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The Oracle Against Babylon
v. 1. The burden of the desert of the sea, the valley and plain of the Euphrates and Tigris, where the Babylonian nation had its home. This country had been alternately a desert and a sea, depending upon the season of the year. Great dikes and levees built by Semiramis had served to control the water and make it available for irrigation purposes, but the razing of these dikes again converted the plain into a swampy sea. Cf Jer_51:13-36. As whirlwinds in the south pass through, coming up with irresistible force, from the deserts of Arabia, so it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land, said of the enemy forces which would conquer the land of Babylon.
v. 2. A grievous vision is declared unto me, one which he could endure and record only with difficulty on account of its importance and consequences; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, the enemies of Babylon repaying her in her own coin, by a military stratagem overthrowing her, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam, a nation bordering on Persia on the west, and often named together with the latter country; besiege, O Media, the country which first conquered Babylon; all the sighing thereof, namely, that which was caused by the tyrannical Babylon, have I made to cease, by giving the victory to her adversaries.
v. 3. Therefore, on account of the calamities which would come upon Babylon, are my loins filled with pain, with trepidation, as in the case of spasms; pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth; I was bowed down at the hearing of it, writhing in pain; I was dismayed at the seeing of it, prevented from seeing at the horror of it all.
v. 4. My heart panted, beating wildly, fearfulness affrighted me, with a terrifying, numbing force; the night of my pleasure, the darkness of night, which ordinarily was pleasant to the prophet on account of the bodily rest and the conduciveness to quiet contemplation associated with it, hath He turned into fear unto me, namely, on account of the horrible vision connected with it in this instance.
v. 5. Prepare the table, watch in the watch-tower, eat, drink, the prophet in the spirit witnessing and describing a carousal in Babylon. Arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield, to keep it from becoming rusty and to cause strokes of the enemy to glide off. Thus matters were going on in Babylon, and during all this time its destruction was imminent.
v. 6. For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth, this watchman being the prophet's substitute in declaring the vision.
v. 7. And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a whole army of mounted soldiers riding two abreast, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels, the various mounts thus being described, as the enemy rode forward to the attack, their pack-animals remaining behind with the baggage. And he hearkened diligently with much heed, with the closest application, his object being to get more information concerning the Persian invaders.
v. 8. And he cried, in growing impatience, A lion, properly, "as a lion," with a lion-like voice, My lord, I stand continually upon the watch-tower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights, in sleepless vigilance, in order to find out about the army which he saw passing on its way to attack the country of Babylon;
v. 9. and, behold, even while he was voicing his complaint, he makes a discovery, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen, a small troop of men riding in pairs. And he answered and said, the watchman hearing the triumphant cry even from a distance as the little band rides for-word, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, the army which had gone down before having been victorious; and all the graven images of her gods He hath broken unto the ground, Jehovah Himself having proved His almighty power over against all idolatry.
v. 10. O my threshing and the corn of my floor, literally, "son of my threshing-floor," the reference being to Israel, as being subject to the severe punishment of Babylon, in which the love of the Lord, however, interferes and guides. That which I have heard of the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you. Israel, the object of divine punishment, which was administered to him through the exile, is here given the comfort that Jehovah Himself is concerned about His people's welfare and will hold back the wrath in due time.