The Burden against Babylon 1 An oracle of Babylon, which Isaiah son of Amoz saw.
Jerome · AD 420 (Chapter XIII—Verse 1) The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah, son of Amos, saw. The Hebrew word 'Messa' can be understood as burden, load, or weight. And wherever it is mentioned, it signifies a heavy message. Hence, I wonder why the Septuagint translators wanted to use the word 'vision' in this sad context; but that is a topic for another time.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 The burden of Babylon. Here he threatens against the Babylonians, who had captured the two tribes. And this is divided into two parts: in the first, he threatens the destruction of the enemy, in the second, he promises, from this, the comfort of the Jews: her time is near at hand (ch. 14). The first of these is divided into two.
2 On a bare mountain lift up a signal; raise the voice to them, wave the hand, and let them enter the gates of nobles.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 2.) On the dark mountain, raise a sign, lift up your voice, raise your hand. The dark mountain, also called the mountain of darkness, which in Hebrew is called Nesphe, represents Babylon because of its pride.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 By a mountain is designated the apostate angel, as is said to preachers concerning the ancient enemy under the character of the king of Babylon, Lift ye up a banner upon the gloomy mountain. For holy preachers lift up a banner above the gloomy mountain, when they exalt the virtue of the cross against the pride of Satan, which is frequently concealed under the mist of hypocrisy.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Concerning the first of these, he does two things. First, he sets out the calling together; and he calls them together to attack and besiege: lift up a sign, that is, a banner, upon the mountain, of Babylon, dark, because of the smoke from the fire, when it had been burned.
3 I myself have commanded my consecrated ones; I have also called my mighty men for my anger, my proudly exulting ones.
Jerome · AD 420 (Vers. 3, 4.) And the leaders shall enter the gates: I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness. The princes, and the giants, according to the LXX Translators, Eusebius interprets as angelic powers, and the most wicked demons, who were sent for the overthrow of Babylon.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Second, he sets out the condition of those who are called as to their suitableness on account of charge of office: my sanctified ones, as if to say: those whom I have sanctified to carry out this office; and as to power: strong; and as to cheerfulness: them that rejoice: the Lord has sanctified those he has called (Zeph 1:7).
4 The sound of a multitude in the mountains, the likeness of a great people! The sound of an uproar of kingdoms, of nations gathered! The LORD of hosts is mustering an army for war.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 4, 5.) The voice of the multitude on the mountains, like the voice of many people: the sound of the gathered kings of nations. The Lord of hosts has commanded the forces of war to come from afar, from the top of the heavens. The Lord and His vessels of fury, to destroy all the earth.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 The voice of a multitude. Here he describes the coming of those who are called, and first, as to the lowly: the voice of a multitude; second, as to the great, the voice of the sound of kings: their voice shall roar like the sea (Jer 50:42); below: the tumult of crowds shall come (Isa 17:12). The Lord of hosts. Here he decrees the command.
5 They come from a distant land, from the end of the heavens — the LORD and the instruments of his indignation, to destroy all the earth.
Jerome · AD 420 (Vers. 5, 6.) How has the tax collector ceased, the tribute rested? The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked: the rod of the rulers, smiting the people in wrath, with an incurable plague, subjecting the nations in fury, persecuting cruelly. In the Epistle of Peter we read: The time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God (1 Peter 4:17).
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Second, divine help to fulfill the command: from the end of heaven, as though to help; and the instruments of his wrath, that is, all kinds of arms.
6 Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; it comes like devastation from the Devastator.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 6) Howl, for the day of the Lord is near; it will come like destruction from the Lord. An apostrophe is made to the Chaldean people, that they may resound with weeping for the coming calamities; and let them not doubt the downfall of the city when the Lord the devastator comes.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Howl. Here he describes the affliction of the punishment. And concerning this he sets out three things: first, the fear of those to be punished; second, the affliction: behold, the day (Isa 13:9); third, the ferocity of the punishers, behold I will stir up (Isa 13:17).
7 Therefore all hands go slack, and every human heart melts.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 7, 8.) Therefore, all hands will be loosened, and every man's heart will waste away and be crushed. There will be twisting and pain: they will be in agony like a woman in labor. Each person will be astonished at their neighbor; their faces will be burned with the expression of fear.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Second, as to the abatement of work: therefore shall all hands be faint: the king of Babylon has heard the report of them, and his hands are grown feeble (Jer 50:43).
8 And they are terrified; pangs and birth-pains seize them; like a woman giving birth they writhe. Each is appalled at his neighbor; their faces are faces of flame.
Ambrose of Milan · AD 397 The day of the Lord comes suddenly, it says, and in an unexpected way like the pains of childbirth, which forestall all one's efforts to hide them.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 8.) They will be tormented with twists and pains. They will groan like a woman giving birth. Each one will be astonished at their neighbor. Their faces will be burned.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Third, as to the disturbance of the heart, which is disturbed in three ways. According to its inner state, either as to cheerfulness: and every heart of man shall melt; or as to magnanimity: and shall be broken, as though divided into little pieces; or as to security, by the distress of fear: gripings: there were pains as of a woman in labor (Ps 48:8).
9 See, the day of the LORD is coming — cruel, with fury and burning anger — to make the land a horror, and its sinners he will destroy out of it.
Origen of Alexandria · AD 253 Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be moved. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn (24, 29—30ᵃ).
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 9.) Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel and full of indignation, wrath and fury, to make the earth a desolation, and to destroy its sinners. He calls it a cruel day, not because of its own merit, but because of the people. For he is not cruel who kills the cruel, but because he appears cruel to those who suffer.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Behold, the day. Here he describes the punishment of the afflicted. And concerning this, he sets out three things: first, the magnitude of the punishment: full of indignation, as to the removal of mercy; and of wrath, as to the delight of punishment; according to the Philosopher: the angry are saddened, but rejoice in punishing; and fury, as to impetuous vengeance, for fury is…
10 For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not flash their light; the sun is dark in its going out, and the moon does not shine its light.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 10.) For the stars of heaven and their splendor will not expand their light: the sun will be obscured in its rising, and the moon will not shine in its brightness. LXX: For the stars of heaven and Orion, and all the adornment of the heavens will not give their light (or, will have it): and they will be darkened when the sun rises, and the moon will not give its light.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 It is also expressed in the removal of comfort: for the stars of heaven, and their brightness shall not display their light, either literally as how they are reckoned, for all things seem dark to the afflicted; or the stars, the princes; the sun in his rising, the king; the moon, the queen: the sun became black as sackcloth of hair (Rev 6:12).
11 And I will attend to the world for evil, and to the wicked for their iniquity; and I will end the pride of the insolent, and the haughtiness of the ruthless I will bring low.
Clement of Rome · AD 99 You have opened "the eyes of our hearts" so that we realize you alone are "highest among the highest, and ever remain holy among the holy." "You humble the pride of the arrogant, overrule the plans of the nations, raise up the humble and humble the haughty.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 11.) And I will visit the evils upon the world, and against the wickedness of the ungodly I will execute justice: and I will cause the pride of the infidels to cease, and the arrogance of the mighty I will bring down.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Second, he sets out equity, ordaining the punishment for the fault which they committed against themselves: I will visit, I will avenge, the evils of the world, that is, of Babylon, for it was in that monarchy, or because of the multitude of those assembling from all over; and, as to the fault which they also committed against their subjects, through the oppression of the wicke…
12 I will make a human rarer than pure gold, and mankind than the gold of Ophir.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 12) The man will be more precious than gold, and the human being will shine like the world. The obvious reason why God visits the earth, that is, the evils of Babylon: so that the inhabited land will be turned into a desert.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 That price is most precious. On account of this Isaiah says: "A man shall be more precious than gold, and a human being than pure gold of Ophir." This he says of Christ, who made us precious.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Third, he sets out the moderation of the punishment. And he sets out four things: first, the small number of defenders: more precious, that is, more rare: the word of God was precious (1 Sam 3:1), and a man, who can defend by power, yea a man, who can defend by counsel, the finest of gold, that is, red gold, which is the best, above: they that remain of the trees of his forest…
13 Therefore I will make the heavens shake, and the earth will quake out of its place, in the fury of the LORD of hosts and in the day of his burning anger.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 13.) On account of this, I will disturb the heavens, and the earth will be moved from its place: because of the indignation of the Lord of hosts, and because of the day of His furious wrath.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Second, the commotion of the elements: for this I will trouble the heaven: and the earth shall be moved, as to the literal sense, there could have been a storm in the air and an earthquake in the earth; or this is hyperbole for the magnitude of their evils: I beheld the earth, and lo it was void, and nothing: and the heavens, and there was no light in them (Jer 4:23).
14 And it will be like a hunted gazelle, and like a flock with none to gather them; each will turn to his own people, and each will flee to his own land.
Eusebius of Caesarea · AD 339 In this way the word [Scripture] clearly shows the few who will be saved in the day of the ruin of those who are evil. Therefore, one cannot expect that all those who are uncircumcised and all of the Jewish nation, without exception, will receive the promises of God.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 14) And it will be like a frightened doe, and like a sheep, and there will be no one to gather. It signifies the people of Babylon and the Chaldeans, who flee in fear from the invasion of the Medes and Persians, like a doe and a sheep fleeing from the roar of a lion and the howl of a wolf: they have no defender or ruler whose authority they can follow.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Third, as to the dispersion of those who flee, citizens and warriors as much as captives, a doe, a swift animal: deliver yourself as a doe from the hand (Prov 6:5); my flocks were scattered upon the face of the earth (Ezek 34:6).
15 Everyone found will be run through, and everyone caught will fall by the sword.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 15.) However, you will be dragged down to the depths of the lake. LXX: But now you will descend to the underworld, and to the foundations of the earth. You will not descend to the underworld willingly (or, by your own choice), for this is the work of the Lord and Savior, to free the bound from the depths.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Fourth, as to the oppression of those who remain, which occurred in three things: in the killing of men: every one that shall be found, as to citizens, every one that shall come to their aid, as to foreigners, infants, as to children: with you I will break in pieces the old man and the child (Jer 51:22).
16 And their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses will be plundered and their wives lain with.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 16, 17.) Those who see you will bow down to you, and they will look at you. Is this the man who troubled the earth? who shook kingdoms? who made the world a desert, and destroyed its cities, and did not open the prison to those who were bound? Or as the Seventy translated: did he not release those who were led?
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Second, in the pillaging of goods: their houses shall be pillaged: our inheritance is turned to aliens: our houses to strangers (Lam 5:2); third, as to the violation of women: their wives shall be ravished: they humiliated the women in Zion (Lam 5:11).
17 See, I am rousing against them the Medes, who do not reckon silver and do not delight in gold.
Jerome · AD 420 Therefore, the prophet is commanded to speak to the sons of Ammon, and to their reproach, that they themselves are to be captured, and he directs the same sword speech to them: Oh sword, sword, which is ready for slaughter, which is sharpened, so that you may shine and kill...
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Behold I will stir up the Medes against them. Here he describes the ferocity of the enemy, which is not appeased by tribute: who shall not seek silver.
18 And bows will dash young men to pieces; and on the fruit of the womb they will have no compassion, on sons their eye will not spare.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 18, 19.) All the kings of the nations slept in glory, each one in his own house. But you have been cast out of your tomb like a fetid liquid: defiled, wrapped up with the slain and those pierced by the sword, who descend to the depths of the pit. LXX: All the kings of the nations slept in honor, each one in his own house.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Nor softened by mercy: but with their arrows they shall kill the children, neither on powerless men: the sucklings, nor on little children: their sons: behold, I will bring upon her, and she shall be utterly destroyed (Jer 51:64).
19 And Babylon, the splendor of kingdoms, the beauty of the pride of the Chaldeans, will be like God’s overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 19.) And Babylon will be glorious in kingdoms, renowned in the pride of the Chaldeans: just as the Lord overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah: it will not be inhabited until the end, and it will not be established until generation after generation.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 And that Babylon. Here he describes Babylon's subsequent desolation. And first, the destruction of the city: turned, that is, overturned, as Sodom, about which Revelation 18:10 says: alas! Alas! That great city, Babylon, that mighty city: for in one hour is your judgment come.
20 She will not be inhabited forever, and will not be dwelt in from generation to generation; and an Arab will not pitch a tent there, and shepherds will not make flocks lie down there.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verses 20-22.) Neither the Arabs will pitch their tents there, nor will shepherds rest there; instead, there will be beasts, their houses will be filled with dragons, and ostriches will dwell there, and hairy creatures will leap about. And owls will answer in her buildings, and sirens in the temples of pleasure.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Second, as to its perpetual solitude: it shall no more be inhabited: him that bends his bow shall not live there, and him that is armed with a coat of mail shall not go up (Jer 51:3).
21 But desert creatures will lie down there, and their houses will be filled with howling things; and daughters of the ostrich will dwell there, and goat-demons will dance there.
John Chrysostom · AD 407 Wherefore I entreat, let us kill the serpent, let us shut up the wild beasts, let us stifle them, let us slay them, and these wicked thoughts let us give over to the sword of the Spirit, lest the prophet threaten us also with such things as he threatened Judea, that "The wild asses shall dance there, and porcupines, and serpents." For there are, there are even men worse than wi…
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 21, 22.) The seed of the wicked, prepare your sons for the slaughter of the sins of their fathers: they will not rise nor inherit the land, nor fill the face of the cities of the world. And I will rise up against them, says the Lord of hosts: and I will destroy the name and remnants of Babylon, and its seed, and its offspring, says the Lord of hosts.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 As to the inhabitation of beasts and the dead: but wild beasts shall rest there, who love solitude. Dragons, who, according to some, are large winged serpents, according to others, are large fish with wet scales, and according to others, are cubit long serpents that eat other serpents and, because of this, poison with the breath of their mouths.
22 And hyenas will answer in her towers, and jackals in the palaces of delight. And her time is near to come, and her days will not be drawn out.