The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV

  13:19 Sodom and Gomorrah. God will overthrow rebuilt Babylon in the same supernatural way He did these two ancient cities (Gen. 19:24; Rev. 18:8).

  13:20 never be inhabited. Though nothing like its glorious past, the site of Babylon has never been void of inhabitants. A city or town of one type or another has always existed there, so this prophecy must point toward a yet future desolation.

  13:21, 22 wild beasts…jackals. This is the utter devastation referred to in 21:9 and further described in Rev. 18:2 (cf. 34:11–17; Jer. 51:37).

  13:22 near to come. As already noted in v. 6, once Babylon becomes great, her days are numbered.

  Isaiah 14

  14:1–3 While having some reference to the release from Babylonian captivity, the primary view in this chapter is identified in these opening verses. The prophet looked at the final Babylon at the end of the tribulation. The language is that which characterizes conditions during the millennial kingdom after the judgment of the final Babylon. The destruction of future Babylon is integrally connected with the deliverance of Israel from bondage. Babylon must perish so that the Lord may exalt His people. God’s compassion for physical Israel receives fuller development in chaps. 40–46.

  14:1 The strangers. These are Jewish proselytes who join themselves to the nation in the final earthly kingdom of Christ.

  14:2 take them captive whose captives they were. Here is the great role reversal. Instead of their miserable state of captivity, endured in the tribulation under Antichrist, the Israelites will be the rulers of those nations that once dominated them.

  14:3 rest. The future earthly kingdom of Messiah is in view. Cf. Acts 3:19–21.

  14:4 you will take up this proverb. The prophet instructed the delivered nation to sing the song of vv. 4–21, celebrating the downfall of the king of Babylon. the king of Babylon. This could refer to the final Antichrist, who will rule Babylon, which will rule the earth (cf. Rev. 17:17, 18) oppressor has ceased. The nation that made life bitter for God’s people disappeared.

  14:6 struck the people…ruled the nations. These picture the tyranny of the Babylonian king.

  14:7 The whole earth…at rest and quiet. With the tyrant off the throne, the whole world will have peace. This has to be millennial.

  14:9–11 Hell…Sheol. The two Eng. words represent the same Heb. word. Those kings of the nations already in the place of the dead stage a welcome party for the arriving king of Babylon.

  14:10 Have you become like us? The kings mock the king of Babylon, reminding him that human distinctions are meaningless among the dead.

  14:11 maggot. Human pride vanishes for a rotting corpse covered with worms.

  14:12–14 fallen from heaven…be like the Most High. Jesus’ use of v. 12 to describe Satan’s fall (Luke 10:18; cf. Rev. 12:8–10) has led many to see more than a reference to the king of Babylon. Just as the Lord addressed Satan in His words to the serpent (Gen. 3:14, 15), this inspired dirge speaks to the king of Babylon and to the devil who energized him. See Ezek. 28:12–17 for similar language to the king of Tyre and Satan behind him.

  14:12 heaven. The scene suddenly shifts from the underworld to heaven to emphasize the unbridled pride of the king and Satan energizing him. Lucifer, son of the morning. Lit. “Lucifer” means “shining one,” but translators have often rendered it “morning star.” Tradition of the time saw the stars as representing gods battling among themselves for places of preeminence.

  14:13, 14 I will. Five “I wills” emphasize the arrogance of the king of Babylon, and of Satan, from whom he takes his cue.

  14:13 mount of the congregation. This was a mountain in northern Syria, according to local tradition, where the Canaanite gods assembled. The human king aspired to kingship over those gods.

  14:15 Sheol…the Pit. Death awaits those who try to be like God (cf. vv. 9, 11; Gen. 3:5, 22).

  14:16–21 The final section of the dirge elaborates on the disgrace of the king, on display before all as an unburied corpse.

  14:16 Is this the man…? The complete role reversal from the most powerful to utter humiliation will provoke universal amazement.

  14:18 All the kings…sleep in glory. The king of Babylon is the sole exception. The rest of the kings received honorable burials.

  14:19 corpse trodden underfoot. Among the ancients, this was the deepest degradation. See note on Eccl. 6:3–6.

  14:20 never be named. Because the king of Babylon was an evildoer, he had no monument or posterity to keep his memory alive.

  14:22 cut off. Israel will have a remnant, but not Babylon, according to the Lord’s promise in vv. 22, 23. Cf. Rev. 18:2, 21.

  14:26 purpose that is purposed. The scope of this judgment against the whole earth represents His final wrath against the ungodly in Israel (5:25; 9:17) and the nations (23:11).

  14:28 Ahaz died. The year of Ahaz’s death is uncertain. It came when Hezekiah began his reign, either 727 B.C. (2 Kin. 18:1, 9, 10) or 716/15 B.C. (2 Kin. 18:13).

  14:29 Philistia. Israel need not think an alliance with the Philistines would save them from the Assyrians, since Assyria would conquer this neighbor of Israel too. rod…broken. The prophet pictured the Assyrian weakness, their conquest of Philistia notwithstanding.

  14:30–32 poor. The poor of Judah who depend on the Lord are to find Him to be a refuge, but the Philistine oppressors are to meet their doom.

  14:32 messengers. These were the Philistine envoys who sought an alliance with Israel. Isaiah’s answer saw the Lord as Zion’s only security.

  Isaiah 15

  15:1—16:14. The demise of Moab taught Israel not to depend on that nation any more than others, but to depend on the Lord.

  15:1 Moab. Moab was a country about 30 mi. sq., E of the Dead Sea, S of the Arnon River, and N of the Zered River. Ar…Kir. These were the two major cities of Moab.

  15:2 Dibon. Moab chose the temple of the Moabite god Chemosh—3 mi. N of the Arnon—as the place of weeping because that god had failed to deliver the nation. Nebo…Medeba. Nebo is the mountain at the N end of the Dead Sea where the Lord took Moses to view the Promised Land (Deut. 34:1). Medeba is 5 mi. SE of Nebo. baldness…every beard. Shaving heads and beards expressed disgrace and humiliation (22:12; Lev. 21:5; Jer. 41:5; 48:37).

  15:3 sackcloth. Wearing of sackcloth occurs 46 times in the Bible as a sign of mourning.

  15:4 Heshbon…Elealeh…Jahaz. The city Heshbon was just under 20 mi. E of the northern end of the Dead Sea in a territory claimed by both Israel and Moab (Deut. 2:32, 33). Elealeh was about a mi. away from Heshbon. The location of Jahaz was over 10 mi. S of Heshbon.

  15:5 My heart will cry out. The prophecy expresses much greater sympathy for Moab’s plight than for the other nations to be judged, even allowing for a surviving remnant (16:11, 14). a three-year-old heifer. This phrase should not be translated, but rather is the proper name of “Eglath-shelishiyah,” a city of unknown location. Luhith…Horonaim. These are two more cities whose locations are unknown.

  15:6 Nimrim. This is possibly the Wadi Numeira, the drying up of whose waters, along with the dead grass, pictures widespread devastation in Moab.

  15:7 Brook of the Willows. Probably the Zered River; the refugees from Moab had to cross this to pass over into Edom to escape their invaders.

  15:8 Eglaim…Beer Elim. The shouts of the fugitives reached all the way from the northern part of Edom (Eglaim) to its southern extremity (Beer Elim).

  15:9 Dimon. Perhaps another spelling of “Dibon” (cf. v. 2), this religious center of heathendom is appropriate as a closing representation of the whole land of Moab. Lions. Flight from invading armies would not bring security, but new dangers from the beasts of the wilderness.

  Isaiah 16

  16:1 Send the lamb. This was an action showing submission to an overlord, as Mesha did to Omri, king of Israel (2 Kin. 3:4). Sela. This was a place in Edom not far from Petra (2 Kin. 14:7), from which fugitives of Moab were to send to Judah for help. mount of the daughter of Zion. This speaks figuratively of Je
rusalem and her inhabitants.

  16:2 fords of the Arnon. The fugitives fled to the S to escape the Assyrians entering Moab from the N.

  16:3 night in the middle of the day. Moab asked Judah for shade from the wilting noonday sun, i.e., from their invaders.

  16:4 My outcasts. These were likely the Moabites, the speaker being a personification of Moab. “Moab,” defines who the outcasts were. Be a shelter. Moab continued its plea to Judah for refuge. Devastation ceases. The prophet anticipated the day when the oppression by the Assyrians would be no more.

  16:5 throne…tabernacle of David. The Davidic king will some day sit on His throne in Zion (Amos 9:11, 12), ending all injustices such as those committed by the Assyrians.

  16:6 pride of Moab…very proud. Though a small nation, Moab’s pride was well known (25:10, 11; Jer. 48:29, 42).

  16:7 Kir Hareseth. This is probably the same city called Kir in 15:1.

  16:8 Sibmah. Sibmah was a suburb of Heshbon (cf. Jer. 48:32). Jazer…sea. Moab’s vines, rather than being on stakes, ran along the ground to Moab’s extreme northern border, stretching from the desert on the E to the Dead Sea on the W. This perhaps signified the export of raisins and wine to Judah.

  16:9 I will bewail. Isaiah displayed genuine emotion over the destruction of so rich an agricultural resource. This reflected the Lord’s response too.

  16:10 Gladness…joy. The normal celebration at harvest time is not to take place.

  16:11 my heart…my inner being. The prophet and the Lord reflected deeply felt sorrow over this necessary judgment of Moab.

  16:12 weary on the high place. Moab’s religion had utterly failed. Rather than deliverance, the nation found weariness in their repeated rituals to their national god.

  16:14 Within three years. Moab had 3 more years of “glory,” perhaps till ca. 715 B.C., when the Assyrian king, Sargon, overran the country. the remnant. Assyria was not to completely obliterate Moab. Babylon received no such promise.

  Isaiah 17

  17:1 Damascus. This city served as the capital of Syria (sometimes called “Aram”). Its location NE of Mt. Hermon on the main land route between Mesopotamia and Egypt made it very influential. Its destruction by the Assyrians in 732 B.C. is the subject of this chapter.

  17:2 Aroer. Syria’s domain extended as far S as Aroer E of the Dead Sea, on the Arnon River (2 Kin. 10:32, 33).

  17:3 Ephraim. The northern 10 tribes, also known as “Israel,” joined with Syria as objects of this oracle. They formed an alliance with Syria to combat the Assyrians, but many of their cites fell victim to the campaign in which Syria fell (see v. 1). remnant of Syria. Syria was to have a remnant, but not a kingdom, left after the Assyrian onslaught.

  17:4 glory of Jacob. The waning of this glory pictured the judgment of God against the northern 10 tribes, descendants of Jacob.

  17:5 Valley of Rephaim. As harvesters stripped bare that fertile valley W of Jerusalem, so God’s judgment would leave nothing fruitful in the northern kingdom.

  17:6 Two or three…Four or five. God’s judgment against Ephraim was to leave only sparse pieces of her original abundance of olives.

  17:7 look to his Maker. In the future, severe judgments are to awaken a remnant of Ephraim to their failure to depend on the Lord. Then they will repent.

  17:8 work of his hands. Repentance is to lead to the forsaking of idolatry, which for so long beset the nation (see 2:6–22; 44:9–18).

  17:10 forgotten the God of your salvation. Failure to remember God had left Israel unprotected.

  17:11 make your plant to grow. The prophet reminded his readers of the futility of trying to meet their needs without the Lord’s help.

  17:12 multitude of many people. The prophet turned his attention to the coming armies of Judah’s enemies and pronounced a “woe” upon them.

  17:13 God will rebuke them. God’s rebuke put those enemies to flight.

  17:14 he is no more. When morning came, the invading force had disappeared. God protects His people.

  Isaiah 18

  18:1 buzzing wings. These may speak of Ethiopia’s strong armada of ships. Ethiopia. “Cush” renders lit. the Heb. word for Ethiopia. The country was S of Egypt, including territory belonging to modern Ethiopia.

  18:2 sea…waters…rivers. These all apparently refer to the Nile River and its tributaries.

  18:3 All inhabitants…and dwellers. The prophet calls upon the whole human race to be alert for the signals that God is at work in the world.

  18:4 I will take My rest. The Lord will wait patiently until the appropriate time to intervene in human affairs, until sunshine and dew have built to an opportune climactic moment.

  18:5 cut off…take away and cut down. As an all-wise farmer, God’s pruning activity (i.e., His direct intervention) will be neither too early nor too late.

  18:6 birds of prey. Dropping his metaphorical language, Isaiah describes in grotesque language the fallen carcasses of the victims of God’s judgment.

  18:7 place of the name of the LORD of hosts. Jerusalem was and remains the location on earth where the Lord has chosen to dwell (Deut. 12:5). Isaiah’s prediction here extends to the future bringing of tribute to Jerusalem in the Messiah’s kingdom.

  Isaiah 19

  19:1–4 Disunity and internal strife because of idolatry are to spell the end of Egypt’s greatness.

  19:1 rides on a swift cloud. Clouds are vehicles for the Lord’s coming to execute judgment elsewhere (Pss. 18:10, 11; 104:3; Dan. 7:13).

  19:2 Egyptians against Egyptians. Noted for its internal strife through the centuries, the nation will experience even worse under God’s judgment.

  19:3 mediums…sorcerers. Internal strife will lead to disorientation and depression. With nowhere else to turn, the Egyptians will consult spiritualists. Israelites of Isaiah’s day did the same (8:19).

  19:4 fierce king. Egypt was subject to foreign rule beginning with the Assyrian conquest of the middle-seventh century B.C.

  19:5–10 A disruption of the Nile River will wreak havoc in Egypt.

  19:5, 6 wasted and dried up…dried up. God will act to take away the country’s only water resource, the Nile and its tributaries.

  19:7 sown by the River. The alluvial deposits left by the flooding of the Nile yielded rich agricultural crops, permitting Egypt to export grain to the rest of the world.

  19:8 cast hooks…spread nets. The loss of the Nile’s important fishing business would mean a great loss to Egypt’s population.

  19:9 fine flax…fine fabric. Egypt was famous for its production of linen from flax. Both the growth of the plant and the manufacture of the cloth depended on water.

  19:10 foundations. God was to remove the “pillars” on which the working class depended. The word refers either generally to the economic structure of the society or specifically to the upper class which organized the businesses of the land.

  19:11–15 God’s judgment was to confound Egypt’s famed wisdom (cf. 1 Kin. 4:30).

  19:11 Zoan. This major city of northern Egypt E of the Nile Delta region was the first large city a Semite would encounter in traveling toward the Nile. “Tanis” was also a name of this city that was a capital of northern Egypt at one point when the country split into two parts.

  19:11, 12 foolish counsel. Whatever wisdom Egypt’s experts may have possessed formerly, they were helpless to deal with the crisis because they were ignorant of the Lord’s judgment against the Land.

  19:13 Noph. Another name for Memphis, the capital of northern Egypt at one time. This city had leaders who were in a state of confusion regarding a true perspective on Egypt’s crisis. mainstay of its tribes. If the cornerstones of a society suffer from delusion, they can do nothing else than delude the people they lead.

  19:14, 15 The LORD has mingled. The Lord had caused dizziness that resulted in a complete loss of productivity, when the invaders came.

  19:16–24 Turning from Egypt’s destitution just described in vv. 1–15, the prophet proceeds to describe Egypt�
�s eventual turning to the true God, “in that day” (v. 16), referring to the time of the millennial rule of Christ. These features have not been true of Egypt yet.

  19:16 women…be afraid and fear. God’s judgment will immobilize mighty Egypt to the point that the nation realizes it is defenseless and helpless.

  19:17 Judah…a terror to Egypt. Instead of Judah fearing Egypt, the reverse will be true. God’s great power on behalf of Israel will cause this to happen (cf. Ex. 10:7; 12:33). Such will occur at Christ’s second advent.

  19:18 five cities. Humanly speaking, the chances of even one Egyptian city turning to the Lord were remote, but divinely speaking, there will be 5 times that many. language of Canaan. Egypt is to speak the language of Judah. Not only are they to fear Judah (v. 17), they are also to convert to Judah’s form of worship. swear by the LORD of hosts. Egypt will “in that day” turn to God in a dramatic way. This prophecy anticipates the personal reign of the Davidic King on earth. City of Destruction. More probably this was the “City of the Sun,” i.e., Heliopolis, which was the home of the Egyptian sun-god (see “Beth Shemesh,” Jer. 43:12, 13).

  19:19 altar…pillar. These speak figuratively of Egypt’s conversion to the Lord “in that day” of the Messiah’s reign on earth (cf. Gen. 28:22).

  19:20 Savior. God is to act on behalf of Egypt as He did earlier in delivering Israel (Judg. 2:18; 3:9, 15; 6:7–9; 10:11, 12).

  19:21 know the LORD in that day. The future kingdom will be a time when everyone will know the Lord, because the New Covenant will dominate (Jer. 31:31–34: Heb. 8:11; cf. 11:9; Hab. 2:14).

  19:22 strike and heal. Just as a parent disciplines a child for purposes of betterment, so the Lord had dealt and would deal with Egypt (cf. Hos. 6:1).

  19:23 a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The two great warring nations of Isaiah’s time are to reach a lasting peace with each other during “that day” of Christ’s reign (27:13; cf. 2:2–4).

  19:24 a blessing in the midst of the land. Israel “in that day” will become what God intended her to be—a blessing to the rest of the world (Gen. 12:3; 42:6; contra 1:2).