CHAP. XIV. 1–27. .

The prophet here foretells the restoration of Israel, and their triumph over Babylon.

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WOR the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, return to them in mercy, and set them in their own land and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob; many Chaldeans and captives, with the Jews in Babylon, shall become proselytes and re2 turn with them to their land. And the people shall take them and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors; they shall use their assistance as they have occasion for it, and receive services 3 from those to whom they had been slaves. And it shall come to pass in the day that the LORD shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein 4 thou wast made to serve, That thou shalt take up this proverb, this acute and excellent saying, against the king of Babylon, and say, in these sublime and lofty strains, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased! how was it possible that such 5 a thing should ever be brought about! The LORD hath broken the staff of the wicked [and] the sceptre of the rulers; it is 6 God's doing, and therefore wonder not at it. He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, who was a most barbarous and ungenerous conqueror, he is persecuted, [and] none hindereth; neither his own 7 people nor his allies could help him. The whole earth is at rest, [and] is quiet, now its greatest oppressor is ceased, now Babylon 8 is destroyed: they break forth into singing. Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, [and] the cedars of Lebanon, [saying,] Since thou art laid down no feller is come up against us; the great and 9 the common people rejoice, over whom he had tyrannized. Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet [thee] at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, [even] all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations; the invisible world is roused to make way for so great a monarch; the kings that used to be afraid of thee, and were tributary to thee, 10 rise up by way of scorn and insult. All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we ? art thou become 11 like unto us? Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, [and] the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee, instead of thy rich garments and sumfituous 12 carpets. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning; thou who excelledst other princes in glory, as much as the morning star does the other stars in lustre : [how] art thou 13 cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hadst said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will

exalt my throne above the stars, or angels, of God; an hyperbole, to express his great pride, or that he really expected divine honours: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north; I will place my royal throne upon mount 14 Zion, and in the temple at Jerusalem: yea, I will ascend above 15 the heights of the clouds: I will be like the most High. Yet 16 thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, [and] consider thee, [saying, Is] this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; they shall be astonished at thy fall, and look attentively before they can believe it is thou that art fallen so 17 low; [That] made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; [that] opened not the house of his prisoners? intimating both his power and cruelty, he granted them no release: 18 All the kings of the nations, [even] all of them lie in glory, every one in his own house, or sepulchre; they were buried with marks 19 of honour and distinction: But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, like some noisome plant, that lies rotting above ground, [and as] the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, the raiment of a malefactor besmeared with blood and dirt, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcass trodden under feet; like a putrifying carcass, which is suffered to lie a while unburied, and then is thrown into some quarry or fit, which probably was the case with Belshazzar's 20 body. Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, that is, with thine ancestors in an honourable burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, [and] slain thy people; destroyed thy subjects, and brought ruin upon thy land: the seed of evil doers shall never, or not ever, be renowned. And because he has been so notorious a 21 transgressor, therefore Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; who tread in the cruel steps of their ancestors; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities; that they may not recover their 22 former flourishing condition.* For I will rise up against them, saith the LORD of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the LORD; all the posterity 23 and kindred of the king of Babylon. I will also make it a pos session for the bittern, and pools of water :† and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the LORD of hosts. A noble, though beautiful image; intimating the vile nature of sin, the total extirpation of that wicked people, and the perfect ease with which the righteous God would execute his intended vengeance. Then comes a prophecy of the speedy destruction of the Assyrians in Hezekiah's time, which was designed to confirm their faith in this prophecy of the fall of Babylon.

24 The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, [so]

* Belshazzar's children and family were probably slain with him.

This prophecy was exactly accomplished, for Cyrus took Babylon by turning the channel of the river Euphrates that ran through it, and by neglecting to repair the banks, the river overflowed the country about it, and it became, and now is, a filtby, noisome marsh.

shail it stand; and therefore let not my people doubt of it, though 25 it seem ever so incredible: That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot; the army of Sennacherib, as a pledge of the full destruction of Babylon: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from 26 off their shoulders. This [is] the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth and this [is] the hand that is stretched 27 out upon all the nations that rise up against Israel. For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul [it ?] and his hand [is] stretched out, and who shall turn it back?

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REFLECTIONS.

I should be the desire and care of God's people to spread the knowledge of their religion, and their pleasure, to see others embrace it. It is mentioned as an instance of God's goodness to the Jews, that many of their enemies should become proselytes to their religion, and return with them in order to worship their God. His appearances for them, and their good behaviour, gained upon their enemies, and induced them to return with them. Thus should it be our care to behave in so holy, just, and friendly a manner, that others seeing our good works, may glorify our Father who is in heaven. It should be our ambition to see the church enlarged; pious strangers should cheerfully be received into it; and it should be our peculiar care that our servants should possess the best blessings, and learn wisdom and goodness from our admonition and example. 2. This sublime parable, concerning the king of Babylon, intimates to us, that there is a world of spirits, in which they know and converse with each other. These poetical flights are grounded on that truth, that there is an invisible world, into which human sculs are removed, princes and kings as well as others, and that they have acquaintance and converse with each other. It may also intimate to us, that the inhabitants of hell have no reverence for the former greatness, wealth, dignity, and authority of their fellow sufferers, nor any fear of their power; that there is no distance kept, no distinction made, nor deference paid in that place of torments; that the cutting sneers and keen railleries of those whom they tyrannized over here, will be a considerable torment to the great and proud. Let this thought excite us to fly from the wrath to come, and secure a mansion among the blessed; to do all the good we can to others, that, they may receive us into the everlasting habitations, and we for ever enjoy their thanks and friendship for the services we have done them.

3. Let God's great and just indignation against tyrants, as here particularly specified, caution us against every degree of cruelty and oppression. There are many petty tyrants among christians, who oppress all under their power, and would be as bad as the king of Babylon, had they equal authority and opportunity. They distress their servants, workmen, tenants, and dependants, to gratify, VOL. V.

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their cruelty or spleen and will not do to others as they desire and expect to be done by. God will reckon with such men at last, and judge them as oppressors. They think by these means to increase the fortunes of their children, but are generally disappointed, for the seed of evil doers shall never be renowned. Let us fly from all these detestable practices, be strictly just to the rights of others, tender of their ease and comfort, and ready to give up some of our due for their relief and benefit. Let us be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

CHAP. XIV. 28, to the end. CHAP. XV. XVI. The fifteenth chapter refers to the calamities brought upon Moab, soon after the destruction of the Assyrian army, because during the distress of Judah, they did not give them any help, as is intimated in the next chapter. It was probably delivered in the first and executed in the fourth year of Hezekiah. When Shalmaneser invaded the kingdom of Israel, he might march through Moab, and take their principal cities, Ar and Kir.

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N the year that king Ahaz died was this burden. Rejoice not rod of him that smote thee is broken; referring to their rejoicing on the death of Ahaz, whose father Uzziah had been a dreadful Scourge to them: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, or adder, and his fruit [shall be] a fiery flying serpent; the king who shall succeed him, shall sting them worse than his grandfather did, which history tells us that he did, 2 Kings 30 xviii. 8. And the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety and I will kill thy root with famine, and he shall slay thy remnant; Hezekiah shall be mild and just to his subjects, and they shall enjoy plenty in his reign ; while the Philistines shall have famine and war, by which they shall 31 be destroyed. Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou, whole Palestina, [art] dissolved for there shall come from the north a smoke, that is, a fire from Judea to destroy thee, and none [shall be] alone in his appointed times; the Jews shall go willingly to 32 attack thee, and none shall desert or be missing. What shall [one] then answer the messengers of the nation, who shall come to congratulate Hezekiah's success? That the LORD hath founded Zion, and dwells there by his extraordinary presence, and the poor of his people shall trust in it; those that were despised shall betake themselves to it, and find security.

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CHAP. XV. The burden of Moab. Because in the night Ar of Moab is laid waste, [and] brought to silence, or cut off; because in the night Kir of Moab is laid waste; [and] brought to 2 silence, suddenly and unexpectedly: He, that is, Moab, is gone

up to Bajith, and to Dibon, the high places, to weep, and call upon his gods: Moab shall howl over Nebo, and over Medeba: on all their heads [shall be] baldness, [and] every beard cut off, 3 in token of mourning. In their streets they shall gird themselves with sackcloth on the tops of their houses, and in their 4 streets, every one shall howl, weeping abundantly. And Heshbon shall cry, and Elealeh: their voice shall be heard [even] unto Jahaz: therefore the armed soldiers of Moab shall cry out; his life shall be grievous unto him; even the soldiers shall be quite dispirited, perceiving the most dreadful calamities coming 5 upon them. My heart shall cry out for Moab; his fugitives [shall flee] unto Zoar, an heifer of three years old; or rather, my heart shall cry unto Zoar, like a heifer lowing after her calf : for by the mounting up of Luhith with weeping shall they go it up; for in the way of Horonaim, they shall raise up a cry 6 of destruction; it shall be an universal lamentation. For the waters of Nimrim shall be desolate for the hay is withered away, the grass faileth, there is no green thing; the country shall 7 be depopulated and ruined by the army. Therefore the abundance they have gotten, and that which they have laid up, shall they carry away to the brook of the willows; their enemies shall 8 plunder and carry away all their wealth. For the cry is gone round about the borders of Moab; the howling thereof unto 9 Eglaim, and the howling thereof unto Beerelim. For the waters of Dimon shall be full of blood: for I will bring more upon Dimon than has been already mentioned, lions upon him that escapeth of Moab, and upon the remnant of the land; great multitudes shall be slain, and those who free and those who are left in the land, shall be slain by lions and other savage beasts.

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CHAP. XVI. Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land from Sela to the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion; send the tribute due to the kings of Judah, from all parts of your 2 country, to Jerusalem, where the king's palace is.* For, or else, it shall be, [that,] as a wandering bird cast out of the nest, [so] the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon; her children shall be turned out of their habitations, and shall not know 3 where to fly. Take counsel, how the ruin may be prevented, execute judgment, do justice to my people; make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noon day; hide the outcasts; bewray not him that wandereth; shelter them under their sufferings, and 4 do not betray them to their enemies. Let mine outcasts, those that flee from the Assyrian invasion, dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, that is, shall quickly be so, the spoiler ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land. This is probably ironical; as if he had said, Thus you should have done, but, thanks be to God, now we have no occasion for such an instance of your kindAnd in mercy shall the throne of Hezekiah be establish

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David had conquered the Moabites, and made them tributaries, and the tribute was paid in sheep; but this they had neglected to send for some time, 2 Kings iii. 4.