1Bel krümmt sich, Nebo sinkt zusammen; ihre Bilder sind dem Saumtiere und dem Lastvieh zuteil geworden; eure Tragbilder sind aufgeladen, eine Last für das ermüdete Vieh. 2Sie sind zusammengesunken, haben sich gekrümmt allzumal und haben die Last nicht retten können; und sie selbst sind in die Gefangenschaft gezogen. 3Höret auf mich, Haus Jakob und aller Überrest des Hauses Israel, die ihr von Mutterleibe an aufgeladen, von Mutterschoße an getragen worden seid! 4Und bis in euer Greisenalter bin ich derselbe, und bis zu eurem grauen Haare werde ich euch tragen; ich habe es getan, und ich werde heben, und ich werde tragen und erretten. 5Wem wollt ihr mich vergleichen und gleichstellen und mich ähnlich machen, daß wir gleich seien? - 6Sie, die Gold aus dem Beutel schütten und Silber mit der Waage darwägen, dingen einen Schmelzer, daß er einen Gott daraus mache; sie beten an, ja, sie werfen sich nieder. 7Sie heben ihn auf, tragen ihn auf der Schulter und lassen ihn nieder auf seine Stelle, und er steht da: von seinem Orte weicht er nicht. Auch schreit man zu ihm, aber er antwortet nicht: niemand rettet er aus seiner Not. - 8Gedenket dessen und werdet fest, nehmet es zu Herzen, ihr Abtrünnigen! 9Gedenket des Anfänglichen von der Urzeit her, daß ich Gott bin, und sonst ist keiner, daß ich Gott bin und gar keiner wie ich; 10der ich von Anfang an das Ende verkünde, und von alters her, was noch nicht geschehen ist; der ich spreche: Mein Ratschluß soll zustande kommen, und all mein Wohlgefallen werde ich tun; 11der ich einen Raubvogel rufe von Osten her, aus fernem Lande den Mann meines Ratschlusses. Ich habe geredet, und werde es auch kommen lassen; ich habe entworfen, und werde es auch ausführen. - 12Höret auf mich, ihr Trotzigen, die ihr fern seid von Gerechtigkeit! 13Ich habe meine Gerechtigkeit nahe gebracht, sie ist nicht fern, und mein Heil zögert nicht; und ich gebe in Zion Heil, und Israel meine Herrlichkeit.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 BABYLON'S IDOLS COULD NOT SAVE THEMSELVES, MUCH LESS HER. BUT GOD CAN AND WILL SAVE ISRAEL: CYRUS IS HIS INSTRUMENT. (
Isa 46:1-
Isa 46:13)
Bel--the same as the Phśnician Baal, that is, lord, the chief god of Babylon; to it was dedicated the celebrated tower of Babylon, in the center of one of the two parts into which the city was divided, the palace being in the center of the other. Identical with the sun, worshipped on turrets, housetops, and other high places, so as to be nearer the heavenly hosts (Saba) (
Jer 19:13;
Jer 32:29;
Zeph 1:5). GESENIUS identifies Bel with the planet Jupiter, which, with the planet Venus (under the name Astarte or Astaroth), was worshipped in the East as the god of fortune, the most propitious star to be born under (see on
Isa 65:11). According to the Apocryphal book, Bel and the Dragon, Bel was cast down by Cyrus.
boweth . . . stoopeth--falleth prostrate (
Isa 10:4;
1Sam 5:3-4;
Ps 20:8).
Nebo--the planet Mercury or Hermes, in astrology. The scribe of heaven, answering to the Egyptian Anubis. The extensive worship of it is shown by the many proper names compounded of it: Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuzar-adan, Nabonassar, &c.
were upon--that is, were a burden (supplied from the following clause) upon. It was customary to transport the gods of the vanquished to the land of the conquerors, who thought thereby the more effectually to keep down the subject people (
1Sam 5:1, &c.;
Jer 48:7;
Jer 49:3;
Dan 11:8).
carriages--in the Old English sense of the things carried, the images borne by you: the lading (
Acts 21:15), "carriages," not the vehicles, but the baggage. Or, the images which used to be carried by you formerly in your solemn processions [MAURER].
were heavy loaden--rather, are put as a load on the beasts of burden [MAURER]. HORSLEY translates, "They who should have been your carriers (as Jehovah is to His people,
Isa 46:3-
Isa 46:4) are become burdens" (see on
Isa 46:4).
2 deliver--from the enemies' hands.
burden--their images laid on the beasts (
Isa 46:1).
themselves--the gods, here also distinguished from their images.
3 in contrast to what precedes: Babylon's idols, so far from bearing its people safely are themselves borne off, a burden to the laden beast; but Jehovah bears His people in safety even from the womb to old age (
Isa 63:9;
Deut 32:11;
Ps 71:6,
Ps 71:18). God compares Himself to a nurse tenderly carrying a child; contrast Moses' language (
Num 11:12).
4 old age--As "your"--"you"--"you," are not in the Hebrew, the sentiment is more general than English Version, though of course it includes the Jews from the infancy to the more advanced age of their history (
Isa 47:6).
I am he--that is the same (
Ps 102:27;
John 8:24;
Heb 13:8).
I will bear . . . carry--Not only do I not need to be borne and carried Myself, as the idols (
Isa 46:1).
5 (
Isa 40:18,
Isa 40:25).
6 (
Isa 40:19-
Isa 40:20;
Isa 41:7.) They lavish gold out of their purses and spare no expense for their idol. Their profuseness shames the niggardliness of professors who worship God with what cost them nothing. Sin is always a costly service.
7 cry . . . can . . . not . . . save-- (
Isa 45:20, with which contrast
Isa 45:19).
8 show yourselves men--Renounce the childishness of idolatry as shown in what precedes (
1Cor 14:20;
1Cor 16:13;
Eph 4:14). In order to be manly we must be godly; for man was made "in the image of God," and only rises to his true dignity when joined to God; virtue is derived from the Latin vir, "a man."
bring . . . to mind--rather, "lay it to heart."
transgressors--addressed to the idolaters among the Jews.
9 former--namely, proofs of the sole Godship of Jehovah, from predictions fulfilled, and interpositions of God in behalf of Israel (
Isa 45:5).
10 (
Isa 45:21;
Isa 41:22-
Isa 41:23;
Isa 44:26).
yet--not in the Hebrew. Translate, "What had not been done" [HORSLEY].
do all my pleasure-- (
Isa 53:10;
Rom 9:19).
11 ravenous bird--Cyrus so called on account of the rapidity of his marches from the distant regions of Persia to pounce on his prey (see on
Isa 41:2;
Isa 41:25;
Jer 49:22;
Ezek 17:3). The standard of Cyrus, too, was a golden eagle on a spear (see the heathen historian, XENOPHON, 7, where almost the same word is used, aetos, as here, ayit).
executeth my counsel-- (
Isa 44:28;
Isa 45:13). Babylon represents, mystically, the apostate faction: the destruction of its idols symbolizes the future general extirpation of all idolatry and unbelief.
purposed . . . also do it-- (
Isa 43:13).
12 stout-hearted--stubborn in resisting God (
Ps 76:5;
Acts 7:51).
far from righteousness-- (
Isa 59:9;
Hab 2:4).
13 near--antithetical to "far" (
Isa 46:12;
Isa 51:5;
Isa 56:1;
Isa 61:10-
Isa 61:11;
Rom 10:6-
Rom 10:8).
righteousness--answering to "salvation" in the parallel clause; therefore it means here, "my righteous deliverance"; righteous, because proving the truth of God's promises, and so contrived as to not compromise, but vindicate, His righteousness (
Isa 42:21;
Rom 3:26).
Zion . . . my glory--rather, "I will give salvation in Zion; to Israel (I will give) my glory" [HORSLEY]. (
Isa 63:11;
Ps 14:7;
Luke 2:32).