The Commentary for this chapter was inspired in part by the Commentator “Daat Sofrim”.
[Isaiah 47:1] COME DOWN, AND SIT IN THE DUST, O VIRGIN DAUGHTER OF BABYLON, SIT ON THE GROUND: THERE IS NO THRONE, O DAUGHTER OF THE CHALDEANS: FOR THOU SHALT NO MORE BE CALLED TENDER AND DELICATE.
Previous chapter (ch. 46) spoke of the fall of the gods of Babylon. This chapter speaks of the fall of the people.
Historically Babylon was conquered by the Persians and then by the Greeks. Relatively speaking Babylon was respected. The fate of the Babylonians was not as bad as the Prophet depicted. The answer to this apparent contradiction has two aspects:
1. The Babylonians indeed were very cruel to Judah and to the people of Judah at the time of exile. Later however on the whole they treated them reasonably. Therefore they escaped immediate destruction when they were conquered.
2. The main thrust of the prophecy is directed to the future. Babylon was often taken as overlapping Rome and Edom.
[Isaiah 47:2] TAKE THE MILLSTONES, AND GRIND MEAL: UNCOVER THY LOCKS, MAKE BARE THE LEG, UNCOVER THE THIGH, PASS OVER THE RIVERS.
“GRIND MEAL” Hebrew commentators took this to mean that the Babylonians only ground seed that had already been grounded up beforehand, i.e. they would not have defeated Judah if God had not delivered Judah over.
[Isaiah 47:3] THY NAKEDNESS SHALL BE UNCOVERED, YEA, THY SHAME SHALL BE SEEN: I WILL TAKE VENGEANCE, AND I WILL NOT MEET THEE AS A MAN.
“THY NAKEDNESS SHALL BE UNCOVERED” at the time of your destruction scandalous details about you that had been kept secret will be revealed to everybody.
[Isaiah 47:4] AS FOR OUR REDEEMER, THE LORD OF HOSTS IS HIS NAME, THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL.
[Isaiah 47:5] SIT THOU SILENT, AND GET THEE INTO DARKNESS, O DAUGHTER OF THE CHALDEANS: FOR THOU SHALT NO MORE BE CALLED, THE LADY OF KINGDOMS.
“CHALDEANS” in Hebrew “Chasdim”. I do not know where the equation “Chasdim = Chaldeans” originates from but presume it is very old. The gods of Urartu north of Assyria were known as Chaldee. These are presumably the same.
[Isaiah 47:6] I WAS WROTH WITH MY PEOPLE, I HAVE POLLUTED MINE INHERITANCE, AND GIVEN THEM INTO THINE HAND: THOU DIDST SHEW THEM NO MERCY; UPON THE ANCIENT HAST THOU VERY HEAVILY LAID THY YOKE.
God was angry at Judah his people. The Babylonians took advantage and did not show them what mercy they could have done therefore they will be punished.
cf.
[Zechariah 1:15] AND I AM VERY SORE DISPLEASED WITH THE HEATHEN THAT ARE AT EASE: FOR I WAS BUT A LITTLE DISPLEASED, AND THEY HELPED FORWARD THE AFFLICTION.
Note: “THEY HELPED FORWARD THE AFFLICTION” in Hebrew “azru [helped] leRa [to make worse]”.
It means that because the Jews (Judah) had sinned God was angry at them and delivered them into non-Jewish hands as a punishment BUT the non-Jews took advantage of the situation and oppressed the Jews more than necessary. Therefore God is angry at them.
[Isaiah 47:7] AND THOU SAIDST, I SHALL BE A LADY FOR EVER: SO THAT THOU DIDST NOT LAY THESE THINGS TO THY HEART, NEITHER DIDST REMEMBER THE LATTER END OF IT.
[Isaiah 47:8] THEREFORE HEAR NOW THIS, THOU THAT ART GIVEN TO PLEASURES, THAT DWELLEST CARELESSLY, THAT SAYEST IN THINE HEART, I AM, AND NONE ELSE BESIDE ME; I SHALL NOT SIT AS A WIDOW, NEITHER SHALL I KNOW THE LOSS OF CHILDREN:
[Isaiah 47:9] BUT THESE TWO THINGS SHALL COME TO THEE IN A MOMENT IN ONE DAY, THE LOSS OF CHILDREN, AND WIDOWHOOD: THEY SHALL COME UPON THEE IN THEIR PERFECTION FOR THE MULTITUDE OF THY SORCERIES, AND FOR THE GREAT ABUNDANCE OF THINE ENCHANTMENTS.
Babylon developed sorcery to a fine art. After the fall of Babylon sorcery never again achieved the same heights of its development.
[Isaiah 47:10] FOR THOU HAST TRUSTED IN THY WICKEDNESS: THOU HAST SAID, NONE SEETH ME. THY WISDOM AND THY KNOWLEDGE, IT HATH PERVERTED THEE; AND THOU HAST SAID IN THINE HEART, I AM, AND NONE ELSE BESIDE ME.
“THY WISDOM AND THY KNOWLEDGE”. Archaeological evidence exists that Nebuchadnessar of Babylon conquered Greece. Greek science and philosophy was the fountainhead of western thought. Much of this derived from Hebrew or Babylonian sources. Indian philosophy was also derived from the same two founts.
[Isaiah 47:11] THEREFORE SHALL EVIL COME UPON THEE; THOU SHALT NOT KNOW FROM WHENCE IT RISETH: AND MISCHIEF SHALL FALL UPON THEE; THOU SHALT NOT BE ABLE TO PUT IT OFF: AND DESOLATION SHALL COME UPON THEE SUDDENLY, WHICH THOU SHALT NOT KNOW.
“THOU SHALT NOT BE ABLE TO PUT IT OFF” because you will not know where it came from and was unprepared for it. If you had have known through Charity and Justice you could have alleviated the coming affliction or even put it off altogether. In the immediate sense the rulers of Babylon did make some degree of repenting and the disaster was less at that time than IT COULD HAVE BEEN.
On the other hand there is a tradition in Talmudic Literature that all the original seed of Babylon were exterminated. It may be that the original Babylonians were indeed wiped out though the city remained much as it was being populated with colonists from elsewhere who had absorbed Babylonian culture.
[Isaiah 47:12] STAND NOW WITH THINE ENCHANTMENTS, AND WITH THE MULTITUDE OF THY SORCERIES, WHEREIN THOU HAST LABOURED FROM THY YOUTH; IF SO BE THOU SHALT BE ABLE TO PROFIT, IF SO BE THOU MAYEST PREVAIL.
[Isaiah 47:13] THOU ART WEARIED IN THE MULTITUDE OF THY COUNSELS. LET NOW THE ASTROLOGERS, THE STARGAZERS, THE MONTHLY PROGNOSTICATORS, STAND UP, AND SAVE THEE FROM THESE THINGS THAT SHALL COME UPON THEE.
All your scientists will not help you.
Some people identify the USA with Babylon in prophecy but this is not so.
[Isaiah 47:14] BEHOLD, THEY SHALL BE AS STUBBLE; THE FIRE SHALL BURN THEM; THEY SHALL NOT DELIVER THEMSELVES FROM THE POWER OF THE FLAME: THERE SHALL NOT BE A COAL TO WARM AT, NOR FIRE TO SIT BEFORE IT.
[Isaiah 47:15] THUS SHALL THEY BE UNTO THEE WITH WHOM THOU HAST LABOURED, EVEN THY MERCHANTS, FROM THY YOUTH: THEY SHALL WANDER EVERY ONE TO HIS QUARTER; NONE SHALL SAVE THEE.
Your friends and allies will slip away from you.
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