11 Calling H7121 a ravenous bird H5861 from the east, H4217 the man H376 that executeth my counsel H6098 from a far H4801 country: H776 yea, I have spoken H1696 it, I will also bring H935 it to pass; I have purposed H3335 it, I will also do H6213 it.
God H410 is not a man, H376 that he should lie; H3576 neither the son H1121 of man, H120 that he should repent: H5162 hath he said, H559 and shall he not do H6213 it? or hath he spoken, H1696 and shall he not make it good? H6965
Who raised up H5782 the righteous H6664 man from the east, H4217 called H7121 him to his foot, H7272 gave H5414 the nations H1471 before H6440 him, and made him rule H7287 over kings? H4428 he gave H5414 them as the dust H6083 to his sword, H2719 and as driven H5086 stubble H7179 to his bow. H7198
According to G2596 the eternal G165 purpose G4286 which G3739 he purposed G4160 in G1722 Christ G5547 Jesus G2424 our G2257 Lord: G2962
In G1722 whom G3739 also G2532 we have obtained an inheritance, G2820 being predestinated G4309 according to G2596 the purpose G4286 of him who worketh G1754 all things G3956 after G2596 the counsel G1012 of his own G846 will: G2307
The LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 hath sworn, H7650 saying, H559 Surely as I have thought, H1819 so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, H3289 so shall it stand: H6965 That I will break H7665 the Assyrian H804 in my land, H776 and upon my mountains H2022 tread him under foot: H947 then shall his yoke H5923 depart H5493 from off them, and his burden H5448 depart H5493 from off their shoulders. H7926 This is the purpose H6098 that is purposed H3289 upon the whole earth: H776 and this is the hand H3027 that is stretched out H5186 upon all the nations. H1471 For the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 hath purposed, H3289 and who shall disannul H6565 it? and his hand H3027 is stretched out, H5186 and who shall turn it back? H7725
But he is in one H259 mind, and who can turn H7725 him? and what his soul H5315 desireth, H183 even that he doeth. H6213
Thou art my battle axe H4661 and weapons H3627 of war: H4421 for with thee will I break in pieces H5310 the nations, H1471 and with thee will I destroy H7843 kingdoms; H4467 And with thee will I break in pieces H5310 the horse H5483 and his rider; H7392 and with thee will I break in pieces H5310 the chariot H7393 and his rider; H7392 With thee also will I break in pieces H5310 man H376 and woman; H802 and with thee will I break in pieces H5310 old H2205 and young; H5288 and with thee will I break in pieces H5310 the young man H970 and the maid; H1330 I will also break in pieces H5310 with thee the shepherd H7462 and his flock; H5739 and with thee will I break in pieces H5310 the husbandman H406 and his yoke of oxen; H6776 and with thee will I break in pieces H5310 captains H6346 and rulers. H5461 And I will render H7999 unto Babylon H894 and to all the inhabitants H3427 of Chaldea H3778 all their evil H7451 that they have done H6213 in Zion H6726 in your sight, H5869 saith H5002 the LORD. H3068 Behold, I am against thee, O destroying H4889 mountain, H2022 saith H5002 the LORD, H3068 which destroyest H7843 all the earth: H776 and I will stretch out H5186 mine hand H3027 upon thee, and roll thee down H1556 from the rocks, H5553 and will make H5414 thee a burnt H8316 mountain. H2022 And they shall not take H3947 of thee a stone H68 for a corner, H6438 nor a stone H68 for foundations; H4146 but thou shalt be desolate H8077 for ever, H5769 saith H5002 the LORD. H3068 Set ye up H5375 a standard H5251 in the land, H776 blow H8628 the trumpet H7782 among the nations, H1471 prepare H6942 the nations H1471 against her, call together H8085 against her the kingdoms H4467 of Ararat, H780 Minni, H4508 and Ashchenaz; H813 appoint H6485 a captain H2951 against her; cause the horses H5483 to come up H5927 as the rough H5569 caterpillers. H3218 Prepare H6942 against her the nations H1471 with the kings H4428 of the Medes, H4074 the captains H6346 thereof, and all the rulers H5461 thereof, and all the land H776 of his dominion. H4475 And the land H776 shall tremble H7493 and sorrow: H2342 for every purpose H4284 of the LORD H3068 shall be performed H6965 against Babylon, H894 to make H7760 the land H776 of Babylon H894 a desolation H8047 without an inhabitant. H3427
For to do G4160 whatsoever G3745 thy G4675 hand G5495 and G2532 thy G4675 counsel G1012 determined before G4309 to be done. G1096
Thou shalt fall H5307 upon the mountains H2022 of Israel, H3478 thou, and all thy bands, H102 and the people H5971 that is with thee: I will give H5414 thee unto the ravenous H5861 birds H6833 of every sort, H3671 and to the beasts H2416 of the field H7704 to be devoured. H402
Therefore hear H8085 ye the counsel H6098 of the LORD, H3068 that he hath taken H3289 against Babylon; H894 and his purposes, H4284 that he hath purposed H2803 against the land H776 of the Chaldeans: H3778 Surely the least H6810 of the flock H6629 shall draw them out: H5498 surely he shall make their habitation H5116 desolate H8074 with them.
Call together H8085 the archers H7228 against Babylon: H894 all ye that bend H1869 the bow, H7198 camp H2583 against it round about; H5439 let none thereof escape: H6413 recompense H7999 her according to her work; H6467 according to all that she hath done, H6213 do H6213 unto her: for she hath been proud H2102 against the LORD, H3068 against the Holy One H6918 of Israel. H3478
All ye, assemble H6908 yourselves, and hear; H8085 which among them hath declared H5046 these things? The LORD H3068 hath loved H157 him: he will do H6213 his pleasure H2656 on Babylon, H894 and his arm H2220 shall be on the Chaldeans. H3778 I, even I, have spoken; H1696 yea, I have called H7121 him: I have brought H935 him, and he shall make his way H1870 prosperous. H6743
I have raised him up H5782 in righteousness, H6664 and I will direct H3474 all his ways: H1870 he shall build H1129 my city, H5892 and he shall let go H7971 my captives, H1546 not for price H4242 nor reward, H7810 saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts. H6635
And he saw H7200 a chariot H7393 with a couple H6776 of horsemen, H6571 a chariot H7393 of asses, H2543 and a chariot H7393 of camels; H1581 and he hearkened H7181 diligently H7182 with much H7227 heed: H7182 And he cried, H7121 A lion: H738 My lord, H136 I stand H5975 continually H8548 upon the watchtower H4707 in the daytime, H3119 and I am set H5324 in my ward H4931 whole nights: H3915 And, behold, here cometh H935 a chariot H7393 of men, H376 with a couple H6776 of horsemen. H6571 And he answered H6030 and said, H559 Babylon H894 is fallen, H5307 is fallen; H5307 and all the graven images H6456 of her gods H430 he hath broken H7665 unto the ground. H776
Lift ye up H5375 a banner H5251 upon the high H8192 mountain, H2022 exalt H7311 the voice H6963 unto them, shake H5130 the hand, H3027 that they may go H935 into the gates H6607 of the nobles. H5081 I have commanded H6680 my sanctified ones, H6942 I have also called H7121 my mighty ones H1368 for mine anger, H639 even them that rejoice H5947 in my highness. H1346 The noise H6963 of a multitude H1995 in the mountains, H2022 like as H1823 of a great H7227 people; H5971 a tumultuous H7588 noise H6963 of the kingdoms H4467 of nations H1471 gathered together: H622 the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 mustereth H6485 the host H6635 of the battle. H4421
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Isaiah 46
Commentary on Isaiah 46 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 46
Isa 46:1-13. Babylon's Idols Could Not Save Themselves, Much Less Her. But God Can and Will Save Israel: Cyrus Is His Instrument.
1. Bel—the same as the Phœnician Baal, that is, lord, the chief god of Babylon; to it was dedicated the celebrated tower of Babylon, in the center of one of the two parts into which the city was divided, the palace being in the center of the other. Identical with the sun, worshipped on turrets, housetops, and other high places, so as to be nearer the heavenly hosts (Saba) (Jer 19:13; 32:29; Zep 1:5). Gesenius identifies Bel with the planet Jupiter, which, with the planet Venus (under the name Astarte or Astaroth), was worshipped in the East as the god of fortune, the most propitious star to be born under (see on Isa 65:11). According to the Apocryphal book, Bel and the Dragon, Bel was cast down by Cyrus.
boweth … stoopeth—falleth prostrate (Isa 10:4; 1Sa 5:3, 4; Ps 20:8).
Nebo—the planet Mercury or Hermes, in astrology. The scribe of heaven, answering to the Egyptian Anubis. The extensive worship of it is shown by the many proper names compounded of it: Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuzar-adan, Nabonassar, &c.
were upon—that is, were a burden (supplied from the following clause) upon. It was customary to transport the gods of the vanquished to the land of the conquerors, who thought thereby the more effectually to keep down the subject people (1Sa 5:1, &c.; Jer 48:7; 49:3; Da 11:8).
carriages—in the Old English sense of the things carried, the images borne by you: the lading (Ac 21:15), "carriages," not the vehicles, but the baggage. Or, the images which used to be carried by you formerly in your solemn processions [Maurer].
were heavy loaden—rather, are put as a load on the beasts of burden [Maurer]. Horsley translates, "They who should have been your carriers (as Jehovah is to His people, Isa 46:3, 4) are become burdens" (see on Isa 46:4).
2. deliver—from the enemies' hands.
burden—their images laid on the beasts (Isa 46:1).
themselves—the gods, here also distinguished from their images.
3. in contrast to what precedes: Babylon's idols, so far from bearing its people safely are themselves borne off, a burden to the laden beast; but Jehovah bears His people in safety even from the womb to old age (Isa 63:9; De 32:11; Ps 71:6, 18). God compares Himself to a nurse tenderly carrying a child; contrast Moses' language (Nu 11:12).
4. old age—As "your"—"you"—"you," are not in the Hebrew, the sentiment is more general than English Version, though of course it includes the Jews from the infancy to the more advanced age of their history (Isa 47:6).
I am he—that is, the same (Ps 102:27; Joh 8:24; Heb 13:8).
I will bear … carry—Not only do I not need to be borne and carried Myself, as the idols (Isa 46:1).
5. (Isa 40:18, 25).
6. (Isa 40:19, 20; 41:7.) They lavish gold out of their purses and spare no expense for their idol. Their profuseness shames the niggardliness of professors who worship God with what cost them nothing. Sin is always a costly service.
7. cry … can … not … save—(Isa 45:20, with which contrast Isa 45:19).
8. show yourselves men—Renounce the childishness of idolatry as shown in what precedes (1Co 14:20; 16:13; Eph 4:14). In order to be manly we must be godly; for man was made "in the image of God," and only rises to his true dignity when joined to God; virtue is derived from the Latin vir, "a man."
bring … to mind—rather, "lay it to heart."
transgressors—addressed to the idolaters among the Jews.
9. former—namely, proofs of the sole Godship of Jehovah, from predictions fulfilled, and interpositions of God in behalf of Israel (Isa 45:5).
10. (Isa 45:21; 41:22, 23; 44:26).
yet—not in the Hebrew. Translate, "What had not been done" [Horsley].
do all my pleasure—(Isa 53:10; Ro 9:19).
11. ravenous bird—Cyrus so called on account of the rapidity of his marches from the distant regions of Persia to pounce on his prey (see on Isa 41:2; Isa 41:25; Jer 49:22; Eze 17:3). The standard of Cyrus, too, was a golden eagle on a spear (see the heathen historian, Xenophon, 7, where almost the same word is used, aetos, as here, ayit).
executeth my counsel—(Isa 44:28; 45:13). Babylon represents, mystically, the apostate faction: the destruction of its idols symbolizes the future general extirpation of all idolatry and unbelief.
purposed … also do it—(Isa 43:13).
12. stout-hearted—stubborn in resisting God (Ps 76:5; Ac 7:51).
far from righteousness—(Isa 59:9; Hab 2:4).
13. near—antithetical to "far" (Isa 46:12; Isa 51:5; 56:1; 61:10, 11; Ro 10:6-8).
righteousness—answering to "salvation" in the parallel clause; therefore it means here, "my righteous deliverance"; righteous, because proving the truth of God's promises, and so contrived as to not compromise, but vindicate, His righteousness (Isa 42:21; Ro 3:26).
Zion … my glory—rather, "I will give salvation in Zion; to Israel (I will give) my glory" [Horsley]. (Isa 63:11; Ps 14:7; Lu 2:32).