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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Isaiah 13:19-22

The great havoc and destruction which it was foretold should be made by the Medes and Persians in Babylon here end in the final destruction of it. 1. It is allowed that Babylon was a noble city. It was the glory of kingdoms and the beauty of the Chaldees? excellency; it was that head of gold (Dan. 2:37, 38); it was called the lady of kingdoms (Isa. 47:5), the praise of the whole earth (Jer. 51:41), like a pleasant roe (so the word signifies); but it shall be as a chased roe, Isa. 13:14. The... 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 13:22

In their pleasant palaces "In their palaces" - באלמנותיו bealmenothaiv ; a plain mistake, I presume, for בארמנתיו bearmenothaiv . It is so corrected in two MSS., the Syriac, Chaldee, and Vulgate. Πουλυποδες δ ' εν εμοι θαλαμας φωκαι τε μελαιναιπ Οικα ποιησονται ακηδεα, χητεΐ λαων. Hom. Hymn. in Apol. 77. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 13:1-22

It is remarkable that Babylon heads the list of the Church's enemies in the present catalogue. Dr. Kay supposes the term "Babel" to be equivalent to "Asshur-Babel," and to designate "the Assyro-Babylonian Empire." He thinks that "Babel" heads the list on account of Assyria's position, under Tiglath-Pileser and Shalmaneser, in the van of Israel's adversaries. But neither Isaiah nor any other sacred writer knows of an Assyro-Babylonian kingdom or empire. Assyria and Babylonia are distinct... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 13:1-22

Oracle concerning Babylon. I. APPROACH OF THE WARRIORS OF JEHOVAH . On the bare mountain the banner is upraised, and with loud cry and commanding gesture of the hand a host of warriors is summoned from all sides. As in verse 26, Jehovah is viewed by the poet as a mighty Battle-Leader, Lord of hosts. His voice is heard, "I have given commission to my anointed ones, have called my heroes for my work of punishment, my proudly rejoicing ones!" And then a noise is heard in the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 13:19-22

The overthrow of evil. The minuteness of detail with which this prophecy has been fulfilled goes far to prove that holy men of old did speak "as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." The prediction is profoundly interesting in this light; it is also instructive as foretelling the entire extinction of a world-power which, at the hour of utterance, appeared to rest on immovable foundations. There are great powers—national, ecclesiastical, dynastic, institutional, social—which are as Babylon... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 13:21-22

Literal fulfillment of prophecy. The language of modern travelers illustrates the fulfillment of the prediction. Layard says, "Owls start from the scanty thickets, and the foul jackal stalks among the furrows." "It is a naked and hideous waste." Dr. Plumptre says, "The work was, however, accompanied by slow degrees, and was not, like the destruction of Nineveh, the result of a single overthrow. Darius dismantled its walls, Xerxes pulled down the temple of Belus. Alexander contemplated its... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 13:22

Wild beasts of the islands . In the Hebrew, iyyim , which means "wailers" or "howlers," probably "jackals." The Revised Version gives "wolves." In their desolate houses ; or, in their castles (Cheyne). And dragons ; i.e. "serpents." These have not been observed recently; but one of our old travelers notes that "the lande of Baby-lone," in his day, "was fulle of dragons and grote serpentes, and dyverse other veney-mouse ecstes alle abouten". Near to come . About one hundred and... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Isaiah 13:22

And the wild beasts of the islands - (איים 'ı̂yı̂ym); see the notes at Isaiah 11:11; Isaiah 41:1, on the word rendered ‘islands.’ The word denotes islands, or coasts, and as those coasts and islands were unknown and unexplored, the word seems to have denoted unknown and uninhabited regions in general. Boehart supposes that by the word here used is denoted a species of wolves, the jackal, or the “thoes.” It is known as a wild animal, exceedingly fierce, and is also distinguished by alternate... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Isaiah 13:21-22

Isaiah 13:21-22. The wild beasts of the desert shall lie there Which was literally fulfilled, as we have just seen, in Jerome’s time, when it was a forest for breeding wild beasts, or a royal chase for hunting. And their houses shall be full of doleful creatures This likewise has been exactly accomplished. Benjamin of Tudela, a Jew, in his Itinerary, written above seven hundred years ago, asserts, “Babylon is now laid waste, excepting the ruins of Nebuchadnezzar’s palace, which men are... read more

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