITED, NEITHER SHALL IT BE DWELT IN FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION - literally fulfilled.... [ Continue Reading ]
But 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. WILD BEASTS OF THE DESERT - Hebrew, tsiyiym (H6728), animals dwelling in arid wastes (from tsiyah (H6723), dryness). Wild cats, remarkable... [ Continue Reading ]
And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged. THE WILD BEASTS OF THE ISLANDS - rather, jackals. Jyyim-literally, howlings called by the Arabs sons of howling: an ani... [ Continue Reading ]