Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Isaiah · Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI.
Ver. 1. THe burden of the Deſart of the Sea] i. e. Of Babylon, ver. 9. which is here called a ſea, becauſe ſcituate by many waters, Jer. 51.13, 36. and the deſart or plain of the ſea, becauſe it ſtood in a Plain, Gen. 11.2. Or was to be turned into a Deſart: ſee chap. 13. & 14. Jer. 51. It is ſo often propheſied againſt. 1. For the comfort of Gods people, who were to ſuffer hard and heavy things from this City. 2. For a caution to them, not to truſt in ſuch a tottering State; A Lapide ſaith, that about the time of this Propheſie, Hezekiah was making a League and amity with Merodach King of Babylon, to whoſe Ambaſſadours he had ſhewed all his Treaſures, and was well ſhent for it, 2 King. 20.12. To take him off which Deſign, the ruine of Babylon is here fore-propheſied.
Pliny ſaith, the greateſt tempeſts at Sea come from t…e South.As whirlwinds in the South paſs thorow] Patentibus campis, ac locis arenoſis, vehementiſſimo impetu cuncta proſternentes, without ſtop or ſtay, bearing down all before them: covering whole armies with ſand ſometimes, and deſtroying them.
So it cometh] Or, ſo He cometh, that is Cyrus with his Armies, Vaſtator Babyloniae, he cometh fiercely and furiouſly.
From the Wilderneſs] From Perſia, which is deſart in many places, eſpecially toward Babylon.
From a terrible Land] From Media, the people whereof were barbarous, and brutiſh, Herodot.skilful to deſtroy. Nitocris Queen of Babylon feared an hoſtile irruption from this Land, did her utmoſt to prevent it: but that would not be.
Ver. 2. A grievous Viſion] Heb. Hard, harſh; tyrannorum ſpeculum: here's hard for hard; God loveth to retaliate. Babylon had been the maul of the earth, Jer: 51.20. now a hard Meſſenger is ſent, a harſh Viſion is declared againſt her. They who do what they ſhould not, ſhall hear what they would not; a burdenous Propheſie, a grievous Viſion! This treacherous dealer dealeth treacherouſly, and this ſpoyler ſpoyleth: for ſo ſome read the next words.
The treacherous dealer dealeth treacherouſly] Or, O thou treacherous dealer and notable ſpoyler: thou Elam I mean, go up thou Media, beſiege. God oft maketh uſe of one Tyrant to puniſh another: as here he ſtirreth up the Perſians to plunder and waſte the Babylonians. So the Perſians were afterwards in like ſort puniſhed by the Macedonians, the Macedonians by the Romans thoſe Romans by the Hunnes, Vandals, Lombards, Sarazens, Turks: all whom Chriſt ſhall deſtroy at his laſt coming.
Go up, O Elam] i.e. Thou Perſian: Elymais is properly that part of Perſia that lyeth towards Media. Here they are appointed their work, 170. years before it was done: and Cyrus afterwards named as the chief doer.
All the ſighing thereof have I made to ceaſe] Thereof, or of her, that is, of Babylon, (not of Judaea, which the Prophet ever had in his heart, as ſome ſence it) the ſighing,Vatab. quo ipſa, ſua tyrannide & appreſſione, cogebat alios flere & gemere, that ſhe forced from others, ſpecially from Gods oppreſſed people. Or, they ſhall not have long to ſigh, for I will ſoon put an end to their lives.
Ver. 3. Therefore are my loyns filled with pains] I Babylon, or I Belſhazzar am in a wo caſe:Ze…ed. this is here ſet forth by a notable Hypotypoſis, ac ſi res ipſa jam tum gereretur, perſonâ Regis in ſe per Mimeſin aſſumptâ, acting Belſhazzars part, as Dan. 5.5, 6. where we may read this Propheſie punctually fulfilled.
I was bowed down at the hearing of it] Belſhazzars ſences were ſorely afflicted: how much more ſhall it be ſo in Hell?Oecolamp. The Prophet here elegantly imitateth his groans and out-cr…es, O dolorem lumborum! O torſiones! O cordis amiſſionem! O tremorem & terrorem! O the doleful wo and alaſs of the damned ſpirits!
Ver. 4. My heart panted] Or, fluttereth too and fro, as not able to keep in its place. Viro impio calamitatibus preſſo nihil deſperatius eſt, Nothing is more hopeleſs and creſtfaln then a wicked man in diſtreſs: for why? his life and hopes end together.
The night of my pleaſure hath he turned into fear] That dreadful and diſmal nigh Dan. 5. intended for a revelling night, and dedicated to the honour of Shac: but the Hand-writing on the Wall, and the irruption of the Perſians, marred the mirth.
Ver. 5. Prepare the Table] Inſultat regi Balthaſari, Zeged.ac irridendo voces illius memorat. Prepare the Table, ſaid Balthaſar: but more need he had to have ſaid, Prepare the battel, ſet the Army in array, &c. But this ſecure ſot thought of no ſuch matter: his deſtruction, though at hand, was hid from his eyes by the Lord, who
Auferre mentem talibus primum ſolet,
Caliginem que , affundit, ut ruant ſuas
Furenter in clades, ſibi quas noxii
Accerſierunt ultro, conſiliis malis.
Watch in the watch-Tower] That we may revel the more ſecurely.
Eat, drink,] Etiam ſi Hannibal ſit ad portas; feed without fear, notwithſtanding the ſiege.
Ariſe ye Princes, annoint the ſhield] q. d. It would better become you,Non convivandi ſed pugnandi tempu… eſt. A Lapide. O Babylonian Princes ſo to do, viz. to ſtand to your Arms, to furbiſh your ſhields, for your better defence againſt the Medes and Perſians. Some make theſe words to be the Watchmans warning given upon the Perſians entering the City.
Ver. 6. For thus hath the Lord ſaid unto me] Confirming by a Prophetical Viſion, what I had foretold concerning the calamity of the Chaldees.
Ver. 7. And he ſaw] ſc. In a Viſion.
A Chariot with a couple of horſmen] Darius and Cyrus.
A Chariot of Aſſesand a Chariot of Camels] Beaſts of both ſorts, both for burden and ſervice: great ſtore of them.
And he hearkened diligently with much heed] Attendit attente, attentiſſime, the Watchman did who was ſet to watch in the Viſion.
Ver. 8. And he cryed a Lyon] i. e. A ſtout and cruel enemy is upon us. Or, he cryed as a Lyon (ſo ſome render it) that is, the Watchman cryed aloud, profeſſing his utmoſt vigilancy in performance of his duty.
Ver. 9. And behold here cometh a Chariot of men] Or, behold even now are gone in, that is, Cyrus and Darius (as ver. 7.) have broken into the Town, and ſurprized it.
And he anſwered and ſaid,] He, that is, the Watchman, numinis quodam afflatu commotus, by a divine inſtinct; or rather God himſelf.
Babylon is fallen, is fallen] That is, ſhall fall, certo, cito, penitus, certainly, ſpeedily, utterly,—ruit alto à culmine Troja: ſo ſhall ſhortly myſtical Babylon, Rev. 18. as the Jeſuites themſelves Ribera & a Lapide confeſs; only they ſay This ſhall be toward the end of the world, when Rome ſhall become Idolatrous; as though it were not ſo now. But what ſaid Petrarch long ſince? There yet ſtandeth near at hand a ſecond Babylon, cito itidem caſura, ſi vos eſſetis viri, which would ſoon be down, would you but ſtand up as men.
Ver. 10. O my threſhing, and the corn of my floor] That is, O my Church and people, whom by ſo many tribulations I have hitherto been threſhing, that I might ſunder thee from the chaff, and make thee the corn of the floor, or,Non ut perdam, ſed ut probem & purgem. Frumentum Dei ſum, &c. Ignat. as the Hebrew here hath it, my ſon of the floor, and may lay thee up as pure grain in my Garner. See chap. 28.27.
That which I have heard from the Lord of Hoſts] viz. That you my poor Country-men ſhall be threſhed for a while, and winnowed by Babylon (ſee chap. 25.10 & 41.15. Jer. 51.33. Mic. 4.13.) Ʋt cum triturando è gluma, & follibus ſuis utriculiſ que triticum educitur, and that you ſhall at length be delivered from this grievous affliction: all this you may write upon as certain and infallible. I have herein told you not the dreams of mine own heart, but the very undoubted words of God himſelf.
Ver. 11. The burden of Dumah] i. e. Of Idumea, or of the Edomites: Onus Idumea. Sept.for burden, ſee on chap. 31.1. This Propheſie is the ſhorter, the harder. The Jews apply this Propheſie to Rome: they read for Dumah Roma: the Romans they call the new Idumaeans, and the Popes Kingdom the wicked Kingdom of Edom. Some of them ſay that Julius Caeſaer was an Idumean: Others that Aeneas came out of Idumea into Egypt, from thence into Lybia, thence to Carthage, thence to Italy: and that there he built Alba out of which ſprang Rome. The riſe of this Fiction ſeemeth to have been the deſtruction of the Jewiſh State by Titus and his Romans, who were thereupon for their cruelty by thoſe Jews called Edomites.
He calleth to me out of Seir] Or, One is calling to me out of Seir, which was a Mountain poſſeſſed by the Edomites.
Cuſtos, quid de nocte.Watchman, what of the night?] Interrogatio Ironica eſt at que ſarcaſtica; a ſcoffing queſtion whereby the Prophet is derided and upbraided with falſe foretelling a night of miſery to the Edomites, when as they felt no change, but enjoyed rather a lightſome morning; a fine time, as we ſay, of liberty and proſperity.
Non omnium dicrum ſol occidit Neſcis quid ſerus veſper vehat.Ver. 12. The Watchman ſaid, The morning cometh, and alſo the night] This is a ſhort and ſharp anſwer, q. d. ſay it be yet morning with you and clear day; yet, as ſure as the night followeth the day, a change will come, ſuch as whereof you ſhall have ſmall comfort.
If ye will enquire] ſc. of the Lord by me, whom you call Watchman in diſdain: but I profeſs my ſelf to be ſo, that is, to be a Prophet; and do take it for an honour.
Enquire ye] Do it ſeriouſly and not ſarcaſtically: be not ye mockers, leſt your bonds be encreaſed, chap. 28.22.
Return] To God by true Repentance.
Come] Come over to us who are his people. And all this is delivered by an Elegant Aſyndeton in ſhort and quick terms; importing that haſte muſt be made, if the forementioned danger ſhall be prevented. Habent aulae ſuum cito, cito; they muſt be nimble that ſhall find favour in the Court of Heaven. It is an unſafe thing always to begin to live. How many are taken away in their offers and eſſays, before they have prepared their hearts to cleave to God? Caſtigemus ergo mores & moras: Up therefore and be doing that the Lord may be with you.
Ver. 13. The burden upon Arabia] As a burden upon a beaſt. Theſe Arabians o… Hagarens had aſſiſted (likely) Tihakah the Ethiopian againſt Sennacherib; and are therefore ſet upon by him: ſure it is they were enemies to the Church, Pſalm 83.
In the Forreſt—ſhall ye lodge] In the wide and wild woods, glad to lurk any where for ſafety, glad to quit your huts.
O ye travelling companies] Ye troops of Travellers.
Ver. 14. Brought water to the thirſty] Or, bring forth water wherewith to meet the thirſty; with your bread prevent thoſe that flee: Be ſpeedy, and ſpontaneous in your beneficence. Bleſſed is the man that conſidereth the poor and needy, Pſalm 41.1. qui praeoccupat vocem petituri, which preventeth the requeſt of the poor beggar; ſo Auſtin rendereth it.
Ver. 15. For they fled from the ſwords, &c.] Swords, bows, battel to all the reſt. Croſſes ſeldom come ſingle. See on James 1.2.
Ver. 16. Within a year, after the years of an hireling] See on chap. 16.14. before the year be come about.
All the glory of Kedar] Whoſe tents, Pſalm 120.5. were rude, but rich, Cant. 1.5. See there the Note.
Ver. 17. And the reſidue of the number of Archers] Heb. of the bow, whereby theſe Kedarens lived much, as had alſo their Anceſtour Iſhmael, Gen. 21.20.
For the Lord God of Iſrael hath ſpoken it] Who will ſurely ſee it done, and yet he loveth mercifulneſs: but can leſs then Mithridates could, endure thoſe who hate vertue forſaken of Fortune, as they call it.