SEV Biblia, Chapter 14:4
¶ entonces levantarás esta parábola sobre el rey de Babilonia, y dirás: ¡Cómo cesó el opresor, cómo cesó la ciudad codiciosa del oro!
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Isaiah 14:4
Verse 4. This proverb"This parable"] lm mashal, I take this to be the general name for poetic style among the Hebrews, including every sort of it, as ranging under one or other, or all of the characters, of sententious, figurative, and sublime; which are all contained in the original notion, or in the use and application of the word mashal. Parables or proverbs, such as those of Solomon, are always expressed in short pointed sentences; frequently figurative, being formed on some comparison; generally forcible and authoritative, both in the matter and the form. And such in general is the style of the Hebrew poetry. The verb mashal signifies to rule; to exercise authority; to make equal; to compare one thing with another; to utter parables, or acute, weighty, and powerful speeches, in the form and manner of parables, though not properly such. Thus Balaam's first prophecy, (Num. xxiii. 7-10) is called his mashal; though it has hardly any thing figurative in it: but it is beautifully sententious, and, from the very form and manner of it, has great spirit, force, and energy. Thus Job's last speeches, in answer to his three friends, chap. 27-31., are called mashals; from no one particular character, which discriminates them from the rest of the poem, but from the sublime, the figurative, the sententious manner which equally prevails through the whole poem, and makes it one of the first and most eminent examples extant of the truly great and beautiful in poetic style. See the note on Prov. i. 1. The Septuagint in this place render the word by qrhnov, a lamentation.
They plainly consider the speech here introduced as a piece of poetry, and of that species of poetry which we call the elegiac; either from the subject, it being a poem on the fall and death of the king of Babylon, or from the form of the composition, which is of the longer sort of Hebrew verse, in which the Lamentations of Jeremiah, called by the Septuagint qrhnoi, are written.
The golden city ceased] hbhdm madhebah, which is here translated golden city, is a Chaldee word. Probably it means that golden coin or ingot which was given to the Babylonians by way of tribute. So the word is understood by the Vulgate, where it is rendered tributum; and by Montanus, who translates it aurea pensio, the golden pension. Kimchi seems to have understood the word in the same sense. De Rossi translates it auri dives, rich in gold, or auri exactrix, the exactor of gold; the same as the exactor of tribute.
Matthew Henry Commentary
The destruction of Babylon, and the death of its proud monarch. (Is 14:1-23) Assurance of the destruction of Assyria. (Is. 14:24-27) The destruction of the Philistines. (Is. 14:28-32)
Is. 14:1-23 The whole plan of Divine Providence is arranged with a vie to the good of the people of God. A settlement in the land of promis is of God's mercy. Let the church receive those whom God receives God's people, wherever their lot is cast, should endeavour to recommen religion by a right and winning conversation. Those that would not be reconciled to them, should be humbled by them. This may be applied to the success of the gospel, when those were brought to obey it who ha opposed it. God himself undertakes to work a blessed change. They shal have rest from their sorrow and fear, the sense of their presen burdens, and the dread of worse. Babylon abounded in riches. The kin of Babylon having the absolute command of so much wealth, by the hel of it ruled the nations. This refers especially to the people of the Jews; and it filled up the measure of the king of Babylon's sins Tyrants sacrifice their true interest to their lusts and passions. It is gracious ambition to covet to be like the Most Holy, for he ha said, Be ye holy, for I am holy; but it is sinful ambition to aim to be like the Most High, for he has said, He who exalts himself shall be abased. The devil thus drew our first parents to sin. Utter ruin shoul be brought upon him. Those that will not cease to sin, God will make to cease. He should be slain, and go down to the grave; this is the commo fate of tyrants. True glory, that is, true grace, will go up with the soul to heaven, but vain pomp will go down with the body to the grave there is an end of it. To be denied burial, if for righteousness' sake may be rejoiced in, Matt. 5:12. But if the just punishment of sin, i denotes that impenitent sinners shall rise to everlasting shame an contempt. Many triumphs should be in his fall. God will reckon with those that disturb the peace of mankind. The receiving the king of Babylon into the regions of the dead, shows there is a world of spirits, to which the souls of men remove at death. And that souls have converse with each other, though we have none with them; and that deat and hell will be death and hell indeed, to all who fall unholy, from the height of this world's pomps, and the fulness of its pleasures Learn from all this, that the seed of evil-doers shall never be renowned. The royal city is to be ruined and forsaken. Thus the utte destruction of the New Testament Babylon is illustrated, Rev. 18:2 When a people will not be made clean with the besom of reformation what can they expect but to be swept off the face of the earth with the besom of destruction?
Is. 14:24-27 Let those that make themselves a yoke and a burden to God's people, see what they are to expect. Let those that are the called according to God's purpose, comfort themselves, that whateve God has purposed, it shall stand. The Lord of hosts has purposed to break the Assyrian's yoke; his hand is stretched out to execute thi purpose; who has power to turn it back? By such dispensations of providence, the Almighty shows in the most convincing manner, that sin is hateful in his sight.
Is. 14:28-32 Assurance is given of the destruction of the Philistine and their power, by famine and war. Hezekiah would be more terrible to them than Uzziah had been. Instead of rejoicing, there would be lamentation, for the whole land would be ruined. Such destruction wil come upon the proud and rebellious, but the Lord founded Zion for refuge to poor sinners, who flee from the wrath to come, and trust in his mercy through Christ Jesus. Let us tell all around of our comfort and security, and exhort them to seek the same refuge and salvation __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
ונשׂאת 5375 המשׁל 4912 הזה 2088 על 5921 מלך 4428 בבל 894 ואמרת 559 איך 349 שׁבת 7673 נגשׂ 5065 שׁבתה 7673 מדהבה׃ 4062
