Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Isaiah · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
Ver. 1. THe burden] That is, the burdenous Propheſie, it ſhould not have ſeemed a burden,See the Notes on Nah. 1.1. and on Mal. 1.1. Jer. 23.36. but it is a grievous burden to graceleſs perſons to be told of their ſins, and foretold of their puniſhments.
Of Babylon] Not that Babylon in Egypt (of which St. Peter, 1 Epiſt. 5.13. as ſome hold) now called Gr…ndcair the Soldans Seat-royal: but the Metropolis of Chaldaea▪ built by Semiramis about an hundred years after the Flood, whethe… the Jews were to be carried captive: and concerning which calamity they are here aforehand comforted. See Mic. 7.8, 16.
Ver. 2. Life up a Banner] Deus hic quaſi claſſicum canit, God, as Generaliſſimo gives forth his Orders to the Medes and Perſians. He is a man of War, Exod 15.3. yea the Lord victour of War, as the Chaldee there paraphraſeth. See the like, Jer. 50.2.
Ʋpon the High Mountain] Where it may beſt be ſeen, Media is a Mountanous Countrey. Or, contra montem cal…ginoſum, againſt the dark Mountain. i. e. Babylon, which though ſcituated in a Plain, yet was tu…ou…'d up with her wealth and power,Strabo. lib. 16. Curtius. lib. 5. Joſephus l. 10. and ſeemed unmoveable. Famous this City was for an hortus penſilis, an Artificial Garden (made by Nebuchadnezzar for the pleaſure of his Wife Nicotris) which hanging over the City darkeneth it: like as that continual Cloud doth the Iſland of St. Thomas, on the backſide of Africa:
Exalt the voyce unto them, ſhake the hand] Propinquos voce, longinquos ſignificatione adarma convocate: give the alarm to thoſe that are near-hand, and further off.
Junius.That they may go into the gates of the Nobles] Or, of the munificent or Bounteous Lords: for ſuch all Nobles are or ought to be: Our Engliſh word Lord, contracted of the Saxon word Laford, cometh of Luef to ſuſtain or ſuccour others.
Ver. 3. I have commanded my ſanctified ones] i. e. I have by my ſecret inſtinct ſtirred up and ſet on my Medes and Perſians, ver. 17. whom in my Decree I have ſet apart for this holy work of executing vengeance on the Babylonians.
I have alſo called my Mighties] My Heroes, armed with my Might.
Even them that rejoyce in my Highneſs] Heb. Exultantes ſuperbiae meos, My brave Souldiers, whom I render victorious and triumphant.
Ver. 4. The noiſe of the multitude] The Medes that come againſt Babylon are both numerous and ſtreperous: as is here graphically deſcribed by an Elegant Hypotypoſis.
The Lord of Hoſts muſtereth the hoſt of the battel] No marvel then that the Forces are ſo many and mighty. For if he but ſtamp with his foot, all creatures are up in Arms immediately.
Ver. 5. They come from a far Countrey] Heb. from a Land of Longinquity.
Even the Lord, and the weapons of his Indignation] foreign Veſſels of wrath, the Septuagint render them: but in another ſence then the Apoſtle uſeth that expreſſion, concerning Reprobates deſigned to deſtruction.
To deſtroy the whole Land] Or, the whole world: for ſo the Chaldees in the pride of their Empire, ſtiled it. The Romans did the like, Luke 2.1. The Turks do the ſame at this day; ſuch is their ambition.
Ver. 6. Howl ye] For the evils that are coming upon you, as Jam. 5.1. we may well ſay the ſame to myſtical Babylon.
For the day of the Lord is at hand] And yet it came not till above two hundred years after. Think the ſame of the day of Judgement: and reckon that a thouſand years with God is but as one day.
It ſhall come as a deſtruction from the Almighty] Heb. Cleſhod Miſhaddai, an elegancy that cannot be Engliſhed. Sh…ddai (Gods name) ſignifieth a Conqueror, ſay ſome; a Deſtroyer, ſay others, which a Conqueror muſt needs be: Eundem victorem & vaſtatorem eſſe oportet. Here is threatened a devaſtation from the Devaſtatour.
Ver. 7. Therefore ſhall all hands be faint] Baſe fear, that cowardly paſſion ſhall betray them to the enemy, by expectorating their courage, and cauſing their hearts to fall into their heels, as we ſay. But this alſo cometh from the Lord of …oſts, who is wonderful in Counſel, and excellent in working; for He ordereth the Armor, Jer. 50.25. and he ſtrengtheneth or weakeneth the Armies of either party, Ezek. 30.24. whenceſoever the Sword cometh, it is bathed in Heaven, Iſa. 34.5.
And every heart ſhall melt] How much more ſhall wicked mens hearts do ſo at the day of Judgement, when the Powers of Heaven ſhall be ſhaken, Luke 21.26. Allegoricè; haec veriora erunt in di… judicii cujus hic eſt typus.
Ver. 8. And they ſhall be afraid]
Conturbabuntur —
Innumerabilibus ſollicitudinibus.
They ſhall be amazed one at another] Amuſed, amazed, amated, as being at their wits ends.
Their faces ſhall be as flames] So Jer. 30.5, 6. a voyce of fear and trembling, every man with his hands on his loines (the poſture of a travelling Woman) and all faces turned into paleneſs. The Prophet here alludeth, ſaith Muſculus, to the face of a Smith at dark night, when he ſtandeth blowing his fite: for his face appears as if it had no blood in it, moſt wan and pa…e. Or, as others think, to a man afrighted, who firſt looketh pale (the blood running to the heart to relieve it) afterwards, upon the return of the blood to the outward parts, he looketh red, and of a flame-colour.
Ver. 9. Behold the day of the Lord cometh cruel] So it ſhall ſeem to the enemies: becauſe an evil, an only evil behold is come, Ezek. 7.5. without mixture of Mercy.
Ver. 10. For the Stars of Heaven — ſhall not give their light] They ſhall have puniſhment without pitty, miſery without mercy, ſorrow without ſuccour,Eſt Hyperbole & Hypallage. miſchief without meaſure, crying without comfort, &c. and all this ſhall be but a typical hell to them, a foretaſt of eternal torments.
The Conſtellations thereof] Which yet ſome Interpreters take for ſome ſingle and ſignal Star, magnam luceus magnae ſequuntur tenebrae.
The Sun ſhall be darkened] They ſhall neither have good day, nor good night.
Ver. 11. And I will puniſh the world] That is, the Chaldean State:Dan. 4.17. for they reckoned themſelves foreign or Lords of the world. See on ver. 5. Or to ſhew that if the whole world ſhould conſpire againſt the Lord, he can as eaſily puniſh them, as he did that rabble of Rebels the old world.
And lay low the haughtineſs of the terrible] Or, of the royſters, or Tyrants.
Ver. 12. I will make a man more precious] Quod rarum carum: Men ſhall be reduced to a ſmall number, not Nobles only, ſed triobolares homunciones, but Peſants; nor ſhall any money be taken in exchange for lives.
Ver. 13. Therefore I will ſhake the Heavens] i.e. for the pride, arrogancy, cruelty, and other impieties of theſe Babylonians, I will bring upon them Tragical calamities and horrid confuſions, ſo that they ſhall think that Heaven and earth are blended together, and each be ready to ſay, In me omnis terrae que poli que mariſ que ruina eſt.
Ver. 14. And it ſhall be as the chaſed Roe] Or, ſhe, that is Babylon, ſhall be, when drunk with ſecurity (that Uſher of De…truction) ſhe ſhall be ſuddenly ſurprized. So ſtrong were her Walls and Bulwarks, that ſhe feared no irruption of the enemy: and ſo bold ſhe bore her ſelf upon her twenty years proviſion laid in aforehand that ſhe feared no famine, by the ſtraitneſs of a long ſiege. Herodotus telleth us,Herod. lib. 1. Ariſt. Polit. lib. 3. that when Babylon was taken by Cyrus, ſome part of the City knew not of their condition, till the third day after; the ſuddenneſs of their ſurpriſal muſt needs be very dreadful.
They ſhall every man] i.e. All her Confederates and Preſidiaries.
Ver. 15. Every one that is found, ſhall be thruſt thorow] This maketh them flye for it: Quis enim vult mori? prorſus nemo. Life is ſweet: and men will rather flie then dye.
Every one that is joyned unto them] Or, that is decrepid, worn out with old age: See 2 Chron. 36.17.
Ver. 16. Their children ſhall be daſht in pieces, &c.] As had been prayd and prophecyed long before, Pſal. 137.9. and this was but lex talionis: See 2 Chron. 36.17. Lam. 5.11.
Their houſes ſhall be ſpoyled, and their wives raviſhed] As thoſe three Commandements. Thou ſhalt not kill, Thou ſhalt not commit adultery, Thou ſhalt not ſteal, are ranked together in the Law: ſo they are commonly violated together in the lawleſs violence of war.
Ver. 17. Behold I will ſtir up the Medes] together with the Perſians, under the conduct of Darius and Cyrus.
Which ſhall not regard ſilver] ſc. For a ranſom, but ſhall kill all they meet, though never ſo rich, and able to redeem their lives, as Pro. 13.8. Jer. 41.8.
Incredibilis ſanguinis aviditas in milite bacchabi…r.Ver. 18. Their bowes alſo ſhall daſh the yong men] They ſhall double deſtroy them. O Barbaram crudelitatem!
And they ſhall have no pitty on the fruit of the womb] Quamvis adhuc teneri eſſent & fructus novelli, ripping up their mothers, as Am. 1.13. as at the Sicilian Veſpers, and as in the late Pariſian and Iriſh Maſſacres, which were the moſt prodigious horrid villan…es that ever the Sun ſaw.
Their eye ſhall not spare children] In the Maſſacre of Paris, a bloody Papiſt having ſnatcht up a little child of one of the Proteſtants in his arms, the poor Babe began to play with his beard,Act. & Mon. and to ſmile upon him. But he, more mercyleſs then a Tiger, ſtabbed it with a dagger, and ſo caſt it all gore-blood into the River.
Ver. 19. And Babylon the glory of Kingdoms] Thoſe four great Monarchies of the world had their times and their turns, their riſe and their ruine. The Roman Empire can ſcarce ſtand on its feet of clay; and by the death of the late Emperour, no King of Romans being nominated, is like to ſuffer great concuſſions.
Shall be as when Gid overthrew Sodom] The deſtruction whereof was the greateſt and moſt ſtupendious, that ever we read of.
Hi… Babylonia contermini.Ver. 20. Neither ſhall the Arabian pitch tent there] The Scenites or vagrant Shepherds of Arabia deſerta, that oft flitted for better paſture, ſhall ſhun Babylon, as haunted with wild beaſts, or rather with Dragons, and Devils in the Revelation; all this is applyed to, and ſhall be verified of Rome, cap. 18.
Ver. 21. But wild beaſts of the Deſart] Heb. Ij…m, Ochim, &c. Theſe are names of wild creatures unknown to us in theſe parts.
And Satyrs] Or Devils in borrowed ſhapes, and hideous apparitions.
Ver. 22. And the wild beaſts of the Iſlands] Heb Ijim, i. e. deſolate places and far remote.
And her time is near to come] Though two hundred year hence and more, ere it commence. So Babylon is fallen, is fallen, Rev. 19.2. that is, certo, cito, penitus, ſurely, ſhortly, utterly, — O mora! Chriſte veni.