INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 21 This chapter contains prophecies against Babylon, Idumea, and Arabia. The prophecy against Babylon is called "the burden of the desert of the sea"; whose enemies are described by the fierce manner of their coming, and by the land from whence they came, Isaiah 21:1 which vi... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BURDEN OF THE DESERT OF THE SEA,.... That this is a prophecy of the destruction of Babylon is clear from the express mention both of the Medes and Persians, by whom it should be, and of Babylon itself, and its fall, Isaiah 21:2 which, though prophesied of before, is here repeated, partly for the... [ Continue Reading ]
A GRIEVOUS VISION IS DECLARED UNTO ME,.... The prophet; meaning the vision of Babylon's destruction, which was "hard", as the word signifies, and might seem harsh and cruel; not to him, nor to the Jews, but to the Chaldeans: THE TREACHEROUS DEALER DEALETH TREACHEROUSLY, AND THE SPOILER SPOILETH; th... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE ARE MY LOINS FILLED WITH PAIN,.... As a woman at the time of childbirth, as the following words show: these words are spoken by the prophet, not with respect to himself, as if he was pained at heart at the prophecy and vision he had of the ruin of Babylon, since that was a mortal enemy of... [ Continue Reading ]
MY HEART PANTED,.... Fluttered about, and could hardly keep its place: or, "my mind wandered" r; like a person in distraction and confusion, that knew not what to think say or do: FEARFULNESS AFFRIGHTED ME; the terror of Cyrus's army seized him, of its irruption into the city, and of his being dest... [ Continue Reading ]
PREPARE THE TABLE,.... Set it, spread it, furnish it with all kind of provisions, as at a feast; and such an one Belshazzar made, the night the city was taken: these words are directed to him by his courtiers or queen, as represented by the prophet, in order to remove his fears; see Daniel 5:10: WA... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THUS HATH THE LORD SAID UNTO ME,.... This is a confirmation of the above prophecy from the Lord himself, he showing to the prophet, in a visionary way, the ruin of Babylon, and the means and instruments of it: GO, SET A WATCHMAN; not Habakkuk, as Jarchi; nor Urias, as the Septuagint; nor Jeremi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAW A CHARIOT [WITH] A COUPLE OF HORSEMEN,.... The drivers of it, or the riders in it; perhaps meaning Cyrus and Darius: A CHARIOT OF ASSES, [AND] A CHARIOT OF CAMELS; by the former may be meant the Persians, who very much used mules or asses; and the Medes by the latter, who abounded in cam... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE CRIED, A LION,.... That is, the watchman cried, a lion, or that he saw a lion; not Uriah the priest, as the Septuagint; nor Habakkuk, as some Jewish writers; but Cyrus, at the head of the Persian and Median armies, compared to a lion for his fierceness, courage, and strength; see 2 Timothy 4:... [ Continue Reading ]
AND, BEHOLD, HERE COMETH A CHARIOT OF MEN,.... Or "of a man" x; a chariot with a man in it, Cyrus or Darius: [WITH] A COUPLE OF HORSEMEN; the army of the Medes and Persians, with their two leaders or generals, as before; only now seen nearer the city, just entering into it; for so the word may be r... [ Continue Reading ]
O MY THRESHING, AND THE CORN OF MY FLOOR,.... Which may be understood either of the Babylonians, now threshed or punished by the Lord, and whom he had made use of as instruments for the punishment of others; or rather of the people of the Jews, whom the prophet calls "his", as being his countrymen,... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BURDEN OF DUMAH,.... Whether this prophecy concerns the Edomites or Idumeans, or whether the Arabians, particularly the Dumean Arabians, is a question, since Dumah was a son of Ishmael, Genesis 25:14 and there was a place in Arabia called Dumatha y; and Aben Ezra and Kimchi interpret it here of... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WATCHMAN SAID, THE MORNING COMETH, AND ALSO THE NIGHT,.... Not only a morning, but a night; and as sure as the morning comes, so shall the night; there wilt be a constant succession of morning and night; as a morning of prosperity, so a night of adversity: the morning of the Gospel dispensation... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BURDEN UPON ARABIA,.... Which lay heavy upon it, as a burden upon a beast; or "concerning" it, or "against" it, as Kimchi notes; which Arabia, or what part thereof, is meant, may be gathered from the names after mentioned. The Targum is, "the burden of the cup of cursing, to give the Arabians t... [ Continue Reading ]
THE INHABITANTS OF THE LAND OF TEMA,.... This country had its name from Tema, one of the sons of Ishmael, Genesis 25:15. The Targum calls it the land of the south, as if it was Teman. These people were Arabians, and are here said to assist their countrymen, the Dedanites, in distress: BROUGHT WATER... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THEY FLED FROM THE SWORDS,.... Of their enemy, whom they could not withstand; perhaps the Assyrian army: FROM THE DRAWN SWORD; just ready to be sheathed in them: AND FROM THE BENT BOW; just going to let the arrow fly at them: AND FROM THE GRIEVOUSNESS OF WAR: too heavy for them to bear.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THUS HATH THE LORD SAID UNTO ME,.... The prophet; which confirms what is before said, as well as assures the accomplishment of what follows: WITHIN A YEAR, ACCORDING TO THE YEARS OF AN HIRELING; that is, exactly and precisely, as soon as ever the year is come to an end; for the hireling, when h... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE RESIDUE OF THE NUMBER OF ARCHERS,.... Or of "bow" g, for "bows": that is, of men that use the bow, or are expert at it, as the Kedarenes were, both for taking wild beasts, and fighting with men, in which they followed their original ancestor Ishmael, Genesis 21:20 the number of these archer... [ Continue Reading ]