John Gill Commentary Isaiah 47:9

"but these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood; in their full measure shall they come upon thee, in the multitude of thy sorceries, and the great abundance of thine enchantments." — Isaiah 47:9 (ASV)

But these two things shall come to you in a moment on one day , &c.] Suddenly, at once, at one and the same time. The destruction of Babylon was very sudden; the city was taken by surprise, before the inhabitants were aware of it, while the king and his nobles were regaling themselves at a feast; that very night Belshazzar was slain, and Darius the Mede took the kingdom, (Daniel 5:30Daniel 5:31) and so those two things she boasted of would never be her lot came upon her together and at once: "the loss of children, and widowhood". She was bereaved of her king, and the whole royal family, and of her people in great numbers, who were either slain, or carried captive; or, however, the kingdom was transferred from them to another people.

When Babylon was taken by Cyrus, according to Xenophon ^F11 , not only the king was slain, but those that were about him; and orders were presently given to the inhabitants to keep within doors, and to slay all that were found without. Dr. Prideaux ^F12 thinks this prophecy has its accomplishment when Babylon was besieged by Darius, who, to save provisions, slew all their own women, wives, sisters, daughters, and all their children, reserving only one wife and maidservant to a man; and when it was taken, Darius ordered three thousand of the principal inhabitants to be crucified.

And in much such language is the destruction of mystical Babylon expressed, when God shall "kill her children with death; her plagues shall come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine", (Revelation 2:23) (18:8) : they shall come upon you in their perfection ; those evils and calamities shall be fully accomplished, not in part only, but in whole; she should have no king to govern, nor anything like one; should have no share of government; and her children or subjects should be entirely destroyed:

for the multitude of your sorceries, and for the great abundance of your enchantments ; which the Chaldeans were very famous for; this is another reason given for their destruction; see (Daniel 2:2) .

Or, "in the multitude of your sorceries"; notwithstanding these, her destruction should come upon her, which her sorcerers and enchanters could neither foresee nor prevent.

Sorceries are ascribed to mystical Babylon, and as the cause of her ruin, (Revelation 9:21) (18:23) .

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FOOTNOTES:

• F11: Cyropaedia, 1. 7. sect. 23.
• F12: Connexion part 1. B. 3. p. 188, 189.