e Rabylon was ſo rich, and potent a Nation, and had been ſo great a Conquerour, that People looking only with the eye of ſenſe, and judging according to probabilities in the Eyes of Men, might well 25k how theſe things could poſſibly be 2? To which the Prophet here anſwereth, That the hand cf God was to be eyed in the caſe, "this was the Lords Work upon the Cialdeans ; God had opened his 'Armoury, and the Mzdes were to make uſe of the Weapons of his indignation. He who threarned this deſtruttion was ableto carry it through, and it was no great matter what Weapons either the Babyonians had to defend themſelves, or the Mzdes to offend them, Gods power and ſtrength was only to be regarded. - 26 Come againit her from the utmoſtborder f, open
her ſtore-houlesg : ||calt her up as heaps h, and deſtroy | the midſt of her y, and they ſhall become * as women J2* Nat, - an, 3,
her utterly : let nothing of her be lefc. = f The Prophet in the Name of God calleth ro the Enemies of Babylon, the Medes,.tro come up, from che furtheſt parts of their Dominions, or from all parts, to fight againſt Babylov. g To open the Granaries, or Store-houſes, or Treaſures of the Babylomans, þ And to caſt up the Ciries as heaps of Rubbilh, and utterly rodeſtroy the City, with ſuch a toral deſtruftion that nothing of it ſhould be
left. : LS Slay all her bullocks : let them 'go down to the
flaughterg : wo unto them, tor their day is come, the time of cheir viſitation. ' ' By Bullocks in this place Interpreters generally underſtand the
reat and Rich Men of Baylor. F 28 The voice of them that fleeand eſcape out of the
land of Babylon * to declare in Zion the vengeance of the LORD our GOD, the vengeance of his tem-
ple þ.
ST ERB MIA FP
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j z
þ The Prophet here, brings in the poor J:ws that had been Cap tives in Bab;l/ow going Liberty, rowards Z:on there joytully to declare the Revenge whi
wt 4; CC) ge Which their God had taken for them, and for his Holy Temple, w hich the Chaldeans had burnt and deſtroyed.
29 Call rogether the archers againſt Babylon 3 : all ye that bend the bow, camp againſt it round about C let none thereof eſcape, recompence her according to her werk ; according to all that ſhe hath done, dounto her: for ſhe hath been proud againſt the LORD, acainſt
he holy One of = l et oly One of Iſrael &.
; The word tranſlated Archers ſignifierh* alſo many, and j
; : ers, and 1s b divers fo tranſlated. but the tollowing Words more ” aſtifie i Tranſlation, k The cauſe of God's calling for Bavylou's Enemies
{ againſt her, isaſſigned to be her Pride againilt the Lord.
30 Therefore jhall her young men fall in che ſtreets,
and all her men of war (ball b at dav — aprimyPooyh | e cut off in that day /,
I See Chap. 49 26. where we met with the ſame words.
time 7bat [will viſit thee ws. m Babylon is particularly branded for Pride, which is the ſwelling
he exc-lleth, or thinks that he excelleth another. account ot the Pride of Babylon, Iſa. 14. 12, 13,14. and particular] of one of their Kings, Dan. 5. 20, 21.
none jhall raile himup : Cities, and it ſhall devour all round about him ».
2 Babylon before call:d the moft Proud, here Pride in the ab ( which ſpeaketh this People exceſlively faulty in this ching } == tall, and 1o fall, as never more to be recovercd and raiſed up.
33 9 Thus faith che LORD of hoſts, The children of [icael and the children of Judahwere oppreſſed tope- ther o, and all that took them captives heid them faſt they refuſed to let them go p, g
o Nor together in reſpe& of times, for there was 150 years difes rence betwixc the time of Iſrael's and Juda)s Captivity ; nor bythe ſame Enemy, 1/rael was carried away Captive by the 4ſrians, Judah by the Chaideans. Together in this place lignifics no more than thar they were both oppreiled, or alike oppretſed. p And ſome may think that my Pcophecies are but Flatteries, and vain Words, for thoſe who have them in their hands are able ro keep them, and will not be willing to ler them go. R
34 Their redeemer zs ſtrong, the LORD of hofts is his name 9, he (hal througbly plead their cauſe », that he may give reſt co theland, and diſquiec the inhabitants
of Babylon /.
9 The Lord whoſe Name is the Lord of Hoſts, is he that is their Avenger : ( for ſo the word ſignifies ) and he is as ſtrong as any of thoſe that hold them faſt, and will not let them go. rHe will plead their cauſe, nor like a Lawyer, bur aQtually, and really effe& it, as pleading is often taken, as Chap. 25, 31. Ezek,17, 20.7013, 2. J Thele are the two ends which God aimeth at, to give his People reſt, and to puniſh. Babylon.
25 T A ſword js t upon the Chaldeans, ſaith the LORD, and upon the inhabitants of Babylon, and
upon her princes, and upon her wiſe men.
# Thar is, there ſhall come a Sword, the Sword of the Meds, upon Babylon, and all the Land of the Chaldeans, and all Orders of Perſons in it.
ſome liers; and in the Hebrew it hath both ſignifications ; whic
makes ſome think it is to be underſtood of the chief Men who are the Props, Stays and Bars of a place whoſe Wiſdom God threatens ſhould fail them, ſo as they ſhould do, and ſhew themſelves Fools.
fayers and Wizzards whom he calls liars, becauſe they divined falſe, and faith they ſhould dote, not foreſeeing what ſhould be. w And though they were full of valiant mighty Men, yet, their hearts een them when this day came, and all be deſtroyed amongſt the reſt.
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[ [1
237 A ſword is upon their horſes, and upon their chariots x, and upon all the mingled people that are in
a {word js upon ber treaſures, and they ſhall be rob-
d z. ; In. r3.15 * Though they be full of Chariots and Horſes, the Enemy ſhall * Chap, ; deſtroy them. y By the mingled People ſome underſtand thoſe 40, 24,
whomthe Babylon;anshad hired totherr Aſſiſtance from other Nations, others, ſuch {trangers as lived among{t them ; others a People under the power of the Ch2!d:ans, made up of People of ſeveral Countries, See Chap. 25. 20. 24, Ek. 30. 5.they ſeem ro ſignifie a People that were not Native Chaldeans, but under their Dominion. » That is, faint-hearted, z And though Babylonhath great Treaſures, yetthoſe ſhall not ſecure her, ſhe ſhall be robbed of them.
38 ” A drought is upon her waters, and they ſhalbe
are mad upon their idols b. & Some think that this Phraſe hath a ſpecial reference to Cyrus
his Stratagem uſed in the ſurprize of Ba#ylon ; one part of it was running on one fide,
"+ ca by the great River Enphrates,
which