2 A grievous H7186 vision H2380 is declared H5046 unto me; the treacherous dealer H898 dealeth treacherously, H898 and the spoiler H7703 spoileth. H7703 Go up, H5927 O Elam: H5867 besiege, H6696 O Media; H4074 all the sighing H585 thereof have I made to cease. H7673
Woe H1945 to thee that spoilest, H7703 and thou wast not spoiled; H7703 and dealest treacherously, H898 and they dealt not treacherously H898 with thee! when thou shalt cease H8552 to spoil, H7703 thou shalt be spoiled; H7703 and when thou shalt make an end H5239 to deal treacherously, H898 they shall deal treacherously H898 with thee.
The word H1697 of the LORD H3068 that came to Jeremiah H3414 the prophet H5030 against Elam H5867 in the beginning H7225 of the reign H4438 of Zedekiah H6667 king H4428 of Judah, H3063 saying, H559
From the uttermost part H3671 of the earth H776 have we heard H8085 songs, H2158 even glory H6643 to the righteous. H6662 But I said, H559 My leanness, H7334 my leanness, H7334 woe H188 unto me! the treacherous dealers H898 have dealt treacherously; H898 yea, the treacherous dealers H898 have dealt very H899 treacherously. H898
Thou hast shewed H7200 thy people H5971 hard things: H7186 thou hast made us to drink H8248 the wine H3196 of astonishment. H8653
Against him that bendeth H1869 let the archer H1869 bend H1869 his bow, H7198 and against him that lifteth himself up H5927 in his brigandine: H5630 and spare H2550 ye not her young men; H970 destroy ye utterly H2763 all her host. H6635 Thus the slain H2491 shall fall H5307 in the land H776 of the Chaldeans, H3778 and they that are thrust through H1856 in her streets. H2351
Make bright H1305 the arrows; H2671 gather H4390 the shields: H7982 the LORD H3068 hath raised up H5782 the spirit H7307 of the kings H4428 of the Medes: H4074 for his device H4209 is against Babylon, H894 to destroy H7843 it; because it is the vengeance H5360 of the LORD, H3068 the vengeance H5360 of his temple. H1964
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
Then the heaven H8064 and the earth, H776 and all that is therein, shall sing H7442 for Babylon: H894 for the spoilers H7703 shall come H935 unto her from the north, H6828 saith H5002 the LORD. H3068 As H1571 Babylon H894 hath caused the slain H2491 of Israel H3478 to fall, H5307 so at Babylon H894 shall fall H5307 the slain H2491 of all the earth. H776
PERES; H6537 Thy kingdom H4437 is divided, H6537 and given H3052 to the Medes H4076 and Persians. H6540
The ram H352 which thou sawest H7200 having H1167 two horns H7161 are the kings H4428 of Media H4074 and Persia. H6539
Rejoice H8055 not against me, O mine enemy: H341 when I fall, H5307 I shall arise; H6965 when I sit H3427 in darkness, H2822 the LORD H3068 shall be a light H216 unto me. I will bear H5375 the indignation H2197 of the LORD, H3068 because I have sinned H2398 against him, until he plead H7378 my cause, H7379 and execute H6213 judgment H4941 for me: he will bring me forth H3318 to the light, H216 and I shall behold H7200 his righteousness. H6666 Then she that is mine enemy H341 shall see H7200 it, and shame H955 shall cover H3680 her which said H559 unto me, Where is the LORD H3068 thy God? H430 mine eyes H5869 shall behold H7200 her: now shall she be trodden down H4823 as the mire H2916 of the streets. H2351
And I am very H1419 sore H7110 displeased H7107 with the heathen H1471 that are at ease: H7600 for I was but a little H4592 displeased, H7107 and they helped H5826 forward the affliction. H7451 Therefore thus saith H559 the LORD; H3068 I am returned H7725 to Jerusalem H3389 with mercies: H7356 my house H1004 shall be built H1129 in it, saith H5002 the LORD H3068 of hosts, H6635 and a line H6957 H6961 shall be stretched forth H5186 upon Jerusalem. H3389
He that G1536 leadeth G4863 into captivity G161 shall go G5217 into G1519 captivity: G161 he that G1536 killeth G615 with G1722 the sword G3162 must G1163 be killed G615 with G1722 the sword. G3162 Here G5602 is G2076 the patience G5281 and G2532 the faith G4102 of the saints. G40
Put yourselves in array H6186 against Babylon H894 round about: H5439 all ye that bend H1869 the bow, H7198 shoot H3034 at her, spare H2550 no arrows: H2671 for she hath sinned H2398 against the LORD. H3068
Is Ephraim H669 my dear H3357 son? H1121 is he a pleasant H8191 child? H3206 for since H1767 I spake H1696 against him, I do earnestly H2142 remember H2142 him still: therefore my bowels H4578 are troubled H1993 for him; I will surely H7355 have mercy H7355 upon him, saith H5002 the LORD. H3068
For the LORD H3068 hath redeemed H6299 Jacob, H3290 and ransomed H1350 him from the hand H3027 of him that was stronger H2389 than he. Therefore they shall come H935 and sing H7442 in the height H4791 of Zion, H6726 and shall flow together H5102 to the goodness H2898 of the LORD, H3068 for wheat, H1715 and for wine, H8492 and for oil, H3323 and for the young H1121 of the flock H6629 and of the herd: H1241 and their soul H5315 shall be as a watered H7302 garden; H1588 and they shall not sorrow H1669 any more H3254 at all.
And the ransomed H6299 of the LORD H3068 shall return, H7725 and come H935 to Zion H6726 with songs H7440 and everlasting H5769 joy H8057 upon their heads: H7218 they shall obtain H5381 joy H8057 and gladness, H8342 and sorrow H3015 and sighing H585 shall flee away. H5127
And Elam H5867 bare H5375 the quiver H827 with chariots H7393 of men H120 and horsemen, H6571 and Kir H7024 uncovered H6168 the shield. H4043
For the LORD H3068 will have mercy H7355 on Jacob, H3290 and will yet choose H977 Israel, H3478 and set H3240 them in their own land: H127 and the strangers H1616 shall be joined H3867 with them, and they shall cleave H5596 to the house H1004 of Jacob. H3290 And the people H5971 shall take H3947 them, and bring H935 them to their place: H4725 and the house H1004 of Israel H3478 shall possess H5157 them in the land H127 of the LORD H3068 for servants H5650 and handmaids: H8198 and they shall take them captives, H7617 whose captives H7617 they were; and they shall rule H7287 over their oppressors. H5065 And it shall come to pass in the day H3117 that the LORD H3068 shall give thee rest H5117 from thy sorrow, H6090 and from thy fear, H7267 and from the hard H7186 bondage H5656 wherein thou wast made to serve, H5647
Behold, I will stir up H5782 the Medes H4074 against them, which shall not regard H2803 silver; H3701 and as for gold, H2091 they shall not delight H2654 in it. Their bows H7198 also shall dash H7376 the young men H5288 to pieces; H7376 and they shall have no pity H7355 on the fruit H6529 of the womb; H990 their eye H5869 shall not spare H2347 children. H1121
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
By the rivers H5104 of Babylon, H894 there we sat down, H3427 yea, we wept, H1058 when we remembered H2142 Zion. H6726 We hanged H8518 our harps H3658 upon the willows H6155 in the midst H8432 thereof. For there they that carried us away captive H7617 required H7592 of us a song; H1697 H7892 and they that wasted H8437 us required of us mirth, H8057 saying, Sing H7891 us one of the songs H7892 of Zion. H6726
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Isaiah 21
Commentary on Isaiah 21 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 21
In this chapter we have a prophecy of sad times coming, and heavy burdens,
These and other nations which the princes and people of Israel had so much to do with the prophets of Israel could not but have something to say to. Foreign affairs must be taken notice of as well as domestic ones, and news from abroad enquired after as well as news at home.
Isa 21:1-10
We had one burden of Babylon before (ch. 13); here we have another prediction of its fall. God saw fit thus to possess his people with the belief of this event by line upon line, because Babylon sometimes pretended to be a friend to them (as ch. 39:1), and God would hereby warn them not to trust to that friendship, and sometimes was really an enemy to them, and God would hereby warn them not to be afraid of that enmity. Babylon is marked for ruin; and all that believe God's prophets can, through that glass, see it tottering, see it tumbling, even when with an eye of sense they see it flourishing and sitting as a queen. Babylon is here called the desert or plain of the sea; for it was a flat country, and full of lakes, or loughs (as they call them in Ireland), like little seas, and was abundantly watered with the many streams of the river Euphrates. Babylon did but lately begin to be famous, Nineveh having outshone it while the monarchy was in the Assyrian hands; but in a little time it became the lady of kingdoms; and, before it arrived at that pitch of eminency which it was at in Nebuchadnezzar's time, God by this prophet plainly foretold its fall, again and again, that his people might not be terrified at its rise, nor despair of relief in due time when they were its prisoners, Job 5:3; Ps. 37:35, 36. Some think it is here called a desert because, though it was now a populous city, it should in time be made a desert. And therefore the destruction of Babylon is so often prophesied of by this evangelical prophet, because it was typical of the destruction of the man of sin, the great enemy of the New-Testament church, which is foretold in the Revelation in many expressions borrowed from these prophecies, which therefore must be consulted and collated by those who would understand the prophecy of that book. Here is,
Isa 21:11-12
This prophecy concerning Dumah is very short, and withal dark and hard to be understood. Some think that Dumah is a part of Arabia, and that the inhabitants descended from Dumah the sixth son of Ishmael, as those of Kedar (v. 16, 17) from Ishmael's second son, Gen. 25:13, 14. Others, because Mount Seir is here mentioned, by Dumah understand Idumea, the country of the Edomites. Some of Israel's neighbours are certainly meant, and their distress is foretold, not only for warning to them to prepare them for it, but for warning to Israel not to depend upon them, or any of the nations about them, for relief in a time of danger, but upon God only. We must see all creature confidences failing us, and feel them breaking under us, that we may not lay more weight upon them than they will bear. But though the explication of this prophecy be difficult, because we have no history in which we find the accomplishment of it, yet the application will be easy. We have here,
Isa 21:13-17
Arabia was a large country, that lay eastward and southward of the land of Canaan. Much of it was possessed by the posterity of Abraham. The Dedanim, here mentioned (v. 13), descended from Dedan, Abraham's son by Keturah; the inhabitants of Tema and Kedar descended from Ishmael, Gen. 25:3, 13, 15. The Arabians generally lived in tents, and kept cattle, were a hardy people, inured to labour; probably the Jews depended upon them as a sort of a wall between them and the more warlike eastern nations; and therefore, to alarm them, they shall hear the burden of Arabia, and see it sinking under its own burden.