The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 251

EXPOSITION. their position o.s a favoured race -God's CHAPTER XIV. peculiar people ; their restoration was a Vera. 1-23.-THE RESTORATION OF ISRAELt fresh "choice" of them out of all the nations .lND HER SoNCl OF TRIUMPH OVER BABYLON, of the world, a free a.et of grace on his po.rt, to which they had no claim or right whe.tso• ~he 4;Ies.trtiction of Babylon is to be folio.wed ever. And set them in their owu land; or, by the restoration of Israel, with the good on the:ir own ground. The land that once will of the ,no.tions, o.nd by their exercising was theirs, bnt which they had forfeited by rule over their late oppressors (vers. 1, 2). their disobedience, could only become "their fa thiil time of rest and refreshment they own" again by II fresh gift from God. The strangers &hall be joined with them ; rather, will sing a song of triumph over Babylon. the strangeT shall join himself to them. On The song extends from ver. 4 to ver. 23. It the return from the Captivity, there would be consists of five stanzas, or strophes, each com- an influx of proselytes from the nations, who prising seven long lines, after which there would voluntarily join themselves to those is a brief epodc, or epilogue, of a. different whom they saw favoured both by God and man (comp. Esth. viii. 17). Though the character. This epode is comprised in vers. Jews did not co=only seek proselytes, they 22 and 23. readily received such us offered themselves. Ver. 1.-For the Lord will have meroy on .fL further fulfilment of the prophecy took la.cob. God's purpose of mercy upon Israel pince when the Gentiles flocked into the requires, 11s its prelimine,ry, the destruction Church of God after the coming of Christ. of Be,bylon, and may be 0011;idered as the Ver. 2.-And the people eha.11 take them; final ea.use of that destrnotion. Hie desire rather, peoples shall take them. The bee.then to have mercy on lstael soon is the reason ne,tions among whom they have dwelt shall why the clays of Babylon are not prolonged rejoioe at the restoration of Israel to their (see oh. xiii. 22). Will yet ohoo11 Israel. own land, and even escort them in l\ frieo.dly 'fhe Captivity wns a rejection of Israel from spirit to their borders (comp. Ezra. i. f, 6;  244 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. [Oil, XIV, 1-32,