1. he announces his burden to Babylon. For the prophet was very angry with the Babylonians, because they would destroy the rest of the people of Judah and the temple, which the Assyrians had never done.
V. i. The desert by the sea.
2. this name is not to be taken as a description of the nature of the land, but to be understood of the office and work, so that "desert" must be taken in an active way, that it makes desolate oerter, like an overflowing sea, that is, that the monarchy of the Babylonians devours the world and the kingdoms.
How a weather comes from noon.
I will punish your cruelty with cruelty. But he points to the Persians and Medes, through whom he wants to do this.
V. 2: One despiser comes against another, one despised against another.
4 [Instead of: Qui incredulus est etc.) translate: Contemptor contra contemptorem, vastator
contra vastatorem venit, as if to say: You Babylon has long devastated others: Cyrus will come and devastate you too.
Elam.
5. are the Persians.
I will put an end to all his sighing.
6. "His", namely Babylon's. Further understand "the groaning" as above [v. 1.] "the desolation", that is, so that Babylon has made other nations groan. He says: I will put a bit in its mouth, so that it will not continue to frighten and torment others like this. Thus God hears the sighing of the nations; how much more will He hear the cry of His own!
V. 3. For this reason my loins are full of pain.
7 These are prophetic imitations. For he speaks in the person of the Babylonians. But they complain mainly about the loins, in which the power to beget children is. As if he wanted to say: There is neither strength nor happiness, neither to increase the kingdom nor to keep it.
V. 4. I have no rest from it in the dear night.
8 [Instead of: Babylon dilecta mea posita est mihi in miraculum] translate: Dilecta nox posita est mihi in terrorem [The dear night is set to terrify me], "the dear night".
V. 5. Yes, prepare a table.
9 This is a scornful speech. Babylon is conquered, just as Virgil says of Troy. 1) Invadunt urbem somno vinoque sepultam.
[So now the prophet ridicules this security; as if to say: Feast only now in the greatest security; but the time will come when the Babylonians will command their servants not to prepare a table, but to seize the shield. Therefore, it would be more fitting to put out guards instead of the feasting, to make ready the weapons for war instead of the drinking.
V. 6. Go, set a watchman.
(10) To confirm the calamity he proclaimed, he adds the following as a sign. As if to say: While you are feasting, behold, my servant, whom I have appointed as a watchman, sees the enemies coming in chariots.
V. 7: He sees horsemen riding and driving (Vidit currum duorum equitum).
11. the singular is set [in the Vulgate] for the plural, that is, he sees chariots and horses, that is, the advancing warriors.
V. 8. And a lion cried out.
12. i consider this is to be taken from a guard.
V. 9. Babel has fallen.
13 All this is said for the comfort of Judah.
V. 10. My dear threshing floor.
14 It is doubtful whether it refers to Judah or to the Babylonians. But ver-
1) Vii-A. ^6v., lib II, V. 265.
I say of the Babylonians that they are God's threshing floor, which God will tread down and destroy through the Medes and Persians, like the grain on the threshing floor. For filius areae means what is on the threshing floor, grain, seed 2c.
V. 11. This is the burden over Duma: They call to me.
15 This passage is obscure; some say that "Duma" is the name of a city. But I think that Duma is the name of a country. For the name stands Gen. 25, 14. among the sons of Ishmael, who gave their names not to cities but to countries; just as from Kedar the Kedarenes, from Nebajoth the Nabathaeans were named. I understand it in such a way that the prophet speaks against a large part of the Ishmaelites, who live in the stony Arabia. It is also uncertain what the calamity is that he proclaims, whether they were devastated by the Babylonians or by the Assyrians. It seems to me most likely that they were devastated by the Jdumeans.
One calls to me from Seir.
16. Seir and Idumea are one and the same. To me, Duma, comes this sad voice from Seir. Guided by this suspicion, I believe that they [the Ishmaelites] were devastated by the Idumeans.
Guardian, is the night almost gone?
17 That is, how much is left of the night? For these are sayings which one imitates another, by which he indicates the fear of the besieged, who hope for the day and for salvation. For they speak: How much is left of the night until the day dawns again? That is, what end of our distress do we have to hope for?
V. 12. Though the morning comes, yet it will be night.
(18) He hereby presents the guard as an answer to the despondent citizens, making their pain even greater: "Even if the day comes, another night will follow, that is, there is no end to the distress. He
thus indicates the utmost despair by this imitation. For the wicked are wont to desire many things in danger, but to believe nothing.
If you ask, you will come back and ask again.
19. translator Si quaeritis, quaeretis,1 ) revertimini et venietis [instead: Si quaeritis, quaerite, convertimini et venite in the Vulgate^. But I have said that it is spoken imitatively. For he imitates the besieged as they speak, and describes how the heart of the wicked stands in danger. As if to say, "You cannot be raised up by any comfort; though I tell you that it will be day, you will not be satisfied with that, but will soon come back and ask about the same thing again. Thus the wicked cannot be raised up, because in trouble they have not the word on which they can safely rely. And all other protection and help they have is uncertain; they cannot expect the day without fear of the night. The godly, however, expect the day in danger, without fear of the night, because they hear the word of God in the night.
1) In the Wittenberg incorrect: 8i quasrötis, qu^eriti".
At night they keep the word, they are satisfied with it, and do not ask again.
V. 13. This is the burden over Arabia.
20 Here he prophesies against another son [of Ishmael, Kedar, Gen. 25, 13. But Kedar is a famous family among the Ishmaelites.
You will live in the forest in Arabia.
21 That is, the army of the enemy will be so great that at the mere rumor of it you will turn out, abandon everything, and flee into the deserts.
22 "Dedanim", they say, is a city in Arabia, but it is unknown to me.
V. 14-17. Bring water to the thirsty.
This is a mocking speech: Dear neighbors, give water to the wretched people, who are already exhausted by the flight, so that they can refresh themselves.
You who dwell in the land of Theme.
24 [In the Vulgate: Qui habitatis terram austri] In Hebrew: Who inhabits their subject, which is so called by a son of Ishmael. I do not think that Oecolampadius has explained this passage correctly.