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Author: Eduardo Freire Canosa
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1 The Lord will have compassion on Jacob; once again he will choose Israel and will settle them in their own land. Aliens will join them and unite with the house of Jacob.
2 Nations will take them and bring them to their own place. And the house of Israel will possess the nations as menservants and maidservants in the Lord's land. They will make captives of their captors and rule over their oppressors.
3 On the day the Lord gives you relief from suffering and turmoil and cruel bondage,
4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has come to an end! How his fury has ended!
5 The Lord has broken the rod of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers,
6 which in anger struck down peoples with unceasing blows, and in fury subdued nations with relentless aggression.
7 All the lands are at rest and at peace; they break into singing.
8 Even the pine trees and the cedars of Lebanon exult over you and say, "Now that you have been laid low, no woodsman comes to cut us down."
9 The grave below is all astir to meet you at your coming; it rouses the spirits of the departed to greet you—all those who were leaders in the world; it makes them rise from their thrones—all those who were kings over the nations.
10 They will all respond, they will say to you, "You also have become weak, as we are; you have become like us."
11 All your pomp has been brought down to the grave, along with the noise of your harps; maggots are spread out beneath you and worms cover you.
12 How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!
13 You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.
14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High."
15 But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit.
16 Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: "Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble,
17 the man who made the world a desert, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?"
18 All the kings of the nations lie in state, each in his own tomb.
19 But you are cast out of your tomb like a rejected branch; you are covered with the slain, with those pierced by the sword, those who descend to the stones of the pit. Like a corpse trampled underfoot,
20 you will not join them in burial, for you have destroyed your land and killed your people. The offspring of the wicked will never be mentioned again.
21 Prepare a place to slaughter his sons for the sins of their forefathers; they are not to rise to inherit the land and cover the earth with their cities.
22 "I will rise up against them," declares the Lord Almighty. "I will cut off from Babylon her name and survivors, her offspring and descendants," declares the Lord.
23 "I will turn her into a place for owls and into swampland; I will sweep her with the broom of destruction," declares the Lord Almighty.
24 The Lord Almighty has sworn, "Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand.
25 I will crush the Assyrian in my land; on my mountains I will trample him down. His yoke will be taken from my people, and his burden removed from their shoulders."
26 This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched out over all nations.
27 For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?
28 This oracle came in the year King Ahaz died:
29 Do not rejoice, all you Philistines, that the rod that struck you is broken; from the root of that snake will spring up a viper, its fruit will be a darting, venomous serpent.
30 The poorest of the poor will find pasture, and the needy will lie down in safety. But your root I will destroy by famine; it will slay your survivors.
31 Wail, O gate! Howl, O city! Melt away, all you Philistines! A cloud of smoke comes from the north, and there is not a straggler in its ranks.
32 What answer shall be given to the envoys of that nation? "The Lord has established Zion, and in her his afflicted people will find refuge."
The bulk of this chapter (verses 3-23) concerns Babylon, so those twenty-one verses are transferred to Revised Chapter 13. The remainder is a mishmash of seven scripts.
Revised Chapter 14 picks out two verses of the canonical chapter, imports four more and dons the title, "The Philistines."
1-2. The Lord will have compassion on Jacob; once again he will choose Israel and will settle them in their own land. Aliens will join them and unite with the house of Jacob. 2 Nations will take them and bring them to their own place. And the house of Israel will possess the nations as menservants and maidservants in the Lord's land. They will make captives of their captors and rule over their oppressors.
Analysis: These verses call up the Root of Jesse. In Revised Chapter 11 the nations rally to the Root of Jesse and he gathers the house of Jacob and the exiles of Israel scattered all over the earth. Here aliens unite with the house of Jacob and the nations bring the house of Israel back to their own place in obedience to the Lord's will.
Destination: Revised Chapter 11, "The Root of Jesse."
3-23. On the day the Lord gives you relief from suffering and turmoil and cruel bondage, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has come to an end! How his fury has ended! 5 The Lord has broken the rod of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers, 6 which in anger struck down peoples with unceasing blows, and in fury subdued nations with relentless aggression. 7 All the lands are at rest and at peace; they break into singing. 8 Even the pine trees and the cedars of Lebanon exult over you and say, "Now that you have been laid low, no woodsman comes to cut us down." 9 The grave below is all astir to meet you at your coming; it rouses the spirits of the departed to greet you—all those who were leaders in the world; it makes them rise from their thrones—all those who were kings over the nations. 10 They will all respond, they will say to you, "You also have become weak, as we are; you have become like us." 11 All your pomp has been brought down to the grave, along with the noise of your harps; maggots are spread out beneath you and worms cover you. 12 How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! 13 You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. 14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." 15 But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit. 16 Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: "Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble, 17 the man who made the world a desert, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?" 18 All the kings of the nations lie in state, each in his own tomb. 19 But you are cast out of your tomb like a rejected branch; you are covered with the slain, with those pierced by the sword, those who descend to the stones of the pit. Like a corpse trampled underfoot, 20 you will not join them in burial, for you have destroyed your land and killed your people. The offspring of the wicked will never be mentioned again. 21 Prepare a place to slaughter his sons for the sins of their forefathers; they are not to rise to inherit the land and cover the earth with their cities. 22 "I will rise up against them," declares the Lord Almighty. "I will cut off from Babylon her name and survivors, her offspring and descendants," declares the Lord. 23 "I will turn her into a place for owls and into swampland; I will sweep her with the broom of destruction," declares the Lord Almighty.
Destination: Revised Chapter 13, "Babylon."
24. The Lord Almighty has sworn, "Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand.
Analysis: This verse is bound up with verses 26-27. "As I have planned" (v 24) bonds with "This is the plan determined" (v 26). The "Lord Almighty" is the planner.
Destination: Revised Chapter 24, "The Day of The Lord,"
24 The Lord Almighty has sworn, "Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand." 26 This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched out over all nations. 27 For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?
25. I will crush the Assyrian in my land; on my mountains I will trample him down. His yoke will be taken from my people, and his burden removed from their shoulders.
Destination: Clearly Revised Chapter 10, "Assyria,"
10:24 Therefore this is what the Lord, the Lord Almighty, says: "O my people who live in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrians, who beat you with a rod and lift up a club against you, as Egypt did. 10:25 Very soon my anger against you will end and my wrath will be directed to their destruction. 25 I will crush the Assyrian in my land; on my mountains I will trample him down. His yoke will be taken from my people, and his burden removed from their shoulders."
26-27. This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched out over all nations. 27 For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?
Destination: Revised Chapter 24, "The Day of The Lord." See verse 24 for the placement of verses 26-27.
28. This oracle came in the year King Ahaz died:
Analysis: The oracle has no kinship with verse 29, "Do not rejoice, all you Philistines, that the rod that struck you is broken," because King Ahaz did not "strike" the Philistines, rather the Philistines struck him: they raided towns in the foothills and in the Negev, captured and occupied Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco, Timnah and Gimzo (2 Chronicles 28:18). Revised Chapter 1, "The Invasion of Judah During the Reign of Ahaz," describes the raids this way, "Arameans from the east and Philistines from the west have devoured Israel with open mouth" (Isaiah 9:12). Verse 28 is in fact a loner verse and the true oracle about King Ahaz lies hidden in other chapters.
Destination: Revised Chapter 30, "The Oracle About King Ahaz."
30. The poorest of the poor will find pasture, and the needy will lie down in safety. But your root I will destroy by famine; it will slay your survivors.
Destination: The speaker is the Lord ("I will destroy by famine") who, by juxtaposition, is furious with the rich for neglecting the poor. In fact this is the close of a reassembled, trenchant "Woe to" rebuke found in Revised Chapter 5, The Vineyard of The Lord,"
3:14 The Lord enters into judgment against the elders and leaders of his people: "It is you who have ruined my vineyard; the plunder from the poor is in your houses. 3:15 What do you mean by crushing my people and grinding the faces of the poor?" declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty. 10:3 "What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches? 10:4 Nothing will remain but to cringe among the captives or fall among the slain." Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised.30 "The poorest of the poor will find pasture, and the needy will lie down in safety. But your root I will destroy by famine; it will slay your survivors."
32. What answer shall be given to the envoys of that nation? "The Lord has established Zion, and in her his afflicted people will find refuge."
Analysis: The envoys might in principle be from the "the land of whirring wings along the rivers of Cush" (Isaiah 18:1) or be the envoys sent by Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon (Isaiah 39:1). However verse 32 states that the Lord's people are "afflicted" (2 Kings 18:13) and that they will find refuge in Zion (2 Kings 19:32-34). This statement can only tab Sennacherib's invasion and so the envoys come from Cush.
Destination: Revised Chapter 18, "Cush."
17:9. In that day their strong cities, which they left because of the Israelites, will be like places abandoned to thickets and undergrowth. And all will be desolation.
33:7-9. Look, their brave men cry aloud in the streets; the envoys of peace weep bitterly. 8 The highways are deserted, no travelers are on the roads. The treaty is broken, its witnesses are despised, no one is respected. 9 The land mourns and wastes away, Lebanon is ashamed and withers; Sharon is like the Arabah, and Bashan and Carmel drop their leaves.
29 Do not rejoice, all you Philistines, that the rod that struck you is broken; from the root of that snake will spring up a viper, its fruit will be a darting, venomous serpent.
31 Wail, O gate! Howl, O city! Melt away, all you Philistines! A cloud of smoke comes from the north, and there is not a straggler in its ranks.
33:7 Look, their brave men cry aloud in the streets; the envoys of peace weep bitterly. 33:8 The highways are deserted, no travelers are on the roads. The treaty is broken, its witnesses are despised, no one is respected. 33:9 The land mourns and wastes away, Lebanon is ashamed and withers; Sharon is like the Arabah, and Bashan and Carmel drop their leaves.
17:9 In that day their strong cities, which they left because of the Israelites, will be like places abandoned to thickets and undergrowth. And all will be desolation.
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