XLVI The ruin of Babylon and her idols, ver. 1-2. God's love and faithfulness to the Jews. ver. 3-4. idols not to be compared with God, ver. 5-8. for power, knowledge, and sure salvation, ver. 9- 13.

Verse 1. Bel - The chief idol of the Babylonians, called by profane historians Jupiter Belus. Boweth - As the Babylonians used to bow down to him to worship, so now he bows down to the victorious Persians. Nebo - Another of the famous idols, which used to deliver oracles. Their idols - Were taken and broken, and the materials of them, gold, silver, and brass, were carried upon beasts into Persia. Your carriages - O ye Persians, to whom he turns his speech.

Verse 2. They - The Babylonians. Together - The Babylonians and their idols together, neither could help the other. Deliver - The Babylonians could not deliver their idols.

Verse 3. Carried - Whom I have nourished, ever since you were a people, and came out of Egypt; and that as tenderly, as parents bring up their own children.

Verse 7. Remove - He can stir neither hand nor foot to help his people.

Verse 8. Bring it - Think of this again and again, ye who have been guilty of this foolish sin.

Verse 10. Declaring - Foretelling from the beginning of the world, future events which should happen in succeeding ages, even to the end of the world.

Verse 11. A bird - Cyrus, called a bird for his swiftness, and ravenous for his fierceness, and victoriousness over his enemies.