The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 27:1
Spiritual wickedness in high places powerless to resist God. As Isaiah was, somehow or other, brought into contact with the dualistic doctrine of the Zoro-astrians ( Isaiah 45:5-7 ), it was important that he should bear witness to the impotency of the powers of evil when they matched themselves against Jehovah. The Zoroastrians taught that there were two great principles, one of good, and the other of evil, whom they called respectively Ahura-mazda and Angro-mainyus, who were both of them... read more
The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 27:1
The Lord with his sore and great and strong sword . The "sword" of Jehovah is first heard of in the Pentateuch, where it is called" glittering" ( Deuteronomy 32:41 ). It is spoken of by David ( Psalms 7:12 ), and frequently by Isaiah (see Isaiah 31:8 ; Isaiah 34:5 , Isaiah 34:6 ; Isaiah 46:1-13 :16). Mr. Cheyne supposes the idea to have been taken from the Baby-Ionian mythology, and seems to think it half material. But it is merely on a par with other anthrepomorphisms. The word... read more