The things that ye carried about are made a load, a 2. They stoop, they bow down together; 3. Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, And all the remnant of the house of Israel, 4. And even to old age I am he, And even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; Yea, I will carry, and will deliver. depicts their fate, and takes occasion to contrast their foolish impotence with the victorious power of Jehovah. = 1. The gods are pictured as already prostrate. Bel, here Merodach or Marduk, the patron God of Babylon; Nebo, his son, probably the patron of the dynasty (cf. Nebuchadrezzar). The beasts are beasts of burden, on whose weary backs the idols are packed for the flight. Ye, which must refer to the Babylonians, is here inapplicable in an address to Israel (cf. vs. 3). The verse, which is cumbrous in comparison with vs. 2, may originally have been briefer thus: Bel is bowed down, Nebo croucheth, Their idols are consigned to the beasts, 2. The idea is that the gods could not save their own idols from the fate of captivity; they are simply so much dead weight for weary beasts" (G. A. Smith). 3 f. What a contrast (cf. vs. 5) between those helpless gods and the God of Israel! Their people have to carry them, but Israel's God carries his people forever. Vs. 3 echoes vs. 1, and gives its thought a profound and brilliant turn, finely suggesting the sustaining power of true religion. For I have made read perhaps I have borne. 5. To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, And compare me, that we may be like? 6. Such as lavish gold out of the bag, And weigh silver in the balance, They hire a goldsmith, and he maketh it a god; 7. They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, And he standeth; from his place shall he not remove : Yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, 8. Remember this, and 1 shew yourselves men: Bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors. 9. Remember the former things of old: For I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me; 1 m. stand fast; Gr. groan. 6-8. In the spirit of 44: 9–20, these vss. pour scornful sarcasm upon the idols. For certain reasons (cf. change of person from second to third, characterization of Israel as transgressors or rebels, vs. 8, whereas elsewhere she is Jehovah's witness; cf. 43: 10, etc.), some recent scholars believe these verses to be an interpolation. 6 f. The gold and silver are not to pay the goldsmith; they are for use in the construction of the image, which is small enough to be carried on the shoulder. Once fixed in his place, the god can neither move nor speak,— stiff, mute, helpless, -a very scornful picture. 8. Show yourselves men, perhaps acknowledge your guilt. 9-11. Former things, deeds and especially predictions, which show that Jehovah alone is God. His irresistible will must be done, and it is done by calling Cyrus, the ravenous bird, who will swoop victorious like an eagle upon the prey. The man of my counsel, i.e. who executes my counsel (so A.V.). 10. Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done; Saying, My counsel shall stand, And I will do all my pleasure; 11. Calling a ravenous bird from the east, The man of my counsel from a far country; 12. Hearken unto me, ye1 stouthearted, 13. I bring near my righteousness, it shall not be far off, And my salvation shall not tarry; The Downfall of Babylon (47: 1–15) 47. Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; 1 Gr. that have lost heart. 2 m. give salvation in Zion, and my glory unto Israel. 12 f. With such a God, why should Israel faint or fear? Stouthearted, rather faint-hearted (so Gr.). Righteousness, as so often in this prophecy, practically victory, salvation. This is not, as they suppose, far off, but, through the victories of Cyrus, is near. Chap. 47. This taunt-song on the downfall of Babylon appropriately follows the song on the downfall of her gods (Chap. 46). She is here portrayed as a haughty queen reduced to the condition of the meanest slave, and all her magicians and astrologers are powerless to save her. The Humiliation of Babylon (vss. 1-4) 1 f. Babylon is herself the virgin, tender and delicate, once enthroned, now throneless, sitting in humiliation on the ground, and Sit on the ground without a throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans; Tender and delicate. 2. Take the millstones, and grind meal : Strip off the train, uncover the leg, 3. Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, 4. I will take vengeance, and will 1 accept no man. 2 Our redeemer, The LORD of hosts is his name, The Holy One of Israel. 5. Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans: For thou shalt no more be called The Lady of Kingdoms. 6. I was wroth with my people, I profaned mine inheritance, 1 Heb. meet; SV spare; AV I will not meet thee as a man; at all deliver thee to men. 2 Some Gr. MSS. here read saith. Gr. I will no more reduced to the position of the meanest maidservant, who grinds the meal (cf. Exod. 11:5). The rivers may be those passed on the way to exile, or the whole clause may suggest the degradations of her lot. 3 f. The first half of vs. 3 is probably a gloss on 2b, in the second half the text is obscure, and vs. 4 should be taken with 3, thus: I will take irrevocable vengeance, saith our Redeemer. Babylon, the Proud and Cruel, laid Low (vss. 5-7) 5. Darkness, whether of dungeon or misery. Lady, mistress. 6. Jehovah permitted Babylon to chastise Israel because of Rev. 18:7 And gave them into thine hand: Very heavily laid thy yoke. A lady for ever": So that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, Neither didst remember the latter end thereof. 8. Now therefore hear this, thou that art given to pleasures, That dwellest carelessly, That sayest in thine heart, "I am, and there is none else beside me; I shall not sit as a widow, Neither shall I know the loss of children": 9. But these two things shall come to thee The loss of children, and widowhood: in their full measure Shall they come upon thee, 1 m. SV sittest securely. 2 Gr. Syr. suddenly. her sin, but Babylon proved cruel, especially to the aged (Lam. 5:12). 7. Cruel, and proud, for she said, I shall endure for ever, be mistress for aye. These things, the fact that her power over Israel was only temporary, consequent upon Jehovah's anger (vs. 6), and that the latter end, i.e. the issue of it all, would be the restoration of Israel (cf. Jer. 29: 11). Babylon's Sudden Discomfiture (vss. 8–10a) 8. Widowhood and bereavement: desolation of the city, destruction or deportation of her people. 9. Babylon imagined her magicians could save her. |