Isaiah 47 · The Lantern

The Humiliation of Babylon

Come down and sit in the dust, virgin daughter of Babylon. Sit on the ground without a throne, daughter of the Chaldeans — for you will no longer be called tender and delicate.

Take millstones and grind flour. Uncover your veil, strip off the skirt, bare the thigh, cross rivers.

As Fabiola was not ashamed of the Lord on earth, so he shall not be ashamed of her in heaven. She laid bare her wound to the gaze of all, and Rome beheld with tears the disfiguring scar that marred her beauty. She uncovered her limbs, bared her head and closed her mouth.

"Take the millstone," that is: After being deprived of the glory of your sovereignty, you will adopt the apparel of slaves. The words "cut your white hair" [in the Syriac Bible, Peshitta] mean "You have grown old and decrepit in your sovereignty."

Second, as to the ignominy which they incurred: take a millstone, which was the work of servant girls, as if to say: you shall be a servant girl; or it signifies sexual intercourse, as in Judges 16:21 of Samson; uncover your shame, that is, your shameful members, either to the lust of your enemies or for crossing rivers on foot: I will change their glory into shame (Hos 4:7).

Your nakedness will be uncovered, indeed your reproach will be seen. Vengeance I will take, and I will not meet a human.

Our Redeemer — the LORD of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel.

Sit in silence and go into darkness, daughter of the Chaldeans — for you will no longer be called mistress of kingdoms.

I was wrathful with my people; I profaned my inheritance and gave them into your hand. You showed them no compassion; on the elder you laid your yoke very heavily.

But when these accursed ones obtain possession of anyone, they immediately forget not only all others but even themselves. Raising their brow in great haughtiness, they neither grasp the times and seasons nor respect human nature in those whom they injure. Like the tyrant of Babylon, they attack more furiously; they show pity to none.

For they have burned the temple of God, they have consecrated the sacred vessels to idols, and they have used cruelty against the prisoners. "I gave them into your hands." You would not have carried off the victory if I had not willed it. I delivered them [to you] because I wanted to correct them, not exterminate them.

I was angry. Here he set out their fault, which is the cause of such a punishment. And he sets out three faults. First, the cruelty of their rule toward the Jews, setting out the power granted them: I was angry with my people, because of their sins, wishing to punish them; I have polluted, allowed to be polluted by you, my inheritance, the people of Israel, above: Israel is my…

And you said, Forever I will be a mistress — so that you did not set these things on your heart, you did not remember its outcome.

And now hear this, luxurious one, dwelling securely, who says in her heart, I am, and there is none besides me. I will not sit as a widow, and I will not know bereavement.

(Verse 8, onwards) And now listen to this, you delicate and confident one, who says in your heart: I am, and there is no one besides me; I will not sit as a widow, nor will I know the loss of children. But suddenly these two things will come upon you in one day: widowhood and loss of children.

Thinking that you would prove to be better than the Persians, you said, "I am and there is no other," and you were encouraged by the oracles of demons and astrologers. And you called on a hope that was fornication and that was far removed from God.

And he sets out the frustration of their hope: and now hear; I shall not sit as a widow, through the deprivation of my kingdom; barrenness, that is, the loss of the people who were born in me.

And these two will come to you in a moment, in one day: bereavement and widowhood. In their fullness they have come upon you, for the multitude of your sorceries, for the great might of your spells.

And what follows describes very clearly the arrogance of the kingdom of the Chaldeans and the foolishness of their royal people, in such a way that they ascribed to themselves immortal power and an indestructible rule. However, suddenly you will experience a loss of men and the destruction of your children—that is, men to rule among you, and children meaning those to be ruled.

"Two plagues shall come to you in one day," because you were deceived by the art of the Chaldeans and ignored your doom. "The loss of children and widowhood shall come on you," that is, sterility. The loss of children indicates the destruction of the city; the widowhood, the privation of the kingdom.

Suddenly, unexpectedly, above: the destruction thereof shall come on a sudden, when it is not looked for (Isa 30:13): give them, O Lord, a womb without children (Hos 9:14). Third, the multitude of their sorceries: all things. And he sets out three things.

And you trusted in your evil; you said, No one sees me. Your wisdom and your knowledge — it has turned you aside; and you said in your heart, I am, and there is none besides me.

And evil will come upon you which you will not know how to charm away, and disaster will fall upon you which you will not be able to atone for; and devastation will come upon you suddenly, which you will not know.

Suddenly, [Isaiah] says, you will receive destruction and undergo the misfortunes that you do not expect. "[There shall be] a pit, and you shall fall into it; and grief shall come on you, and you cannot be cleared." Symmachus and Aquila have rendered the translation of this passage as follows: "And a misfortune will befall you that you will not be able to avert," that is to say…

Third, he sets out the punishment they merited because of this: evil shall come upon you, and you shall not know the rising thereof, he says this in the manner of astrologers, who teach that we should consider the rising of kingdoms according to the rising of the planets: when they shall say: peace and security; then shall sudden destruction come upon them (1 Thess 5:3).

Stand now with your spells and with the multitude of your sorceries, in which you have labored from your youth. Perhaps you will be able to profit; perhaps you will inspire terror.

(Verse 12 and following) Stand with your sorcerers, and with the multitude of your evil deeds, in which you have labored since your youth, if perhaps it will benefit you, or if you can become stronger.

The prophetic text addresses these words to [Babylon] in an ironic manner: stick to your habitual magic; stick to your customary incantations. It is likely that you will escape from misfortunes that besiege you! Then he proclaims the vainness of these practices.

Stand now with your enchanters. Here he excludes their trust in escape; and concerning this, he does two things. First, he excludes hope from the wise, excluding their help, as to sorcerers: stand now with your enchanters; from your youth, from when they were created, they were full of magical arts, above: and when they shall say to you: seek of pythons, and of diviners (Isa 8:…

You are worn out with the multitude of your counsels. Let them stand now and save you — those who divide the heavens, who gaze at the stars, who make known at the new moons what will come upon you.

See, they have become like stubble; fire has burned them. They will not rescue their soul from the power of the flame. There is no coal for warming, no fire to sit before.

So they have become to you, those with whom you labored, your traders from your youth. Each has wandered off his own way; there is none to save you.

And when God afflicts those who deserve punishment, how else is it intended except for their good? It is he who says to the Chaldaeans, "You have coals of fire; sit on them. They shall be a help to you." Further, let them hear what is related in the seventy-seventh psalm, which is ascribed to Asaph, about those who fell in the desert.

For I know a cleansing fire that Christ came to send on the earth, and he himself is anagogically called a fire. This Fire takes away whatever is material and of evil habit. This [Christ] desires to kindle with all speed, for he longs for speed in doing us good, since he gives us even coals of fire to help us.

Second, he excludes hope from their merchants: merchants, in which they also abounded; or wise men (magi), who sold them lies for truth, above: every one shall be amazed at his neighbor, their countenances shall be as faces burnt (Isa 13:8).

Isaiah47

The Humiliation of Babylon