John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 13:2

"Set ye up an ensign upon the bare mountain, lift up the voice unto them, wave the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles." — Isaiah 13:2 (ASV)

1. The burden of Babylon. From this chapter to the twenty-fourth, the Prophet foretells what dreadful and shocking calamities awaited the Gentiles and those countries best known to the Jews, either because they were adjacent to them or due to commercial transactions and alliances. He does so for significant reasons.

When various changes occur, some think that God toys with human affairs, while others believe everything is directed by the blind violence of fortune, as secular history sufficiently testifies. Very few are aware that these events are appointed and regulated by God’s purpose.

There is nothing more difficult than to convince people that God’s providence governs this world. Many indeed acknowledge it in words, but very few have it actually engraved on their hearts.

We tremble and shudder at the smallest change, inquiring into its causes as if it depended on human decisions. What then is to be done when the whole world is in commotion, and the state of affairs changes so completely in various places that it seems as if everything is heading for ruin?

It was therefore highly useful that Isaiah and other prophets should speak about calamities of this nature, so that all might understand that those calamities did not take place except by the secret and wonderful purpose of God. If they had made no prediction on those subjects, such a disordered state of affairs might have shaken and disturbed the minds of the godly; but when they knew long beforehand that this would happen, they had in the event itself a mirror of God’s providence. When Babylon was taken, which they had previously learned from the mouth of the Prophet, their own experience taught them that the prediction had not been made in vain, or without solid grounds.

But there was also another reason why the Lord commanded that the destruction of Babylon and other nations should be foretold. These predictions were of no advantage to Babylon or the other nations, and these writings did not reach them; but by this consolation He intended to alleviate the grief of the godly, so that they might not be discouraged, as if their condition were worse than that of the Gentiles—which they would have had good reason to conclude, if they had seen them escape God’s hand unpunished.

If the monarchy of Babylon had remained unshaken, the Jews would not only have thought that it was in vain for them to worship God, and that His covenant which He had made with Abraham had not been fulfilled, since things went better for strangers and wicked men than with the elect people; but a worse suspicion might have crept into their minds, that God showed favor to accursed robbers, who gave themselves up to deeds of dishonesty and violence, and despised all law both human and divine.

Indeed, they might soon have come to think that God did not care for His people, or could not assist them, or that everything was directed by the blind violence of fortune. Accordingly, so that they might not faint or be thrown into despair, the Prophet meets them with the consoling influence of this prediction, showing that the Babylonians also will be punished.

Besides, the comparison taught them how severe was the punishment that awaited them, which they had knowingly and willingly brought upon themselves. For if God pronounces such dreadful threats against the unbelieving and irreligious Gentiles, who wandered in darkness, how much greater will be His rigour and severity against a rebellious people who have intentionally sinned against Him!

The servant who knoweth his master’s will, and doeth it not, is justly beaten with many stripes (Luke 12:47).

Thus when God threatened such dreadful punishment against the blind Gentiles, the Jews, who had been instructed in the law, might behold as in a mirror what they had deserved.

But the chief purpose which Isaiah had in view in these predictions was to point out to the Jews how dear and valuable their salvation was in God’s sight, when they saw that He undertook their cause and avenged the injuries which had been done to them. He spoke first of the desolation and ruin that would befall the kingdom of Judah and of Israel, because judgment must begin at the house of God (1 Peter 4:17).

God takes a peculiar care of His own people and gives His chief attention to them. Whenever, therefore, we read these predictions, let us learn to apply them to our use. The Lord does not indeed, at the present day, foretell the precise nature of those events which will befall kingdoms and nations; but yet the government of the world, which He undertook, is not abandoned by Him.

Whenever, therefore, we behold the destruction of cities, the calamities of nations, and the overturning of kingdoms, let us call those predictions to remembrance, that we may be humbled under God’s chastisements, may learn to gather wisdom from the affliction of others, and may pray for an alleviation of our own grief.

The burden. As to the word burden, which frequently occurs, I will state briefly in what sense it should be understood. It was generally employed by the prophets of God whenever they threatened any afflictive event, in order to inform the people that no afflictive event happened which the Lord Himself did not lay as a burden on men’s shoulders. The wickedness and obstinacy of the people having constrained the prophets to preach incessantly about God’s chastisements, the consequence was that, as a matter of ordinary jesting, they called all the prophecies by the name of a burden; as is evident from Jeremiah 23:36, where the Lord kindles into fierce indignation because they not only spoke of His word contemptuously but also treated it with contempt. This word shows the godly that the Lord appoints all calamities and afflictions, so that everyone may suffer the punishment of his own sin.

Which Isaiah, the son of Amoz, saw. He expressly states that what he is about to declare was revealed to him by a heavenly vision, so that the weight which is thus given to it may render it victorious over all the judgments pronounced by the flesh. It was difficult to believe that a monarchy so flourishing, and so prodigiously rich, could be overturned in any way. Their eyes being dazzled by beholding such vast power, the Prophet draws away their attention from it to believe the heavenly revelation, so that they may expect by faith the judgment of God which they could not comprehend by their own minds alone.

Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain. The word mountain contains a metaphor, for the passage refers to Babylon, which, we know, was situated on a plain; but considering its extensive dominion, he has assigned to it an elevated situation, like a fortress set on high above all nations.

But perhaps it will be thought better to take the word mountain as used indefinitely; as if he had said, “When a signal is given there will be a vast assembly from very distant countries, because all men will be attracted towards it by the wide and extensive influence of the sight.” Indeed, I consider this opinion to be more probable, but I first chose to mention the opinion which had been commonly received.

Yet it might be thought absurd that the Prophet here directs created beings to yield, as it were, obedience to him, if God had not fortified the Prophet by His instructions and authority. A private man here commands the Medes and Persians, assembles armies, orders a banner to be lifted up, and sounds the trumpet for battle.

This should therefore lead us to consider the majesty of God, in whose name he spoke, and likewise the power and efficacy which always accompanies the word. Such modes of expression are frequently found in the Prophets, so that, by placing the events as it were before our eyes, he may enable us to see that God threatens nothing by His servants which He is not ready immediately to execute.

Isaiah might indeed have threatened in plain and direct terms, “The Persians and Medes will come, and will burst through the gates of Babylon, notwithstanding the prodigious strength of its fortifications.” But those exclamations are far more energetic when he not only assumes the character of a herald and proclaims war but, as if he exercised the highest authority, orders the Medes and Persians to assemble like hired soldiers.

Not only does he show that they will be ready at God’s command, because they are moved by His secret influence; but, having been sent by God to announce the ruin of Babylon, he claims for his own voice the accomplishment of what appeared to be beyond belief.

It amounts to this: “When God has spoken about what will happen, we should entertain no doubt concerning it.” It also deserves our notice that he describes the Persians and Medes without mentioning their names; for that threat is more emphatic when he points them out, as it were, with his finger, as when we say, “This and that man.” This contributes to the certainty of the prophecy, when he points out such distant events as if they were near.

Shake the hand, that they may enter within the gates of the nobles. When he says, Shake the hand, and they shall enter, he means that the Persians and Medes will no sooner begin to advance at God’s command than their road will be plain and easy in spite of every obstruction. Though the Hebrews call Princes נדיבים (Nedibim), that is, generous and bountiful, on which is also founded that saying of Christ, εὐεργέται καλοῦνται, they are called benefactors (Luke 22:25), yet I think that the Prophet draws our attention to the splendor of power in which the Babylonians gloried. They were better equipped than others with forces and warlike armaments, so that it appeared incredible that they could ever be vanquished. But the Prophet threatens that nothing will hinder God from opening up a way and entrance to the enemies.