Isaiah 13

Notes

Ver. 1. Prophecies of heavy, oppressive, and ruinous judgments are often called burdens; and those denounced against Babylon also often relate to Antichrist. 2, 3. Assemble the forces to their respective standards.—Order them to present themselves to the noble captains of Media and Persia, and to break into the houses of the noble Chaldeans. I have stirred up, and by my providence separated and strengthened these Medes and Persians, to execute my judgments upon Babylon, and to perform the most gallant actions, which will illustrate my honour and greatness. 6, 9. The day of the Lord, or of the wicked, denotes the period of his awful judgments upon them. 10. The whole country of Chaldea shall be filled with horror, and their princes and nobles degraded or murdered. 12. Men fit to bear arms shall become very rare; or the Medes and Persians shall refuse every ransom of their lives. 13, 14. Because of their wickedness, the whole nation shall be quite unhinged and ruined. The Chaldeans shall flee for their lives; but none shall dare to harbour them. All their auxiliaries shall run away, and leave them to shift for themselves. 19. Babylon, once the so large, glorious, and impregnable capital of Chaldea, shall be utterly destroyed in the most wrathful manner.

Ver. 1. Burden. 'Oracle' (Boothroyd). But the word burden, denoting the heavy judgment that Babylon was doomed to bear, seems best calculated to convey the meaning of the prophet. See Ge. 4. 13. C.

Ver. 3. Sanctified ones. 'My enrolled warriors' (Lowth). There can be little question of the preference due to this translation.—That rejoice in my highness. 'Them that rejoice in their own dignity' (Boothroyd). C.

Ver. 4. In the mountains. Media and Persia, from which countries Cyrus drew his armies against Babylon, were mountainous countries, and are described as such in contrast with the low-lying plain upon which Babylon was built. C.

Ver. 5. End of heaven. There is not here, as some have foolishly objected, any astronomical error—such as that heaven and earth meet at a particular point. From Ps. 19. 6 it appears that the 'ends of heaven' signify the sun's apparent daily and annual course, and whoever considers the wonderful collection of adventurers from all nations that are gathered to armies, but especially to eastern armies, where mercenary foreigners often constitute their greatest strength, will find little difficulty in understanding how literally and truly the prophet here speaks. C.

Ver. 10. 'Stars, constellations, sun, and moon,' are all emblems of the various ruling powers of kingdoms, especially of the Babylonish empire, whose wise men were remarkable for their astronomical skill, and therefore fully prepared to understand and appreciate their import. C.

Ver. 11. World. The men who are not only in, but of the world. See Jn. 17. 11, 14, 16. The world that by wisdom knew not God, 1 Co. 1. 21. C.

Ver. 12. Such will be the depopulation of 'Babylon the Great,' that a man will scarcely be found at any price, either for service or defence. See ch. 4. 1; 1 Sa. 3. 1. C.

Ver. 13. Astronomers can both calculate and explain certain irregularities or shakings that literally take place in the visible heavens. To a people skilled in astronomy as the learned Babylonians were, the heavens shaken, and the earth removing from her orbit, would therefore be perfectly intelligible and familiar emblems of thrones overturned, nobles degraded, armies disbanded, commerce forsaken, fields laid waste—a kingdom desolate. C.

Ver. 15. Whether they flee singly for secrecy, or in companies for mutual help, all the Babylonians shall be cut off. C.

Ver. 17. The Medes, inhabiting a mountainous and forest country, were at this time a people so rude that they neither understood the use nor value of gold or silver money. Hunting was hitherto their chief employment; and their weapons for the chase their most valued property. C.

Ver. 21. Satyrs. Literally, 'hairy ones. In Le. 4. 24 the word is translated goat; but in 2 Ch. 11.15 it is translated devils, demons being worshipped, most probably, under the form of goats. The whole of this prophecy, as may be seen exemplified in Newton, Keith, &c., affords one of the plainest and most irresistible attestations to the divine origin of the Bible. C.

Reflections.—Alas! how oppressive and destructive are the judgments of God upon guilty nations, or even the threatenings thereof! Nor is there any destruction on earth but comes because of sin. He sets apart the instruments of justice, as well as those of his grace. He can raise mighty armies by his call or by his nod; and with alacrity they march, under his encouraging direction, to execute his judgments. How dreadful is it when the terrors of a guilty conscience are added to the heavy judgments of affliction! The hearts and hands of the mightiest fail them, when Jehovah appears against them in his judgment; and all helpers desert when a nation gives itself to ruin. Into what savage devils has sin transformed men, especially when they serve in conquering armies! But God is righteous in returning men's cruelties upon themselves. He has exhibited the most terrible marks of his indignation against sin on persons, cities, and nations. And the ruins of places, once famous and wicked, attest his infinite holiness, equity, foreknowledge, and faithfulness, and the divine authenticity of his Word.