Isaiah 47

Uncover thy locks. Thy hair shall hang about thy ears^ without being dressed up, or adorned with a diadem: thou shaltlose all that finery and those ornaments in which thou didst pride thyself, as marks of thy state; and the persons of the greatest quality shall be despoiled of their gaiety, and carried captives in a mean and ragged condition. Make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers.] Those who are bred to the nicest degree of tenderness shall be stripped naked, and forced to go/barefoot over rivers, when they are led captives by the Persians.

Isaiah 47:3

Thy nakedness shall be discovered. See note on iii. 17. I xvilt take vengeance; I will not meet thee as a man.] Thou shalt feel the" most dreadful effects of my anger, and I will shew u6 humanity or pity towards tKfce. The latter part of the sentence sounds literally thus, I will not meet a man, which’ seems to be a hypallage, or aninverted sentence, for a man shall hot meet me; ire: no man shall put a stop to my fury, by endeavouring to succour thee: nor shall any intercession for thee prevail with me. (See Jer. vii. 16. xv. 1. Ezck. xiv. 14.) -The verb pagang is sometimes used for making intercession/ (See liii. 12.)

Isaiah 47:4

As for our Redeemer, the Lord of hosts is his name. Sec Jer. 1. 34.

Isaiah 47:5

Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness. Silence and darkness are opposed to that noise and gaiety which arc seen in rich and populous cities, which being destroyed are reduced to a melancholy silence and solitude. The same thing is expressed in Jeremy, by taking away the voice of mirth, and the light of the candle, (Jer. xxv. 10.) Babylon hath been for many ages a heap of ruins; for the city Bagdad, commonly taken for the same place, is situate thtee days’ journey from it. (See the note upon xiii. 19.) Ver: G. I have polluted mine inheritance, and given them into thy hand.] Whereas I formerly appropriated Judeato myself, and distinguished it from all other countries by peculiar marks of my favour and protection, now I laid it open to the insults of idolaters, and suffered them to profane the city and sanctuary which was called by ray name. Thou didst shew them no mercy.] God often punishes the persons, whom he makes instruments of his vengeance upon others, for those very things which they did by his appointment, because they exceeded their commission, and were more intent upon satisfying their own ambition and cruelty, than upon executing his commands. [So Isa. x. 7. the prophet speaking of the Assyrian, whom he calls the rod of God’s anger, adds, howbeit he meaneth not so; his intent is not to execute God’s will, but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations; he intends only to satisfy his’revenge and ambition.] See Zcch. i. 15. where God saith of.the Babylonians, I was but a little displeased [with my people] and they helped forward their affliction. For the •samo reason God saith; Hos. i. 4. that he will avenge the blood ofJezreel on the house of Jel\u, though Jehu was expressly commanded to smite the house ofAhab, (2 Kings ix. 7.) But he exceeded his commission, when he slew all Ahab’s great men, or officers of state; and when he had destroyed the family of Ahaziah, (2 Kings x. 11. 14.) Upon the ancient hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke.] Thou hast shewed no pity upon old folks, whose age commands respect, and wiiose feebleness deserves compassion. (Compare Deut. xxviii. 50.)

Isaiah 47:7

And’ thou saidst, I shdtl be a lady for ever, &c. I shall always be the chief city and mistress of the world (see ver. 5.) and shall never know any change of fortune: whereas the consideration of the instability of all worldly greatness, should have induced thee to use thy success with moderation.

Isaiah 47:8

Thou sayest in thine heart, I am, and 7ione else besides me. Words full of insolence and blasphemy, whereby she arrogated that self-sufficiency to herself, which belongs to none but God. (See xlv. 5.) I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children.] Cities are commonly described as the mothers of their inhabitants, and their kings and princes as their husbands. And when they are bereaved of these, they are said to be widows and childless. (See iii. 2G. xlix: 21.) As Babylon, in the pride of her heart, thought herself exempt from the calamities of fortune; so mystical Babylon is described as guilty of the same pride and carnal security, (Rev. xviii. 7.) And those arrogant pretences of the Roman church to infallibility, indefectibility, and supremacy, too nearly resemble the description of Babylon in this and the foregoing verse.

Isaiah 47:9

But these two things shall come to thee in’a moment in one day. The great strokes of Providence are described as coming suddenly and unexpectedly, as a thief in the night: that when men shall say, Peace, peace, then sudden destruction shall come upon them: (sec 1 Thcss. v. 3. compare Luke xvii. 27 — 29.) thereby to deter men from indulging their carnal security, and to put them in mind of that continual dependance they ought to have upon God. (Sec Dan. iv. 30, 31. 35. 37.) For the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the abundance of thine enchantments.] By sorceries may either be meant those forbidden arts of divination; mentioned more particularly ver. 13. or else the wicked schemes of worldlypolicy, whereby great and potent kingdoms oppress and undermine lesser states and principalities. (Compare Nahum iii. 4.) Ver; 10. For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness; thou hast said, None seeth me.] Thou hast thought that thy cunning and policy would still support thee, and that God did not regard thee, and would never call thee to an account for all thine enormities. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee.] Tlie’ words may mean, either thy skill in the arts of human policy; or else thy pretended foreknowledge of future events by the positions of tho heavens; the Chaldeans being famous all tho world over for their skill in astrology.

Isaiah 47:11

Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it ariseth. With all thy skill in fortune-tdling, thou shalt not be able to foresee the evil that is coming upon thee, or to prevent it.

Isaiah 47:13

Thou art wearied Jn the multitude of thy counsels. The several projects thou hast tried to divert thy calamities, are all lost labour. (Compare lvii. 10.)

Isaiah 47:14

Behold, they shall be as stubble. They shall have no more power to withstand the calamities coming upon them, than stubble hath to resist the violence of the fire. (See xl. 24. xli. 2.) There shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it.] They shall be utterly consumed, so as to be reduced to ashes, and not so much as a coal left that may give warmth or afford comfort. (Compare xxx. 14.)