Isa. 21 The prophet’s fear and trouble at his vision of Babylon’s ruin by the Medes and Persians, Isa. 21:1–4. He mocketh Babel, Isa. 21:5–9. Edom, scorning the prophet, is called to repentance, Isa. 21:11–12. The time of Arabia’s calamity set.

The desert of the sea; Babylon, as is evident both from her destroyers, the Medians, Isa. 21:2, and especially from Isa. 21:9, where she is named. She seems to be called desert prophetically, to intimate, that although she was now a most populous city and kingdom, yet shortly she should be turned…

A grievous vision; a vision or prophecy, containing dreadful calamities which were to fall upon Babylon. The treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth: this is spoken either, 1. Of the Chaldeans, as their sin, for which God sends the following judgment.

My loins; which he mentions with respect to the following similitude of child-bearing, in which the loins are sorely pained. And this the prophet speaks, either, 1. In the name and person of the Babylonian. Or rather, 2.

The night of my pleasure; the night, in which I used to have a sweet repose and sleep. He seems to have had this vision in a night. But withal this horror of the prophet by night was typical, and did signify that grievous horror and destruction which should befall the Babylonians in a night of…

Prepare the table; furnish it with meats and drinks, as it follows. The prophet foretells what the Babylonians would be doing when their’ enemies were at their doors, that they would give up themselves to feasting and security.

Thus hath the Lord said unto me; I speak not my own fancies, but what God hath made me to see and hear in a vision; the particulars whereof are related in the following verses. A watchman; either, 1. A prophet; such being oft so called, as Ezek. 3:17, Ezek. 33:2. Or rather, 2. A military watchman.

And he saw; a short speech for he told me that he saw. A chariot, not for burden, but for war, in which chariots were then much used. With a couple of horsemen; attended with two horsemen. So there were both chariots and troops of horsemen.

And he cried, A lion: the sense of the words thus rendered is this, The watchman cried out, I see also a lion, to wit, marching before the horsemen and chariots already mentioned; which they suppose to represent Cyrus or Darius marching in the head of their armies.

Behold; the sum of what I have discovered is this. A chariot of men; not filled with goods, as chariots of burden used to be; but provided with men, to fight from or with them.

Threshing is here put for the corn threshed, as it is explained in the following words; the act being frequently put for the object, as captivity for the captives, fear for the thing feared, &c., as hath been noted before.

Of Dumah; either, 1. Of a part of Arabia, so called from Dumah, one of Ishmael’s race, Gen. 25:14, 1 Chron. 1:30. Or rather, 2. Of Edom or Idumea, as seems most probable from the mention of Mount Seir, which was a part of Edom; which may here be called Dumah, either by an abbreviation, or cutting…

The morning cometh, and also the night: the night is past without any great mischief to you, and the comfortable light of the morning is approaching, which freeth men’s minds from the terrors of the night; but although the morning be coming, it will be gone, and the night will return, and your…

In the forest; not as you used to do, in the houses or tents of the Arabians; whereby he implies that that populous country should be turned into a desolate wilderness. Travelling companies: in those parts travellers then did and still do go together in companies. See Gen. 37:25, Gen.

Tema; a part of Arabia; of which see Job 6:19, Jer. 25:23. They prevented with their bread him that fled; whereby he implies that those other Arabians, against whom this prophecy is principally directed, should be reduced to great scarcity of all necessary provisions, and forced to flee for their…

Within a year, from the time of this prophecy. According to the years of an hireling, to wit, an exact year; for hirelings diligently observe and wait for the end of the year, when they are to receive their wages. All the glory; their power, and riches, and all things wherein they used to glory.

Archers; bows and arrows were their: chief weapons, and they were expert in the use of them, both against beasts and men, as occasion required.