Isaiah 34

The destruction of the enemies of the church of God verse 2. Under the name of Edomites, 5. Whose land shall be so wasted and destroyed, as that it should be no more inhibited by men, but by wild, terrible creatures, 10. And this desolation or destruction should in every particular be fully accomplished, 16 and last forever, 17.

1. Come neer ye heathen, to hear, and hearken ye nations: let the earth hear, and the fullness thereof; [That is, all that is therein. See Psal.24.on verse 1.] the world, and all that cometh forth all it, [Or, all that sprouteth forth of it. Heb. All the sprouting forth thereof.]

2. For the indignation of the LORD is over [Or, against, or, upon] all the heathen; [To wit, that persecute the people of God; as for example, the Edomites, Moabites, Philistines, Syrians, Assyrians, Chaldeans, and Babylonians, by whom are also understood all enemies of the Church of God] and (his) wrath over [or, against, or, upon all their army: be hath banned them [that is, he hath decreed to ban them: and so presently again. See Deut.2.on verse 34.] he hath delivered them to the slaughter.

3. And their slain shall be cast away, [For a prey unto wild beasts: they shall not be buried] and their stink shall come up out of their carcases: and the mountains shall melt [or, float away, or drop] with their blood. [That is, because of their blood. The Prophet describeth in this and in the next following verses in allegorical or borrowed terms the overthrow of the enemies of the people of God, which indeed first happened to the Assyrians, Babylonians, and other nations, who had miserably persecuted and hurt the Israelites: but it shall be first perfectly accomplished, when Jesus Christ, as supreme Judge, shall judge the whole world.]

4. And all the host of the heavens shall consume away, [That is, melt, fade away, wither away, the meaning is. Men shall be so astonished and amazed at the execution of these judgements of God, as if the host of heaven, to wit, the Sun, moon, and stars should perish, to be turned upside down. See Revel.6.13, 14.] and the heaven shall be rolled together as a book, [this must be understood according to the custom which was formerly in use among the Jews and other Nations, who wrote upon long leaves of parchment, and then rolled them up together in a scroll. See Jsa.8.1.] and all their host [to wit, the host of the heavens] shall fall down, as a leaf of falleth off from the vine, and as (a fig) falleth from the fig-tree.

5. For my sword is made drunk [To wit, with the blood of the slain] in heaven: [the meaning is, I will slay many in my just wrath, according o the decree that is made in heaven. These are the words of God: and the prophet doth describe here and vers.6,7, etc. The ruine and destruction of the enemies of Gods Church] behold it shall come down to judgement [that is, to punishment, to vengeance] upon Edom, [the Edomites were the nightest kindered of the Israelites. They had also and still kept and used among them the sacrament of circumcision: but notwithstanding they were their greatest enemies and persecutors; and they are type and figure of all the enemies of the Church of God, who indeed boast and brag that they are descended and born of the Church, and use the same Sacraments as the Church doth but indeed and in truth hate the true believers] and upon the people which I have banned. [Heb. The people of my ban.]

6. The sword of the LORD is full of blood, it is made fat with grease, with the blood of lambs and goats, [A comparison taken from the slay-offerings of the old Testament. (of lambs etc.) that is, of men that are small and mean in condition. Or, lambs signify young men; goats, the aged, [of the grease of the kidneys of rams: for the LORD hath a slay-offering [or, a slaughter. The Hebrew word which doth often signify a slay-offering, is also frequently taken for slaughter, as Genes.31.54. and 1 Sam.28.24. and 1 Kings 19:21.] at Bozra, [this was the Metropolis or chief city in the land of the Edomites: and it was a type and figure of the city of Rome. Compare herewith Revel.18.2. Of Bozra in Moab see Jerem.48.vers.24.] and a great slaughter in the land of the Edomites.

7. And the unicorns [That is, the mighty and high exalted ones, who exceed all others in cruelty, in persecuting those that are godly] shall come down [to wit, to slaughter] with them, [to wit, with the lambs and goats, vers.6.] and the Bulls with the Bullocks. [See Psal.22.on vers.13.] and their land [to wit, the land of the Edomites, whereof mention is made above vers.6.] shall be thoroughly drunken with blood, [to wit, with the blood of the slain Unicorns, Bullocks, and Bulls. Compare herewith Revel.19.21.] and their dust [that is, their ground, or earth] shall be made fat with grease or fatness that shall flow forth from them that are slain.]

8. For it shall be the day of the Lords vengeance, [Wherein the LORD will avenge the innocent blood of his people] a year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion. [that is, because of Zion, that is, of the church of God, which was grievously persecuted by her enemies.]

9. And the brooks thereof, [To wit, of the city of Bozra, or, of the Edomites, and enemies of the Church of God,] shall be turned into pitch, [In these and the following words is shewed, that the land shall be utterly wasted and destroyed, so that it shall be made like unto the land of Sodom and Gomorrah] and the dust thereof into brimstone: See Job 18.the Annotat. On vers.15.] yea the earth thereof shall become burning pitch.

10. It [To wit, the burning pitch: or the burning land, which shall become as pitch] shall not be quenched night nor day. [Compare herewith Revel.18.2. and 19.3.] the smoke thereof [to wit, of the city of Bozra] shall go up forever, it shall be desolate from generation to generation, none shall pass through it forever and ever.

11. But the Bittern and the Owl shall possess it hereditarily, and the screech-owl and the raven shall dwell in it; [The meaning is, their land shall be utterly wasted and destroyed, that nothing but wild and terrible creatures shall dwell in it. See above chap.14.23. where also mention is made of these and the like frightful creatures, as also Levit.11.17. Compare also Isa.13.21,22. Zeph.2.14. Revel.18.2.] for he [to wit the Lord] shall draw over it a line of desolation, [that is, he shall measure it for destruction. See 2 Kings 21:13. and the Annotat. There] and a plummet of emptiness [Heb. Stones of emptiness; that is, a measuring line, whereon a stone hangeth. Zach.4.10. is mentioned a stone of tin, that is, a measuring line whereon a tin weight doth hang. And a plummet of desolation, or emptiness; that is, for a token that it shall be made empty and desolate.]

12. They [To wit, the remaining Edomites, or the inhabitants of the city of Bozra] shall call the nobles [Heb. White ones; that is, those that wear white pure garments, as Princes, and the great ones of the Land were wont to do. See 1 Kings 21. The Annotat. On ver.8. and Nehem.chap.2.on ver.16.] thereof [to wit of the land of Edom] (to the kingdom, [that is, to the government of the land] but they are not there, but all her Princes shall be nothing, [that is, they shall all be confounded and put to shame, therefore none shall be able to afford them either help or counsel.]

13. And thorns shall come up [That is, grow] in her palaces, nettles and thistles in her strong holds: and it [to wit, Bozra] shall be a habitation of dragons, an hall for the young ones of O strings. [See Job chap.30.on vers.29.]

14. And the wild beasts of the wilderness shall meat the wild beasts of the Islands [See of these and the like frightful creatures, above chap.13.on vers.21.] shall cry to his fellow: also the night-creature [Heb. Lilith] shall set her self down there, and it shall find a resting-lace for her self.

15. There shall the wild blackbird [Heb. Kippoz. It cannot b certainly known what kind of fowl his is] make her nest and lay, [to wit, her eggs. O hers, bring forth; to wit, the eggs which she hath in her body] and gather young ones, [Heb. Split or cleave, to wit, the egg-shells, that the chickens or young ones may come forth] and gather (them) under her shadow: [that is, under her wings] there shall the vultures also be gathered together one with another. [Heb. The woman with her she-mate, or friend.]

16. Seek in the book of the Lord, [heb. Out of the book, etc. That is, in, or, out of the book of these prophesies, which I do write by the Lords command or appointment] and read: there shall not one of these [to wit, things, or aforementioned wild creatures] fail, (neither) the one nor the other [Heb. The woman with her she-mate, or friend, as above vers.15.] shall be missed: for my mouth it self hath commanded it, [the LORD sheweth this], and his [to wit, the Lords] spirit [the prophet speaketh this. Others the mouth (of the LORD) it self shall bring them together [to wit, the above-mentioned beasts and fowls.]

17. For he himself hath cast the lot for them, [To wit, for those beasts and fowls] and his hand hath divided it [to wit, the land of the Edomites. Others, the city of Bozra] unto them by line: they shall possess it herety of Bozra] unto them by line: they shall possess it hereditarily forever, from generation to generation shall they dwell in it [the meaning is, after that the Lord himself shall have given and divided the land of the Edomites, and of other his enemies unto the wild and dreadful beasts for their habitation or dwelling place, they shall forever abide & continue in it, so that it shall always be and remain a cursed and desolate land: in like manner shall the curse of God forever be and abide upon the enemies of his Church.]