* They rejoyced at the ruine of the Jews, the ſame thing 1s laid to the charge of the Edom:tes, Obad:ah 12. The Chaldeans were Gods Rod to ſcou- g- the Fews ; but when Menare made uſe of by God, as his Rod and Scourge, they ought not to put off Humanity, but to behave th-mſclves decently, aud as Perſons that are ſenſible of the miſ:ries which their Brethren ſuffer, y God calls them his Heritage, becauſe they formerly were a People whom he owned above all other People, xz There is ſome difference amongſt critical Interpreters, whether the Heifer here mentioned be to be underſtood of a Heifer at Graſs (as we tranſlate it ) or an Heifer uſed to tread out the Corn ; or whether the laſt words be to be underſtood of a Horſe=neightng, ( as the words may be interpreted ) or a Bull bellow- ing. Bvt theſe are things of very ſmall mament. The cauſe for which Babylon is threatacd, was doubtleſs their Luxury ofall ſorts commonly attending great Wealth, and Proſperity meeting with hearts unſanQtified.
12 Your mother ſhall be ſore confounded, ſhe that bare you -ſhall be aſbamed 4: behold, the hindermoſt of the nations b ſhe be a wildernels, a dry land, and a deſar &o ;
a Your chief City Baby/on, or your Countrey,which is the common Mother of all the Chaldeans ſhall be deſtroyed, or ſhall be aſhamed of you, who are not able to defend her. 6 The ſenſe here ſeems a liccle difficult, becauſe it appears no ſuch ſtrange thing that the hindermoſt of the Nations ſhould be a Wilderneſs. Ir is therefore probable that the words Jha be, are to be underſtood before the hindermoſt of the Nations, our Tranſlarion ſupplieth them after, ſo the reading will be, it ſhall be the hindermoft of the Nations, 8 Wilderneſs, &c. That is, Babylon, that hath been ſo famous, and accounted the head of the Nations, ſhall become the m—_— of all Natigns, a mezr Wilderneſs, and a dry land, and a
ElALCt,
M 1 4
13 Becauſe of the wrath of the LORD, it fhall not be inhabited, but ic ſhall be wholly deſoiate c : every
one that goeth by Babylon, ſhall be'aſtoniſhed, and hiſs at all her plagues . |
_ © The ſame thing is threatned againſt Babylon, Ifa. 13.20, I fhaZ never be inhabited, neither ſhall it be dwelt in from generation to generation, d It ſcemerh ro be a proverbial Speech made uſe of to expreſs the miſerable ſtate of a place; we had it before, Chap. 49. 17. applyed to Edom, Ir is according to the threatning, Deut. 28. 37. Sce Chap. 25.9, 18. and 29. 18. and 42. 18. Exek. 5. 15.
14 Put your ſelves in arcay againft Babylon round
about e : all ye that bend the bow, thoot at her,
ſpare no arrows f: for ſhe hath ſinned againſt the e The Prophet calls to the Medes and Perſians, with thoſe who ſhould come with them to their afliſtance, to put themſelves in Military order ready to come up againſt Babylon. f The Perſians as was noted before ) were very famous for the Bow, therefore he ſpeaketh unto them as'an Army of Archers, to ſhoot at the Baby- lonians, and to ſpare no Arrows. g Becauſe Babylon had ſinned againſt the Lord exceedingly, as Gen. 13. 13. by their Idolatry, Luxury, and cruel uſage of the Jews, &c., | :5Shout againſt her round about þ: ſhe hath given her
handz : her foundations are faln, her walls are thrown
down k& : * for it is-the vengeance of the LOR DJ: * Chap. | þ take vengeance upon her ; as ſhe hath done, do unto go, wi
her m2. | | Ce 4 h Either as Soldiers uſe to ſhout when they fall upon their Ene-
my, oras they uſe to ſhout and triumph when they are entred a
City, or when their Enemies fly. -i Either acknowledging them=
ſelves overcome, and yielding themſelves to the power of their E- *
nemies, or as ſome think confederating-with the Zy4ians, - but the former is more probable & Thar is, ſhe is wholly ſubdued and conquered, as if her Walls were thrown down, for literally her Walls were hor beaten down by Cyr», for he took the City by ſurprize 1 God is he who brings this Vengeance upon Balyles, though it be by your hands. mr is very obſervable, that there'is hardly any fins which the Lord fo ordinarily puniſheth in the like kind, as thoſe which are offences againſt the Laws of Jufice and Charity, The common fate of crucl and uncharitable Men, is to meet with others to do to them, as they have done to others, uri- merciful Men find no mercy. See Pſal. 137. 8, 9+ Jude. 1.6, 7. Adoni-Bezek acknowledged Gods Juſtice in it.
16 Cutoff the ſower from Babylon, and him hat
handleth the || ſickle in thetime of harveſt»: for fear of ! Or, the opprefling ſword, they ſhall turn every one to his Sb
people, and they ſhall flee every one to bis own land o.
nu We are told that Babylou was ſo large a City, that within the Walls of it there was much plowed ground: or elſe the threatnin imports that God would deal more feverely with Babylon, than Conquerors uſe to do with places which they Conquer, who uſe to ſpare and leave behind them, Plowmen, and ſuch asuſe to Till the ground, but in the deſtruttion of Babylon, it ſhould not be ſo. o He ſpeaks either of fuch Strangers as for Commerce had their Abodes in Babylon, or ſuch Aſſiſtants as the Baby/onians had gotten againſt their Enemies, who upon the coming in of the Enemies ſhould maks as much haſte home as they could.
17 © Irael 3s a ſcattered ſheep p, the lions have driven him away g, firſttheking of Aiſyria hath devoured him 7, and laſt this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hatch broken his bones.
p By Jrael is here meant the whole T'welve Tribes ( tho ſome times it ſignifieth the Ten Tribes in oppoſition to Jubab) they were all wandering Sheep, they became penally ſcattered Sheep. 9 Enemies as fierce and cruel as Lions, had ſeized rhem, and carried them into Captivity. 7 Firſt the King of 4/jria devoured the Ten Tribes which were ftritly call'd Jra:l, 2 Kings 17.6. Then Nebuchads
| nezzar the King of Babylon took Feruſalem as we heard Chap. 39: and
carried awaythe People, and burnt the Temple, which the Prophet here calls a breaking of his Bones, |
18 Therefore thus ſaith the LORD of hofts, the God of Iſrael, Behold, Iwill punith the king of Babylon, and his land r, as I have puniſhed the king of Afſyria 5s |