21:1-10. Burden of the Desert of the Sea. (Babylon).

(Introversion [Chiasmo]).

A5  r  1,2-. Vision. Seen and declared.
     s  -2-4. The besiegers (Media and Persia). Sent by God.
      t  5. The feasting of Babylon.       The besieged.
      t  6-9. The fall of Babylon.          "
     s  10-. The besiegers. Sent by God.
    r  -10-12. Vision heard and declared.

21)

 1 The burden (the 5th of 7 burdens) relating to the desert of the sea (a similar term used by Herodotus, "pelagizein" [i. 184]. The waters of the Euphrates in flood were so called, as the nile was [19:5]. Cp. Rev.17:3,15). As storms in the south sweep through; so it comes from the desert, from a terrible land.
 2 A grievous vision is declared to me; the treacherous one deals treacherously, and the spoiler spoils.

Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof (caused by the oppression of Babylon = Confusion) have I made to cease.

 3 Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it.
 4 My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the darkness of my joy (Heb. nephesh, a Homonym., "daylight in Job 7:4. 1 Sam.30:17.) has he turned into trembling unto me.

 5 Prepare the table (&c. = Irony), watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, all you princes, and anoint the shield.

 6 For thus has Yehovah said to me, "Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he sees."
 7 And he saw a troop of horsemen in pairs, a troop of asses, and a troop of camels; and he listened diligently with much heed:
 8 And he cried, "[As] a lion: O Yehovah, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights:
 9 And, behold, here comes a troop of men, with a couple of horsemen." And he answered and said, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he has broken to the ground." (see Deut.7:25; 12:3)

 10 O my threshing (fig., put for the result of it. Here = my oppressed People), and the corn of my floor: (lit. son of my threshingfloor)

that which I have heard of Yehovah Sabaioth, the Elohim of Israel (see 29:23), have I declared to you."

 11 The burden (the 6th of 7 burdens) of Dumah (= Edom = red. An abreviated form of fuller name "Idumea" [34:5. Ezek.35:15; 36:5. Mark 3:5]. Dumah = silence, prophetic of its end). He calls to me out of Seir (the inheritance of Esau [or Edom]), "Watchman, how far gone is the night? Watchman, how far gone the night?" (this is Edom's inquiry)
 12 The watchman said, "The morning comes, and also the night (this may be the oracle of silence impliedin the name "Dumah". See above and cp. Pss.94:17; 115:17): if you all will enquire, enquire you all (Isaiah had no answer. He is silent, but intimates that they may inquire again): return, come."

A7  u  13,14. Arabia.
     v  15. The flight.
    u  16. Arabia.
     v  17. The diminishing.

 13 The burden (the 7th of 7 burdens) in Arabia. In the forest in Arabia (or, in the evening, or, at sunset. The name is as significant as "Dumah" [v.11]) shall you all lodge, O all you caravans of Dedanites. (descendants of Abraham by Keturah: Dedan, the son of Midian [Gen.25:3. 1 Chron.32])
 14 The inhabitants of the land of Tema (descendants of Abraham through Hagar and Ishmael [Gen.25:15. 1 Chron.1:30]: both mentioned in Jer.25:23 Job 6:19) bring you all water to him that was thirsty, they meet you all with their bread him that fled.

 15 For they fled (from the Assyrian ivaders) from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war.

 16 For thus has Yehovah said to me, “Within a year (later afflictions were foretold in Jer.49:28), according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail: (another descendant of Abraham by Hagar through Ishmael [Gen.25:13])

 17 And the residue of the number of archers, the mighty men (gibbor) of the sons of Kedar, shall be diminished: for Yehovah Elohim of Israel has spoken it.”

Y³  w  1-3. The besieged. Impious joy.
     x  4,5. Day of trouble. Inflicted.
      y  6-11. The invaders. Persians.
     x  12. Day of mourning. Required.
    w  13,14. The besieged. Impious joy.

22)

 4 Therefore said I, “Look away from me; I will weep bitterly, labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of the daughter of my People.”
 5 For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by Adonai Yehovah Sabaioth in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains.

 6 And Elam bare the quiver with troops of mankind and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield. (the south and north limits of the Chaldean forces)
 7 And it shall come to pass, that your choicest valleys shall be full of chariots, and the horsemen shall set themselves in array toward the gate.
 8 And he dismantled the veil of Judah, and you did look in that day to the armour of the house of the forest.
 9 You all beheld also the breaches of the city of David, that they are many: and you all gathered together the waters of the lower pool. (the pool of Siloam. Cp.7:3; 2 Chron.32:30. The old pool. See 2 Chron.32:3,30)
 10 And you all have numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses have you all broken down to fortify the wall.
 11 You all made also a gathering of waters between the two walls for the water of the old pool: but you all have not looked to the maker thereof, neither had respect to Him That fashioned it long ago.

 12 And in that day did Adonai Yehovah Sabaioth call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:

 13 And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: [saying], “let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we shall die.” (cp. 1 Cor.15:32)
 14 And it was revealed in mine ears by Yehovah Sabaioth, “Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die,” (see Ex.30:10. Lev.4:20, &c. Cp. 6:7; 27:9) says Yehovah Sabaioth.

Z³  R  15-. Yehovah's Word.
     S  -15-19. Shebna.
      T  20-24. Eliakim.
     S  25-. Shebna.
    R  -25. Yehovah's Word.

 15 Thus says Adonai Yehovah Sabaioth,

“Go, get you to this treasurer, even to Shebna (see 2 Kings 18:18,26. Probably a foreigner, or heathenized Jew), which is over the house, and [you shall] say [to him],
 16 ‘What have you here? and whom have you here, that you have hewed you out a sepulchre here, as that hews him out a sepulchre on high, and that graves an habitation for himself in a rock?
 17 Behold, Yehovah will hurl you with the hurling of a mighty man.
 18 He will surely violently turn and toss you like a ball into a large country: there shall you die, and there the chariots of your glory shall be the shame of your lord's house.
 19 And I will thrust you from your office (or, administration), and from your state shall He pull you down.’

T  U  20. Eliakim. Called.
    V  21-23. "I will". Yehovah's work.
   U  24. Eliakim. Established.

 20 And it shall come to pass in that day (i.e. in the day when this prophecy will be fulfilled. Cp. v.25), that I will call My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah: (= Whom God sets up. Hexekiah's minister. Probably superseded by Shebna in the evil days of Manasseh. See 36:3,22; 37:2)

 21 And I will cloth him with your robe, and strengthen him with your girdle (see Ex.28:4,39,40; 29:9; 39:29. Lev.8:7,13; 16:4. A priestly vestment), and I will commit your administration into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.
 22 And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder (cp. 9:6); so he shall open, and none shall shut (fig., put for power of administration. Cp. Rev.3:7, which shows that the fulfilment culminates in Messiah); and he shall shut, and none shall open.
 23 And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house.

 24 And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue (i.e. direct and colateral issue, and embraces the entire kinship), all vessels (fig., put for the kindred mentioned above) of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons.’

 25 In that day” (refers back to the day of v.20: i.e. the day of Shebna's overthrow. This would be the day of Eliakim's exaltation), says Yehovah Sabaioth, “shall the nail that is fastened (which Shebna thought himself to be, but whch Yehovah declared Eliakim to be) in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: (referring to vv.17-19. Fig., emphasising the completness of Shebna's downfall. The interpretation belongs to the two men, but the application refers (1) to the two parties in Jerusalem, and (2) to the Messah, in Whom the prophecy will be exhausted)

for Yehovah has spoken it.

Y4  W¹  1-14. The former time.
    W²  15-18. The latter time.

W¹  X  1-. Howl.
     Y  -1-13. Reason. Devastation.
    X  14-. Howl.
     Y  -14. Reason. Devastation.

23)

Y  a¹  -1-4. Apostrophe to Tarshish and Zidon.
    b¹  5. Cause of sorrow. Report.
   a²  6-8. Apostrophe to Tarshish.
    b²  9. Cause. Yehovah.
   a³  10-12. Apostrophe to Tarshish.
    b³  13. Punishment. Chaldeans.

for it is laid waste, so that there is no port, no entering in: from the land of Chittim it [i.e. the fall of Tyre] is revealed to them. (originally used of Cyprus, but extended to the islands and coast-lands of the Mediterranean)
 2 Be still, all you inhabitants of the isle (here, Tyre itself); which the merchants of Zidon, that cross the sea (in trading. in vv.6,10,12, imperative, implying flight), have replenished.
 3 And by great waters the seed (or, grain) of Sihor (= the black river, the Nile [cp. Jer.2:18]), the harvest (Egypt was the field, the Phœnician coast its granary) of the river (see 7:18. "River" is here put by fig., for the country [Egypt] through which it passes), is her revenue; and she is a mart of nations (or, it became merchandise for the nations. Mart = gain resulting from merchandise, as in v.18 [45:14. Prov.3:14; 31:18]).
 4 Be you ashamed, O Zidon (Zidon was a seaport, the mother city of Phœnicia, the granary of Egypt's harvests. The Zidonians had built Tyre on a rocky island, and connected it with the mainland): for the sea has spoken, even the strength of the sea, saying, “I have not travailed (the verbs are in the past tense. The sea speaks to the mother Zidon: you seek Tyre - you find only the sea), nor bring forth sons, neither do I nourish up young men, nor bring up virgins.

 5 As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre. (or, When the report comes to egypt the are forthwith in terror at the report concerning Tyre)

 6 Cross you all over to Tarshish; howl, all you inhabitants of the isle.
 7 Is this your joyous city, whose origin is of ancient days? her own feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn. (fig., put for the vessels in which the Tyrians fled from Nebuchadnezzar)
 8 Who has taken this counsel against Tyre, the crown-giver (conferringcrowns on other Phœnician cities), whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth?

 9 Yehovah abaith has purposed it, to pollute the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth.

 10 Cross through your land as a river, O daughter of Tarshish: there is no more strength.
 11 He stretched out his hand over the sea, He shook the kingdoms: Yehovah has given a commandment against Tyre (or, the Phœnician coast. Hos.12:7), to destroy the strong holds thereof (or, which are upon it).
 12 And He said, “Thou shall no more rejoice, O you humbled virgin, daughter of Zidon: arise, pass over to Chittim; there also shall you have no rest.”

 13 Behold the land of the Chaldeans; a people that were no people (i.e. Assyria. Tyre boasted antiquity [v.7]. Assyria was their object-lesson and warning), till the Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness: they set up the towers thereof, they raised up the palaces thereof; and (or, but) He brought it to ruin.  14 Howl, all you ships of Tarshish: ()

for your strength is laid waste.

W²  c  15. Time. 70 years.
     d  16. Rejoicing. Fig. Irony.
    c  17-. Time. 70 years.
     d  -17,18. Restitution. Literal.

 15 And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years (see Jer.25:9-11; 27:2-7. From the fist year of Nebuchadnezzar [496 B.C.] to the conquest of Babylon by Cyrus [426 B.C.]), according to the days of one, king (Heb. ’ehad, a compound uity, hence "one" of a dynasty, here, the Babylonian dynasty. Not yahid, a single one. See Deut.6:4): after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot.

 16 Take an harp, go about the city, you harlot that has been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that you may be remembered.

 17 And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that Yehovah will visit Tyre,

and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the earth which are upon the face of the ground (or soil).
 18 And her merchandise and her hire shall be set apart to Yehovah: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before Yehovah, to eat abundantly, and for durable clothing.

Z4  A¹  24:1-23. Judgment.
    A²  25:1 - 27:13. Mercy.

A¹  B  e¹  1. Land.
        f¹  2. People.
       e²  3,4-. Land.
        f²  -4-12. People.
         C  13-16-. Yehovah glorified from the ends of the earth.
    B  e³  -16. Land.
        f³  17,18. People.
       e4  19,20. Land.
        f4  21,22. People.
         C  23. Yehovah glorified on Mount Zion.

24)

 2 And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower (see Ex.22:25,27. Deut.15:2; 24:10,11); as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.

 3 The earth shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for Yehovah has spoken this word.
 4 The earth mourns (see 3:26) and fades away,

the inhabitale world languishes and fades away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.
 5 The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. (see Gen.9:16. The Pentateuch was as well known to Isaiah as to the kings in whose reign he prophesied)
 6 Therefore has the curse devoured the earth (some codices read "Because of a curse the earth mourns"), and they that dwell therein are laid waste: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.
 7 The new wine mourns, the vine languishes, all the merryhearted do sigh.
 8 The mirth of drums ceases, the noise of them that rejoice ends, the joy of the harp ceases.
 9 They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it.
 10 The city of desolation is broken down (Heb. tohu.Same word as "wthout form" in Gen.1:2): every house is shut up, that no one may come in.
 11 There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone.
 12 In the city is left astonishment, and the gate is smitten with destruction.

 13 When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done.
 14 They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of Yehovah, they shall cry aloud from the sea [saying], (see .Ps.109:5)
 15 “Wherefore glorify you all Yehovah in the fires (or, valleys), even the name of Yehovah Elohim of Israel (see Gen.33:20. Ex.24:10. Num.16:9) in the maritime countries of the sea.
 16 From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous One.” (i.e. the One referred to in v.15; or, the nation, as in 26:2. Cp. Acts 3:14; 7:52; 22:14)

But I said, “My leanness, my leanness, woe to me! the traitors have betrayed; yes, the traitors have betrayed.”

 17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare (not a play on words, but a solemn warning. Translate - scare, lair, snare), are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth.
 18 And it shall come to pass, that he who flees from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare (see Luke 21:35, and cp. Jer.48:43,44): for the windows from on high have open (see Gen.7:11), and the foundations of the earth do shake. (see 58:12. Cp. 40:21)

 19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved (Heb. bursting, burst up), the earth is moved exceedingly. (Heb. tottering, totters)
 20 The earth shall reel to and fro (Heb. staggering, staggers) like a drunkard, and shall be removed (Heb. rocks to and fro) like a cottage; and the revolt thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.

 21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that Yehovah shall punish the host of the high ones on high, and the kings of the earth upon the ground.
 22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit (not the same word as in vv.17,18. Here, Heb. bõr, a dug-ou pit, or dungeon), and shall be shut up in the prison, even after many days shall they be visited. (i.e. with judgments foretold in the preceding verses. Cp. 10:3; 26:14,16; 29:6)

 23 Then the moon shall be blush (for shame), and the sun ashamed (for fear), when Yehovah Sabaioth shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before is elders in glory (or, "[shall be] a glory").