Isaiah 14:17

They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; -The passers by contemplate with astonishment the body of the King of Babylon cast out, instead of lying in a splendid mausoleum, and can hardly believe their senses that it is he. Verse 16. THEY THAT SEE THEE SHALL NARROWLY LOOK UPON THEE - to be certain they are not mistaken. AND CONSIDER - `meditate upon' (Horsley). Verse 17. THAT OPENED NOT THE HOUSE OF HIS PRISONERS. But Maurer, as margin, 'did not let his captives loose, so as to go homewards' [baaytaah]. Verse 18. ALL THE KINGS OF THE NATIONS - i:e., this is the usual practice. LIE IN GLORY - in a grand mausoleum. EVERY ONE IN HIS OWN HOUSE - i:e., sepulchre, as in...

17._He made the world as a wilderness. _He expresses the cruel and savage disposition of the tyrant, by saying that he _brought desolation on the world_, that he _overthrew cities_, that he _did not release prisoners_. It is sometimes the custom of conquerors to release prisoners, in order to win their hearts by kindness; but tyrants choose rather to be feared than to be loved. They think that the only way to reign is to strike terror into all by inexorable cruelty. There is no reason to wonder, therefore, that their end is so wretched and dismal; for it is impossible that the Lord should not, after having chastised his Church by their cruelty, give them like for like, and withhold all compassion from those who failed to exercise compassion to others. He therefore shows how wretched tyrants are, for they have God for their enemy, and are hated by men....

1-23 The whole plan of Divine Providence is arranged with a view to the good of the people of God. A settlement in the land of promise is of God's mercy. Let the church receive those whom God receives. God's people, wherever their lot is cast, should endeavour to recommend religion by a right and winning conversation. Those that would not be reconciled to them, should be humbled by them. This may be applied to the success of the gospel, when those were brought to obey it who had opposed it. God himself undertakes to work a blessed change. They shall have rest from their sorrow and fear, the sense of their present burdens, and the dread of worse. Babylon abounded in riches. The king of Babylon having the absolute command of so much wealth, by the help of it ruled the nations. This refers especially to the people of the Jews; and it filled up the measure of the king of Babylon's sins. Tyr...

THAT MADE THE WORLD AS A WILDERNESS - That made cities and kingdoms desolate. THAT OPENED NOT THE HOUSE OF HIS PRISONERS - This is a description of his oppression and cruelty. Of course many prisoners would be taken in war. Instead of giving them liberty, he threw them into prison and kept them there. This may be rendered, ‘his prisoners he did not release that they might return home’ (see the Margin). The Chaldee renders it, ‘To his prisoners he did not open the door.’ The sense is substantially the same. The idea is, that he was cruel and oppressive. He threw his captives into dungeons, and found pleasure in retaining them there....

EXPOSITION ISAIAH 14:1 THE RESTORATION OF ISRAEL, AND HER SONG OF TRIUMPH OVER BABYLON. The destruction of Babylon is to be followed by the restoration of Israel, with the good will of the nations, and by their exercising rule over their late oppressors (Isaiah 14:1, Isaiah 14:2). In this time of rest and refreshment they will sing a song of triumph over Babylon. The song extends from Isaiah 14:4 to...

[THAT] MADE THE WORLD AS A WILDERNESS,.... Both by destroying the inhabitants of it, and by laying waste cities, towns, villages, fields, vineyards, gardens, and all places improved and cultivated, wherever he came, as it follows: AND DESTROYED THE CITIES THEREOF; as the Assyrian kings had done, some of which are mentioned in Isaiah 10:9: [THAT] OPENED NOT THE HOUSE OF HIS PRISONERS; the prison house, in, which they were held; or, "the gate to his prisoners,'' as the Targum; or rather the words may be rendered, "that opened not to his prisoners", that they might go "home"; or as De Dieu, in short, yet fully, expresses it, "that did not dismiss his prisoners home"; he not only cruelly and inhumanly put many to the sword, but such as surrendered, and were taken captives, he detained them in prison, and would not loose their bonds,

Isaiah 14:1. _For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob._ This promise had a measure of fulfillment when Israel was brought back from Babylon; and still is it true that, when God's people come to their worst, there is always something better before them. On the other hand, it is equally sure that, when sinners come to their best, there is always something terrible awaiting them. The apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, «God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew;» and his declaration agrees with this prophecy, «The Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land.» I believe that there will be a far grander fulfillment of this prophecy in that day when God shall bring back his chosen people to

CHAPTER 14 Israel's Restoration and Blessing After Babylon is Fallen and the Burden of Philistia 1. _Israel's restoration and exaltation (Isaiah 14:1)_ 2. _The proverb against the king of Babylon (Isaiah 14:3)_ 3. _The triumph over Lucifer (Satan) (Isaiah 14:12)_ 4. _Babylon's destruction (Isaiah 14:21)_ 5. _The Assyrian broken (Isaiah 14:24)_ 6. _The burden of Philistia (Isaiah 14:28)_ When the last great Babylon is

ISAIAH 13:1 TO ISAIAH 14:23. THE UTTER RUIN OF BABYLON AND TRIUMPHAL ODE OVER HER MONARCH'S DEATH. Historical conditions are here presupposed entirely different from those of Isaiah's time. The subject of Isaiah 13 is the overthrow of Babylon by the Medes a century and a half after his age. Since the downfall is said to lie in the near future, the prophecy must have been written very near the close of the Exile. The description of Babylon is also not true to the situation of Isaiah's day. The great oppressing empire, whose downfall he predicted, was Assyria. Babylon was subject to it, though it revolted from time to time, and it was united in friendly relations with Judah by hate for the common oppressor. In our prophecy Babylon is no longer a subject state, but the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldea

WORLD. the habitable world. Hebrew. _tebel._ OPENED NOT THE HOUSE OF. loosed not....