In this chapter we have a prophecy of sad times coming, and heavy
burdens,
I. Upon Babylon, here called "the desert of the sea," that it should be
destroyed by the Medes and Persians with a terrible destruction, which
yet God's people should have advantage by,
Isaiah 21:1-10.
II. Upon Dumah, or Idumea,
Isaiah 21:11,12.
III. Upon Arabia, or Kedar, the desolation of which country was very
near,
Isaiah 21:13-17.
These and other nations which the princes and people of Israel had so
much to do with the prophets of Israel could not but have something to
say to. Foreign affairs must be taken notice of as well as domestic
ones, and news from abroad enquired after as well as news at home.
The Doom of Babylon.
B. C. 714.
1 The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the
south pass through; so it cometh from the desert, from a
terrible land.
2 A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer
dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam:
besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease.
3 Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken
hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I was
bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing
of it.
4 My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my
pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me.
5 Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink:
arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield.
6 For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let
him declare what he seeth.
7 And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot
of asses, and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently
with much heed:
8 And he cried, A lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the
watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights:
9 And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of
horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen;
and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the
ground.
10 O my threshing, and the corn of my floor: that which I have
heard of the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared
unto you.
We had one burden of Babylon before
(Isaiah 13:1-22);
here we have another prediction of its fall. God saw fit thus to
possess his people with the belief of this event by line upon line,
because Babylon sometimes pretended to be a friend to them (as
Isaiah 39:1),
and God would hereby warn them not to trust to that friendship, and
sometimes was really an enemy to them, and God would hereby warn them
not to be afraid of that enmity. Babylon is marked for ruin; and all
that believe God's prophets can, through that glass, see it tottering,
see it tumbling, even when with an eye of sense they see it flourishing
and sitting as a queen. Babylon is here called the desert or
plain of the sea; for it was a flat country, and full of lakes,
or loughs (as they call them in Ireland), like little seas, and was
abundantly watered with the many streams of the river Euphrates.
Babylon did but lately begin to be famous, Nineveh having outshone it
while the monarchy was in the Assyrian hands; but in a little time it
became the lady of kingdoms; and, before it arrived at that pitch of
eminency which it was at in Nebuchadnezzar's time, God by this prophet
plainly foretold its fall, again and again, that his people might not
be terrified at its rise, nor despair of relief in due time when they
were its prisoners,
Job 5:3,Ps+37:35,37.
Some think it is here called a desert because, though it was now
a populous city, it should in time be made a desert. And
therefore the destruction of Babylon is so often prophesied of
by this evangelical prophet, because it was typical of the destruction
of the man of sin, the great enemy of the New-Testament church, which
is foretold in the Revelation in many expressions borrowed from
these prophecies, which therefore must be consulted and collated by
those who would understand the prophecy of that book. Here is,
I. The powerful irruption and descent which the Medes and Persians
should make upon Babylon
(Isaiah 21:1,2):
They will come from the desert, from a terrible land. The
northern parts of Media and Persia, where their soldiers were mostly
bred, was waste and mountainous, terrible to strangers that were to
pass through it and producing soldiers that were very formidable.
Elam (that is, Persia) is summoned to go up against Babylon,
and, in conjunction with the forces of Media, to besiege it. When God
has work of this kind to do he will find, though it be in a desert, in
a terrible land, proper instruments to be employed in it. These forces
come as whirlwinds from the south, so suddenly, so strongly, so
terribly, such a mighty noise shall they make, and throw down every
thing that stands in their way. As is usual in such a case, some
deserters will go over to them: The treacherous dealers will deal
treacherously. Historians tell us of Gadatas and Gobryas, two great
officers of the king of Babylon, that went over to Cyrus, and, being
well acquainted with all the avenues of the city, led a party directly
to the palace, where Belshazzar was slain. Thus with the help of the
treacherous dealers the spoilers spoiled. Some read it thus:
There shall be a deceiver of that deceiver, Babylon, and a spoiler
of that spoiler, or, which comes all to one, The treacherous
dealer has found one that deals treacherously, and the spoiler one that
spoils, as it is expounded,
Isaiah 33:1.
The Persians shall pay the Babylonians in their own coin; those that by
fraud and violence, cheating and plundering, unrighteous wars and
deceitful treaties, have made a prey of their neighbours, shall meet
with their match, and by the same methods shall themselves be made a
prey of.
II. The different impressions made hereby upon those concerned in
Babylon.
1. To the poor oppressed captives it would be welcome news; for they
had been told long ago that Babylon's destroyer would be their
deliverer, and therefore, "when they hear that Elam and Media are
coming up to besiege Babylon, all their sighing will be made to
cease; they shall no longer mingle their tears with Euphrates'
streams, but resume their harps, and smile when they remember Zion,
which, before, they wept at the thought of." For the sighing of the
needy the God of pity will arise in due time
(Psalms 12:5);
he will break the yoke from all their neck, will remove the rod of the
wicked from off their lot, and so make their sighing to cease.
2. To the proud oppressors it would be a grievous vision
(Isaiah 21:2),
particularly to the king of Babylon for the time being, and it should
seem that he it is who is here brought in sadly lamenting his
inevitable fate
(Isaiah 21:3,4):
Therefore are my loins filled with pain; pangs have taken hold upon
me, &c., which was literally fulfilled in Belshazzar, for that very
night in which his city was taken, and himself slain, upon the sight of
a hand writing mystic characters upon the wall his countenance was
changed and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins
were loosed and his knees smote one against another,
Daniel 5:6.
And yet that was but the beginning of sorrows. Daniel's deciphering the
writing could not but increase his terror, and the alarm which
immediately followed of the executioners at the door would be the
completing of it. And those words, The night of my pleasure has he
turned into fear to me, plainly refer to that aggravating
circumstance of Belshazzar's fall that he was slain on that night when
he was in the height of his mirth and jollity, with his cups and
concubines about him and a thousand of his lords revelling with him;
that night of his pleasure, when he promised himself an undisturbed
unallayed enjoyment of the most exquisite gratifications of sense, with
a particular defiance of God and religion in the profanation of the
temple vessels, was the night that was turned into all this fear. Let
this give an effectual check to vain mirth and sensual pleasures, and
forbid us ever to lay the reins on the neck of them--that we know not
what heaviness the mirth may end in, nor how soon laughter may be
turned into mourning; but this we know that for all these things God
shall bring us into judgment; let us therefore mix trembling always
with our joys.
III. A representation of the posture in which Babylon should be found
when the enemy should surprise it--all in festival gaiety
(Isaiah 21:5):
"Prepare the table with all manner of dainties. Set the guards; let
them watch in the watch-tower while we eat and drink securely and make
merry; and, if any alarm should be given, the princes shall arise and
anoint the shield, and be in readiness to give the enemy a warm
reception." Thus secure are they, and thus do they gird on the harness
with as much joy as if they were putting it off.
IV. A description of the alarm which should be given to Babylon upon
its being forced by Cyrus and Darius. The Lord, in vision, showed the
prophet the watchman set in his watch-tower, near the watch-tower, near
the palace, as is usual in times of danger; the king ordered those
about him to post a sentinel in the most advantageous place for
discovery, and, according to the duty of a watchman, let him declare
what he sees,
Isaiah 21:6.
We read of watchmen thus set to receive intelligence in the story of
David
(2 Samuel 18:24),
and in the story of Jehu,
2 Kings 9:17.
This watchman here discovered a chariot with a couple of horsemen
attending it, in which we may suppose the commander-in-chief to ride.
He then saw another chariot drawn by asses or mules, which were much in
use among the Persians, and a chariot drawn by camels, which were
likewise much in use among the Medes; so that (as Grotius thinks) these
two chariots signify the two nations combined against Babylon, or
rather these chariots come to bring tidings to the palace; compare
Jeremiah 51:31,32.
One post shall run to meet another, and one messenger to meet
another, to show the king of Babylon that his city is taken at one
end while he is revelling at the other end and knows nothing of the
matter. The watchman, seeing these chariots at some distance,
hearkened diligently with much heed, to receive the first
tidings. And
(Isaiah 21:8)
he cried, A lion; this word, coming out of a watchman's mouth,
no doubt gave them a certain sound, and everybody knew the meaning of
it, though we do not know it now. It is likely that it was intended to
raise attention: he that has an ear to hear, let him hear, as when a
lion roars. Or he cried as a lion, very loud and in good
earnest, the occasion being very urgent. And what has he to say?
1. He professes his constancy to the post assigned him: "I stand, my
lord, continually upon the watch-tower, and have never discovered
any thing material till just now; all seemed safe and quiet." Some make
it to be a complaint of the people of God that they had long expected
the downfall of Babylon, according to the prophecy, and it had not yet
come; but withal a resolution to continue waiting; as
Habakkuk 2:1,
I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, to see
what will be the issue of the present providences.
2. He gives notice of the discoveries he had made
(Isaiah 21:9):
Here comes a chariot of men with a couple of horsemen, a vision
representing the enemy's entry into the city with all their force or
the tidings brought to the royal palace of it.
V. A certain account is at length given of the overthrow of Babylon. He
in the chariot answered and said (when he heard the watchman
speak), Babylon has fallen, has fallen; or God answered thus to
the prophet enquiring concerning the issue of these affairs: "It has
now come to this, Babylon has surely and irrecoverably fallen.
Babylon's business is done now. All the graven images of her gods he
has broken unto the ground." Babylon was the mother of harlots
(that is, of idolatry), which was one of the grounds of God's quarrel
with her; but her idols should now be so far from protecting her that
some of them should be broken down to the ground, and others of them,
that were worth carrying way, should go into captivity, and be a burden
to the beasts that carried them,
Isaiah 46:1,2.
VI. Notice is given to the people of God, who were then captives in
Babylon, that this prophecy of the downfall of Babylon was particularly
intended for their comfort and encouragement, and they might depend
upon it that it should be accomplished in due season,
Isaiah 21:10.
Observe,
1. The title the prophet gives them in God's name: O my threshing,
and the corn of my floor! The prophet calls them his,
because they were his countrymen, and such as he had a particular
interest in and concern for; but he speaks it as from God, and directs
his speech to those that were Israelites indeed, the faithful in the
land. Note,
(1.) The church is God's floor, in which the most valuable fruits and
products of this earth are, as it were, gathered together and laid up.
(2.) True believers are the corn of God's floor. Hypocrites are but as
the chaff and straw, which take up a great deal of room, but are of
small value, with which the wheat is now mixed, but from which it shall
be shortly and for ever separated.
(3.) The corn of God's floor must expect to be threshed by afflictions
and persecutions. God's Israel of old was afflicted from her youth,
often under the plougher's plough
(Psalms 129:3)
and the thresher's flail.
(4.) Even then God owns it for his threshing; it is his still; nay, the
threshing of it is by his appointment, and under his restraint and
direction. The threshers could have no power against it but what was
given them from above.
2. The assurance he gives them of the truth of what he had delivered to
them, which therefore they might build their hopes upon: That which
I have heard of the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel--that, and
nothing else, that, and no fiction or fancy of my own--have I
declared unto you. Note, In all events concerning the church, past,
present, and to come, we must have an eye to God both as the Lord of
hosts and as the God of Israel, who has power enough to do any thing
for his church and grace enough to do every thing that is for her good,
and to the words of his prophets, as words received from the Lord. As
they dare not smother any thing which he has entrusted them to declare,
so they dare not declare any thing as from him which he has not made
known to them,
1 Corinthians 11:23.
The Watchman Interrogated.
B. C. 714.
11 The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman,
what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?
12 The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night:
if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come.
This prophecy concerning Dumah is very short, and withal dark and hard
to be understood. Some think that Dumah is a part of Arabia, and that
the inhabitants descended from Dumah the sixth son of Ishmael, as those
of Kedar
(Isaiah 21:16,17)
from Ishmael's second son,
Genesis 25:13,14.
Others, because Mount Seir is here mentioned, by Dumah understand
Idumea, the country of the Edomites. Some of Israel's neighbours are
certainly meant, and their distress is foretold, not only for warning
to them to prepare them for it, but for warning to Israel not to depend
upon them, or any of the nations about them, for relief in a time of
danger, but upon God only. We must see all creature confidences
failing us, and feel them breaking under us, that we may not lay more
weight upon them than they will bear. But though the explication of
this prophecy be difficult, because we have no history in which we find
the accomplishment of it, yet the application will be easy. We have
here,
1. A question put by an Edomite to the watchman. Some one or other
called out of Seir, somebody that was more concerned for the
public safety and welfare than the rest, who were generally careless
and secure. As the man of Macedonia, in a vision, desired Paul to come
over and help them
(Acts 16:9),
so this man of Mount Seir, in a vision, desired the prophet to inform
and instruct them. He calls not many; it is well there are any, that
all are not alike unconcerned about the things that belong to the
public peace. Some out of Seir ask advice of God's prophets, and are
willing to be taught, when many of God's Israel heed nothing. The
question is serious: What of the night? It is put to a proper
person, the watchman, whose office it is to answer such
enquiries. He repeats the question, as one in care, as one in earnest,
and desirous to have an answer. Note,
(1.) God's prophets and ministers are appointed to be watchmen, and we
are to look upon them as such. They are as watchmen in the city in a
time of peace, to see that all be safe, to knock at every door by
personal enquiries ("Is it locked? Is the fire safe?"), to direct those
that are at a loss, and check those that are disorderly,
Song of Solomon 3:3,5:7.
They are as watchmen in the camp in time of war,
Ezekiel 33:7.
They are to take notice of the motions of the enemy and to give notice
of them, to make discoveries and then give warning; and in this they
must deny themselves.
(2.) It is our duty to enquire of the watchmen, especially to ask again
and again, What of the night? for watchmen wake when other
sleep.
[1.] What time of the night? After a long sleep in sin and security, is
it not time to rise, high time to awake out of sleep?
Romans 13:11.
We have a great deal of work to do, a long journey to go; is it not
time to be stirring? "Watchman, what o'clock is it? After a long dark
night is there any hope of the day dawning?"
[2.] What tidings of the night? What from the night? (so some);
"what vision has the prophet had to-night? We are ready to receive it."
Or, rather, "What occurs to night? What weather is it? What news?" We
must expect an alarm, and never be secure. The day of the Lord will
come as a thief in the night; we must prepare to receive the alarm,
and resolve to keep our ground, and then take the first hint of danger,
and to our arms presently, to our spiritual weapons.
2. The watchman's answer to this question. The watchman was neither
asleep nor dumb; though it was a man of Mount Seir that called to him,
he was ready to give him an answer: The morning comes. He
answers,
(1.) By way of prediction: "There comes first a morning of light, and
peace, and opportunity; you will enjoy one day of comfort more; but
afterwards comes a night of trouble and calamity." Note, In the course
of God's providence it is usual that morning and night are
counterchanged and succeed each other. Is it night? Yet the morning
comes, and the day-spring knows his place,
Psalms 30:5.
Is it day? Yet the night comes also. If there be a morning of youth and
health, there will come a night of sickness and old age; if a morning
of prosperity in the family, in the public, yet we must look for
changes. But God usually gives a morning of opportunity before he sends
a night of calamity, that his own people may be prepared for the storm
and others left inexcusable.
(2.) By way of excitement: If you will enquire, enquire. Note,
It is our wisdom to improve the present morning in preparation for the
night that is coming after it. "Enquire, return, come. Be
inquisitive, be penitent, be willing and obedient." The manner of
expression is very observable, for we are put to our choice what we
will do: "If you will enquire, enquire; if not, it is at your
peril; you cannot say but you have a fair offer made you." We are also
urged to be at a point: "If you will, say so, and do not stand pausing;
what you will do do quickly, for it is no time to trifle." Those that
return and come to God will find they have a great deal of work to do
and but a little time to do it in, and therefore they have need to be
busy.
The Doom of Arabia.
B. C. 714.
13 The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye
lodge, O ye travelling companies of Dedanim.
14 The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him
that was thirsty, they prevented with their bread him that fled.
15 For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, and
from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war.
16 For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Within a year,
according to the years of a hireling, and all the glory of Kedar
shall fail:
17 And the residue of the number of archers, the mighty men of
the children of Kedar, shall be diminished: for the LORD God of
Israel hath spoken it.
Arabia was a large country, that lay eastward and southward of the land
of Canaan. Much of it was possessed by the posterity of Abraham. The
Dedanim, here mentioned
(Isaiah 21:13),
descended from Dedan, Abraham's son by Keturah; the inhabitants of Tema
and Kedar descended from Ishmael,
Genesis 25:3,13,15.
The Arabians generally lived in tents, and kept cattle, were a hardy
people, inured to labour; probably the Jews depended upon them as a
sort of a wall between them and the more warlike eastern nations; and
therefore, to alarm them, they shall hear the burden of Arabia,
and see it sinking under its own burden.
I. A destroying army shall be brought upon them, with a sword, with
a drawn sword, with a bow ready bent, and with all
the grievousness of war,
Isaiah 21:15.
It is probable that the king of Assyria, in some of the marches of his
formidable and victorious army, took Arabia in his way, and, meeting
with little resistance, made an easy prey of them. The consideration of
the grievousness of war should make us thankful for the blessings of
peace.
II. The poor country people will hereby be forced to flee for shelter
wherever they can find a place; so that the travelling companies of
Dedanium, which used to keep the high roads with their caravans,
shall be obliged to quit them and lodge in the forest in Arabia
(Isaiah 21:13),
and shall not have the wonted convenience of their own tents, poor and
weather-beaten as they are.
III. They shall stand in need of refreshment, being ready to perish for
want of it, in their flight from the invading army: "O you
inhabitants of the land of Tema!" (who probably were next
neighbours to the companies of Dedanim) "bring you water" (so
the margin reads it) "to him that is thirsty, and prevent
with your bread those that flee, for they are objects of your
compassion; they do not wander for wandering sake, nor are they reduced
to straits by any extravagance of their own, but they flee from the
sword." Tema was a country where water was sometimes a scarce
commodity (as we find,
Job 6:19),
and we may conclude it would be in a particular manner acceptable to
these poor distressed refugees. Let us learn hence.
1. To look for distress ourselves. We know not what straits we may be
brought into before we die. Those that live in cities may be forced to
lodge in forests; and those may know the want of necessary food who now
eat bread to the full. Our mountain stands not so strong but that it
may be moved, rises not so high but that it may be scaled. These
Arabians would the better bear these calamities because in their way of
living they had used themselves to hardships.
2. To look with compassion upon those that are in distress, and with
all cheerfulness to relieve them, not knowing how soon their case may
be ours: "Bring water to those that are thirsty, and not only
give bread to those that need and ask it, but prevent those with it
that have need; give it to them unasked." Those that do so shall find
it remembered to their praise, as (according to our reading) it is here
remembered to the praise of the land of Tema that they did bring water
to the thirsty and relieved even those that were on the falling
side.
IV. All that which is the glory of Kedar shall vanish away and fail.
Did they glory in their numerous herds and flocks? They shall all be
driven away by the enemy. It seems they were famous about other nations
for the use of the bow in battle; but their archers, instead of foiling
the enemy, shall fall themselves; and the residue of their
number, when they are reduced to a small number, shall be
diminished
(Isaiah 21:17);
their mighty able-bodied men, and men of spirit too, shall become very
few; for they, being most forward in the defence of their country, were
most exposed, and fell first, either by the enemies' sword or into the
enemies' hand. Note, Neither the skill of archers (though they be ever
so good marksmen) nor the courage of mighty men can protect a people
from the judgments of God, when they come with commission; they rather
expose the undertakers. That is poor glory which will thus quickly come
to nothing.
V. All this shall be done in a little time: "Within one year
according to the years of a hireling (within one year precisely
reckoned) this judgment shall come upon Kedar." If this fixing of the
time be of no great use to us now (because we find not either when the
prophecy was delivered or when it was accomplished), yet it might be of
great use to the Arabians then, to awaken them to repentance, that,
like the men of Nineveh, they might prevent the judgment when they were
thus told it was just at the door. Or, when it begins to be fulfilled,
the business shall be done, be begun and ended in one year's time. God,
when he please, can do a great work in a little time.
VI. It is all ratified by the truth of God
(Isaiah 21:16);
"Thus hath the Lord said to me; you may take my word for it that
it is his word;" and we may be sure no word of his shall fall to the
ground. And again
(Isaiah 21:17):
The Lord God of Israel hath spoken it, as the God of Israel, in
pursuance of his gracious designs concerning them; and we may be sure
the strength of Israel will not lie.
Matthew Henry "Verse by Verse Commentary for 'Isaiah' Matthew Henry Bible Commentary".
.