John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 21

The burden of the desert of the sea. The Prophet, after having taught that their hope ought to be placed not on the Egyptians but on the mercy of God alone, and after having foretold that calamities would come on the nations on whose favor they relied, adds a consolation in order to encourage the hearts of the godly.

He declares that for the Chaldeans, to whom they will be captives, a reward is prepared; from this it follows that God takes account of the injuries they endure.

By the desert he means Chaldea, not because it was deserted or thinly inhabited, but because the Jews had a desert on that side of them—just as if, instead of Italy, we might name “the Alps,” because they are nearer to us and because we must cross them on our road to Italy. This reason should be kept in view, for he does not describe the nature of the country but forewarns the Jews that the destruction of the enemies, which he foretells, is near at hand and is as certain as if the event were before their eyes, just as that desert was.

Besides, the prophets sometimes spoke ambiguously about Babylon, that believers alone might understand the hidden mysteries, as Jeremiah changes the king’s name.

As storms from the south. He says from the south because that wind is tempestuous and produces storms and whirlwinds. When he adds that it cometh from the desert, this tends to heighten the picture, for if any storm arises in a habitable and populous region, it excites less terror than those which spring up in deserts. In order to express the shocking nature of this calamity, he compares it to storms which begin in the desert and afterwards take a more impetuous course and rush with greater violence.

Yet the Prophet appears to mean something else: namely, that as they burst forth like storms from that direction to lay Judea desolate, so another storm would soon afterwards arise to destroy them. Therefore, he says that this burden will come from a terrible land.

By this designation, I understand Judea to be meant, for it was not enough to speak of the ruin of Babylon if the Jews did not likewise understand that it came from God.

We have seen in our exposition of the eighteenth chapter why he calls it a terrible land. It was because, as a result of so many displays of God’s wrath, its disfigured appearance might strike terror into all. The occasion on which the words are spoken does not allow us to suppose that it is called terrible on account of the astonishing power of God by which it was protected.

Therefore, although Babylon was taken and plundered by the Persians and Medes, Isaiah declares that its destruction will come from Judea, because in this manner God will revenge the injuries done to that nation of which He had promised to be the guardian.

A harsh vision. Since the object was to soothe the grief of the people, it might seem inappropriate to call a vision that is an occasion of joy, a harsh vision. But this refers to the Babylonians, who, puffed up with their prosperity, dreaded no danger; for wealth commonly produces pride and indifference. As if he had said, “It is useless to emphasize the riches and power of the Babylonians, and when a stone is hard, a hard hammer will be found to break it.”

The spoiler. Since Babylon had gained its power by plundering and laying waste other nations, it seemed to be free from all danger. Although they had been a terror to others, and had practiced every kind of barbarity and cruelty, yet they could not avoid becoming prey and enduring injuries similar to those they had inflicted on others. The Prophet goes further and, to lend credibility to his statements, pronounces it to be a righteous retaliation, that violence should correspond to violence.

Go up, O Elam. Elam is a part of Persia; but is taken for the whole of Persia, and for this reason, the Persians are also called Elamites. It is noteworthy that when Isaiah foretold these things, there was no probability of war, and that he was dead a hundred years before there was any apprehension of this calamity. Therefore, it is sufficiently evident that he could not have derived his information on this subject from any other than the Spirit of God, and this greatly contributes to confirming the truth and certainty of the prediction.

Besiege, O Mede. By commanding the Medes and Persians, he declares that this will not befall the Babylonians randomly or by chance, but by the sure decree of God, in whose name, and not in that of any private individual, he makes the announcement. Therefore, coming forward in the name of God, he may, like a captain or general, command his soldiers to assemble for battle. The manner in which God employs the agency of robbers and wicked men has been explained previously in the tenth chapter.

I have made all his groaning to cease. Some understand this to mean that the groaning the Babylonians had caused ceased after they were subdued by the Medes and Persians; for by their tyrannical measures they had caused many to groan, which is bound to happen when wicked and ungodly men possess rank and power. Others, perhaps, approach more closely to the real meaning of the Prophet when they say that “the groaning ceased” because the Babylonians experienced no compassion, having formerly shown none to others. But I explain it more simply to mean that the Lord was deaf to their groanings; as if he had said that there would be no room for their groanings and lamentations because, having been cruel and barbarous, it was just that they should receive back the same measure they had meted out to others (Matthew 7:2).

Therefore are my loins, filled with pain. Here the Prophet represents the people as actually present. This was because it was not enough to have simply foretold the destruction of Babylon; he also needed to confirm the belief of the godly in such a way that they felt as if the actual event were placed before their eyes. Such a representation was necessary. The Prophet does not here describe the feelings of his own heart, as if he had compassion on the Babylonians; rather, as we have said before, he temporarily assumes the character of a Babylonian.

It ought undoubtedly to satisfy our minds that the hidden judgments of God are held out to us, as in a mirror, so that they may arouse our sluggish faith. Therefore, the Prophets describe with greater beauty and richness, and paint in lively colors, those things that exceed the capacity of our reason. The Prophet, by expressing his grief in this way, informs believers how awful God's vengeance is that awaits the Chaldeans, and how dreadfully they will be punished—just as we are struck with surprise and horror when any sad news is brought to us.

As the pangs of a woman that travaileth. He adds a stronger expression of grief when he compares it to that of a woman in labor—similar to how a person in fearful anguish turns every way and writhes in every part of his body. Such modes of expression are used by the Prophets because of our sluggishness, for we do not perceive God's judgments until they are pointed out, as it were, with a finger, and affect our senses. We are warned to be on our guard before they arrive.

My heart was shaken. Others correctly translate it, “my heart wandered;” for excessive terror moves the heart, as it were, out of its place. He declares how sudden and unexpected will be the destruction of Babylon, for a sudden calamity makes us tremble more than one which has been long foreseen and expected. Daniel relates that what Isaiah here foretells was accomplished, and that he was an eyewitness. Belshazzar had prepared a magnificent banquet that night when the Persians suddenly rushed upon him, and nothing was further from his expectation than that he would be slain. High delight was thus suddenly changed into terror. (Daniel 5:30)

Prepare the table. These verbs may be taken for participles; as if he had said, “While they were preparing the table and appointing a guard, while they were eating and drinking, sudden terror arose; there was a call to arms, Arise ye princes,” etc.. But Isaiah presents lively descriptions, so as to place the actual event, as it were, before our eyes. Certainly Xenophon does not describe so historically the storming of the city; and this makes it evident that it was not natural sagacity, but heavenly inspiration, that taught Isaiah to describe so vividly events that were unknown. Besides, we ought to observe the time when these predictions were uttered; for at that time the kingdom of Babylon was in its most flourishing condition, and appeared to have invincible power, and dreaded no danger. Isaiah ridicules this vain confidence, and shews that this power will speedily be laid in ruins.

Let it not be thought absurd that he introduces the watchmen as speaking; for although the siege had not shaken off the slothfulness of a proud and foolish tyrant so as to hinder him from indulging in gaiety and feasting, still there is no room to doubt that men were appointed to keep watch.

It is customary indeed with princes to defend themselves by guards, that they may more freely and without any disturbance abandon themselves to every kind of pleasure; but the Prophet expressly mixes up the sentinels with the delicacies of the table, to make it more evident that the wicked tyrant was seized with a spirit of giddiness before he sunk down to drunken reveling. The king of Babylon was thus feasting and indulging in mirth with his courtiers, when he was overtaken by a sudden and unexpected calamity, not that he was out of danger, but because he disregarded and scorned the enemy. The day before it happened, it might have been thought incredible, for the conspiracy of Gobryas, and of that party which betrayed him, had not yet been discovered. At the time when Isaiah spoke, none would have thought that an event so extraordinary would ever take place.