John Gill Commentary Isaiah 21

The burden of the desert of the sea
That this is a prophecy of the destruction of Babylon is clear from the express mention both of the Medes and Persians, by whom it should be, and of Babylon itself, and its fall, (Isaiah 21:2Isaiah 21:9) which, though prophesied of before, is here repeated, partly for the certainty of it, and partly for the comfort of the people of the Jews, who would be captives in it, and so break off and prevent their confidence in a nation that would be ruined; and perhaps this prophecy might be delivered out about the time or on account of Merodach king of Babylon sending letters and a present to Hezekiah, who showed to his messengers all his treasures.

Babylon is here called "the desert of the sea", not because it was a desert land, for it was a very fruitful one; or because it would be laid desolate, and become as a wilderness; but either because there was one between that and the countries of Media and Persia, as Kimchi, from where its destroyers would come; or rather, because it was, as the word may be rendered, a "plain", for so the land of Chaldea was, and the city of Babylon particularly was built in a plain, (Genesis 11:2).

And because this country abounded with pools and lakes, which with the Hebrews are called seas; and especially since the city of Babylon was situated by the river Euphrates, which ran about it, and through it and which therefore is said to dwell upon many waters, (Jeremiah 51:13) hence it has this name of the desert of the sea.

Besides, Abydenus ^F12 , from Megasthenes, informs us, that all the places about Babylon were from the beginning water, and were called a sea; and it should be observed that mystical Babylon is represented by a woman in a desert, sitting on many waters, which are interpreted of a multitude of people and nations, (Revelation 17:1Revelation 17:3Revelation 17:5Revelation 17:15) and some here by "sea" understand the multitude of its riches, power, and people.

The Targum is, "the burden of the armies, which come from the wilderness, as the waters of the sea;"

as whirlwinds in the south pass through ;
and nothing can hinder them, such is their force and power; they bear all before them, come suddenly, blow strongly, and there is no resisting them; see (Zechariah 9:14) :

[so] it cometh from the desert ;
or "he", that is, Cyrus; or "it", the army under him, would come with like irresistible force and power as the southern whirlwinds do, which come from a desert country; at least that part of it in which their soldiers were trained up, and which in their march to Babylon must come through the desert, that lay, as before observed, between that and their country, and through which Cyrus did pass ^F13 :

from a terrible land ;
a land of serpents and scorpions, as Jarchi; or a land afar off, as Kimchi and Ben Melech; whose power and usage, or customs, were not known, and so dreaded, as the Medes and Persians were by Nitocris queen of Babylon, who took care to preserve her people, and prevent their falling into their hands. The Targum is, "from a land in which terrible things are done."

FOOTNOTES:

• F12: Apud Euseb. Prepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 41.
• F13: Xenophon. Cyropaedia, l. 5. c. 5, 6.

A grievous vision is declared unto me
The prophet; meaning the vision of Babylon's destruction, which was "hard", as the word signifies, and might seem harsh and cruel; not to him, nor to the Jews, but to the Chaldeans: the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler
spoileth ;
that is, according to Jarchi, one treacherous dealer deals treacherously with another, and one spoiler spoils another; the Medes and Persians deal treacherously with and spoil the Babylonians, who had dealt treacherously with and spoiled other nations:

and to this sense some read the words, "the treacherous dealer hath found a treacherous dealer, and the spoiler one that spoileth" ^F14 : some take it to be a compellation of the Medes and Persians, calling upon them, under these characters, to go up and besiege Babylon, as, "O treacherous dealer, O spoiler" ^F15 ; though the words may be understood of the perfidy and treachery of the Babylonians, of which they had been frequently guilty, and which is given as a reason of their fall and ruin; or rather they suggest the treacherous means by which they should be ruined, even by some from among themselves; particularly,

history ^F16 informs us, that Gobrias and Gadates, two noblemen of the king of Babylon, being used ill by him, revolted from him, and joined with Cyrus; and when the river Euphrates was drained, went at the head of his army in two parties, and guided them into the city, and took it; or rather Belshazzar king of Babylon himself is meant, who acted, and continued to act, most impiously and wickedly:

and therefore, go up, O Elam ;
or Elamites, as the Targum and Septuagint; see (Acts 2:9) these were Persians, so called from Elam, a province in Persia; who are here called upon by the Lord of armies, through the mouth of the prophet, to go up to war against Babylon; and these are mentioned first, because Cyrus, who commanded the whole army, was a Persian: or if Elam is taken for a province, which was indeed subject to Babylon, of which Shushan was the capital city, (Daniel 8:2) the governor of it, Abradates, revolted from the Babylonians, and joined Cyrus, and fought with him ^F17 : besiege, O Media ;
or, O you Medes, join with the Persians in the siege of Babylon; as they did:

all the sighing thereof have I made to cease ;
either of the army of the Medes and Persians, who, by reason of long and tedious marches, frequent battles, and hard sieges, groaned and sighed; but now it would be over with them, when Babylon was taken; or of the Babylonians themselves, who would have no mercy shown them, nor have any time for sighing, being cut off suddenly, and in a moment; or rather of other people oppressed by them, and particularly the Lord's people the Jews, who had been in captivity for the space of seventy years, during which they had sighed and groaned, because of the hardships they endured; but now sighing would be at an end, and they should have deliverance, as they had, by Cyrus the Persian. The sighing is not that with which they sighed, but which they caused in others.

FOOTNOTES:

• F14: (ddwv ddwvhw dgwb dgwbh) "praevaricator prevaricatorem et vastator, vastatorem [sub.] inveniet"; so some in Vatablus; also Gataker.
• F15: "O perfide, perfidus; O vastator, vastator", De Dieu.
• F16: Xenophon. Cyropaedia, l. 4. c. 24. l. 5. c. 11. & l. 7. c. 23.
• F17: Ib. l. 6. sect. 7, 8, 9, 26. & l. 7. sect. 4, 8.

Therefore are my loins filled with pain As a woman at the time of childbirth, as the following words show: these words are spoken by the prophet, not with respect to himself, as if he was pained at heart at the prophecy and vision he had of the ruin of Babylon, since that was a mortal enemy of his people; and besides, their sighing being made to cease could never be a reason of distress in him, but of joy: these words are spoken by him in the person of the Babylonians, and particularly of Belshazzar their king.

pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth; which come suddenly and at once, are very sharp and strong, and inevitable, which cannot be escaped; so the sudden destruction of the wicked, and particularly of antichrist at the last day, and the terror that shall attend it, are expressed by the same metaphor, (1 Thessalonians 5:2 1 Thessalonians 5:3).

I was bowed down at the hearing [of it]; distorted and convulsed; not the prophet at the hearing of the prophecy, but Belshazzar, whom he personated, at hearing that Cyrus had entered the city, and was at the gates of his palace.

I was dismayed at the seeing [of it]; the handwriting upon the wall, at which his countenance changed, his thoughts were troubled, his loins loosed, and his knees smote one against another, (Daniel 5:6).

My heart panted; Fluttered about, and could hardly keep its place: or, "my mind wandered" ^F18; like a person in distraction and confusion, that knew not what to think, say, or do: fearfulness affrighted me; the terror of Cyrus's army seized him, of its irruption into the city, and of his being destroyed by it; the writing on the wall threw him into a panic, and the news of the Medes and Persians being entered the city increased it.

The night of my pleasure he has turned into fear to me; in which he promised himself so much pleasure, at a feast he had made for his princes, wives, and concubines; either in honour of his god, as some think ^F19, being an annual one; or, as Josephus ben Gorion ^F20 says, on account of the victory he had obtained over the Medes and Persians; and so was quite secure, and never in the least thought of destruction being at hand; but in the midst of all his revelling, mirth, and jollity, the city was surprised and taken, and he slain, (Daniel 5:1Daniel 5:30). So mystical Babylon, in the midst of her prosperity, while she is saying that she sits a queen, and knows no sorrow, her judgment and plagues shall come upon her, (Revelation 18:7Revelation 18:8).

FOOTNOTES:

• F18: (ybbl het) "erravit cor meum", Montanus; "errat animus meus", Junius & Tremellius; "errat cor meum", Piscator.
• F19: Vid. Herodot. l. 1. c. 191. Xenophon. l. 7. c. 23.
• F20: L. 1. c. 5. p. 24. Ed. Braithaupt.

Prepare the table Set it, spread it, furnish it with all kind of provisions, as at a feast; and such an one Belshazzar made, the night the city was taken: these words are directed to him by his courtiers or queen, as represented by the prophet, in order to remove his fears; see (Daniel 5:10).

watch in the watchtower; this is said to his servants, his soldiers, or sentinels, that were placed on watchtowers to observe the motions of the enemy, who were ordered on duty, and to be on guard, that he and his nobles might feast the more securely; and all this being done, a table furnished, and a guard set, he, his nobles, and all his guests, are encouraged to "eat" and "drink" liberally and cheerfully, without any fear of the Medes and Persians, who were now besieging the city;

when, at the same time, by the Lord it would be said, arise, you princes; not, you nobles of Babylon, from your table, quit it, and your feasting and mirth:

[and] anoint the shield; prepare your arms, see that they are in good order, get them in readiness, and defend your king, yourselves, and your city, as some;

but the princes of the Medes and Persians, Cyrus and his generals, are bid to take their arms, and enter the city while indulging themselves at their feast: it was usual to anoint shields, and other pieces of armour, partly that they might be smooth and slippery, as Jarchi, that so the darts of the enemy might easily slide off; and partly for the polishing and brightening of them, being of metal, especially of brass; so the Targum, ``polish and make the arms bright;'' see (2 Samuel 1:21).

Aben Ezra understands the words as an exhortation to the princes, to arise and anoint Darius king, in the room of Belshazzar slain; the word "shield" sometimes signifying a king, for which he mentions (Psalms 84:9) so Ben Melech; but they are a call of the prophet, or of the Lord, to the princes of the Medes and Persians, to take the opportunity, while the Babylonians were feasting, to fall upon them;

and the words may be rendered thus^F21, ``in or while preparing the table, watching in the watchtower, eating and drinking, arise, you princes, and anoint the shield;'' which was done by their servants, though they are called upon.

FOOTNOTES:

• F21: (Nxlvh Kre) "disponendo, mensam, speculando speculam, comedendo, bibendo, surgite principes, ungite clypeum", Montanus; and to the same sense Grotius.