Adam Clarke's Bible Commentary Verse 2. He is gone to Bajith, and to Dibon] tybh hl[ alah habbayith, should be rendered, he is gone to the HOUSE, i.e., to their chief temple, where they practiced idolatry. Dibon was the name of a tower where also was an idolatrous temple; thither they went to weep and pray before their idols, that they might interpose and save them from their calamities. So R. D. Kimchi. Me is gone to Bajith and to Dibon: but Bishop Lowth reads Beth Dibon; this is the name of one place; and the two words are to be joined together, without the w vau intervening. So the Chaldee and Syriac. This reading is not supported by any MS. or Version: but some MSS., instead of r[ ar, have ry[ ir, a city, others have d[ ad, unto, and some editions have l[ al, upon. But all these help little, though they show that the place puzzled both the scribes and the editors.
On all their heads shall be baldness, &c."On every head there is baldness," &c.] Herodotus, ii. 36, speaks of it as a general practice among all men, except the Egyptians, to cut off their hair as a token of mourning.
"Cut off thy hair, and cast it away," says Jeremiah, vii. 29, "and take up a lamentation." touto nu kai gerav oion oizuroiosi brotoisi keirasqai te komhn, baleein tÆ apo dakru pareiwn. Hom. Odyss. iv. 197.
"The rites of wo Are all, alas! the living can bestow; O'er the congenial dust enjoined to shear The graceful curl, and drop the tender tear." POPE.
On every head. - For wyar roshaiv, read ar rosh. So the parallel place, Jer. xlviii. 37, and so three MSS., one ancient. An ancient MS. reads ar lk [l al col rosh. Five read ar lkb bechol rosh, on every head, with the Septuagint and Arabic. AND every head. The w vau, and, is found in thirty MSS., in three editions, and in the Syriac, Vulgate, and Chaldee.
Cut off "Shorn."] The printed editions, as well as the MSS., are divided on the reading of this word. Some have h[wdg geduah, shorn, others h[rg geruah, diminished. The similitude of the letters d daleth and r resh has likewise occasioned many mistakes. In the present case, the sense is pretty much the same with either reading. The text of Jer. xlviii. 37 has the latter, diminished. The former reading is found in twelve of Dr. Zennicott's MSS., forty of De Rossi's, and two of my own. A great number of editions have the same reading.
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 עלה5927 הבית1004 ודיבן1769 הבמות1116 לבכי1065 על5921 נבו5015 ועל5921 מידבא4311 מואב4124 ייליל3213 בכל3605 ראשׁיו7218 קרחה7144 כל3605 זקן2206 גרועה׃1639
