John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 47:2

"Take the millstones, and grind meal; remove thy veil, strip off the train, uncover the leg, pass through the rivers." — Isaiah 47:2 (ASV)

Take millstones. The whole of this description tends to show that there shall be a great change among the Babylonians. This city, formerly held in the highest honor, shall be sunk into the lowest disgrace and subjected to outrages of every kind, and thus shall exhibit a striking display of God's wrath.

These are marks of the most degrading slavery, as the most menial slaves were formerly confined to a mill. The condition of captives reduced to this must therefore have been very miserable, for in other cases, captives sometimes received mild and gentle treatment from their conquerors.

But here the prophet describes a very wretched condition, so that believers may not doubt that they shall be permitted to depart freely when the Babylonians, who had held them prisoners, shall themselves be imprisoned.

Now, although we do not read that the nobles of the kingdom were subjected to such contemptuous treatment, it was enough for the fulfillment of this prophecy that Cyrus, by assigning them the tasks of slaves, degraded them and compelled them to abstain from honorable employments.

Unbind your curled locks. On account of their excessive indulgence in magnificent dress, the prophet again alludes to the attire of young women by mentioning “curled locks.” We know that girls are more eager than they should be about styling their hair and other aspects of their dress. Here, on the contrary, the Prophet describes a totally different condition and attire: ignominy, blackness, and filth shall cover from head to foot those who formerly dazzled all eyes with their gaudy finery.

Uncover the limbs. “Virgins” are rarely accustomed to walk in public, and at least seldom travel on public roads; but the Prophet says that the Babylonian virgins will be compelled to cross rivers with their limbs uncovered.