A commentary upon the whole Old Testament, added to that of the same author upon the whole New Testament published many years before, to make a compleat work upon the whole Bible. Vols. 2-4. Wherein the divers translations and expositions, literall and mysticall, of all the most famous commentators both ancient and modern are propounded, examined, and judged of, for the more full satisfaction of the studious reader in all things, and many most genuine notions inserted for edification in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. A work, the like unto which hath never yet been published by any man, yet very necessary, nor only for students in divinity; but also for every Christian that loveth the knowledge of divine things, or humane, whereof this comment is also full. Consisting of IV parts. I Upon the Pentateuch, or five books of Moses. II Upon the historical part, from Joshua to Esther. III Upon Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Solomons Song. IV Upon all the prophets both great and small. By John Mayer, doctor of divinity.

CHAP. XIII.

AFter the prophecy touching Christ began, Cha. 7. and ending, Cha. 12. Here follows ten particular visions of judgements to come upon divers countreys, which were then most infest enemies to the people of God, as Jerom distinguish∣eth * 1.1 them, 1. Babylon, chap. 13, 14. 2. Palestine, chap. 14. 28. 3. Moab, cha. 15. 4. Damascus, chap. 17, 18. 5. Egypt, chap. 19, 20. 6. The Desert of the Sea, chap. 21. 7. Idumea, vers. 11, 12. 8. Arabia, vers. 13. 9. The valley of vision, chap. 22. 10. Tyrus, chap. 23. Junius makes chap. 13, 14. to cohere with the 5. * 1.2 and 6. thus: there judgement is threatned by people of a far countrey, which could not but be understood of the Caldees or Babylonians. Now prophecies touching Christ and his kingdom coming between, chap. 7, 8, 9, 11, 12. here for the comfort of Gods people by these enemies oppressed, the destruction of Ba∣bylon is threatned, Chap. 13. and joy and a song of praise and thanksgiving for it promised, chap. 14. But it is to be noted that both chap 7. 8. 9. and 10. contain as manifest prophecies of judgements against Israel and Judah, both by Assyrians and Caldeans, as the 5. and 6. and therefore the present prophecy relates alike to them all. And the Lord having begun by his prophet to threaten Babylon, pro∣ceeds in the same kinde of argument, till he hath run through all neighbour∣countreys with the like threatnings, and the wicked in Ierusalem also to the end of Chap. 23. But whereas Ierom makes Egypt the 5. and so but 10. in all, Iunius makes Ethiopia the 5. Egypt the 6. But to return to Babylon in particular.

The Burthen of Babylon, &c. the Septuagint improperly the vision, saith Ie∣rom, * 1.3 because when heavy and sad things only are foretold, the prophecy touch∣ing them is commonly called a burthen. Now Babylon here threatned was the Metropolis of the Caldees, as Nineveh of the Assyrians, the Kings whereof Phul, Tiglath Pilesar, Salmanasar, and Sennacherib, reigned as Monarchs of the world before, and destroyed the kingdom of Israel, but their City Nineveh was destroied likewise, and their Empire, by the King of Babylon, and now the city of Babylon is threatned with destruction by the Medes and Persians, when they had first under Nebuchadnezzar destroied Ierusalem and the kingdom of Iudah, in the 11 year of Zedekiah, Now the Lord foretels by his Prophets heavy things to come for grievous sins, that all may know that they come from the Lord, and not by chance, and cals them burthens, yet Ier. 23. 36. he reproves the people for calling prophecies burthen, as who did hereby seek to render them odious, * 1.4 and consequently all prophesying, because for the most parts by reason of sin a∣bounding prophesying was a terrible threatning against the wicked, such as the far greater part alwaies were, yet forsomuch as they tended to move to repen∣tance, and so to prevent those judgements, they ought willingly to have heard them.

Lift up a sign upon the high mountain, &c. Junius, super montem eminentem, Jerom, super montem caliginosum, a dark mountain according to the most proper * 1.5 signification of the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 here used, for it signifyeth the twilight, and Ba∣bylon is so called for the judgements to come upon her, which should make her as obscure, as now she was for her power and wealth glorious. This was not, saith Oecolampadius, the Babylon that now is, but that which was first built by Queen Semiramis, of the greatnesse whereof see in my Exposition upon Ezra, * 1.6 which was destroied by the Medes and Persians, lying ever since in obscurity, and re-built no more. But seeing Babylon stood in a plain, why doth he call it a moun∣tain? Calvin answers well, because it was like a mountain in power, and a state * 1.7 which might be thought unmoveable as a mountain. By bidding to lift up a sign, he means a standard, as is used for the gathering together of souldiers, for the de∣struction of Babylon, so chap. 5. 26. and who were they that should do it but the

Medes and Persians, as is shewed plainly vers. 17. In that the Prophet there∣fore who had no power over them to call them together, saith thus, we must * 1.8 look to God, in whose name he doth it, at whose command all hosts are. And he speaks as if it were now in doing for the more assurance to the faithfull, and for their comfort against their sufferings by the Caldees, which should be be∣fore. Enter the gates of the munificent; That is, of the Babylonish Princes, who were many inhabiting there, for so our Lord saith, That they who rule amongst the Gentiles are called Benefactours, as having abundance of wealth, where∣with they might well be so. And this implieth, that they were of great might, yet even their gates these enemies should enter and prevail, notwithstanding all their great power and glory. For the title given to Babylon, A dark moun∣tain; there may be other reasons also given, as that the high buildings and many Towers made it seem like a Mountain, though it stood upon a Plain, and by reason of Fens about it, from whence fogs arose, it was dark. But speci∣ally for an admirable Garden, the ground whereof was raised so high, that it darkned the City. Of this Josephus saith, Nebuchadnezzar hung heaps of stones upon iron-arches like Mountains, being above set with many kindes of * 1.9 trees for his wives sake, who was a Mede, that she might behold some resem∣blance of her own Countrey therein.

I have commanded my sanctified ones, &c. The Septuagint, saith Jerom, have * 1.10 it, Princes and Giants. Eusebius, Angelical Powers, because they thought it strange, that the Heathen Medes should be called sanctified ones, but why not as well as Nebuchadnezzar his servant, and done by Jeremy. Calvin renders it, My prepared ones, as the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 sometime signifieth; the Syriack, my sanctification. It is nothing absurd to call the men whom God set apart to this holy warre, to punish a wicked people, his sanctified ones; and Cyrus the chief of them seemed to have some sanctifying grace in him, by whom haply more of his Army were drawn to worship and acknowledge the true God. And he calleth the same his valiant ones rejoycing in his glory, because their strength, whereby they gat them such glory by subduing Babylon, was the strength of the Allmighty, and not their own.

A voice of a multitude in the Mountains, &c. The Lord commanded to destroy * 1.11 the whole earth. Here he sheweth, That the Persian Army should consist of very many of divers Nations; But by the whole earth he meaneth nothing else, but the Babylonian Countrey, according to the Scripture phrase, where∣by any Countrey is commonly so spoken of. So Jerom. Calvin addeth, That * 1.12 the Babylonian Dominion is so singularly called for the amplitude thereof. And the voice is said to be on the mountains, saith Musculus, because the Medes * 1.13 Countrey was mountainous.

Howl, because the day of the Lord is at hand, &c: Here and ver. 7, 8. the Ba∣bylonians * 1.14 misery is further described, by shewing, how they should lament and be stricken with sorrow, which should appear in their faces, for which, he saith, Their faces are the faces of flames, alluding, as Musculus hath it, to the face of a Smith at dark night, when he stands blowing his fire, for his face appears, as if it had no bloud in it, most wan and pale.

Behold the cruel day of the Lord shall come, and indignation, &c. From the * 1.15 people that should suffer, now the Prophet turns to another rhetorical way of aggravating the calamity of that time, as if then they should have no comfort of the light, but all horrour through darknesse, in this and vers. 10. And he cals it a cruel day, saith Jerom, because execution should then be done upon * 1.16 on the cruel, who should think it cruelty, as the thief who is lead to hanging, thinks the Judge cruel that condemned him.

The Stars and Sun shall not give their light, &c. This is spoken hyperbolically, * 1.17 the meaning being nothing else, but that the light of these heavenly bodies should be nothing to them for their anguish and sorrow, accounting the light from heaven, which commonly is comfortable to the inhabitants of the earth, no light or comfort to them, because in their minds there was no light of com∣fort,

but darkness of sorrow. For, as Calvin hath it, by the Sun God shews his comfortable face unto us, when it shineth upon the earth to make it fru∣ctifie, * 1.18 for which it is said, He makes his Sun to shine upon the good and bad. The Prophet therefore in saying, The Sun shall be darkned, &c. means, that when the Babylonians shall suffer this judgement by the Medes, they shall have no comfort from God to ease their grief, but if they look up to Heaven, more sor∣row added to their sorrow, there being not one spark of heavenly light appear∣ing to them, set forth by the stars also losing their light. For stars, as Jerom saith, the Septuagint have Orion, and the Hebrew, who was his master, Arctu∣rus, looking at the word Chesile. But where he found that word, I know not, Hebr. it being Cocabai, Stars.

And I will visit upon the world their iniquity, &c. Some, saith Ierom, think * 1.19 that the general destruction of the world is here prophesied of, but by the world he understands the Kingdom of Babylon, which for the amplitude thereof, being the greatest part of the world then known is thus termed, and the rather to shew, that if all the world agreed together to sinne, God can as easily destroy them, as he did once the old world, that none may be harden∣ed in sin, although it may be most common, and millions fear not to commit * 1.20 it. Whereas he further addeth, And upon the wicked their sins; Hereby the greater and prouder ones are set forth, who sin by pride and tyranny, as the next words do shew, And I will cast down the iniquity of the proud, and haugh∣tinesse of tyrants. And then by the world before threatned, understand the common people in all places; so Calvin.

And a man shall be more precious then gold, &c. Hereby the general destruction of * 1.21 the Babylonians is intimated, there should be so few left alive, that a man should be a rare sight there, where formerly they abounded so, that Babylon alone seem∣ed to be a little world, for that which is rare is said to be precious, as in the days of Eli, the word of God is said to be precious, that is, rare. Note here that the word man is twice used, the first being Hebr. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the second 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, betwixt which if we will distinguish, the first sets forth the common sort of men, the second men of more eminency. But how was this verified, whenas at the de∣struction of Babylon by the Medes, the greatest part were spared, as the Histo∣ry sheweth, and the City stood full of stately buildings and inhabitants after this, till the time of Alexander the Great? Oecolampadius answers, that it is * 1.22 meant here, that the destruction should then begin, but in process of time be perfected, and not brought to such desolation upon the sudden. For so the event answers the History, after the destruction of the Babylonish by the Medes and Persians begun, Chesiphon a goodly City was built not far off, that by this means Babylon might be left, and after this in Seleucus his time Seleucia another fair City, after which that Babylon came to utter ruine.

And I will shake the heaven and the earth. Some, saith Musculus, understand * 1.23 this properly, as if it should then thunder and be a great earthquake, but it is better to take it siguratively, as ver. 10. So likewise Ierom.

And it shall be as a young Doe, and a sheep. That is, so fearfull shall the * 1.24 Babylonians be, as these creatures before the Lion or the Wolf having shepherd or keeper, when the Medes shall break into their City, as they did, in the night, they being for the most part drunken, and because of the great strength of their wals, nothing suspecting the irruption of enemies.

The Prophet proceeds to aggravate their misery, for none shall be spa∣red * 1.25 from the sword of the men, that they can come by, or of the children from being dasht against the stones; see a like passage, Psal. 137.

He shews by whom all this shall be done, viz. the Medes; and if any shall * 1.26 think by their wealth to ransom themselves, that they may be spared, or their children, they shall be deceived, because gold or silver shall not by them be re∣garded. So Babylon the glory of Kingdoms shall be overthrown as Sodom, Chap. 1. he saith, If the Lord had not left us a remnant, we had been as So∣dom. The destruction of Sodom was the greatest and most stupendious, that

ever we read of, being with fire from the Lord from Heaven, and all both edi∣fices and people being burnt to ashes, and so remaining to this day. But in * 1.27 comparing Babels destruction to this, he means not, that it shall likewise be consumed with fire from Heaven, or burnt down at all: for the event shewed the contrary, as was touched before. But that as Sodom was manifestly de∣stroyed by Gods hand, so all shall acknowledge that Babel was, because other∣wise no adverse power could have done it, not only for its own strength, but the mighty Kingdoms unto it belonging, which were two and twenty, and as Sodom destroyed was never re-built again, no more should Babel. Lastly, not one of Sodom escaped destruction (whereas Ierusalem being destroyed a rem∣nant escaped) no more should any of Babel, not one being since the utter ru∣ine thereof left to dwell there. For this is the difference, which God puts be∣twixt the wicked world and his Church, they all perish into one; but the Church, though most perish, yet some are saved in all places everlastingly; and here the hottest persecutions have not been able to prevail so far, as to destroy all Christians, as neither the tyranny of wicked Kings of old to destroy all the Jews.

To shew the greatness of Babels desolation after the utter ruining of it, he * 1.28 saith, That it shall not be inhabited any more from generation to generation, no not so much as by an Arabian pitching his Tent there, or a shepherd, it be∣ing altogether possessed by wilde beasts and terrible spectraes, fraying all men away from thence for ever. To shew the accomplishment of this Prophecie, Jerom saith, that a certain Frier an Elamite told him, that within all the ground * 1.29 inclosed by those huge wals of Babylon, inhabited none but wilde beasts, to hunt which the King oft resorted thither. For the Arabian here named, they were a kinde of people thus called, who applied themselves to nothing else, but to keep cattel, living in Tents, and removing from time to time to other places, as they fed up the ground where they came. In saying therefore, that an Ara∣bian should not pitch his Tent there, he meaneth, That there should be such a desolation as was not of any Countrey, but only of Sodom. Calvin saith, That by the Arabians those of Arabia deserta are to be understood, who leaving * 1.30 their Countrey, because it is barren, wandered about and pitcht their Tents wheresoever they could finde pasture; but to Babylon the Prophet sheweth, that they should not come after the destruction thereof, either because of the great slaughters of men made there, which terrified them from coming, or be∣cause of the curse of God upon the ground, making it barren ever after. But the words following ver. 21, 22. shew another cause, viz. the terrible things appearing there, as Zijm and Jim, Dragons and Devils, and Ohim. By Zijm, some understand all sorts of terrible wilde bersts, by Ohim Apes with tails, or Wolves, Foxes and such like; by Benoth Jagnanah, young Ostriches; by Seg∣narim, some Satyrs, some Devils appearing in such shapes. Jim are by some rendred Owls, by some Cats; but the word from which it cometh, signifieth to terrifie. The Septuagint render Ohim, clamours and sounds; the Hebrews themselves, saith Calvin, are uncertain how to expound these words, onely all agree, That devils who delight in desert places shall haunt Babylon thus brought to desolation, so that men shall not dare to come and abide any more there. Jerom applieth this to spiritual Babylon, prophesied of in the Revelati∣on, which shall likewise, after she hath long flourished, come also to ruine and desolation. But he sheweth not, which City now extant this is, but others long ago have not doubted, but that it is Rome, whose fatal time is yet to come. Munster in his Cosmography speaks of two Babylons more besides this, which was the seat of the Caldees Empire, viz. Seleucia, afterwards called Babylon, three hundred and twenty furlongs from this; and another in Egypt, called also Cair, being a most mighty and populous City.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Hieronym.
• * 1.2

  Junius.
• * 1.3

  Vers. 1. Hieronym.
• * 1.4

  Calv.
• * 1.5

  Vers. 2. Junius. Hieronym.
• * 1.6

  Oecolamp.
• * 1.7

  Calvin.
• * 1.8

  Muscul.
• * 1.9

  Joseph. Antiq. l. 10. c. 13.
• * 1.10

  Vers. 3. Hieronym.
• * 1.11

  Vers. 4. Hieron.
• * 1.12

  Calvin.
• * 1.13

  Musculus.
• * 1.14

  Vers. 6.
• * 1.15

  Vers. 9.
• * 1.16

  Hieron.
• * 1.17

  Vers. 10.
• * 1.18

  Calvin.
• * 1.19

  Vers. 11. Hieron.
• * 1.20

  Calvin.
• * 1.21

  Vers. 12. Hieron.
• * 1.22

  Oecolamp.
• * 1.23

  Vers. 13. Muscul. Hieronym.
• * 1.24

  Vers. 14.
• * 1.25

  Vers. 15. 16.
• * 1.26

  Vers. 17. 18. 19.
• * 1.27

  Oecolamp.
• * 1.28

  Vers. 20.
• * 1.29

  Hieronym.
• * 1.30

  Calvin.