John Gill Commentary Isaiah 34:4

John Gill Commentary

Isaiah 34:4

1697–1771
Reformed Baptist
John Gill
John Gill

John Gill Commentary

Isaiah 34:4

1697–1771
Reformed Baptist
SCRIPTURE

"And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll; and all their host shall fade away, as the leaf fadeth from off the vine, and as a fading [leaf] from the fig-tree." — Isaiah 34:4 (ASV)

And all the hosts of heaven shall be dissolved
"Pine away" F9 , as with sickness, grow languid, become obscure, lose their light, and be turned into blood and darkness; this figure is used to express the horror of this calamity, as if the very heavens themselves, and the sun, and moon, and stars, were affected with it; see (Isaiah 13:10)

and the heavens shall be rolled gether as a scroll ;
a book, or volume, which when rolled up, one letter of it could not be read; and it was the manner formerly of making and writing books in the form of a roll; hence the word volume; and here it signifies that there should be such a change in the heavens, as that not a star should be seen, much less the sun or moon; and may signify the utter removal and abolition of all dignities and offices, supreme and subordinate, civil and ecclesiastical, in the whole Roman jurisdiction; thus the destruction of Rome Pagan is described in (Revelation 6:14) as the destruction of Rome Papal is here; from which the language seems to be borrowed:

and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falls off from
the vine, and as a falling [fig] from the fig tree ;
that is, the stars should fall down: by whom may be meant persons in office, that made a considerable figure; who shall fall from their stations, in which they shone with much splendour and grandeur, as leaves fall from trees in autumn, particularly the vine; or as unripe and rotten figs fall from the fig tree when shaken by a violent wind; the same metaphor is used in (Revelation 6:13) .


FOOTNOTES:

  • F9: (wqmn) "tabescet", Vatablus; "centabescet", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "contabescent", Cocceius, Gataker.