Isaiah 47

As God’s operations are all according to His counsels, so His counsels shall all be fulfilled in His operations, and none of His measures shall be broken, none of His designs shall miscarry. This yields abundant satisfaction to those who have bound up all their comforts in God’s counsels, that His counsel shall undoubtedly stand; and if whatever pleases God pleases us, nothing can contribute more to make us easy than to be assured that “God will do all His pleasure.” H.

11. From the general assertion of His providence and power He now passes to that specific proof of it which has so frequently been urged before—viz., the raising up of Cyrus; but without the mention of his name in this case, and with an indefiniteness of expression which is perfectly well suited to the general analogy of prophecy. A.—Cyrus is one of the first who is known to have used the eagle for his military standard. So Xenophon writes of him: “He had for ensign a golden eagle, stretched upon a long spear; and this even still continues to be the ensign of the Persian king.” The “man of my purpose” means one set apart by God’s decree for a special service. The futurity of the campaigns of Cyrus, when this message was given, can alone make it intelligible. There could be no proof or sign of God’s foreknowledge in a record after the event. Birks.

12. By an easy and natural association, He subjoins to these proofs of His own divinity, both past and future, a warning to those who were unwilling to receive them. Strength of heart implies, though it does not directly signify, stubbornness or obstinacy and a settled opposition to the will of God.

13. The exhibition of God’s righteousness consists in the salvation of His people and the simultaneous destruction of His enemies. To these two classes it was therefore at the same time an object of desire and dread. The stouthearted mentioned in verse 12 were not prepared for it, and unless they were changed must perish when God’s righteousness came near.

Chap. 47. The following seems to be the true analysis. Having exemplified his general doctrine as to God’s ability and purpose to do justice both to friends and foes, by exhibiting the downfall of the Babylonian idols, he now attains the same end by predicting the downfall of Babylon itself and of the state to which it gave its name. Under the figure of a royal virgin she is threatened with extreme degradation and exposure (verses 1-3). Connecting this event with Israel and Israel’s God, as the great themes which it was intended to illustrate (verse 4), he predicts the fall of the empire more distinctly (verse 5), and assigns as a reason the oppression of God’s people (verse 6), pride and self-confidence (verses 7-9), especially reliance upon human wisdom and upon superstitious arts, all which would prove entirely insufficient to prevent the great catastrophe (verses 10-15). A.

1-3. This picture of the daughter of Babylon going into exile is a true picture of what happened in the reigns of Sargon and Sennacherib, while it hardly agrees with anything of which we have knowledge concerning the policy of the Persian monarchs or their treatment of Babylon. W. J. B.

1. These two words are forcibly expressive, “no throne!” no longer any throne for thee; no more regal dominion; no more of the dignity and honor of royal power. The name, “Daughter of the Chaldeans,” implies that Babylon was originally built by the Chaldean people. H. C.

In the dust. The dry, arid aspect of the ruins, of the vast mounds which cover the greater buildings, and even the lesser elevations which spread far into the plain at their base, receives continual notice. “The whole surface of the mounds appears to the eye,” says Ker Porter, “nothing but vast, irregular hills of earth, mixed with fragments of brick, pottery, vitrifications, mortar, bitumen, etc., while the foot at every step sinks unto the loose dust and rubbish.” And again “Every spot of ground in sight was totally barren, and on several tracts appeared the common marks of former building. It is an old adage that ‘where a curse has fallen grass will never grow.’ In like manner the decomposing materials of a Babylonian structure doom the earth on which they perish to an everlasting sterility.” “On all sides,” says Sir Austen Layard, “fragments of glass, marble, pottery and inscribed brick are mingled with that peculiar nitrous and blanched soil which, bred from the remains of ancient habitations, checks or destroys vegetation, and renders the site of Babylon a naked and hideous waste.” G. R.

2. Her debasement is compared to the change from being a queen to being an abject slave. “Take the mill-stones”—i.e., of the small hand-mill—a necessity in every Oriental family, with which the grinding for each day’s use was done every morning, and always done by the lowest class of servants. H. C.

3. The daughter of Babylon, this royal damsel, must suffer both abasement and captivity.

She must pass through deep waters, and her pride be replaced by a painful and repulsive exposure, both of her political weakness and her moral shame and guilt. Birks.

4. The apparent abruptness between this verse and the preceding is relieved when we consider that retributive judgment on Babylon was mercy and salvation to Zion. It was for the sake of saving Zion and of punishing Babylon for her cruel oppression of God’s people that these terrible judgments came upon her. Hence the thought here. Utter destruction upon Babylon is only what might be expected, for our Redeemer is the Lord of hosts, King of the armies of heaven, bearing this name because He is such in fact and therefore clothed with all power to avenge His people on their oppressors.

6. The Lord never fails to hold nations responsible for such violations of natural right and of the impulses of common humanity. (See Amos 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 13, etc.) To this eternal law, written on all hearts, even the most ignorant heathen are held amenable (Rom. 2:14, 15). H. C.

7-15. Babylon, now doomed to ruin, is here justly upbraided with her pride, luxury and security, in the day of her prosperity, and the confidence she had in her own wisdom and forecast, and particularly in the prognostications and counsels of the astrologers. These things are mentioned both to justify God in bringing these judgments upon her and to mortify her and put her to so much the greater shame under these judgments; for when God comes forth to take vengeance glory belongs to Him, but confusion to the sinner. H.

13. These words describe the habitual state and character of Babylon before her calamity. She has abounded in wise men, diviners, interpreters of dreams, observers of the heavens, and has consulted them even to satiety. Birks.

14,15. Here is the result. Instead of affording to Babylon the least help, these magicians are themselves awfully consumed. They are as stubble; fire devours them. They cannot even save themselves, much less the nation and the people. Such is the doom of those with whom thou hast wrought even to weariness to find help from them for thyself. The fire of God’s judgments has utterly consumed them. “Thy merchants from thy youth” (i.e., who have been with thee from thy youth) “have scattered, every one going his way, and no one saves thee.” The magicians destroyed by fire (this is the figure) and the merchants (her wealthy classes probably) dispersed in every direction to other homes and other openings for trade and wealth, she is left with none to help her. H. C.