Isaiah 33:9 - Exposition

The earth mourneth ; rather, the land . Lebanon is … hewn down ; rather, as in the margin, is withered away (comp. Isaiah 19:6 ). Lebanon, Sharon, Carmel, and Bashan are the four most beautiful regions of the Holy Land, taking the word in its widest extent. Lebanon is the northern mountain-range, one hundred and twenty miles in length, clad with cedars and firs, and generally crowned with snow, whence the name (from laban , white). Sharon is "the broad rich tract of land" which stretches southwards from the foot of Carmel, and melts into the Shefelah, noted for its flowers ( Song of Solomon 2:1 ) and forests (Josephus, ' Ant . Jud.,' 14.13, § 3). Carmel is the upland dividing Sharon from the Esdraelon plain, famous for its " rocky dells" and "deep jungles of copse." Finally, Bashan is the trans-Jordanic upland, stretching from the flanks of Hermon to Gilead, celebrated for its "high downs" and "wide-sweeping plains," for its "forests of oak," and in ancient times for its herds of wild cattle. All are said to be "waste," "withered," and the like, partly on account of the Assyrian ravages, but perhaps still more as sympathizing with the Jewish nation in their distress—"ashamed" for them, and clad in mourning on their account. Shake off their fruits; rather, perhaps, shake down their leaves . Mr. Cheyne conjectures that the prophecy was delivered in autumn.