Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 13:3
I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, [even] them that rejoice in my highness.
3. Jehovah speaks.
my sanctified (or consecrated) ones ] In ancient times a campaign was inaugurated with religious ceremonies (1Sa 13:9; Jer 22:7; Jer 51:28 [R.V. marg.]) and each warrior was a consecrated man (1Sa 21:5).
them that rejoice in my highness ] Translate as in R.V. my proudly exulting ones, Zep 3:11.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
I have commanded – This is the language of God in reference to those who were about to destroy Babylon. He claimed the control and direction of all their movements; and though the command was not understood by them as coming from him, yet it was by his direction, and in accordance with his plan (compare the notes at Isa 10:7; Isa 45:5-6). The command was not given by the prophets, or by an audible voice; but it was his secret purpose and direction that led them to this enterprise.
My sanctified ones – The Medes and Persians; not called sanctified because they were holy, but because they were set apart by the divine intention and purpose to accomplish this. The word sanctify ( qadash) often means to set apart – either to God; to an office; to any sacred use; or to any purpose of religion, or of accomplishing any of the divine plans. Thus, it means to dedicate one to the office of priest Exo 28:41; to set apart or dedicate an altar Exo 39:36; to dedicate a people Exo 19:10-14; to appoint, or institute a fast Joe 1:14; Joe 2:15; to sanctify a war Joe 3:9, that is, to prepare ones-self for it, or make it ready. Here it means, that the Medes and Persians were set apart, in the purpose of God, to accomplish his designs in regard to Babylon (compare the note at Isa 10:5-6).
My mighty ones – Those who are strong; and who are so entirely under my direction, that they may be called mine.
For mine anger – To accomplish the purposes of my anger against Babylon.
Even them that rejoice in my highness – It cannot be supposed that the Medes and Persians really exulted, or rejoiced in God or in his plans, for it is evident that, like Sennacherib Isa. 10, they were seeking to accomplish their own purposes, and were not solicitous about the plans of God (compare the note at Isa 47:6). The word rendered my highness ( ga’avathy) means, properly, my majesty, or glory. When applied to people, as it often is, it means pride or arrogance. It means here, the high and exalted plan of God in regard to Babylon. It was a mighty undertaking; and one in which the power, the justice, and the dominion of God over nations would be evinced. In accomplishing this, the Medes and Persians would rejoice or exult, not as the fulfilling of the plan of God; but they would exult as if it were their own plan, though it would be really the glorious plan of God. Wicked people often exult in their success; they glory in the execution of their purposes; but they are really accomplishing the plans of God, and executing his great designs.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 3. I have commanded my sanctified ones] mekuddashai, the persons consecrated to this very purpose. Nothing can be plainer than that the verb kadash, “to make holy,” signifies also to consecrate or appoint to a particular purpose. Bishop Lowth translates, “my enrolled warriors.” This is the sense.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
My sanctified ones; the Medes and Persians, fitly so called, because they were solemnly designed and set apart by God for his own service, and for this holy work of executing his just vengeance upon them.
My mighty ones; those whom I have made mighty for this work.
In my highness; or, as others render it, in my glory, materially considered, to wit, in the doing of that work which tends much to the advancement of my glory, in destroying of the Babylonian empire. For otherwise the Medes had no regard to God nor to his glory, but only to their own carnal ends.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
3. sanctified onesthe Medianand Persian soldiers solemnly set apart by Me for thedestruction of Babylon, not inwardly “sanctified,”but designated to fulfil God’s holy purpose (Jer 51:27;Jer 51:28; Joe 3:9;Joe 3:11; where the Hebrewfor prepare war is “sanctify” war).
for mine angertoexecute it.
rejoice in my highness“Thosewho are made to triumph for My honor” [HORSLEY].The heathen Medes could not be said to “rejoice in God’shighness” MAURERtranslates, “My haughtily exulting ones” (Zep3:11); a special characteristic of the Persians [HERODOTUS,1.88].They rejoiced in their own highness, but it was Histhat they were unconsciously glorifying.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
I have commanded my sanctified ones,…. The Medes and Persians, so called, not because sanctified by the Spirit of God, or made holy persons, through the regenerating and renewing grace of God, or purified by the blood of Christ, and prepared for glory; but because they were set apart in the mind and counsel of God for a special work and service, and were qualified by him with courage and strength to perform it, and therefore said to be his; and this command that was given them was not by a voice from heaven, or in a message by one of his prophets; but by a secret instinct, and, by the power of his providence, stirring them up to engage in such an enterprise z.
I have also called my mighty ones; meaning Cyrus and Darius, and the officers of their armies, with the common soldiers, who were furnished with might and strength to do his will, to which they were called in his providence:
for mine anger; to execute his wrath upon the Babylonians; so the Targum,
“that they may avenge my wrath upon them:”
or, “in mine anger”; which being stirred up, put him upon calling those mighty ones to his service, and fitting them for it: literally it is, “to my nose” a; to be before him, to be at his beck and will, and to minister his wrath and vengeance:
[even] them that rejoice in my highness; in doing that which tended to the exaltation and glory of God; they went cheerfully about the work, and exulted and triumphed in their success: or, “that rejoice my highness” b; make me glad, because I am glorified by them. So seven angels, the Lord’s holy and mighty ones, will be employed in pouring out the vials of his wrath on mystical Babylon, Re 15:1.
z Vid. T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 8. 2. Gloss. in ib. a “in ira mea”, Vatablus “ad iram meam”, Junius Tremellius, Piscator “in naso meo”, Montanus. b “exultantis celsitudinis meae”, Montanus.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
“I have summoned my sanctified ones, also called my heroes to my wrath, my proudly rejoicing ones.” “To my wrath” is to be explained in accordance with Isa 10:5. To execute His wrath He had summoned His “sanctified ones” ( m e kuddashim ), i.e., according to Jer 22:7 (compare Jer 51:27-28), those who had already been solemnly consecrated by Him to go into the battle, and had called the heroes whom He had taken into His service, and who were His instruments in this respect, that they rejoiced with the pride of men intoxicated with victory (vid., Zep 1:7, cf., Isa 3:11). is a word peculiarly Isaiah’s; and the combination is so unusual, that we could hardly expect to find it employed by two authors who stood in no relation whatever to one another.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
3. I have commanded my sanctified ones. (198) Here the Prophet introduces the Lord as speaking and issuing his commands. He calls the Medes and Persians sanctified ones, that is, those whom he has prepared. The verb קדש ( kadash) is used in various senses; for sometimes it refers to the spirit of regeneration, and this belongs peculiarly to the elect of God. But sometimes it means to wish or prepare, and that meaning is more appropriate to this passage. All who are created by the Lord are likewise appointed by him for a fixed purpose. He does not throw down men at random on the earth, to go wherever they please, but guides all by his secret purpose, and regulates and controls the violent passions of the reprobate, so as to drive them in whatever manner he thinks fit, and to check and restrain them according to his pleasure. He therefore calls them sanctified ones, “set apart and prepared to execute his will,” though they had no such intention. Hence also we are taught to ascribe to the secret judgment of God all violent commotions, and this yields wonderful consolation; for whatever attempts may be made by wicked men, yet they will accomplish nothing but what the Lord has decreed.
I have also called my mighty ones. The phrase, I have called, conveys more than the phrase, I have commanded, which he had used in the former clause. It means that they will be roused to action, not only at the bidding of God, but by the very sound of his voice; as if I were to call a person to me, and he were immediately to follow. He threatens, therefore, that Babylon shall be destroyed by the Medes and Persians, in the same manner as if they obeyed the call of God; for though they were prompted to battle by their own ambition, pride, and cruelty, yet God directed them, without knowing it, to execute his judgment.
(198) “ My appointed ones. ” קדש ( kadash) is to select and set apart for a work, particularly for one of God’s appointment. See Jer 22:7, Zep 1:7. — Stock
FT190 The LORD and the weapons of his indignation. — Eng. Ver.
FT191 From the Almighty. — Eng. Ver.
FT192 “ שד משדי ( shod mishshaddai). This title of God is here employed for the sake of the alliteration, destruction from the destroyer, from him who is all-powerful to destroy ( שדד) ( shadad) as well as to save.” — Rosenmuller
FT193 By a happy coincidence, the English word panic conveys exactly the meaning of the Latin adjective Panicus , which is here said to be derived from the name of the heathen God Pan, the god of the mountains, cattle, &c. — Ed
FT194 Their faces shall be as flames. (Heb. faces of the flames.) — Eng. Ver. “ Faces of flames shall be their faces. ” — Stock
FT195 See Xen. Cyr., book 7, chapter 5.
FT196 Jarchi quotes the words, to add the drunken to the thirsty, (Deu 29:19,) add year to year, (Isa 29:1,) and add burnt-offerings to your sacrifices, (Jer 7:21,) and his annotator Breithaupt translates the verb ספה ( saphah) by a word in his native French, accueillir , which means to gather, or flock together. — Ed
FT197 Which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it. — Eng. Ver.
FT198 Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces. — Eng. Ver.
FT199 Shall be as when God overthrew. (Heb. as the overthrowing.)–Eng. Ver.
FT200 But wild beasts of the desert (Heb. Ziim) shall lie there. — Eng. Ver.
FT201 It is a gratifying proof of the progress of knowledge and of the decay of superstition, that such words as Hobgoblins, Hob-thrushes, Robin-goodfellows, and even Fairies, answering to the grotesque names which Calvin has brought from his own vernacular, have grown antiquated, and are not likely to be replaced by terms of modern date. Howell’s definition of Loup-garou is a curious record of superstitious belief. “A mankind Wolfe, such a one as once being flesht on men, and children, will rather starve than feed on any thing else; also, one that, possessed with an extream and strange melancholy, beleeves he is turned Wolfe, and as a Wolfe behaves himselfe,” etc. — Ed
FT202 And the wild beasts of the islands (Heb. Iim) shall cry. — Eng. Ver.
FT203 And hyoenas shall cry in their palaces, and jackals in their tabernacles of delight. — Stock
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(3) I have commanded my sanctified ones . . .The word is applied even to the fierce tribes of the future destroyers, as being appointed, or consecrated, by Jehovah for that special work. The thought and the words (there translated prepare) appear in Jer. 6:4; Jer. 22:7; Jer. 51:27. So in the later prophecies Cyrus appears as the anointed of the Lord (Isa. 45:1).
Even them that rejoice in my highness.In Zep. 3:11 the same phrase occurs in a bad sense. Here, apparently, it denotes the proud consciousness of the invaders that they are doing Gods work.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
3. My sanctified ones Not inwardly and consciously belonging to God as designated for this work, but in God’s order actually but unconsciously executing divine retribution on the Babylonian power. See Joe 3:9-10; Jer 22:7. The Persians destroyed idolatry. They were morally much in advance of the highest civilized powers in Mesopotamia. And it is quite probable, that at this conquest of Babylon, and their settlement over that country, the great moral recoil against idolatry was made complete among the exiled Jews.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Isa 13:3 I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, [even] them that rejoice in my highness.
Ver. 3. I have commanded my sanctified ones, ] i.e., I have by my secret instinct stirred up and set on my Medes and Persians, Isa 13:17 whom in my decree I have set apart for this holy work of executing vengeance on the Babylonians.
I have also called my mighties.
Even them that rejoice in my highness.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
sanctified ones = separated ones. Here = the armies of the Medes and Persians. Compare Isa 44:28; Isa 45:1.
mighty ones = heroes. Hebrew. gibbor. App-14.
them that rejoice in My highness = my proudly exulting ones.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
commanded: Isa 23:11, Isa 44:27, Isa 44:28, Isa 45:4, Isa 45:5, Jer 50:21-46
mighty ones: Jer 51:20-24, Joe 3:11, Rev 17:12-18
them that: Ezr 1:1-11, Ezr 6:1-22, Ezr 7:12-26, Psa 149:2, Psa 149:5-9, Rev 18:4-8, Rev 18:20-24, Rev 19:1-7
Reciprocal: 1Sa 14:45 – he hath 2Ch 36:22 – the Lord stirred Job 15:24 – anguish Psa 50:5 – my saints Psa 137:8 – happy Isa 13:17 – I will Isa 29:20 – the terrible Isa 45:1 – to his Jer 22:7 – I Jer 25:9 – Nebuchadrezzar Jer 34:22 – I will command Jer 47:7 – the Lord Jer 49:14 – Gather Jer 51:1 – I will Jer 51:46 – a rumour shall Amo 6:11 – the Lord
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
13:3 I have commanded my {c} sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for my anger, [even] them that rejoice in my {d} highness.
(c) That is, prepared and appointed to execute my judgments.
(d) Who willingly go about to the work to which I appoint them, but how the wicked do this, read Isa 10:6 .