Chapter Forty-Six

1–2. The overthrow of Babylonian deities. 3–7. And the consequent teachings: a) to the whole “remnant” of the house of Israel, 8–11. b) to the “transgressors” among them, 12–13. c) to men of stiff neck.

The two following chapters of the book of the prophet Isaiah (46–47) speak of one and the same subject — the fulfillment of the terrible judgment of God upon Babylon, wherein the first of them speaks of judgment upon its religious condition (ch. 46), and the second upon its political condition (ch. 47). All this discourse of the prophet, apart from its immediate, purely historical significance, also bears an emblematic character: in the person of Babylon, as the chief center of ancient heathendom, is pronounced the righteous judgment of God upon all heathendom generally, with its crude idol-worship and its corrupted culture. It is self-evident that all these revelations provide the prophet with the most grateful material for corresponding religious and moral lessons to his contemporaries.

Isaiah 46:1. Bel has fallen, Nebo is bowed down; their idols are on the beasts and the pack animals; your burden has become a load for the weary animals. Isaiah 46:2. They have bowed down, they have fallen together; they could not rescue those who carried them, and they themselves have gone into captivity. “Bel has fallen, Nebo is bowed down... Your burden has become a load for the weary animals. They have bowed down... they could not rescue those who carried them, and they themselves have gone into captivity.” A highly artistic, dramatic picture, striking in its historical accuracy! The very speech about this proves fully logical and understandable after the news of Cyrus’s victories, since one of the consequences of those victories was also a strong blow dealt to Babylonian idolatry. In the later Babylonian period, to which this vision of the prophet Isaiah belongs, Bel (or according to the LXX, Bel) and Nebo were the two chief deities of Babylon, as attested by the monuments of that era. Of the seven kings of the last dynasty, three have the name Nebo in their names (Nebuchadnezzar, Nabopolassar, and others), and two have the name Bel, or its synonym — Merodach (for example, Belkudurzcur, Belshazzar, and so forth). The names of these same deities are also found on the famous cylinder of Cyrus. Bel is the name of the most ancient Babylonian god, one of the first triad (Anu, Bel, and Ea), later identified with the later Assyrian deity Merodach, or Marduk, and in the form Bel-Merodach was revered as the direct patron of Babylon. In his honor a special temple was erected in Babylon in the form of a pyramid, which Strabo called the “tomb of Bel” and which, according to Oppert’s calculations, was as much as 189 meters high, that is, exceeding even the pyramid of Khufu. On this site stand the modern ruins of the hill of El-Babyl. “Nebo,” “Nebo,” or in Assyrian “Nabu” (related to Hebrew “nabi,” prophet), according to Babylonian theogony, was the son of Bel-Merodach, and was considered the messenger and interpreter of the will of the gods, in the manner of Mercury in Greek mythology. (See “Essays on Assyro-Babylonian Religion” by Prof. S. Glagolev, “From Lectures on Religion,” 1905, p. 58). In his honor was erected in Babylon the famous temple of the seven stars, described by Herodotus under the name of the temple of Bel, although in fact, as the father of the god Nebo, only one of the seven stories was dedicated to him. All this structure, according to Oppert’s calculations, was as much as 250 feet high; at the present time on its site lie the ruins of Birs Nimrod. The prophet knew well the religion of the Babylonians just as well as their religious-political customs. Indeed, in the frequent wars practiced within the extensive Assyro-Babylonian monarchy, there existed the custom whereby victors sought to seize and carry away the deity of the vanquished. This was considered a great disgrace to the vanquished (like the capture of an army’s colors) and important spoils for the victors, who in this way thought to keep the peoples worshipping these gods in their dependence. Viewed from this side also — from the standpoint of knowledge of the then-prevailing customs and morals, the discourse of the prophet Isaiah is likewise beyond reproach. But at the same time it raises fairly serious objections from a historical point of view. On the basis of unquestionable monumental records (the cylinder of Cyrus, the inscription of Nabonidus, and others), it is now established that Cyrus entered Babylon peacefully and even solemnly, and that he not only did not touch the local deities but even showed them signs of special attention. Neither Cyrus nor his successor Cambyses touched the famous golden idol of Bel-Merodach in Babylon; only the third king, Xerxes, carried it away from there, according to Herodotus (I, 183). To eliminate this obvious and rather sharp contradiction, we propose the following sort of hypothesis. All the speech of the prophet Isaiah about the overthrow of the gods of Babylon is not so much a prophetic vision, in the proper and strict sense of the word, as an allegorical metaphor — a new and powerful denunciation of heathenism generally. And since every poetic metaphor allows for plausible fiction, in this case the living creative imagination of the prophet creates exactly such a picture as would have been in this instance. And it is not the poet-prophet’s fault that historical reality made a sharp departure here from the usual pattern. But even this slight defect has for us the significance of a major gain. It shows with certainty that all this section — one of the most chronologically tempting — was written before the fact of which it speaks, and does not represent a later description of already accomplished events, as is usually insisted upon by the defenders of the hypothesis of Deutero-Isaiah.

Isaiah 46:3. Listen to me, house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, borne by me from the womb, carried from the birth of your mother: Isaiah 46:4. And to your old age I am the same, and to your gray hairs I will bear you; I have made and I will bear, support and guard you. The sad fate of the deities of conquered Babylon (which the prophet had the right to expect, although reality did not vindicate his expectations) gives the prophet a convenient opportunity to use it as grateful material for a fresh development and proof of his favorite thought — about the immeasurable superiority of the God of Israel in comparison with the insignificance of heathen gods. “Listen to me, house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel.” To the question to whom this address is directed and who is understood here as the “remnant,” the most correct answer, based on comparison of parallels, is that this refers to all, in general, representatives of the chosen tribe, without distinction of its tribes, who by the time of the fall of Babylon will remain or, more precisely, will be found in it (Isa 1:9; Isa 10:20-22; Isa 11:16; Isa 40:27; Isa 41:8; Isa 43:24; Isa 44:1; Isa 45 and others). “Borne by me from the womb, carried from the birth of your mother, and to your old age I am the same... I will bear you... support and guard you.” A strong and sustained antithesis to heathen gods. Regarding the latter, it is not known when they were registered as protectors of men; but it is well known that at the first necessity for this, they proved impotent to provide actual help. The true God of Israel provides his almighty help to the people chosen by him in all periods of its historical life, that is from its very beginning to the end of its historical existence. Heathen gods need men to carry them, support and guard them; the true God of Israel acts in exactly the opposite way: he himself, like an eagle bearing its young, bears his people, supports and guards it (Exod 19:4; Deut 32:11-12; Isa 44:2; Hos 11:3; Luke 13:34).

Isaiah 46:5. To whom will you liken me, and compare me, and make me like, so that we should be similar? “To whom will you liken me and compare me.” Almost a literal repetition of what was said earlier (Isa 40:18), having in this case a new, compelling motive in the sight of the mockery of these so precious and so revered idols.

Isaiah 46:6. They pour out gold from the purse and weigh out silver on the scale, and they hire a silversmith to make a god from it; they bow down to it and prostrate before it; Isaiah 46:7. They lift it onto their shoulders, carry it and set it in its place; it stands, it does not move from its place; they cry out to it — it does not answer, it does not save from trouble. In these verses once again a strong satirical denunciation is given of Babylonian idol-worship, which we have encountered before (Isa 44:11-12 and Isa 40:19). “They lift it onto their shoulders.” A reference to those solemn religious processions, a hint of which was also given above (Isa 45:20). “They cry out to it, it does not answer.” Strong irony about the complete uselessness of heathen deities. In the Bible it has for itself also a firm historical basis in the story of the sacrifice on Carmel, when the rivals of the prophet of God — Elijah — cried out in vain to their gods (1 Sam 18:26-29). Isa 46:8-11. A moral exhortation, as a conclusion to what has been said, chiefly directed to those of Israel who have gone astray.

Isaiah 46:8. Remember this and show yourselves men; take this, transgressors, to heart; “Remember this... take this, transgressors, to heart”; that is, be attentive, try to understand all that has been said to you — both the insignificance of heathen deities and the greatness of the Almighty Lord. The address — remember — is similar to one of the nearest, earlier chapters (Isa 44:21), as also the very name of the addressees of the discourse, “transgressors” compels us, by analogy (Isa 48:8), to see in them representatives of the whole people of Israel, since an incomparably greater part of it had indeed found itself in the position of “transgressors,” having fallen away (though perhaps unconsciously) from faith in the true Lord.

Isaiah 46:9. Remember what came to be before, from the beginning of the age, for I am God, and there is no other God, and there is none like me. Isaiah 46:10. I declare from the beginning what will be in the end, and from ancient times that which has not yet come to pass, I say: My counsel shall stand, and all that is my pleasure I will do. “Remember what came to be before, from the beginning of the age... My counsel shall stand, and all that is my pleasure I will do.” An appeal to what was done, references to the eternity and timeliness of the plans of Divine Predestination and an indication of the immutability of His counsels — this is one of the favorite and fairly often used literary devices of this writing (Isa 14:24; Isa 41:22; Isa 43:16 and others). In this case such, purely formal verification, contains within itself also a hint of more positive content, namely of that Divine determination according to which the low-fallen world of culture was to be renewed by the influx of fresh peoples, and the descendants of Japheth shall dwell in the tents of Shem (Gen 9:25-27). The right to so think is given by the following verse, where the discourse again turns to Cyrus, the chief cause of such a change.

Isaiah 46:11. I have called the eagle from the east, from a far country, the executor of my determination. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have determined, and I will do it. “I have called the eagle from the east, from a far country.” If before this the prophet wanted to touch the hearts of his listeners with the memory of the past, now he wants to strike them with a prediction of the future, a prediction, though not new, but so important and serious that the prophet often turns to it in such cases, as to the weightiest argument. By the image of the “eagle,” raised up by God from the east for the realization of his providential plans, as is clear from the context (Isa 41:2), Cyrus is understood, called thus either for the swiftness and power of his campaigns, or because he had the image of an eagle on his banners, of which Xenophon also spoke (Cyropaedia VIII, 1, 4).

Isaiah 46:12. Listen to me, you of hard heart, far from righteousness: In the two final verses of this chapter an concluding address is given to people who have completely become coarse, to whose ears access by the prophetic word is particularly difficult, which is why he approaches them only at the end of all, after the two preceding addresses, first to the “remnant” (implicitly — the better part) of the house of Israel (v. 3), then to the “transgressors,” that is, though larger but worse part of it (v. 8). “You of hard heart, far from righteousness.” Although by “hard of heart” Scripture usually understands the whole “stiff-necked” Israel, unbelieving in the Messiah, despite all the benefits and wonders given to it (Ezek 2:6; Ezek 3:7; Isa 50:2; Isa 65:2), nevertheless, according to the course of the author’s thought, in this case we must see not all Israel, but its most hopeless part. In the prophet’s accusatory and exhortatory discourse there is its own gradation, and this — the highest and final member of the given gradation, that is, not ordinary Jews, but the most hardened among them, in particular, for instance, their scribes and chief priests, who neither enter the kingdom of heaven themselves and those wishing to enter it they do not let in (Matt 23:13). They are also called far from “righteousness”; by “righteousness” in the language of the Bible, is usually understood He who said of himself later: “I am the way..., the truth and the life” (John 14:6), His judgments, His righteous sentences. The more particular meaning of this “righteousness” is revealed in the following verse.

Isaiah 46:13. I have brought near my righteousness, it is not far, and my salvation will not tarry; and I will give to Zion salvation, to Israel my glory. “I have brought near my righteousness, it is not far, and my salvation will not tarry.” By the “righteousness” brought near by God, is understood here, in the first place, the salvation of the people of God from Babylonian captivity, which is the starting point of all the discourses of the prophet. But, as everywhere, so also in this case, this immediate historical event also has a corresponding allegorical significance, serving as a prefiguration of the spiritual salvation spoken of further. “And I will give to Zion salvation, to Israel my glory.” According to the terminology of the prophet Isaiah, the word “Zion” has a fairly definite meaning — it points to the center of the future, restored and spiritually renewed Israel, destined to come into being already with the coming of the Messiah (Isa 1:26-27; Isa 29:1; Isa 38:11; Isa 40:10; Isa 62 and others). And since, according to the word of the apostle, this salvation will come “from the Jews” (John 4:22), that is, through the mediation of this chosen tribe, it will of course also serve to the glorification of its true sons, as noted also by Simeon the God-Receiver in the concluding words of his prayer: “a light to enlighten the nations and glory of your people Israel” (Luke 2:32). * * * Nebuchadnezzar — Editor’s note. about 80 meters. Editor’s note.