Isaiah 47
DortA further Prophesy concerning the destruction of the Babylonian Monarchy, ver.1. &c. for their cruelty and unmercifulness toward the people of God, 6. Their pride, 7. And other sins, 9. Their sorceries and Enchantments shall not be able to deliver them, 12.
1. Come down, [To wit, from thy royal seat; as if he had said, thy royal seat, thy pomp, thy glory, shall be taken away from thee] and sit in the dust [Or, set thy self in the dust, as they are wont to do that mourn and grieve for some great evil or mischief that hath befallen them. See Job 2.ver.8, and 13.above chap.26.5.] thou Virgin, daughter of Babel, [Thou Virgin, so the Prophet calleth the kingdom of the Babylonians that then flourished exceedingly, or in the highest degree; and because hitherto it had not been conquered and subdued by any enemies; of which it was exceedingly proud, being a type of the Babel of the New Testament, or of the kingdom of Antichrist. (daughter of Babel) That is, the people of Babel. See 2 Kings 19.on verse 21. [sit on the ground, there is no throne (more) [Or where no seat is; To wit, no royal seat or throne] thou daughter of the Chaldeans; [That is, Babylon, which is inhabited by the Chaldeans] thou shalt be no more called tender, nor voluptuous, [the meaning is, thy pleasure, wantonness, and excess shall soon be at an end, and be turned into a miserable and sad estate and condition. Heb. Thou shalt not add that they shall call thee, &c.]
2. Take the mill, and grind meal: [That is, put your hands to the hand mills, &c. In these words the Lord threateneth & foretelleth the Babylonians that they should be bond-men and bond-women unto the Persians, being fain to do the great and hard labour of grinding corn with hand-mills. See Exod.11.5. Judg.16.21. uncover thy locks, [to wit, as women used to do, who in token of grief and sorrow tare the hare off their head, and let it hang down over their face: or, make bare thine hair; to wit, as bond-women do] make bare the ankles, or, the legs, uncover thy shanks, [that is, tuck up your selves high] pass through the rivers. [To wit, the rivers of Persia: a threatening that they should be carried away captive.]
3. Thy shame [Heb. Nakedness] shall be discovered, [Compare above chap.3.17. Nahum.3.5.] also thy filthiness shall be seen; I will take vengeance,] that is, I will execute vengeance upon thee, thou daughter of Babel, because thou hast been so unmerciful towards my people, vers.6. and I will not fall on (upon thee, as) a man. [But as God. The meaning is, I will shew my power upon thee, so that thou shalt utterly perish and be destroyed. Or, I will set upon thee not as a man, but as a Lion or Bear, or some other cruel devouring creature. So that from the greatness and grievousness of the judgements which I shall bring upon you, it may easily be gathered, that it is more then an humane strength or power that doth conquer or subdue you.]
4. Our redeemers name is LORD of hosts, the holy One of Israel. [Heb. Our Redeemer, Lord of hosts is his Name, etc.]
5. Sit silent, and get thee into darkness, thou daughter of the Chaldeans: [Hide thy self, as desolate men that can look for help and comfort no where. Or, be thou put in oblivion, as a thing of no value or esteem] for thou shalt no more be called the Queen, [Or, Lady, Regent, Sovereign, Princess, Supreme commander, or Governess. See Jerem.13.the Annotat. On vers.18.] of kingdoms. [This was fulfilled when Cyrus brought the Babylonian Monarchy unto the Persians.]
6. I was very angry with my people, I prophaned mine inheritance, [That is, my people of Israel. The meaning is, I suffered them to be destroyed and wasted, counting them to otherwise then profane, polluted, or an unhallowed thing, giving them over unto profane nations, as is intimated in the next words that follow] and I gave them over into thine hand: (but) thou didst shew them no mercies, (yea even) upon the ancient didst thou make thy yoke very heavy. [That is, thou hast grievously afflicted and oppressed them, and dealt cruelly with them. Aged persons were wont sometimes to be pitied and spared by their very enemies themselves; but thus mercy was not to be found with the Babylonians.]
7. And thou sadist, [To wit, in thine heart; that is, thou thoughest, as vers.10.] I shall be a Queen [see vers.5.] forever: [see Rev.18.7.] hitherto thou hast not laid these things to thine heart, thou hast not thought of the end thereof. [To wit, what the end would be, after that I should have chastised my people in my just judgement. Heb. Of the last.]
8. Now then hear this, thou voluptuous one, that dwellest so securely, [See Prov.1. the Annotat. On ver.33.] that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none more then I: [Or I am he: and is there anymore besides me? Or I am he, yea I alone] I shall not sit a widow, nor know [that is, experience] the bereaving of children, [that is, I shall not be bereaved of the King, who is as mine husband, nor of my citizens or subjects, which are as my children. The meaning is, I shall always continue in the royal dignity or glory, it shall be never taken away from me.]
9. But both these things shall come upon thee in a moment in one day, the bereaving of children and widowhood: [Compare below chap.51.19.] they shall come upon thee perfectly, [Heb. In or according to their perfection] by reason of the multitude of thy sorceries, by reason of the multitude of thy enchantments.]
10. For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness, thou hast said, none seeth me: thy wisdom and thy knowledge [That is, thy sorcery and Astrology, whereon the Chaldeans relied greatly, as if it had been the greatest wisdom and knowledge in the world. See Dan.2.2. and 5.7.] it hath made thee averse: [to wit, from the right way, from doing any thing that is, good] and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none more then I.
11. Therefore there shall come upon thee an evil, thou shalt not know the morning thereof: [That is, its rise original, beginning. Thus he derideth the Babylonians that gave heed to the course of heaven; that is, to the rising and setting of the stars, to prognosticate somewhat from thence] and there shall fall upon thee a destruction which thou shalt not be able to oppose: [that is, out of which thou shalt not know how to rid and rescue and deliver thy self. Or thou shalt not be able to mitigate it] for there shall come upon thee suddenly a tempestuous desolation, (so) that thou shalt not know it.
12. Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherewith thou hast laboured from thy youth, [Others, wherewith thou hast wearied thy self, etc.] if perhaps thou mayest be able to make profit, if perhaps thou (mayest be able) so strengthen thy self. [this is spoken in a jeering way to discover the vain hope of the Babylonians]
13. Thou art grown weary in the multitude of thy counsels: let now them that observe the heaven, that gaze on the stars, that foretell according to the new Moons, months. Heb. Tel, or certify; making men believe that by looking on the stars they are able to foretell things to come] stand up, and let them deliver thee from those things that shall come upon thee.
14. They shall be as stubble, [Heb. They were etc. signifying the certainly of this Prophesy] the fire shall burn them, they shall not be able to rescue themselves [Heb. Their soul, as above chap.46.ver.2.] from the power [Heb. From the hand] of the flame: [that is, of the hostile invasion and in rode of their enemies the Persians and Medes. And if they be not able to deliver others from the miseries that shall come upon Babylon] it shall not be a Cole to warm (at) (nor) fire to sit down before it, [the meaning is, that the flame mentioned in the former words, shall surely consume and devour. Or as others, as stubble giveth no lasting heat nor warmth; so neither is there any help or lasting comfort to be sought or sound by sorcery or star-gazing. Others, it shall not be a Cole unto their meat, that is, to dress their meat with.]
15. Thus shall they be unto thee, with whom thou hast laboured, [That is, with whom thou hast toiled and taken great pains such a long while, asking them about things to come so long, as that thou art grown weary of them at last: he meaneth the star-gazers] thy dealers from thy youth [with whom didst deal and trade daily. Meaning the Astrologers] everyone shall wander his (own) way, [or, his (own) pace, his (own) going] none shall deliver thee.