Isa. 14 Israel should be delivered from the Babylonish captivity: their triumphant insultation over Babel, Isa. 14:1–23. God’s purpose against Assyria, Isa. 14:24–27. Palestina is threatened, Isa. 14:28–32.

The Lord will have mercy on Jacob; God will pity and deliver his people; and therefore will destroy Babylon, which hinders it, and set up Cyrus, who shall promote it. will yet choose Israel; will renew his choice of them; for he had refused and rejected them.

Which they might do literally, and sometimes did, after their return into their own land, either by their power with the Persian monarchs, as in the days of Cyrus and Darius, and especially of Ahasuerus; or by their own prowess, as in the time of the Maccabees.

From thy fear; for besides their present hard service, they were in perpetual fear of further severities and sufferings, at the pleasure of their cruel lords and masters.

Shalt take up into thy mouth, as it is fully expressed, Ps. 50:16. How hath the oppressor ceased! this is spoken by way of astonishment and triumph. Who would have thought this possible? The golden city, as they used to call themselves; which therefore he expresseth here in a word of their own…

This is an answer to the foregoing question. It is God’s own work, and not man’s; and therefore it is not strange that it is accomplished.

In anger; with rigour, and not with clemency, as many conquerors have done. Non hindereth; neither the Babylonians themselves, nor their confederates, could withstand the power of the Medes and Persians.

The whole earth; the inhabitants and subjects of that vast empire, who groaned under their cruel bondage.

The cedars of Lebanon, which were felled down for the service of her pride and luxury, but now are suffered to stand and flourish. It is a figure usual in sacred and profane writers, called prosopopaeia.

Hell; or, the grave, as the same word is rendered, Isa. 14:11, and in innumerable other places; to which he elegantly ascribeth sense and speech, as poets and orators frequently do. The chief ones, Heb. the he-goats; which lead and govern the flock.

Thou, who wast king of kings, and far superior to us in power and authority, that didst neither fear God nor reverence man, that didst slay whom thou wouldst, and keep alive whom thou wouldst, Dan. 5:19.

Thy pomp is brought down to the grave; all thy glory is lost and buried with thee. The noise of thy viols; all thy musical and melodious instruments, which were much used in Babylon, Dan. 3:5, Dan. 3:7, Dan. 3:10, and were doubtless used in Belshazzar’s solemn feast, Dan.

From heaven; from the height of thy glory and royal majesty. As kings are sometimes called gods in Scripture, so their palaces and thrones may be fitly called their heavens.

I will ascend into heaven; I will advance myself above the state of a weak and mortal man. Great monarchs are easily induced, by their own vain imaginations, and the flattery of their courtiers, to entertain an opinion of their own divinity; so far that many of them have received and required…

Above the heights of the clouds, to wit, into heaven, as he said, Isa. 14:13. Like the Most High, in the uncontrollableness of my power, and the universal extent of my dominion over all the earth.

Shall narrowly look upon thee; as hardly believing their own eyes, because this change seemed impossible to them. The earth; all the nations of the earth.

Whereby he signifies both his irresistible power, and his continued cruelty. He neither was willing to give them any liberty or ease, nor could any force him to do it.

All of them; other kings most commonly do, as the word all is frequently used. Every one in his own house; are buried in their own sepulchres, having stately monuments erected to their honour and memory.

Cast out of thy grave; or, cast from thy grave or burying place; which very probably happened to Belshazzar, who was slain in the night, Dan. 5:30, when his people had neither opportunity nor heart to bestow an honourable interment upon him, and the conquerors would not suffer them to do it.

Thou shalt not be joined with them; not in place, for so the kings of several nations did not use to be joined in the same sepulchre; but in condition, not be buried as they are.

Prepare slaughter for his children; O ye Medes and Persians, cut off all the branches of the royal family of Babylon. For the iniquity of their fathers; in the guilt whereof the children are justly involved, partly because of that community of nature and interest which is between parents and…

The name and remnant; the remembrance of those that are dead, and the persons of those who yet survive.

The bittern; a great water fowl, which thrusting its bill into some broken reed, or hollow thing, makes a great noise; which also delights in solitary places, as also in waterish grounds, such as those were about Babylon.

I will not repent of this threatening, as I did of that against Nineveh, Jonah 3:4, Jonah 3:10. And this solemn oath is added to confirm the faith of God’s people, because otherwise the destruction of this vast and mighty empire might seem incredible.

The Assyrian; Sennacherib, and his Assyrian army. In my land; in Judea, which is my land in a peculiar manner, being chosen by me, and consecrated to my use and service, and inhabited by my people. Upon my mountains; in my mountainous country, for such Judea was, Deut. 8:9, Ps. 133:3, Ezek.

Upon the whole earth; upon this vast empire, now in the hands of the Assyrians, and shortly to come into the hands of the Babylonians. The whole earth is put synecdochically for a great part of it. The hand; the providence of God executing his purpose.

This following burdensome prophecy concerning the Philistines, who in Ahaz’s time made an inroad into Judah, and took divers of their cities and villages, 2 Chron. 28:18.

Of him that smote thee: most understand this of Uzziah, who did them much mischief, 2 Chron. 26:6; but he was dead thirty-two years before this time, and therefore their joy for his death was long since past.

The first-born of the poor; the people of the Jews, who are brought to extreme poverty by the cruelty and the malice of other enemies. The first-born were the chief of all the children.

O gate: the gate is put either, 1. Metaphorically, for the people passing through the gates, or for the magistrates and others who used to meet in the gate for judgment, or upon other occasions; or, 2. Synecdochically, for the city, as gates are commonly put, as Jer.

What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? what shall a Jew say to the people of other nations, who shall either be sent or come to inquire concerning the state of Zion in that day, when not only the Philistines, but even the Jews themselves, shall fall by the hands of one and the…