John Gill Commentary Isaiah 13

The burden of Babylon That is, a prophecy concerning Babylon, as the word is rendered, (Proverbs 31:1) . The Septuagint and Arabic versions translate it "the vision"; it signifies a taking up ^F23 a speech against it, and pronouncing a heavy sentence on it, such an one as should sink it into utter destruction; which will be the case of mystical Babylon, when it shall be as a millstone cast into the sea, never to be brought up again, (Revelation 18:21) .

The Targum is: ``the burden of the cup of cursing to give Babylon to drink:''

After some prophecies concerning the Messiah and his kingdom, and the church's song of praise for salvation by him, others are delivered out concerning the enemies of the people of God, and their destruction, and begin with Babylon the chief of these enemies, and into whose hands the people of Israel would be delivered for a while; wherefore this prophecy is given forth, in order to lay a foundation for comfort and relief, when that should be their case; by which it would appear that they should have deliverance from them by the same hand that should overthrow them.

which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see: By a spirit of prophecy; for this he saw not with his bodily eyes, though it was as clear and certain to him as if he had. The Targum is, ``which Isaiah the son of Amoz prophesied.''

FOOTNOTES:

• F23: (avm) a (avn) "tollere".

Lift you up a banner upon the high mountain
Or "upon the mountain Nishphah"; some high mountain in Media or Persia, proper to set a standard on, or erect a banner for the gathering men together, to enlist themselves as soldiers, and so form an army to march into the land of Chaldea. Vitringa thinks there may be an allusion to the mountain Zagrius, which divides Media and Persia from Assyria, mentioned by Strabo ^F24 . Or "upon a high mountain"; any high mountain fit for such a purpose; or "against the high mountain", as some ^F25 read it; meaning Babylon, called a mountain, (Jeremiah 51:25) not because of its situation, for it was in a plain; but because of its eminence above other cities and states. The Targum is, ``against the city that dwells securely, lift up a sign;'' a token of war, proclaim war against it, that lives at ease, and is in peace; and so the word is used in the Talmudic language, as Kimchi observes; and to this agrees Jarchi's note, ``to gather against the mountain that is quiet, and trusts in its tranquillity, lift up a banner to the nations.''

Exalt the voice unto them ;
the Medes, mentioned by name in (Isaiah 13:17) such as were within call, or were gathered together by the lifting up of the banner; such were to be urged with great vehemency to enlist themselves, and engage in a war against Babylon:

shake the hand ;
beckon with it to them that are afar off, that cannot hear the voice:

that they may go into the gates of the nobles ;
that dwell in the city of Babylon, where they might expect to find rich plunder; though some understand this of the nobles or princes of the Medes and Persians, as Kimchi observes, that should enter through the gates of Babylon into the city; and by others it is interpreted of the soldiers coming to the doors of the leaders or generals of the army, to give in their names, and enlist themselves in their service; which well agrees with what goes before.

FOOTNOTES:

• F24: Geograph. l. 11. p. 359.
• F25: (hpvn rh le) "contra montem excelsum", Forerius, Sanctius.

I have commanded my sanctified ones
The Medes and Persians, so called, not because sanctified by the Spirit of God, or made holy persons, through the regenerating and renewing grace of God, or purified by the blood of Christ, and prepared for glory; but because they were set apart in the mind and counsel of God for a special work and service, and were qualified by him with courage and strength to perform it, and therefore said to be his; and this command that was given them was not by a voice from heaven, or in a message by one of his prophets; but by a secret instinct, and, by the power of his providence, stirring them up to engage in such an enterprise ^F26 .

I have also called my mighty ones ;
meaning Cyrus and Darius, and the officers of their armies, with the common soldiers, who were furnished with might and strength to do his will, to which they were called in his providence: for mine anger ;
to execute his wrath upon the Babylonians; so the Targum, "that they may avenge my wrath upon them:" or, "in mine anger"; which being stirred up, put him upon calling those mighty ones to his service, and fitting them for it: literally it is, "to my nose" ^F1 ; to be before him, to be at his beck and will, and to minister his wrath and vengeance:

[even] them that rejoice in my highness ;
in doing that which tended to the exaltation and glory of God; they went cheerfully about the work, and exulted and triumphed in their success: or, "that rejoice my highness" ^F2 ; make me glad, because I am glorified by them. So seven angels, the Lord's holy and mighty ones, will be employed in pouring out the vials of his wrath on mystical Babylon, (Revelation 15:1Revelation 15:6Revelation 15:7) (16:1) .

FOOTNOTES:

• F26: Vid. T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 8. 2. & Gloss. in ib.
• F1: (ypal) "in ira mea", Vatablus; "ad iram meam", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "in naso meo", Montanus.
• F2: (ytwag yzyle) "exultantis celsitudinis meae", Montanus.

The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people

That is, like the noise of a very numerous people; this noise was heard either on the mountains of Media, where they flocked in vast numbers to the standard set; or on the mountains upon the borders of Chaldea, when the army under Cyrus was marching towards Babylon.

a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together ;

for Cyrus's army consisted of several kingdoms and nations; for besides the thirty thousand Persians he brought with him into Media, where he was made general of the Medes also, and was sent with the joint forces of both nations against Babylon, the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashchenaz, were prepared, gathered together, and called forth against it, (Jeremiah 51:27Jeremiah 51:28).

the Lord of hosts mustereth the host of the battle ;

or the warlike army: it was the Lord, that has the armies of heaven and earth at his command, who in his providence caused such a numerous army to be formed, directed them where to march, and put them in battle array, and gave them the victory.

They come from a far country, from the end of heaven
The east, as Kimchi observes; the Targum is, from the ends of the earth; the furthermost parts of it, as Persia and Media were: the former is bounded on the south side by the main ocean; and the latter, part of it by the Caspian sea; and between Babylon and these kingdoms lay the large kingdom of Assyria; so that this army might be truly said to come from a far country:

[even] the Lord, and the weapons of his indignation ;
the Medes and Persians, who were the instruments of his wrath and vengeance against Babylon; just as Assyria is called the rod of his anger, (Isaiah 10:5) with these he is said to come, because this army was of his gathering, mustering, ordering, and directing, in his providence; the end and design of which was,

to destroy the whole land ;
not the whole world, as the Septuagint render it; but the whole land of Chaldea, of which Babylon was the metropolis. The Targum is, ``to destroy all the wicked of the earth.''