Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 13:11
And I will punish the world for [their] evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
11, 12. Jehovah is again the speaker, as in Isa 13:3. The prophet has already in Isa 13:9 intimated the purpose of the judgment; here the thought is added that in its execution the existing generation will be all but exterminated; so wide-spread is the wickedness and tyranny of the world.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And I will punish the world – By the world here is evidently meant the Babylonian empire, in the same way as all the world in Luk 2:1, means Judea; and in Act 11:28, means the Roman empire. Babylonia, or Chaldea, was the most mighty empire then on earth, and might be said to comprehend the whole world.
And I will cause the arrogancy – This was the prevailing sin of Babylon, and it was on account of this pride mainly that it was overthrown (see the notes at Isa. 14; notes at Isa 47:1-7; compare Dan 4:22, Dan 4:30).
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 11. I will punish the world – “I will visit the world”] That is, the Babylonish empire; as , for the Roman empire, or for Judea, Lu 2:1; Ac 11:28. So the universus orbis Romanus, for the Roman empire; Salvian. lib. v. Minos calls Crete his world: “Creten, quae meus est orbis,” Ovid. Metamorph. viii. 9.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The world; the Babylonish empire, which is called the world, as the Roman empire afterward was, Luk 2:1, because it was extended to a great part of the world, and because it was vastly populous, and Babylon itself looked more like a world than one city.
Of the terrible; of them who formerly were very terrible for their great power and cruelty.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
11. worldthe impiousof the world (compare Isa 11:4).
arrogancyBabylon’sbesetting sin (Dan 4:22; Dan 4:30).
the terriblerather,tyrants [HORSLEY].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And I will punish the world for [their] evil,…. Not the whole world, but the kingdom of Babylon, so called because of its large extent, and the number of its inhabitants, just as the Roman empire is called the whole world, Lu 2:1 “evil” may be meant, either of the evil of sin, which was the cause of punishment, or else of the evil of punishment itself; and the sense be this, I will visit, or, in a way of visitation, I will bring evil, or evils, upon the world; so the Targum,
and the wicked for their iniquity, or “on the wicked their iniquity”; that is, I will visit on them, or inflict upon them, the punishment of their iniquity; meaning the notorious and abandoned sinners among them, see Isa 13:9:
and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and I will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible: such as Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar, famous for their pride, arrogance, and haughtiness, tyranny and oppression, whereby they became terrible to others.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The prophet now hears again the voice of Jehovah revealing to him what His purpose is – namely, a visitation punishing the wicked, humbling the proud, and depopulating the countries. “And I visit the evil upon the world, and upon sinners their guilt, and sink into silence the pomp of the proud; and the boasting of tyrants I throw to the ground. I make men more precious than fine gold, and people than a jewel of Ophir.” The verb pakad is construed, as in Jer 23:2, with the accusative of the thing punished, and with of the person punished. Instead of ‘eretz we have here tebel , which is always used like a proper name (never with the article), to denote the earth in its entire circumference. We have also artzm instead of nedbm : the latter signifies merely princes, and it is only occasionally that it has the subordinate sense of despots; the former signifies men naturally cruel, or tyrants (it occurs very frequently in Isaiah). Everything here breathes the spirit of Isaiah both in thought and form. “The lofty is thrown down:” this is one of the leading themes of Isaiah’s proclamation; and the fact that the judgment will only leave a remnant is a fundamental thought of his, which also runs through the oracles concerning the heathen (Isa 16:14; Isa 21:17; Isa 24:6), and is depicted by the prophet in various ways (Isa 10:16-19; Isa 17:4-6; Isa 24:13; Isa 30:17). There it is expressed under the figure that men become as scarce as the finest kinds of gold. Word-painting is Isaiah’s delight and strength. ‘Ophir, which resembles ‘okir in sound, was the gold country of India, that lay nearest to the Phoenicians, the coast-land of Abhira on the northern shore of the Runn ( Irina), i.e., the salt lake to the east of the mouths of the Indus (see at Gen 10:29 and Job 22:24; and for the Egypticized Souphir of the lxx, Job 28:16).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
11. And I will visit upon the world wickedness. Here the Prophet does not speak of the whole world; but as Babylon was the seat of the most powerful of all monarchies, he gives to it on that account the name of the world, and he does so emphatically, ( ἐμφατικῶς,) for Babylon was a kind of world, because it appeared to occupy nearly the whole earth. And yet he means that there is nothing in this world so lofty that God cannot easily seize it with one of his fingers. At the same time he gives warning that God will punish the cruelty which was exercised by the Chaldeans. Yet we ought also to learn that the wickedness and crimes of Babylon are brought forward, in order to inform us that the Lord will not be cruel in punishing her so severely, because he inflicts the punishment which that people deserved on account of their transgressions and crimes. Every ground of calumny is therefore taken away, that we may not think that God delights in the afflictions of men; for when he thus deals with men according as they deserve, the mouths of all must be stopped, (Rom 3:19,) since the severity of the afflictions does not proceed from God, but finds its cause in men themselves.
And will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease. We must keep in mind what I have already noticed, that the Prophet yields no small consolation to the godly by assuring them that God, though he spares the inhabitants of Babylon for a time, will at length punish them for their injustice and cruelty. He expresses this still more clearly by taking notice of a particular vice, namely, pride, in consequence of which they loosed the reins, and gave unbounded freedom to their lawless desires to oppress the wretched. For this reason also he reproves their tyranny. But we ought also to draw from it a profitable doctrine, that it is impossible for us to escape punishment from the Lord, if we are puffed up with vain confidence and flatter ourselves. The Prophet here includes every kind of pride; whether men think that they are something, or admire their riches, and despise others in comparison of themselves. God cannot endure any arrogancy, or suffer it to pass unpunished. Seeing therefore, that among a great variety of other crimes with which Babylon abounded, this was the greatest and most remarkable, it was chiefly by their pride that the wrath of God was kindled.
And will lay low the loftiness of tyrants. Arrogance was joined, as it usually is, to violence and cruelty; and therefore he adds the loftiness of tyrants; for when men despise others, this is followed by deeds of violence and injustice and oppression; and it is impossible for men to abstain from doing harm to others, if they do not lay aside all conceit and high estimation of themselves. Let us willingly, therefore, bring down our minds to true humility, if we do not wish to be cast down and laid low to our destruction.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
11, 12. Punish the world The Babylonian world, the symbol (Isa 13:5) of all resisting human wills and kingdoms of the earth hostile to God. Here the prophet, as afterward elsewhere, resolves his figures into literal expressions. Isa 1:22; Isa 11:9.
Arrogancy Babylon’s prevailing sin.
The terrible Tyrants and oppressors.
Make a man more precious More scarce or rare than fine gold.
Than the wedge of Ophir “Wedge,” , ( kethem,) properly means “gold” Ophir’s gold. For the probable location of “Ophir,” see notes on 1Ki 9:28; 1Ki 10:11. But the main point of the text is the scarcity of man, weak and frail, , ( Enosh,) and man , ( Adam,) men of the common origin. Both words would seem to include man exhaustively. Babylon’s defenders shall be so cut off that a single man will be more scarce than the finest gold. This is the common explanation. But Kay ( Bible Commentary) hints another meaning. It is in substance this: “I will make a man,” the lowly man, in comparison with the “haughty,” “arrogant,” “the terrible ones,” of more consequence to me in caring, providing, etc., for him (Psalm viii) than the choicest gold. The lowly man, the man formed out of the dust, is the holy man of my “remnant” preserved in Babylon to be returned to Jerusalem. He shall be kept safe amid the terrible judgments upon Babylon by the army of Cyrus. This seems far-fetched, yet it has some plausibility.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
I know that I am singular in my views of this sweet portion, which comes in between what went before, and what follows after these verses: at least I have never seen the writings of any Commentator, who doth not apply these verses, as the former, to the subject of Babylon’s destruction; as if from the greatness of the slaughter which would take place in the fall of Babylon, men would become so scarce, as that one only would be more precious than gold. But, with all humble submission, I would say, that I cannot help reading these two verses as in parentheses; as if in the midst of judgment, the Lord remembered mercy; and while speaking of the dreadful punishment which should take place for sin, the Lord pointed to his dear Son, as the one only source from whence a whole world of evil should find mercy. Surely, it is from Jesus alone, and by his gracious interposition, that the earth stands. And therefore, why may not the Lord be supposed to be saying by these verses; when I have punished, and am punishing the world, for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity, and have caused the arrogancy of the proud to cease; then shall my people look unto Him whom they have pierced, and mourn; and then shall the Man, Christ, my fellow, be more precious than fine gold: even this one identical Man, the Lord our righteousness, than the golden wedge of Ophir. Reader, remember, I do not presume to say that such is the interpretation of the passage: but if I err, may the Lord forgive my error: I confess that the very thought refresheth my soul. And the passage, seen in this point of view, in the midst of Babylon’s burden, is not unlike some sweet herbage, or some cooling stream, found in the midst of the desert, where all around is a heath, or a dreary prospect.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Isa 13:11 And I will punish the world for [their] evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
Ver. 11. And I will punish the world. ] That is, the Chaldean state; for they reckoned themselves , or lords of the world. See on Isa 13:5 . Or to show that, if the whole world should conspire against the Lord, he can as easily punish them as he did that rabble of rebels the old world. See Dan 4:17 .
And lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the world = the habitable world. Hebrew tebel.
evil. Hebrew. ra’a. App-44.
wicked = lawless. Hebrew. rasha.
iniquity. Hebrew. avah.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
I will punish: Isa 14:21, Isa 24:4-6, Jer 51:34-38, Rev 12:9, Rev 12:10, Rev 18:2, Rev 18:3
and I will cause: Isa 2:17, Isa 5:15, Isa 14:12-16, Jer 50:29-32, Dan 5:22, Dan 5:23
Reciprocal: Num 17:5 – I will Isa 2:11 – lofty Isa 23:9 – to stain Isa 25:5 – shalt bring Isa 25:11 – he shall bring Isa 26:5 – bringeth Jer 50:24 – because Dan 2:31 – terrible
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Isa 13:11-16. I will punish the world The Babylonish empire, which is called the world, as the Roman empire afterward was, (Luk 2:1,) because it was extended to a great part of the world, and because it was very populous, and Babylon itself looked more like a world than one city. I will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible Of them who formerly were very terrible for their great power and cruelty. I will make a man more precious, &c. The city and nation shall be so depopulated, that few men shall be left in it. I will shake the heavens, &c. A poetical and prophetical description of great confusions and terrors, as if heaven and earth were about to meet together. And it shall be as the chased roe That Babylon, which used to be like a roaring lion and a raging bear to all about her, shall become like the timid, frighted roe, pursued by the hunter, and as a sheep which no man taketh up In a most forlorn and neglected condition. And the army they shall bring into the field, consisting of troops from divers nations, as great armies usually do, shall be so dispirited by their own fears, and so dispersed by their enemies sword, that they shall turn every man to his own people Shall each shift for his own safety. Or the prophet may refer to those inhabitants of Babylon who were originally of different nations, but had settled there: as many of these, he signifies, as can, shall flee out of it, and endeavour to escape to their own countries. Every one that is found In Babylon, at the taking of it; shall fall by the sword The fear of which shall make them flee away with all speed. Their children also shall be dashed, &c. As a just recompense for the like cruelty acted by them upon the Jews, 2Ch 36:17, which was also foretold Psa 137:9.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
13:11 And I will punish the {i} world for [their] evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogance of the {k} proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
(i) He compares Babylon to the whole world because they so esteemed themselves by reason of their great empire.
(k) He notes the principal vice, to which they are most given as are all that abound in wealth.