The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 253

we 1 ro.ther, So thou also art mad6 taea1, as gregatlon, The early commentators ex- toe I (On the supposed weakness of the dead, plained this of Mount Zion, especially on see the comment on ver. 9.) account of the phrase, "in the sides of the Ver. 11.-The noiae of thy viola. (On the norlh" which is used of the temple-hill in fondness of the Babylonians for mnsic, and Ps. xlviii. 2. But it is well objected that the number and variety of their musical in- Mount Zion was a place of no grandeur or struments, see Dan. iii. 7, 10, etc.) The dignity or holiness to the Babylonians, who word here translated "viol" is more com- had made it a desolation ; and that no Baby- monly rendered "psaltery." (On the probable lonian monarch would have desired to" sit" charaoter of the instrument intended, see there. Moreover, the "mountain" of this note on eh. v. 12.) The worm is spread under passage must be one which is "above the thee, etc. ; rather, beneath thee is spread the heights of the clonda" and '' above the maggot, and the worm covereth thee. The stars of God," which the most ima½inative thought of the grave brings the thought of poet could not have said of Mount Zion. A corruption with it. For cushion and for mythic mountain, belonging to the Baby- coverlet the royal corpse has only the loath- lonian theosophy, was therefore seen to be BOme creatures which come with putrescence. intended, even before the times of cunei- At this point the second stanza terminates. form decipherment (Rosenmiiller, lHichaelis, Ver. 12.-How art thou fallen from heaven, Knobel). Now that the Babylonian inscrip- 0 Luoifer ! Babylon's sudden fall is com- tions can be read, it is fonnrl that there was pared, with great force and beauty, to the such a mountain, called "Im-Kharsak," or (seeming) fall of a star from heaven. The "Kharso.k-Kurra," which is described as word translated " Lucifer" means properly "the mighty mountain of Bel, whose head. "shining one," and no doubt here desig· ri-r,als hea-r,en, whose root is the holy deep," no.tee a star; but whether any particular and which "was regarded as the spot where star or no is uncertain. The LXX. trans- the ark had rested, and where the gods had lated by foisq,opos, whence our "Lucifer." their seat" (' Records of the Past,' vol. :ri. The subjoined epithet, '' son of the morning" p. 131, with the comment of lHr. Sayce, p. or "of the dawn," accords well with this 130). In Babylonian geography this moun- rendering. How art thou out down to the tain was identified, either with the peak of ground! One of Isaiah's favourite changes Rowandiz, o:r with Mount Elwend, nea:r Ec- of metaphor. It is a favourite metaphor also batana. In the Bides of the north. Both El- to which he reverts-that of representing wend and Rowandiz are situated to the the destruction of a nation by the felling of a north-east of Babylon-a position which, ac- tree or of a forest (comp. eh. ii. 12, 13; x. 33, cording to ancient ideas, might be described 34, etc.). Whioh didst weaken the nations; indifferently as " north " or " eruit." rather, which didst prostraf.e the nations. Ver. 14.-1 will be like the Most High The word used is one of great foroe ( comp. ( comp. oh. xlvii. 8). It is a mistake to say Exod.xvii. 13; Job xiv.10). that "the Assyrians gave the no.me of God Ver. 18.-l!'or thou hast said; rather, and to their monarchs" (Ke.y), or, at any rate, thou - thou saidst; i.e. weak as thou art there is no evidence that they did. Nor now shown to have been, it was thou that does any king, either Assyrian or Babylonian, didst dare to say. I will asoendinto heaven, ever assume a Divine title. There is o. etc. ( comp. eh. x. 13, 14; xxxvii. 24, 25). marked difference in this respect between Isaiah represents rather the thoughts of the the Egyptian and the Assyro-Babylonian Babylonian monarch than his actual words. religious. Probably Isaiah only means that The Babylonian inscriptions e.re full of Babylonian monarchs thought of themselves boo.sting egotism ; but they do not contain as gods, worked their own wills, were wrapped anything approaching to impiety. Tho king up in themselves, did not in heart bow dowu may regard himself as, in a certain sense, to a higher Power. Divine; but still he entertains a deep respect Ver. 15.-Thou shalt be brought down; and reverence for those gods whom he re- rather, thou art brought doW'II (comp. vers. gards o.s the most exalted, as Merodach, Bel, 9-11). The sides of the pit; or, the recesseb Nebo, Sin, Sha.mas. He is their worshipper, -the "lowest parts" of the pit. With these their devotee, their suppliant (see • Records words the third stanza terminates. of the Past,' vol. v. pp. 111-148). The Ver. 16.-They that see thee. Dr. Kay Babylonian monarohs may have believed well observes that "here the scene of the that after death they would mount up to parable is changed buck to earth. The heaven and join the '' assembly of the great COfJ!Se of the mighty conqueror is lying un- gods" (ibid., vol. iii. p. 83); but we sce.rcely buried." Shall narrowly look upon thee. know enough as yet of the religious opinions Like the inh,ibitants of hell (ver. 10), thoso of the Bo.bylonians to state positively what of earth 11.!so shall scarcely believe their thoir belief was on the subject of o. future life. eyes. They shall look close to see if it it l will sit also upon the mount of the oon- indeed the great king that ii slain. 246 'l'HE BOOK Or◄' 'l.'HE PROPHET ISAIAH. [uH. UV. 1-32.