Isaiah 13

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 13:16

Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes ,.... Upon the ground, or against the wall, as was foretold should be, Psalm 137:8 and in way of retaliation for what they did to the Jews, 2 Chronicles 36:17 and this was to be done "before their eyes", in the sight of the inhabitants, which must make it the more distressing and afflicting; and, as Kimchi observes, this phrase is to be applied to the following clauses: their houses shall be spoiled ; plundered of the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 13:17

Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them ,.... The Babylonians; this explains who are meant by the sanctified and mighty ones, Isaiah 13:3 the Medes were a people that descended from Medai, one of the sons of Japheth, Genesis 10:2 as Josephus observes F9 Antiqu. Jud. l. 1. c. 6. sect. 1. ; under these the Persians are included, though they are only mentioned, because Cyrus was sent by Cyaxares king of Media on this expedition against Babylon, and was made by him general of the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 13:18

Their bows also shall dash their young men to pieces ,.... That is, the bows of the Medes should dash in pieces the young men of the Babylonians. The meaning is, either that they should put them into their bows, instead of arrows, and shoot them upon the ground, or against a wall, and so dash them to pieces; or that they should first shoot them through with their arrows, and then dash them with their bows; according to Xenophon F12 Cyropaedia, l. 2. sect. 1. , Cyrus came to Babylon... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 13:19

And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms ,.... The first and most ancient kingdom, Genesis 10:10 and now, at the time of its fall, the largest and most extensive; wherefore of the image Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream, which was a representation of several kingdoms, this was the head, the head of gold, Daniel 2:31 so Babylon is called the "lady of kingdoms", Isaiah 47:5 the word here used for "glory" is the same with that which is rendered a "roe", Isaiah 13:14 . Babylon was once as a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 13:20

It shall never be inhabited ,.... As it has not been since its utter destruction. Pausanias F16 Arcadica sive, l. 8. p. 509. , who lived in the times of Adrian, says, Babylon, the greatest city that ever the sun saw, that then there was nothing left of it but a wall: what is now called Babylon is a new city, and built in another place: neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation ; which is the same thing repeated in other and stronger terms, for the confirmation of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 13:21

But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there ,.... What sort of creatures are meant is not certain. The Targum renders it by a word which signifies monstrous, astonishing creatures; the Latin interpreter of it calls them apes. Jarchi and Kimchi say such are intended as are called martens or sables, a creature of the weasel kind. The Hebrew word does not much differ from the Arabic one used for "wild cats": and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures ; whose voices are very... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 13:22

And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses ,.... The Targum and Syriac version, "in their palaces", and so the Vulgate Latin; or "with their widows", such as have lost their mates: what creatures are here meant is very uncertain; we in general call them the wild beasts of the islands, because the word is sometimes used for islands; the Targum renders it "cats", wild ones; the Syriac version, "sirens"; and the Arabic, the "hyaenae"; the Septuagint version,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 13

God mustereth the armies of his wrath against the inhabitants of Babylon, Isaiah 13:1-6 . The dreadful consequences of this visitation, and the terror and dismay of those who are the objects of it, Isaiah 13:7-16 . The horrid cruelties that shall be indicted upon the Babylonians by the Medes, Isaiah 13:17 , Isaiah 13:18 . Total and irrecoverable desolation of Babylon, Isaiah 13:19-22 . This and the following chapter, - striking off the five last verses of the latter, which belong... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 13:1

The burden of Babylon - The prophecy that foretells its destruction by the Medes and Persians: see the preceding observations. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 13:2

Exalt the voice - The word להם lahem , "to them," which is of no use, and rather weakens the sentence, is omitted by an ancient MS., and the Vulgate. read more

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