Chapter Forty-Seven

1–5. The fall of proud Babylon. 6–7. The immediate cause of this – contempt for God’s people and excessive arrogance. 8–11. The suddenness of Babylon’s destruction and an indication of the deeper causes of its collapse. 12–15. An artistically ironic depiction of Babylon’s complete helplessness in the face of the calamities descending upon it.

This chapter is a direct continuation of the previous one: in that one, the overthrow of Babylon’s deity was discussed; in this one, the fall of the city itself is spoken of. But just as in the preceding chapter, Babylon’s deities were taken not so much in themselves as symbolizing all paganism, so here the city of Babylon – the proud capital of a world monarchy – is taken, evidently, as a type of the whole ancient pagan world standing on the threshold of a serious historical catastrophe. Therefore, here too, as before, we should not apply to the biblical text all the demands of finicky historical criticism, keeping firmly in mind that we are dealing here not so much with concrete-historical as with abstract-typological prophecy.

Isa 47:1-3. In vivid imagery, perfectly corresponding to oriental customs and morals, is described the state of extreme shame and degradation to which proud Babylon was soon to be subjected, evidently upon its conquest by Cyrus.

Isaiah 47:1. Come down and sit in the dust, maiden, daughter of Babylon; sit on the ground: there is no throne, daughter of the Chaldeans, and you shall no longer be called tender and luxurious. “Come down and sit in the dust, maiden, daughter of Babylon... daughter of the Chaldeans.” In the Bible, the city of Babylon is often personified as a noble woman, or royal daughter, who has merited disgrace and cursing for her impiety. “O daughter of Babylon the accursed” – cries the Psalmist in his well-known psalm (Ps 136:8). However, it should be noted that the image of a woman, or daughter, is one of the most commonly used in the Bible to denote a nation or its center; hence “daughter of Zion,” “daughter of Sidon,” “daughter of Jerusalem,” “daughter of Moab,” and so forth (Isa 1:8; Isa 23:12; 2 Sam 19:21; Zech 9 and others). Coming down from height and sitting in dust, in the language of Scripture, means sorrow and shame, as we know from the history of Job (Job 2:8) and from many other examples (Deut 28:56; Jer 13:18; Jer 48 and others). Here it especially sharply emphasizes the contrast in Babylon’s position, once sitting at the height of power and glory, now descended to the very bottom, to roadside dust. “And you shall no longer be called tender and luxurious.” The luxuriousness and indulgence of Babylon are testified to unanimously by both biblical and pagan writers (Isa 13:22; Isa 14:11; Dan 5:1; Herod. 1, 195, 199; Curtius V, 1), rightly seeing in it one of the chief causes of the internal demoralization of the Assyro-Babylonian monarchy and its rapid political downfall.

Isaiah 47:2. Take millstones and grind meal; remove your veil, lift your skirt, expose your legs, cross the rivers: Isaiah 47:3. your nakedness shall be exposed, and your shame shall be seen. I will take vengeance and spare no one. In strong and vivid imagery of oriental customs is depicted a picture of the city’s extreme degradation and that of the entire nation. “Take millstones and grind meal.” This most difficult occupation in the East was the lot of captives and especially captive women; therefore, of course, it was not only physically difficult but even more so morally for the former queen (Judg 16:21; Exod 11:5). “Remove your veil... Expose your legs... your shame shall be seen.” The East knows no greater degradation for a woman than what is indicated here by the prophet. The removal of the veil and exposure of the body, especially so much as is necessary to wade through a fairly deep river – all these are such insults to feminine honor from which even public women in the East are usually protected (Gen 38:14-15; Jer 13:26; Nah 3:5). Blessed Jerome, in the prophet’s very emphasis on such purely physical details, sees special punishment for Babylon for its grave sin of moral licentiousness.

Isaiah 47:4. Our Redeemer – the Lord of hosts is His name, the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 43:14. “Our Redeemer – the Lord of hosts is His name, the Holy One of Israel.” “All commentators observe that this exclamation bursts from the prophet’s soul, whereas the entire prophecy concerning Babylon is spoken by the prophet in the name of the Lord.” (Vlastov). It contains either a reminder of the inevitability of divine judgment upon Babylon (verse 3, cf. Is.43:14; Isa 44:6) or the prophet’s reverent amazement at God’s mercy shown to Israel in the very fact of the destruction of Babylon as its chief enemy. Isaiah 47:5. Sit in silence and go into darkness, daughter of the Chaldeans: for you shall no longer be called the mistress of kingdoms. “Sit in silence, go into darkness, daughter of the Chaldeans: for you shall no longer be called the mistress of kingdoms.” This section of the speech concerning Babylon’s fate, according to the prophet’s custom, ends with the same pronouncement with which it began – the definitive and irreversible proclamation of the final destruction of the Babylonian monarchy by the blows of its new conqueror. “Darkness” – in the language of Scripture, is a symbol of “misfortune and captivity” (Isa 50:10; Mic 7 and others). Babylon and its kings, as we know from the testimony of the prophet Isaiah himself and other prophets, indeed, rose proudly above all other nations, and its monarchs not without reason bore the title “King of Kings” (Isa 13:19; Ezek 26:7; Dan 2 and others). And now from the position of a ruling sovereign it must pass into the state of a captive slave, confined in a dark solitary prison (cf. Lam 2:10; Lam 3:2; Mic 2:8). Isa 47:6-7. These verses reveal the nearest, immediate causes of such terrible destruction of Babylon. Two are indicated here: one – the cruelty of the inhabitants of Babylon in their treatment of God’s people entrusted into their hands (verse 6), another – the excessive pride and vanity of the inhabitants of Babylon, a trait obviously inherited by them from their ancestors, the builders of the famous Tower of Babylon (Gen 11 ch.).

Isaiah 47:6. I was angry with my people, I profaned my inheritance and gave them into your hand; you showed them no mercy, upon the old you laid your yoke very heavily. “I was angry with my people.” The customary biblical perspective on the political catastrophes in Israel’s life, as a result of God’s wrath for Israel’s faithlessness to the Almighty (2 Sam 24:14; Zech 1:15 and others). “You showed them no mercy.” The cruel and contemptuous treatment of the Babylonians toward the defeated Jews was something outstanding even amid the general brutality of manners at that time (Jer 51:34; Ps 136:8-9; Lam 4:16; Lam 5:12). “Upon the old you laid your yoke very heavily.” The mention of the old here hardly has any concrete significance – it is simply a special device for strengthening and sharpening the thought.

Isaiah 47:7. And you said, “I shall be mistress forever,” and did not take these things to heart, did not remember that such a day would come. “And you said, ‘I shall be mistress forever.’” The tyranny mentioned in the preceding verse was a consequence of another, purely spiritual vice of the Babylonians – their boundless self-exaltation, pride, and vanity. This distinctive trait of the spiritual character of the Babylonians was noted earlier in the prophet Isaiah (Isa 10:5-16; Isa 14:1-23), and it, evidently, was the reason that Assyria and Babylon appear in Scripture as prototypes of the antichrist (Rev 18:9-10).

Isaiah 47:8. But now listen to this, you who are given to pleasures, who sit securely, saying in your heart, “I am, and there is no one besides me; I shall not sit as a widow, nor know the loss of children. From verses 8 through 11 inclusive, the sudden nature of Babylon’s destruction itself is spoken of, its complete bewilderment and helplessness. The address to Babylon, with an indication of its chief properties, recalling the words of the first verse (“given to pleasures,” “sitting securely”).

Isaiah 47:9. But suddenly, in a single day, both of these shall come upon you, the loss of children and widowhood; in full measure they shall come upon you, despite your many sorceries and all your mighty incantations. “But suddenly, in a single day, both of these shall come upon you – the loss of children and widowhood.” We see that in similar terms the Bible generally depicts the destruction of any peoples and states (Jer 1:10-15; Jer 51:36-43 and others). Evidently, for the child-loving Israel there was no greater grief than the sorrowful widowhood and the loss of children, or forced childlessness in general. And therefore these very images stand out as the most vivid symbols of hopeless despair and sorrow. “In full measure they shall come upon you.” These words, quite intelligible in themselves, provoke strong objection from the perspective of their historical authenticity. For it is known that Cyrus conquered Babylon with no bloodshed at all and treated its capture in the highest degree magnanimously and humanely. What, then, do the prophet’s words about full measure of punishment mean? They mean that the prophet was not writing the exact future history of Babylon, but its most probable, conjectural fate. The only certain and undoubted fact in the entire prophecy was the conquest of Babylon itself by Cyrus. Everything further – only plausible conclusions from this indisputable fact. But the latter took a sharp deviation from their usual course; and the prophecy of the author of the book, having lost in these secondary details, gained greatly in the principal, as it gave clear proof that it is a true prophecy; written before the beginning of Babylon’s conquest, and not after it, as negative criticism asserts. 60 “Despite your many sorceries and all your mighty incantations.” From all countries of the ancient East – Chaldea and Babylon, in particular – were lands of magic and spells. From the testimonies of classical writers (Diodorus, Herodotus) and from data of recent excavations in Assyro-Babylonian territory we know that three following chief forms of magic were practiced there: 1) preparation and use of special amulets and talismans with sacred images or words engraved on them, 2) composition and recitation or singing of special incantation formulas for the purpose of driving away evil demons, and 3) preparation of special horoscopes predicting the fate of their possessors. (Bawlinson “Egypt and Babylon”, p. 58; Lenormant “La Magie chez les Chaldéens”; Sayce “Transactions of Societ. of Bibl. Archeol”, vol. III, 145; IV, 302 – The Pulp. Comm. 205). The first and second forms of magic are indicated in this verse, the third – in verse 13: “you are wearied with your many counsels.”

Isaiah 47:10. For you trusted in your wickedness, saying, “No one sees me.” Your wisdom and knowledge led you astray, and you said in your heart, “I am, and there is no one else. “Your wisdom and knowledge led you astray.” Under them can be understood a fairly high development of natural sciences and positive knowledge, in which the Babylonians took great pride. But primarily it should be seen as an indication of the extensive development of astronomy, which was chiefly expressed among them in astrology, or stargazing, leading indeed into a labyrinth of the most terrible superstitions.

Isaiah 47:11. Therefore evil shall come upon you, which you cannot explain away; disaster shall fall upon you, which you will not be able to avert, and ruin shall come upon you suddenly, which you do not expect. Trusting in their sorcery and magic, the Babylonians were convinced that, first, they would never be caught off guard, as they would be able to learn in advance of impending danger from their horoscopes; second, they did not even fear danger itself, as they were sure that through their incantations and spells they could drive away any danger. But in this case, they were about to learn experientially all the powerlessness of such means and all the bitterness of disappointment in them.

Isaiah 47:12. Stay with your spells and your many sorceries with which you have labored from your youth; perhaps you will be able to help yourself, perhaps you will inspire fear. Verses 12–15 – this entire final section develops the same thought, but in a new, artistically ironic form. “Stay with your spells and your many sorceries.” A clear indication of what was said above (verse 9). “Perhaps you will be able to help yourself, perhaps you will inspire fear.” Merciless irony, reminiscent of the prophet Elijah’s similar irony toward the priests of Jezebel during the Carmel sacrifice (1 Sam 18:27).

Isaiah 47:13. You are wearied with your many counsels; let them stand up and save you, those who study the heavens, who gaze at the stars, who monthly predict what shall come upon you. “You are wearied with your many counsels.” The superstitious divinations of the magi were never stable and allowed for the most various reinterpretations, the hearing of which was as difficult as it was useless (Dan 2:2-11; Dan 5:7-8). “Let them stand up and save you, those who study the heavens and gaze at the stars and monthly predict what shall come upon you.” All these astronomers and astrologers evidently represented the cream of Babylonian wisdom, and now the prophet invites them to strain all their efforts to help their homeland in this difficult time.

Isaiah 47:14. Behold, they are like stubble; fire consumes them, – they do not save themselves from the flame; not a coal remains for warming, not a fire for sitting before. “Behold, they are like stubble; fire consumes them... not a coal remains for warming.” But the hope in these false sages is in vain: they are not only powerless to render anyone real help, but are unable to save even themselves. Before the face of God’s wrath they will perish like stubble before fire (Isa 5:24; Isa 40:24; Isa 41:2); and their destruction will be so final and complete that nothing will remain of them, not even the smallest coal from which a new fire could be kindled, as the prophet again notes ironically. In these words can be seen God’s judgment upon paganism in general, as becomes clear from the comparison with the parallel: “The light of Israel will become fire, and His Holy One a flame; it will burn and devour his thorns and his briers in a single day” (Isa 10:17).

Isaiah 47:15. Such have those become to you with whom you have labored, who have traded with you from your youth; each has wandered off in his own direction; no one saves you. “Such,” that is, as equally hopeless in terms of help, as your own sages, have become to you those with whom you have labored – on the cultural, commercial, and military fronts! Evidently, all regions of Western Asia are meant, which stood under the immediate cultural influence of the Assyro-Babylonian monarchy and from which it could expect to receive help. But in vain, for the egotistical politics of others did not recognize such moral obligations. * * * In the Russian translation: “Daughter of Babylon, the spoiler.” In Slavonic it is more expressive. Editor’s note. It seems that these verses are better interpreted as the inevitability of God’s judgment upon the wicked, as it applies to the coming of the Messiah and the sudden punishment of the wicked that will then occur. Editor’s note.