Isaiah 47

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Isaiah 47

CHAP. XLVII. God's judgment upon Babylon and Chaldea, for their unmercifulness, pride, and audaciousness, shall be irresistible. Before Christ 712. THE first part of the 4th section contains an apostrophe to Babylon, as the seat of a great empire; and herein first are foretold the abolition of that empire, and the degradation of its citizens to the lowest servitude, Isa 47:1 to middle of Isa 47:3 and the efficient cause hereof, namely, God, who shews himself, (latter end of Isaiah 47:3.) and is... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Isaiah 47:1-3

Isaiah 47:1-3. Come down, and sit in the dust, &c.— The prophet here commands Babylon to assume the habit and forms of the most abject state, most opposite to that state of honour and glory in which she had long flourished. She is addressed as a virgin, according to the usual modes of speaking, when cities or states are personified; though some say that she is called the virgin daughter of Babylon, because, according to Herodotus, she had never been conquered before. Take the mill-stones,... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Isaiah 47:3

Isaiah 47:3-4. I will take vengeance— These are the words of the God of Israel, whose province it is to take vengeance. The phrase, I will not meet thee as a man, is differently understood. Some suppose, that it signifies, "I will shew thee neither mercy nor pity." Vitringa renders it, "Though I have not a man ready, or before me, who may execute the vengeance which I have determined; for which reason I will raise up Cyrus, whom nobody thinks of, that it may appear to all the world that this is... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Isaiah 47:5

Isaiah 47:5. Sit thou silent, &c.— See ch. Isaiah 13:19 Isaiah 14:4. Bishop Newton observes, that after this destruction Babylon never recovered its ancient splendor: From an imperial it became a tributary city; from being governed by its own kings, and governing strangers, it came itself to be governed by strangers; and, the seat of empire being transferred to Shushan, it decayed by degrees, till it was at last reduced to utter desolation. Dissert. vol. 1: p. 293. read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Isaiah 47:6

Isaiah 47:6. I was wroth with my people— The metaphor in this verse is taken from a father, who being angry with his children delivers them up to chastisement; but his anger soon subsiding, and his affection reviving, he turns his indignation against those who had executed his commands, in such a manner as to punish them immoderately and severely. The cruelty of the Babylonians is expressed by the strongest term, namely, their oppression of the ancient, the old and feeble, whose venerable grey... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Isaiah 47:7-8

Isaiah 47:7-8. I shall be a lady for ever— If we consider that the city of Babylon had no less than a hundred gates made of solid brass; that its walls were 350 feet in height, and 87 in thickness; and that six chariots could go abreast upon them; that it was defended by the river Euphrates, and that it was supplied with provisions for many years;—it might well be deemed impregnable; and such a city as this might, with less vanity than any other, boast that she should continue for ever, if any... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Isaiah 47:9

Isaiah 47:9. These two things shall come to thee— This prophesy was twice fulfilled; having been accomplished the very night that Babylon was taken, when the Persian slew the king himself, and a great number of the Babylonians: and it was fulfilled a second time, when besieged by Darius. Being determined to hold out to the last extremity, they took all their women, and each man choosing one of them whom he liked best out of his own family, they strangled all the rest, that unnecessary mouths... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Isaiah 47:13

Isaiah 47:13. Thou art wearied, &c.— Thou art nauseated with the multitude of thy devices. read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Isaiah 47:14

Isaiah 47:14. Behold, they shall be as stubble— The judgment to be inflicted upon the professors and encouragers of the vain arts above mentioned is here elegantly and metaphorically described. The prophet says, that all those mentioned in the 13th verse, like stubble, should be set on fire by the divine wrath, and so wholly consumed, that nothing of them should remain which could be serviceable for any purpose whatever; for, as from wood and other fuel, when burned, there remain embers, before... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Isaiah 47:15

Isaiah 47:15. Thus shall they be unto thee, &c.— Thus shall they serve thee, upon whom thou hast spent thy pains; thy negociators, with whom thou hast dealt from thy youth. See Bishop Lowth's translation. See also Isaiah 47:12. They shall wander every one to his quarter, means, "They shall wander, by whatever ways they can, to the extreme boundaries of thy empire, to save themselves from the general calamity." REFLECTIONS.—1st, Babylon had long sat as a queen, and seen her captives... read more

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Isaiah 47

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Isaiah 47:1-3

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Isaiah 47:3

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Isaiah 47:5

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Isaiah 47:6

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Isaiah 47:7-8

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Isaiah 47:9

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Isaiah 47:13

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Isaiah 47:14

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Isaiah 47:15

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