4 A voice of a multitude in the mountains, A likeness of a numerous people, A voice of noise from the kingdoms of nations who are gathered, Jehovah of Hosts inspecting a host of battle!
Multitudes, multitudes `are' in the valley of decision, For near `is' the day of Jehovah in the valley of decision.
and thou hast said: Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I `am' against thee, O Gog, Prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, And I have turned thee back, And I have put hooks in thy jaws, And have brought thee out, and all thy force, Horses and horsemen, Clothed in perfection all of them, A numerous assembly, `with' buckler and shield, Handling swords -- all of them. Persia, Cush, and Phut, with them, All of them `with' shield and helmet. Gomer and all its bands, The house of Togarmah of the sides of the north, And all its bands, many peoples with thee, Be prepared, yea, prepare for thee, Thou and all thine assemblies who are assembled unto thee, And thou hast been to them for a guard. After many days thou art appointed, In the latter end of the years thou comest in unto a land brought back from sword, `A people' gathered out of many peoples, Upon mountains of Israel, That have been for a perpetual waste, And it from the peoples hath been brought out, And dwelt safely have all of them. And thou hast gone up -- as wasting thou comest in, As a cloud to cover the land art thou, Thou and all thy bands, and many peoples with thee. Thus said the Lord Jehovah: And it hath come to pass in that day, Come up do things on thy heart, And thou hast thought an evil thought, And thou hast said: I go up against a land of unwalled villages, I go in to those at rest, dwelling confidently, All of them are dwelling without walls, And bar and doors they have not. To take a spoil, and to take a prey, To turn back thy hand on inhabited wastes, And on a people gathered out of nations, Making cattle and substance, Dwelling on a high part of the land. Sheba, and Dedan, and merchants of Tarshish, And all its young lions say to thee: To take a spoil art thou come in? To take a prey assembled thine assembly? To bear away silver and gold? To take away cattle and substance? To take a great spoil? Therefore, prophesy, son of man, and thou hast said to Gog: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: In that day, in the dwelling of My people Israel safely, Dost thou not know? And thou hast come in out of thy place, From the sides of the north, Thou and many peoples with thee, Riding on horses -- all of them, A great assembly, and a numerous force. And thou hast come up against My people Israel, As a cloud to cover the land, In the latter end of the days it is, And I have brought thee in against My land, In order that the nations may know Me, In My being sanctified in thee before their eyes, O Gog. Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Art thou he of whom I spake in former days, By the hand of My servants, prophets of Israel, Who are prophesying in those days -- years, To bring thee in against them? And it hath come to pass, in that day, In the day of the coming in of Gog against the land of Israel, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, Come up doth My fury in My face, And in My zeal, in the fire of My wrath, I have spoken: Is there not in that day a great rushing on the land of Israel? And rushed from My presence have fishes of the sea, And the fowl of the heavens, And the beast of the field, And every creeping thing that is creeping on the ground, And all men who `are' on the face of the ground, And thrown down have been the mountains, And fallen have the ascents, And every wall to the earth falleth. And I have called against him, to all My mountains a sword, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, The sword of each is against his brother. And I have been judged with him, With pestilence and with blood, And an overflowing rain and hailstones, Fire and brimstone I rain on him, and on his bands, And on many peoples who `are' with him. And I have magnified Myself, and sanctified Myself, And I have been known before the eyes of many nations, And they have known that I `am' Jehovah!
And I saw the heaven having been opened, and lo, a white horse, and he who is sitting upon it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness doth he judge and war, and his eyes `are' as a flame of fire, and upon his head `are' many diadems -- having a name written that no one hath known, except himself, and he is arrayed with a garment covered with blood, and his name is called, The Word of God. And the armies in the heaven were following him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen -- white and pure; and out of his mouth doth proceed a sharp sword, that with it he may smite the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, and he doth tread the press of the wine of the wrath and the anger of God the Almighty, and he hath upon the garment and upon his thigh the name written, `King of kings, and Lord of lords.' And I saw one messenger standing in the sun, and he cried, a great voice, saying to all the birds that are flying in mid-heaven, `Come and be gathered together to the supper of the great God, that ye may eat flesh of kings, and flesh of chiefs of thousands, and flesh of strong men, and flesh of horses, and of those sitting on them, and the flesh of all -- freemen and servants -- both small and great.' And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, having been gathered together to make war with him who is sitting upon the horse, and with his army; and the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet who did the signs before him, in which he led astray those who did receive the mark of the beast, and those who did bow before his image; living they were cast -- the two -- to the lake of the fire, that is burning with brimstone; and the rest were killed with the sword of him who is sitting on the horse, which `sword' is proceeding out of his mouth, and all the birds were filled out of their flesh.
because of this, in one day, shall come her plagues, death, and sorrow, and famine; and in fire she shall be utterly burned, because strong `is' the Lord God who is judging her;
And the likenesses of the locusts `are' like to horses made ready to battle, and upon their heads as crowns like gold, and their faces as faces of men, and they had hair as hair of women, and their teeth were as `those' of lions, and they had breastplates as breastplates of iron, and the noise of their wings `is' as the noise of chariots of many horses running to battle; and they have tails like to scorpions, and stings were in their tails; and their authority `is' to injure men five months; and they have over them a king -- the messenger of the abyss -- a name `is' to him in Hebrew, Abaddon, and in the Greek he hath a name, Apollyon. The first wo did go forth, lo, there come yet two woes after these things. And the sixth messenger did sound, and I heard a voice out of the four horns of the altar of gold that is before God, saying to the sixth messenger who had the trumpet, `Loose the four messengers who are bound at the great river Euphrates;' and loosed were the four messengers, who have been made ready for the hour, and day, and month, and year, that they may kill the third of men; and the number of the forces of the horsemen `is' two myriads of myriads, and I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and those sitting upon them, having breastplates of fire, and jacinth, and brimstone; and the heads of the horses `are' as heads of lions, and out of their mouths proceedeth fire, and smoke, and brimstone; by these three were the third of men killed, from the fire, and from the smoke, and from the brimstone, that is proceeding out of their mouth, for their authorities are in their mouth, and in their tails, for their tails `are' like serpents, having heads, and with them they do injure;
And it hath come to pass, in that day, A great destruction `from' Jehovah is among them, And they have seized each the hand of his neighbour, And gone up hath his hand against the hand of his neighbour. And also Judah is fought with in Jerusalem, And gathered hath been the force of all the nations round about, Gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance.
Lo, a day hath come to Jehovah, And divided hath been thy spoil in thy midst. And I have gathered all the nations unto Jerusalem to battle, And captured hath been the city, And spoiled have been the houses, And the women are lain with, Gone forth hath half the city in a removal, And the remnant of the people are not cut off from the city. And gone forth hath Jehovah, And He hath fought against those nations, As in the day of His fighting in a day of conflict.
And I have recompensed to you the years That consume did the locust, the cankerworm, And the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm, My great force that I did send against you.
Blow ye a trumpet in Zion, And shout ye in My holy hill, Tremble do all inhabitants of the earth, For coming is the day of Jehovah, for `it is' near! A day of darkness and thick darkness, A day of cloud and thick darkness, As darkness spread on the mountains, A people numerous and mighty, Like it there hath not been from of old, And after it there is not again -- till the years of generation and generation. Before it consumed hath fire, And after it burn doth a flame, As the garden of Eden `is' the land before it, And after it a wilderness -- a desolation! And also an escape there hath not been to it, As the appearance of horses `is' its appearance, And as horsemen, so they run. As the noise of chariots, on the tops of the mountains they skip, As the noise of a flame of fire devouring stubble, As a mighty people set in array for battle. From its face pained are peoples, All faces have gathered paleness. As mighty ones they run, As men of war they go up a wall, And each in his own ways they do go, And they embarrass not their paths. And each his brother they press not, Each in his way they go on, If by the missile they fall, they are not cut off. In the city they run to and fro, On the wall they run, Into houses they go up by the windows, They go in as a thief. At their face trembled hath the earth, Shaken have the heavens, Sun and moon have been black, And stars have gathered up their shining. And Jehovah hath given forth His voice before His force, For very great `is' His camp, For mighty `is' the doer of His word, For great `is' the day of Jehovah -- very fearful, And who doth bear it?
Wo `to' Asshur, a rod of Mine anger, And a staff in their hand `is' Mine indignation. Against a profane nation I send him, And concerning a people of My wrath I charge him, To spoil spoil, and to seize prey, And to make it a treading-place as the clay of out places.
Lift ye up an ensign in the land, Blow a trumpet among nations, Sanctify against it nations, Summon against it the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz, Appoint against it an infant head, Cause the horse to ascend as the rough cankerworm. Sanctify against it the nations with the kings of Media, Its governors and all its prefects, And all the land of its dominion.
Flee ye from the midst of Babylon, And deliver ye each his soul, Be not cut off in its iniquity, For a time of vengeance it `is' to Jehovah, Recompence He is rendering to her. A golden cup `is' Babylon in the hand of Jehovah, Making drunk all the earth, Of its wine drunk have nations, Therefore boast themselves do nations. Suddenly hath Babylon fallen, Yea, it is broken, howl ye for it, Take balm for her pain, if so be it may be healed. We healed Babylon, and she was not healed, Forsake her, and we go, each to his land, For come unto the heavens hath its judgment, And it hath been lifted up unto the clouds. Jehovah hath brought forth our righteousnesses, Come, and we recount in Zion the work of Jehovah our God. Cleanse ye the arrows, fill the shields, Stirred up hath Jehovah the spirit of the kings of Madia, For against Babylon His device `is' to destroy it, For the vengeance of Jehovah it `is', The vengeance of His temple. Unto the walls of Babylon lift up an ensign, Strengthen the watch, Establish the watchers, prepare the ambush, For Jehovah hath both devised and done that which He spake, Concerning the inhabitants of Babylon. O dweller on many waters, abundant in treasures, Come in hath thine end, the measure of thy dishonest gain. Sworn hath Jehovah of Hosts by Himself, That, Surely I have filled thee `with' men as the cankerworm, And they have cried against thee -- shouting. The maker of earth by His power, The establisher of the world by His wisdom, Who by His understanding stretched out the heavens, At the voice He giveth forth, A multitude of waters `are' in the heavens, And He causeth vapours to come up from the end of the earth, Lightnings for rain He hath made, And He bringeth out wind from His treasures. Brutish hath been every man by knowledge, Put to shame hath been every refiner by a graven image, For false `is' his molten image, And there is no breath in them. Vanity `are' they -- work of errors, In the time of their inspection they perish. Not like these `is' the portion of Jacob, For He `is' former of all things, And `Israel is' the rod of His inheritance, Jehovah of Hosts `is' His name. An axe `art' thou to me -- weapons of war, And I have broken in pieces by thee nations, And I have destroyed by thee kingdoms, And I have broken in pieces by thee horse and its rider, And I have broken in pieces by thee chariot and its charioteer, And I have broken in pieces by thee man and woman, And I have broken in pieces by thee old and young, And I have broken in pieces by thee young man and virgin, And I have broken in pieces by thee shepherd and his drove, And I have broken in pieces by thee husbandman and his team, And I have broken in pieces by thee governors and prefects. And I have recompensed to Babylon, And to all inhabitants of Chaldea, All the evil that they have done in Zion, Before your eyes -- an affirmation of Jehovah. Lo, I `am' against thee, O destroying mount, An affirmation of Jehovah, That is destroying all the earth, And I have stretched out My hand against thee, And I have rolled thee from the rocks, And given thee for a burnt mountain.
Against the land of Merathaim: Go up against it, and unto the inhabitants of Pekod, Waste and devote their posterity, An affirmation of Jehovah, And do according to all that I have commanded thee. A noise of battle `is' in the land, and of great destruction. How hath it been cut and broken, The hammer of the whole earth! How hath Babylon been for a desolation among nations! I have laid a snare for thee, And also -- thou art captured, O Babylon, And thou -- thou hast known, Thou hast been found, and also art caught, For against Jehovah thou hast stirred thyself up. Jehovah hath opened His treasury, And He bringeth out the weapons of His indignation, For a work `is' to the Lord Jehovah of Hosts, In the land of the Chaldeans. Come ye in to her from the extremity, Open ye her storehouses, Raise her up as heaps, and devote her, Let her have no remnant. Slay all her kine, they go down to slaughter, Wo `is' on them, for come hath their day, The time of their inspection. A voice of fugitives and escaped ones `Is' from the land of Babylon, To declare in Zion the vengeance of Jehovah our God, The vengeance of His temple. Summon unto Babylon archers, all treading the bow, Encamp against her round about, Let `her' have no escape; Recompense to her according to her work, According to all that she did -- do to her, For unto Jehovah she hath been proud, Unto the Holy One of Israel. Therefore fall do her young men in her broad places, And all her men of war are cut off in that day, An affirmation of Jehovah. Lo, I `am' against thee, O pride, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah of Hosts, For thy day hath come, the time of thy inspection. And stumbled hath pride, And he hath fallen, and hath no raiser up, And I have kindled a fire in his cities, And it hath devoured all round about him. Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: Oppressed are the sons of Israel, And the sons of Judah together, And all their captors have kept hold on them, They have refused to send them away. Their Redeemer `is' strong, Jehovah of Hosts `is' His name, He doth thoroughly plead their cause, So as to cause the land to rest, And He hath given trouble to the inhabitants of Babylon. A sword `is' for the Chaldeans, An affirmation of Jehovah, And it `is' on the inhabitants of Babylon, And on her heads, and on her wise men; A sword `is' on the princes, And they have become foolish; A sword `is' on her mighty ones, And they have been broken down; A sword `is' on his horses and on his chariot, And on all the rabble who `are' in her midst, And they have become women; A sword `is' on her treasuries, And they have been spoiled; A sword `is' on her waters, and they have been dried up, For it `is' a land of graven images, And in idols they do boast themselves. Therefore dwell do Ziim with Iim, Yea, dwelt in her have daughters of the ostrich, And it is not inhabited any more for ever, Nor dwelt in unto all generations. As overthrown by God with Sodom, And with Gomorrah, and with its neighbours, An affirmation of Jehovah, none doth dwell there, Nor sojourn in her doth a son of man. Lo, a people hath come from the north, Even a great nation, And many kings are stirred up from the sides of the earth. Bow and halbert they seize, Cruel `are' they, and they have no mercy, Their voice as a sea soundeth, and on horses they ride, Set in array as a man for battle, Against thee, O daughter of Babylon. Heard hath the king of Babylon their report, And feeble have been his hands, Distress hath seized him; pain as a travailing woman. Lo, as a lion he cometh up, Because of the rising of the Jordan, Unto the enduring habitation, But I cause to rest, I cause them to run from off her. And who is chosen? on her I lay a charge, For who `is' like Me? And who doth convene Me? And who `is' this shepherd who standeth before Me? Therefore, hear ye the counsel of Jehovah, That He counselled concerning Babylon, And His devices that He hath devised Concerning the land of the Chaldeans; Drag them out do not little ones of the flock, Doth He not make desolate over them the habitation? From the voice: Captured was Babylon, Hath the earth been shaken, And a cry among nations hath been heard!
Set yourselves in array against Babylon round about, All ye treading a bow, Shoot at her, have no pity on the arrow, For against Jehovah she hath sinned. Shout against her round about, She hath given forth her hand, Fallen have her foundations, Thrown down have been her walls, For it `is' the vengeance of Jehovah, Be avenged of her, as she did -- do ye to her.
`Declare ye among nations, and sound, And lift up an ensign, sound, do not hide, Say ye: Captured hath been Babylon, Put to shame hath been Bel, Broken hath been Merodach, Put to shame have been her grievous things, Broken have been her idols. For come up against her hath a nation from the north, It maketh her land become a desolation, And there is not an inhabitant in it. From man even unto beast, They have moved, they have gone.
Thus said Jehovah, To His anointed, to Cyrus, Whose right hand I have laid hold on, To subdue nations before him, Yea, loins of kings I loose, To open before him two-leaved doors, Yea, gates are not shut: `I go before thee, and crooked places make straight, Two-leaved doors of brass I shiver, And bars of iron I cut asunder,
The burden of the Valley of Vision. What -- to thee, now, that thou hast gone up, All of thee -- to the roofs? Full of stirs -- a noisy city -- an exulting city, Thy pierced are not pierced of the sword, Nor dead in battle. All thy rulers fled together from the bow, Bound have been all found of thee, They have been kept bound together, Afar off they have fled. Therefore I said, `Look ye from me, I am bitter in my weeping, Haste not to comfort me, For the destruction of the daughter of my people.' For a day of noise, and of treading down, And of perplexity, `is' to the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, In the valley of vision, digging down a wall, And crying unto the mountain. And Elam hath borne a quiver, In a chariot of men -- horsemen, And Kir hath exposed a shield. And it cometh to pass, The choice of thy valleys have been full of chariots, And the horsemen place themselves diligently at the gate. And one removeth the covering of Judah, And thou lookest in that day Unto the armour of the house of the forest, And the breaches of the city of David ye have seen, For they have become many, And ye gather the waters of the lower pool,
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Isaiah 13
Commentary on Isaiah 13 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 13
Hitherto the prophecies of this book related only to Judah and Israel, and Jerusalem especially; but now the prophet begins to look abroad, and to read the doom of divers of the neighbouring states and kingdoms: for he that is King of saints is also King of nations, and rules in the affairs of the children of men as well as in those of his own children. But the nations to whom these prophecies do relate were all such as the people of God were in some way or other conversant and concerned with, such as had been kind or unkind to Israel, and accordingly God would deal with them, either in favour or in wrath; for the Lord's portion is his people, and to them he has an eye in all the dispensations of his providence concerning those about them, Deu. 32:8, 9. The threatenings we find here against Babylon, Moab, Damascus, Egypt, Tyre, etc., were intended for comfort to those in Israel that feared God, but were terrified and oppressed by those potent neighbours, and for alarm to those among them that were wicked. If God would thus severely reckon with those for their sins that knew him not, and made no profession of his name, how severe would he be with those that were called by his name and yet lived in rebellion against him! And perhaps the directing of particular prophecies to the neighbouring nations might invite some of those nations to the reading of the Jews' Bible, and so they might be brought to their religion. This chapter, and that which follows, contain what God had to say to Babylon and Babylon's king, who were at present little known to Israel, but would in process of time become a greater enemy to them than any other had been, for which God would at last reckon with them. In this chapter we have,
Isa 13:1-5
The general title of this book was, The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, ch. 1:1. Here we have that which Isaiah saw, which was represented to his mind as clearly and fully as if he had seen it with his bodily eyes; but the particular inscription of this sermon is the burden of Babylon.
Isa 13:6-18
We have here a very elegant and lively description of the terrible confusion and desolation which should be made in Babylon by the descent which the Medes and Persians should make upon it. Those that were now secure and easy were bidden to howl and make sad lamentation; for,
Isa 13:19-22
The great havoc and destruction which it was foretold should be made by the Medes and Persians in Babylon here end in the final destruction of it.