Isaiah 13

Isaiah 13:1-10

THE burden of the defert of the fea. As whirlwinds in the fouth pass through, be it cometh from the defert, from a terrible land. 2. A grievous vision is declared unto me, the treacherous dealer of thealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth: “go up, O Elam: befoge, O Media: all the sighing thereof have I made to cease. 3. Therefore are my loins filled with pain; pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing of it, I was dismayed at the seeing of it. 4. My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me. 5. Prepare the table, watch in the watch-tower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield. 6. For thus hath the LORD laid unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth. 7. And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of afies, and a chariot of camels; and he hearkned diligently with much heed. 8. And he cried, “A lion: my lord, I stand continually upon the watch-tower in the day-time, and I am set in my ward whole nights. 9. And behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen: and he answered and said, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods be hath broken unto the ground. 10. O my threshing, and the ye corn of my floor: that which I have heard of the LORD of hofts the God of Israel, have I declared unto you.

As Babylon was appointed for a house of bondage to God’s people, to comfort them in their low estate, but destruction is repeatedly foretold, and when captives there, they may confidently expect to see her ruin, and their deliverance. Thus prophecy is intitled, The burden of the defert, or plain, of the fea, as lying in a flat country, surrounded with rivers and lakes; and a burden, because of the heavy doom denounced.

1. The invasion of the Medes is described, swift and relishless as the whirlwind from the fouth, sweeping all before it. From the defert is, or be, cometh; Cyrus marching his troops through a defert in his way to Babylon, from a terrible land, such as Media was, producing fierce warriors, terrible to their enemies. A grievous vision is declared to me, full of wrath against the Chaldeans. The treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth; Belhauxar, whose wickedness and oppression of God’s people brought destruction upon him. Or, as some render the words, the treacherous dealer hath found a treacherous dealer, and the spoiler one that spoileth; the Babylonian being repaid in kind by the Persians for their former ravages in Judea. Go up, O Elam; befoge, O Media; all their sighing hath he made to cease; either that of the Medes and Persians, fatigued with the length of their march, and the labour of draining the river, in order to open a way into the city; or the sighing of the captive Jews and others in Babylon, who, when the city was taken, regained their liberty.

2. The distress of the king of Babylon is set forth under the image of a travailing woman, v. 3, 4. Amidst the revels of that fatal night, when rioting with his princes, the sacred vessels of the Sanctuary were prophaned, the hand-writing on the wall struck with sudden pangs the impious king, and spoke his approaching doom, which is scarce sooner pronounced than executed, the city that very night being taken, and Belhauxar slain. Note, Though the midnight revels of pleasure, and the board of drunkenness, may not be interrupted with such a miraculous hand-writing on the wall, and sinners, joyous and thoughtless, to dance and long devote the day, did they but see what is written in God’s book, how quickly would their minds, like Belhauxar’s, be turned into mourning, and their joy into bananies?

3. The entertainment is made ready at command, v. 5. and whilst they sit around the felfal board, the watch is let to prevent surprise, and in security they carouse. Note, The security of sinners hailters their ruin.

4. In that critical moment the befogers are preparing for the assault. The princes arise, the thields are ready, and sudden destruction approaches, v. 5.

5. The prophet is appointed of God, as a watchman posted on the walls, to declare what he sees, v. 6. On looking he beholds a chariot with two horsemen, perhaps alluding to Cy-

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rus and Darius, and a chariot of afies, and another of camels, representing the two nations of Medes and Persians; and, the hurrerling diligently, he perceived the found of the army rushing on the city, and he cried, A lion; Cyrus, for strength and courage compared to that king of boults, hailing to state the prey of Babylon. Thus with unweared vigilance, day and night, the prophet discharged his trust, v. 8. and now perceiving the chariot and horsemen above described, the Persian and Median army under their generals entering the city, he cries, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods be hath broken unto the ground.

In the slain and ruin of this proud city we have a figure of Babylon mythical, which shall thus be surprised and destroyed; and many of the expressions in the Revelations are borrowed from this description, Rev. xviii. 1—15. xviii. 2, 7, 8. xiv. 8.

6. The prophet addresses the people of God, affuring them of the certainty of the events he foretold. He calls them, My threshing, either as being smitten with God’s word, or afflicted by his providences; and the care of my Son, as dear and valuable to him, and carefully preserved, as the choicest wheat, when the chaff is winnowed away. Note, (1.) God’s dearest children have the Sharpeft trials, but it is only to purify and cherish them. (2.) The church is God’s floor, where the faithful, his corn, are collected, whilst all faith profetises and careless sinners are the chaff, which will be burnt with unquenchable fire. (3.) What ministers receive from God they must carefully and diligently deliver, keeping back from the people nothing of the whole counsel of God.

7. ¶ The burden of Dumah. He called to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? watchman, what of the night? 12. The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come.

v. 11, 12. We have here,

1. The burden of Dumah, which some suppose a part of Arabia, See Gen. xxv. 14. but more generally it is interpreted Idumea. What temporal judgment it referred to is uncertain; probably they suffered with their neighbours from the Afirian army.

2. A question put by one of mount Seir, Watchman, what of the night? watchman, what of the night? what hour, how much remains; or what from the night? what tidings? what danger? The question is repeated, as from a person eager to be resolved; or from several coming quickly after each other; to great is their anxiety, that a second calls before the watchman can answer the first. Note, (1.) Every minister is a watchman; he is to spread the alarm, and the people are to enquire at his mouth. (2.) It is a mercy when a sense of danger drives us to a solicitous enquiry how to escape. (3.) Every soul is by nature in darkness, till Christ, the Sun of righteousness, arises with healing in his wings. (4.) The people of God experience dark nights of temptation, affliction, desertion, and wait for a returning sense of God’s light and love, more eagerly than they who look for the morning.

3. The watchman said, The morning cometh; some respite from the calamity. Or, if we suppose the question put by a proslave Idumean, waiting for the confidation of Israel under the darkness of the Mosaic dispensation, the answer is, that the morning cometh, when Christ, the day-star, should arise, and light and joy be diffused by his gospel. But he adds, and the night afar; their ruin by the army of the Afirians. Or, taken more generally, it may imply a state of pernication succeeding the first propagation of the gospel; or a state of darkness in the church, when the prevalence of mahomedism and popery should almost utterly extinguish the light of truth. If ye will enquire, enquire ye diligently and earnestly, by prayer, meditation, reading God’s word, and confiding his mindless, in order to return and come to him; either to God, by repentance under the affliction; or to the watchman, for constant information and advice. Note, (1.) In the day of prosperity we must not forget to prepare for the night of adversity. (2.) If the morning of our life be lost in vanity, the night of age and death will surprise us unprepared for eternity. (3.) The soul that is enquiring after Christ, is already come to the dawning of the day. (4.) The gospel preaches free grace; whoever will, let him come, and welcome, to Jesus Christ. (5.) Since our time is so short, it should quicken our diligence to improve it: we have no moment to spare.

4. ¶ The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye travelling companies of a Dedanim. 14. The inhabitants of the land of Tenta brought water to him that was thrifty, they prevented with their bread him that fled. 15. For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sward, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war. 16. For thus hath the LORD said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of