Adam Clarke's Bible Commentary Verse 5. Prepare the table "The table is prepared"] In Hebrew the verbs are in the infinitive mood absolute, as in Ezek. i. 14: "And the animals ran and returned, bww awxr ratso veshob, like the appearance of the lightning; " just as the Latins say, currere et reverti, for currebant et revertebantur. See chap. xxxiii. 11, and the note there.
Arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield.] Kimchi observes that several of the rabbins understood this of Belshazzar's impious feast and death.
The king of a people is termed the shield, because he is their defense. The command, Anoint the shield, is the same with Anoint a new king.
Belshazzar being now suddenly slain, while they were all eating and drinking, he advises the princes, whose business it was, to make speed and anoint another in his stead.
Matthew Henry Commentary
- The invasion and conquest of Egypt and Ethiopia.
Isaiah was a sign to the people by his unusual dress, when he walke abroad. He commonly wore sackcloth as a prophet, to show himsel mortified to the world. He was to loose this from his loins; to wear n upper garments, and to go barefooted. This sign was to signify, tha the Egyptians and Ethiopians should be led away captives by the king of Assyria, thus stripped. The world will often deem believers foolish when singular in obedience to God. But the Lord will support his servants under the most trying effects of their obedience; and what they are called upon to suffer for his sake, commonly is light compared with what numbers groan under from year to year from sin Those who make any creature their expectation and glory, and so put it in the place of God, will, sooner or later, be ashamed of it. But disappointment in creature-confidences, instead of driving us to despair, should drive us to God, and our expectation shall not be in vain. The same lesson is in force now; and where shall we look for ai in the hour of necessity, but to the Lord our Righteousness _________________________________________________
Original Hebrew ערך6186 השׁלחן7979 צפה6823 הצפית6823 אכול398 שׁתה8354 קומו6965 השׂרים8269 משׁחו4886 מגן׃4043
