John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 14:31

"Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou art melted away, O Philistia, all of thee; for there cometh a smoke out of the north, and there is no straggler in his ranks." — Isaiah 14:31 (ASV)

Howl, O gate. Here the Prophet uses amplifications, so that through them he may seal his predictions on the hearts of the godly, and may more earnestly impress those things about which they might otherwise have had doubts. In explaining another passage, where it is said, her gates shall mourn and lament (Isaiah 3:26), we have stated that the gates mean crowded places where public meetings were held. He threatens that there will be mourning in each of the cities, and mourning of no ordinary kind, for it will be spread through each of the most crowded assemblies.

For a smoke comes from the north. We may understand Smoke to mean Fire, so that the sign denotes the thing signified, for the smoke appears before the fire burns. By the north we may understand the Assyrians as well as the Jews, for both of them were to the north with respect to the land of the Philistines.

Yet I prefer to interpret it as referring to the Jews themselves, though I would not argue against the opposite exposition. The Philistines thought, as we have already said, that they gained from what the Jews suffered, for instance, when they sustained any defeat from the Assyrians; but they eventually found that they suffered along with the Jews in such a defeat.

Something of this kind happened not long ago to many nations that had taken great delight in seeing their enemies vanquished by the Turk: they found that such victories were destructive and mournful to themselves. For, after the defeat of those whom they wished to see destroyed, the road to them was also opened, and they too were defeated.

And no one shall be alone on his appointed day. When he adds that at that time no one shall be solitary, this relates to the enemies. He says that on an appointed day, that is, when God determines to ruin the land of the Philistines, the enemies will be endowed with such power and authority that no one will remain unemployed at home, but all will be ready for battle, as if one who intended to applaud the authority of some prince were to say that his subjects, if he merely lifts his finger, assemble and attend.