Isaiah 25:2

For thou hast made of a city an heap; of a defenced city a ruin: a palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be built. THOU HAST MADE OF A CITY AN HEAP - Babylon, "the city of confusion" (; ); type of the seat of Antichrist, to be destroyed in the last days, (cf. with Revelation 18:1 respecting the final overthrow of spiritual Babylon, the apostate church, followed, as here, by the song of the saints' thanksgiving in Revelation 19:1.) 'Heaps' is a graphic picture of Babylon and Nineveh as they now are. Pa...

2._For thou hast made of a city a heap. _Some refer this to Jerusalem; but I think that there is a change of the number, as is very customary with the prophets; for the Prophet does not speak merely of a single city, but of many cities, which he says will be reduced to heaps. As to the view held by some, that the Romans made Jerusalem a palace, it has nothing to do with the Prophet’s meaning, which will be easily enough understood, if we keep in remembrance what has been already stated, that the Prophet does not confine his thoughts to those calamities by which the Lord afflicts many nations, but extends his view to the end of the chastisements. In this manner the Lord determined to tame and subdue the obstinacy of men, whom he would never have brought into subjection to him without having been broken down by various afflictions. _A palace of foreigners, _(138) _that it may not be a city...

1-5 However this might show the deliverance of the Jews out of captivity, it looked further, to the praises that should be offered up to God for Christ's victories over our spiritual enemies, and the comforts he has provided for all believers. True faith simply credits the Lord's testimony, and relies on his truth to perform his promises. As God weakens the strong who are proud and secure, so he strengthens the weak that are humble, and stay themselves upon him. God protects his people in all weathers. The Lord shelters those who trust in him from the insolence of oppressors. Their insolence is but the noise of strangers; it is like the heat of the sun scorching in the middle of the day; but where is it when the sun is set? The Lord ever was, and ever will be, the Refuge of distressed believers. Having provided them a shelter, he teaches them to flee unto it....

Verse Isaiah 25:2. _A CITY_ - "The city"] Nineveh, Babylon, Ar, Moab, or any other strong fortress possessed by the enemies of the people of God. For the first מעיר _meir, of a city_, the _Syriac_ and _Vulgate_ read העיר _hair, the city_; the _Septuagint_ and _Chaldee_ read ערים _arim, cities_, in the plural, transposing the letters. After the second מעיר _meir_, a MS. adds לגל _lagol, for a heap_. _A PALACE OF STRANGERS_ - "The palace of the proud ones"] For זרים _zarim, strangers_, MS. _Bodl_. and another read זדים _zedim, the_ _proud_: so likewise the _Septuagint_; for they render it ασεβων here, and in Isaiah 25:5, as they do in some other places: see...

FOR THOU HAST MADE - This is supposed to be uttered by the Jews who should return from Babylon, and therefore refers to what would have been seen by them. In their time it would have occurred that God had made of the city an heap. OF A CITY - I suppose the whole scope of the passage requires us to understand this of Babylon. There has been, however, a great variety of interpretation of this passage. Grotius supposed that Samaria was intended. Calvin that the word is used collectively, and that various cities are intended. Piscator that Rome, the seat of antichrist, was intended. Jerome says that the Jews generally understand it of Rome. Aben Ezra and Kimchi, however, understand it to refer to many cities which they say will be destroyed in the times of Gog and Magog. Nearly all these opinions may be seen subjected to an examination, and shown to be unfounded, in Vitringa....

EXPOSITION ISAIAH 25:1 ISAIAH'S SONG OF PRAISE ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF GOD'S KINGDOM. AS in Isaiah 12:1, after describing the first setting up of Christ's kingdom and the call of the Gentiles, the prophet broke out into song, through joy at the tidings he was commissioned to announce, so now, having proclaimed the final establishment of the same kingdom in the heavenly Zion, he is again carried away by the sense of exultant gladness into a fresh _Lobgesang_, which he utters in his own person—not, as the former one, in the person of the Church. His song divides itself into three

FOR THOU HAST MADE OF A CITY AN HEAP,.... Which is to be understood, not of Samaria, nor of Jerusalem; rather of Babylon; though it is best to interpret it of the city of Rome, as Jerom says the Jews do; though they generally explain it of many cities, which shall be destroyed in the times of Gog and Magog, as Aben Ezra and Kimchi; and so the Targum has it in the plural number; perhaps not only the city of Rome, but all the antichristian states, the cities of the nations, all within the Romish jurisdiction are meant; which shall all fall by the earthquake, sooner or later, and become a heap: [OF] A DEFENCED CITY, A RUIN; or, "for a fall" c; the same thing is meant as before: it designs the fall of mystical Babylon or Rome, called the great and mighty city, Revelation 18:2: A PALACE OF STRANGERS; which Kimchi interprets of Babylon, which, he says,

CHAPTER 25 Israel's Praise and the Blessings of the Kingdom 1. _The praise of the delivered nation (Isaiah 25:1)_ 2. _The blessing for all nations during the Kingdom (Isaiah 25:6)_ 3. _Israel rejoicing after waiting (Isaiah 25:9)_ 4. _Moab and Israel's enemies judged (Isaiah 25:10)_ In the foreground of this chapter stands another hymn of praise, which redeemed Israel will sing in “that day.” Jehovah has done wonderful things for His people. Compare with Isaiah 12:5 ;

A SONG OF PRAISE FOR YAHWEH'S GREAT DELIVERANCE. The deliverance still lies in the future; the song is written from the standpoint of the redeemed community, and expresses its exultation over its salvation. Yahweh has overthrown the city, its inhabitants shall stand in awe of Him. He has been a shelter to His distressed people when the blast of the violent has beaten on them like a winter storm. He has assuaged the oppression of the enemy, as the sun's scorching heat in a parched land is ameliorated by clouds. ISAIAH 25:1. COUNSELS OF OLD: God's decrees formed in the far-distant past. Isaiah 25:2. a city: the identification is uncertain; perhaps it is that of Isaiah 24:10. PALACE: fortress ...

STRANGERS. foreigners. See note on Isaiah 5:17....