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Subject of the Passage.

Like an abominable branch,

Clothed of the slain,

Of the pierced of the sword,

With those that go down to the stones of the pit,

As a carcase trodden under foot.

20. Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial;
For thy land- - hast thou destroyed,

Thy people thou hast slain ;

--

No more named forever the race of evil-doers.

21. Prepare slaughter for his sons,

On account of the iniquity of their fathers;

They shall not arise, nor inherit the land,

Nor fill the face of the world with cities."

22. Thus I will rise up against them,

Saith Jehovah of hosts,

And I will cut off from Babylon name and remnant,
Progeny and offspring, saith Jehovah.

23. And I will make her for a possession of the porcupine,
And pools of water,

And I will sweep her with the besom of destruction,

Saith Jehovah of hosts.

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The Translation.

In the version above, we have endeavored, first, to give as literal a translation as possible, willingly sacrificing any elegance of phrase to the exact idea of the original; secondly, to follow the order of the Hebrew words, in all practicable cases, even at the risk of some obscurity; thirdly, to conform to the divisions of the Hebrew parallelism, after the manner of Gesenius; and, fourthly, to adopt the words of our English authorized version (for it possesses a noble simplicity, akin, in many points, to the Hebrew), except in cases where the sense was not apprehended, or was inadequately expressed.

Subject.

This passage contains a prediction of the overthrow of the Babylonian empire by the Median and Persian armies. The prophecy is directed particularly against Babylon, the capital city.

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Outline of the Representation.

I.

CHAP. XIII., VERSES 2-5. The Median armies are summoned, by the usual signals, to the place of rendezvous, in order to march against the devoted city. As executors of Divine wrath, they are marshalled by Jehovah himself. The murmur of vast hosts is heard on the distant mountains, as if entire kingdoms were in motion. The terror is heightened from the fact that they come from far-distant and unknown regions.

II.

VERSES 5-8. As the immense hosts draw near, or the day of Jehovah's vengeance approaches, the Babylonians wail and are filled with consternation. All courage is lost. They can only look one on another in helpless amazement. In the pangs of conflicting emotions, their visages redden as flames.

III.

VERSES 9-16. Their fear is not without reason, for a terrible overthrow is at hand, the cause and object of which are indicated. At the catastrophe, all nature stands in astonishment. The heavens are covered with mourning. The world, the world - monarchy of Babylon, is about to reap the just reward of her iniquities. Her proverbial haughtiness is now to be laid low. The destruction will be so great as almost to annihilate the inhabitants. Men will be scarcer than the finest gold. At this overwhelming calamity, the earth and heavens tremble, God's anger is so resistless. The few that escape from the city, are like a chased roe, or a lost sheep on the mountains. The traders and other strangers, who lately thronged the city, now hasten each to his own city, to escape the gathering doom. The fugitive flees only to meet death in another form. All the horrid scenes of a sacked city are witnessed, children dashed in pieces, houses plundered, females ravished.

IV.

VERSES 17-22. The enemy is particularly designated. It is a savage foe, who despise gold, who will not accept of any ransom. Not an emotion of pity is felt in their bosoms, even towards helpless and innocent children. They will not stop short of the utter destruction of the city. This proud capital, that sat as a queen on the Euphrates, this renowned Chaldean monarchy, shall perish like the cities of the Plain. It shall become and remain a desert. The Arab shall

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Explanatory Notes.

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not pitch his tent there. Its marshes shall be inhabited only by loathsome beasts and reptiles. This destruction is at the very door.

V.

CHAP. XIV., VERSES 1, 2. The reason of the overthrow of Babylon is, that the way may be prepared for the return of the captive Jews. God is about to have pity on them. Their number, too, shall be enlarged, for strangers shall become proselytes. Heathen tribes will help them on their way. Even some of their oppressors shall become their servants.

VI.

VERSES 3-21. Israel shall raise over the fallen Chaldean monarch the song of triumph. When the hard bondage is over, and in the enjoyment of the long-hoped-for deliverance, the people of God will exult that the oppressor is laid low, that God has broken the rod of the tyrant, whose deeds of violence had been without intermission. The earth rejoices in its quiet. Even Lebanon joins in the hymn of thanksgiving. Hades also is in commotion. The feeble shades meet thee with the bitter taunt. They rise up from their thrones, not in honor, but only to revile and insult. Thy glory has all passed away. The couch of luxury is exchanged for the coverlet of worms. The morning-star, "herald of the dawn," is now fallen from heaven. In thy proud impiety thou didst aspire to a seat with the gods; but to the depths of the pit thou art now come down. Those that see thee can scarcely believe that such a change is possible. He that ravaged kingdoms, and showed no pity, is now denied a burial. Others are honored, as they descend to the grave. Thou art cast out as an object of utter contempt.

VII.

VERSES 21-23. But thou dost not drink the cup alone. The sins of the fathers are visited on the children. No memorial of thee shall remain. That longing and universal desire that our name may be perpetuated in our children, shall be refused to thee. Extinction awaits all thy race. The place of thine abode shall be swept with the besom of destruction.

Explanatory Notes.

Our object is to give, in as brief a form as possible, such notes and references as will explain the more difficult topics and allusions. We have also made frequent references to the laws of syntax, as all true interpretation is to be placed on the principles of grammar. We are mainly indebted to the Notes in the Commentary of Knobel, Leipsic, 1843.

CHAP. XIII., VERSE 1.

Inscription., sentence on or

against Babylon, Genitive of the object, see Stuart's Gesenius $112. 2. On and see Bib. Sacra, V. 566.

VERSE 2. The exiled Jews in Babylon are addressed, as they await the hour of their deliverance.

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, bald, bare, destitute of trees, so that a signal could be seen from afar, Sept. ὄρος πεδινόν. a standard, an ensign, placed on a high hill, or mountain, designed to call people together for various causes. 'Ergo perticam, quae undique conspici posset, supra praetorium statuit, ex qua signum eminebat, pariter omnibus conspicuum." Curt. 5. 2. Also Caes. de Bell. Gall. II. 20. i. e. invaders, the Medes, v. 17. with the Acc. to come to, or enter in, Ps. 100: 4. princes, here in a bad sense, tyrants, Job 21: 28, where the . Comp. the Greek zigarros.

parallel is VERSE 3. Already has Jehovah summoned the Medes to destroy Babylon. emphatic, § 134. 3. R. 2., consecrated by me to the sacred war. Before a war or battle, certain religious ceremonies were performed, 1 Sam. 7:9. 2 Ch. 13: 12., my heroes, commanders, different from " consecrated ones," as is shown by also. to my anger, to execute my wrath. wrath, idiomatic, my proud exulters, like mountain of my holiness § 119. 5. The words are in apposition to the first two members, denoting the exultation of the combatants and the certainty of victory. Aeschylus calls the Persians inégдoμло jav Pers. 795.

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VERSE 4. The summoned hosts do not tarry. The prophet listens to the gathering sounds. bp ellipsis, sound is heard, voice sounds. The mountains are the range north-east of Babylon, e. g. Zagrus, which separate Babylonia from Media. nice shade of meaning: those listening hear something in the distance, but cannot determine what it signifies; still it is the bustling of an armed host; again listening, it is perceived to be the tumult of assembled kingdoms. In the army of Cyrus were Medes, Persians, Armenians, and others. See Jer. 50: 9.

VERSE 5. Already the hostile armies draw near. To heighten the terror, they come from a far land. Unknown regions, though lying near, seem afar off; where the horizon meets the earth, or at the end of the earth. "The whole earth," the Babylonian monarchy, so called, since it included almost the whole world known to the ancients, Hab. 2: 5. Jer. 51: 7. Ctesias says of the Assyrian monarch: 078 179 rns άndons. The Roman empire was the orbis terrarum. On the approach of the enemy, vs. 6-8, the Babylonians howl in astonish

ment.

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Notes.

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VERSE 6. "Day of Jehovah," when he manifested his. glory in an extraordinary manner, commonly in the way of punishment, Amos 5: 18, Joel 2: 1, 11., as (Kaph Veritatis) power from the Powerful, play on the words, in reference to the two different yet related meanings of to be powerful, hence ; and to exercise power, hence. "Like a tempest from the Almighty," i. e. suddenly, in an overwhelming manner.

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VERSE 7. The Babylonians lose all courage. "Their heart melts." Comp. Ovid, ex Ponto, 1, 2, 57, "Sic mea perpetuis liquescunt pectora curis, Ignibus admotis ut cera nova solet."

VERSE 8. The Babylonians are the subject, who are seized with terror and anguish. The Hebrew says: "I lay hold of shame, terror, anguish," etc. Hos. 10: 6. Job 18: 20; or, "trembling, pangs lay hold of me," 33: 14. In the former case, he looks upon that which comes upon him as a quality which he receives. "As a woman in travail," common example, throughout the Bible, of the sharpest pangs. They stare in astonishment one on another," Gen. 43: 34, constructio praegnans, § 138. "Faces of flames," i. e. redden and inflame, as it were by fire. Flammata facies, Sen. Med. 387.

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The day of punishment, vs. 9-18, is ushered in with terrible phenomena in nature. The land and its inhabitants are utterly wasted. VERSE 9. Fearful is the day of Jehovah. lit. the day cometh to put, to make, etc. tion to the finite verb, § 129. 3. R. 2. 'Sinners," Babylonians by eminence such, proud and tyrannical as no other people were, as it were the only sinners. Comp. "If I had not come and spoken to them, they had not had sin." John 15: 22.

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VERSE 10. Ground of assurance that the day of the Lord is approaching. It is coming, for the stars are darkened. This feature is taken from the storms, in which the Hebrew poets saw the anger of God. Here the whole heavens become black. Such material phenomena are symbolical of great calamities, of great moral and political changes. All nature is in sympathy with the good; but in relation to the bad, it is covered with mourning, or hangs out its signals of vengeance. Bop lit. their Orions, giants of the heaven, i. e. greater stars, like Orion; as men like Cicero, Scipio, etc., are called Cicerones, Scipiones.

VERSE 11. In the midst of these phenomena, the day of vengeance on Babylon comes. the Babylonian monarchy, as oizovuέvn is used of the Roman, here of the wicked world, 11: 14, xóoμos John 15: 18., though without a suffix, is, on account

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