Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 47:13
Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from [these things] that shall come upon thee.
13. let now the astrologers &c. ] Render: let them stand forth ( Isa 47:12) now and save thee, they that have divided the heavens, they that gaze on the stars, that announce month by month something of what shall befall thee.
astrologers is an apt equivalent of “they that divided the heavens” (i.e. into the constellations of the Zodiac, for astrological purposes). This at least seems the most probable meaning, although the verb for “divide” does not occur elsewhere in Hebrew (in Arab. it means to “divide into great pieces”), and the Ancient Versions render otherwise [LXX. ]. So monthly prognosticators is a felicitous condensation of the thought of the last clause, although the E.V. (following some Jewish authorities) has mistaken the syntactical construction. The special reference here is to the preparation of monthly almanacs (based on astrological calculations) in which coming disasters were foretold, lucky and unlucky days pointed out, &c. A specimen of these almanacs is translated by Sayce in Trans. of the Society of Bibl. Archology, III. 229 ff.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
13 15. The last strophe dwells on the futility of all the resources that the “daughter of Babel” can call to her aid.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Thou art wearied – Thou hast practiced so many arts, and practiced them so long, that thou art exhausted in them. The counsels here referred to, are those which the astrologers and diviners would take in examining the prognostications, and the supposed indications of future events.
Let now the astrologers – Call in now the aid of the various classes of diviners on whom thou hast relied to save thee from the impending calamity and ruin. The words rendered here astrologers ( hoberey shamayim) mean properly the dividers of the heavens; those who divided, or cut up the heavens for the purpose of augury, or to take a horoscope (Gesenius). What this art was is not certainly known. It is probable that it referred to their designating certain stars, or constellations, or conjunctions of the planets in certain parts of the heavens, as being fortunate and propitious, and certain others as unfortunate and unpropitious. At first, astrology was synonymous with astronomy. But in process of time, it came to denote the science which professes to discover certain connections between the position and movements of the heavenly bodies, and the events which occur on the earth.
It was supposed that the rising and setting, the conjunction and opposition of the planets, exerted a powerful influence over the fates of people; over the health of their bodies, the character of their minds, and the vicissitudes of their lives. Some regarded, it would seem, the positions of the stars as mere signs of the events which were to follow; and others, and probably by far the larger portion, supposed that those positions had a positive influence in directing and controlling the affairs of this lower world. The origin of this science is involved in great obscurity. Aristotle ascribes the invention to the Babylonians and Egyptians. Ptolemy concurs in this opinion, and Cicero traces it to the same origin. Lucian says that both these nations, as well as the Lybians, borrowed it from the Ethiopians, and that the Greeks owed their knowledge of this pretended science to the poet Orpheus. The science prevailed, it is probable, however, much more early in India; and in China it appears to be coeval with their history.
The Arabians have been distinguished for their attachment to it; and even Tycho Brahe was a zealous defender of astrology, and Kepler believed that the conjunctions of the planets were capable of producing great effects on human affairs. It is also a remarkable fact that Lord Bacon thought that the science required to be purified from errors rather than altogether rejected. Those who wish to inquire into the various systems of astrology, and the arts by which this absurd science has maintained an influence in the world, may consult the Edin. Encyclopedia, Art. Astrology, and the authorities enumerated there. The thing referred to in the passage before us, and which was practiced in Babylon, was, probably, that of forecasting future events, or telling what would occur by the observation of the positions of the heavenly bodies.
The star-gazers – Those who endeavor to tell what will occur by the contemplation of the relative positions of the stars.
The monthly prognosticators – Margin, That give knowledge concerning the months. That is, at the commencement of the months they give knowledge of what events might be expected to occur during the month; – perhaps from the dip of the moon, or its riding high or low, etc. Something of this kind is still retained by those persons who speak of a dry or wet moon; or who expect a change of weather at the change of the moon – all of which is just as wise as were the old systems of astrology among the Chaldeans. This whole passage would have been more literally and better translated by preserving the order of the Hebrew. Let them stand up now and save thee, who are astrologers; who gaze upon the stars, and who make known at the new moons what things will come upon thee.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 13. From these things – “What are the events”] For measher, read mah asher, so the Septuagint, “what is to happen to thee.”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Thou art wearied; thou hast spent thy time and strength in going from one to another, in trying all manner of experiments, and all to no purpose.
Stand up, and save thee to succour thee, or to inquire for thee.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
13. wearied(compare Isa 57:10;Eze 24:12).
astrologersliterally,those who form combinations of the heavens; who watchconjunctions and oppositions of the stars. “Casters of theconfigurations of the sky” [HORSLEY].GESENIUS explains it: thedividers of the heavens. In casting a nativity they observed foursigns:the horoscope, or sign which arose at the time onewas born; the mid-heaven; the sign opposite the horoscopetowards the west; and the hypogee.
monthly prognosticatorsthosewho at each new moon profess to tell thereby what is about to happen.Join, not as English Version, “save . . . from thosethings,” c. but, “They that at new moons make knownfrom (by means of) them the things that shall come upon thee”[MAURER].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels,…. Taken of astrologers, diviners, and soothsayers; who were never able to give any satisfactory answers to questions put to them, or to give good advice in cases of emergency; as appears from Nebuchadnezzar’s consultation with them about his dream; and Belshazzar’s about the handwriting upon the wall, which was the very night that the city was taken, Da 2:2:
let now the astrologers; or, “viewers of the heavens” s; not that look upon them, and consider them as the work of God’s hands, in order to glorify him; but that examine the face of the skies, and the position of the heavenly bodies, their conjunctions with, and aspects on each other, in order to foretell what shall be below: or, “the dividers of the heavens” t, as it may be rendered, from the use of the word in the Arabic language; who divide the heavens into so many parts, or houses; who, as Kimchi u, from the same use of the word, fix and determine things according to the stars; and who next are called “the stargazers”; that look at them, and, according to their position, conjunction, aspect, and influence, judge what will come to pass among men. So Cicero observes w, that the Chaldeans, by long observation of the stars, were thought to have formed a science, whereby they could foretell what should happen to everyone, and what fate he was born to:
the monthly prognosticators; or “that make known months”, or “for the months” x; what shall be in every month; what weather it will be, and what things shall happen; such as our almanac makers. Let these now all meet together,
and stand up and save thee from those things that shall come upon thee; which they were never able to do; for if they could not foretell these things by their art, it could not be thought they could give any directions how to escape them, or put upon any methods that would secure from them.
s “speculantes coelos”, Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version; “contemplatores coelorum”, Vitringa. t “resecuit, amputavit”, Golius, Castel. u Sepher Shorash. rad. w De Divinatione, l. 1. c. 1. x “cognoscere faciunt menses”, Pagninus; “facientes”, Montanus; “qui notas faciunt in menses”, Junius Tremellius, Piscator i.e. “praedictiones suas notificantes in menses”, Cocceius; “indicantes novilunia”, Vitringa.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
13. Thou hast wearied thyself. He now declares still more plainly what he had formerly expressed in somewhat obscure language; that all the schemes which Babylon had previously adopted would lead to her ruin; for she nourished within herself a vain confidence arising from a belief of her power and wisdom, as if nothing could do her injury.
In the multitude of thy counsels. He calls them not only “counsels,” but “a multitude of counsels,” in order to declare that there is no good reason for being puffed up or exalting themselves, whatever may be the ingenuity or skill of their efforts to deceive; because their crafty counsels, the more numerous and the more plausible they are, will give them the greater annoyance. This is a general statement against those who, trusting to their own ability, contrive and form counsels of every sort, and, relying on their prudence, collect all the stratagems and annoyances that can be invented for oppressing others; for God scatters all their contrivances, and overtums their fraudulent designs, as he threatened that all unlawful means would be unsuccessful. “They dare,” says he, “to take counsel, but not from me; they weave a web, but not from my Spirit.” (Isa 30:1.)
Thus do the consultations of many persons altogether fail of success, because they do not ask counsel of God, from whom (Jas 1:5) all wisdom should be sought; for, the more they toil, the greater annoyance do they suffer, and they can obtain no advantage. Well does David (231) say, (Psa 127:2,) that “in vain do they toil who rise early in the morning, and go late to rest, and eat the bread of sorrow;” for he speaks of unbelievers, who do not cast their cares on the Lord, but, trusting to their industry, make many daring efforts. The Lord ridicules this confidence, and causes them to be at length disappointed, and to feel how worthless are all their wicked labors and efforts, and how in this way they are punished for their rashness; while at the same time “the beloved of God sleep pleasantly,” as is said in that passage. Not that they are freed from all annoyances, but that they do not weary themselves with useless labor, and they commit to God the result of all their affairs.
Let them stand now. Here we perceive what counsellors are chiefly meant by the Prophet, that is, those diviners who boasted to the people of the empty name of science; as if they understood, all future events by looking at the stars. But we have formerly spoken of that judicial astrology, and of its uselessness. If it be objected, that it was not in the power of those men to mitigate the dangers which were hanging over them, I reply, the Babylonians would have done it at their suggestion, if they had foreseen the calamity; and, since they did not foresee it, the conclusion is, that their art had no foundation whatever. It is idle to pretend, as some do, that the Prophet reproves unskilfulness in the art, and not the art itself; for he addresses the Babylonians, who were the authors of this science.
The binders of the heavens. He says wittily that they “bind the heavens;” because they utter their decisions as boldly as if, by binding and tying the stars, they held mankind in chains. Yet, if any one choose to render the term “inchanters,” the meaning will not be inapplicable, and both are denoted by the verb חבר (chabar). Although to observe the position of the stars is not in itself sinful, the Prophet says that it is carried farther than is proper by those who draw from it conclusions as to doubtful events, and appears indirectly to contrast those observers with the prophets, in order to make them more detested, because they extinguish all divine predictions; for, when men attach to the stars a fatal necessity, all the judgments of God must fall to the ground.
(231) In the Latin original the word is “Solomon,” and not “David;” but this oversight has been corrected in the French Version. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(13) Let now the astrologers . . .The three words describe two aspects of the same art(1) the dividers of the heavens, assigning stellar influences to the signs of the Zodiac; (2) the star-gazers, further defined as those who make known things to come at the new moon. The Assyrian and Chaldan observers compiled an almanack, in which the days of the month were noted as severally lucky or unlucky for the incidents of war or of home-life, as the case might be.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
13. Multitude of thy counsels The whole magian school.
Astrologers Rawlinson ( Monarchies, 3: 425) says: “Most of the astronomical tablets discovered at Babylon are of an astrological character, recording the supposed influences of the heavenly bodies, singly, in conjunction, or in opposition, upon all sublunary affairs.”
Stargazers The zodiacal system is supposed to be in a great measure due to the Babylonians. The object of astrology was mainly to bring to light on each new moon what was to happen, by dividing the heavens into sections, watching conjunctions, oppositions, etc., of the planets, and making out the horoscope or sign which arose at the time when one was born.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Isa 47:13. Thou art wearied, &c. Thou art nauseated with the multitude of thy devices.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Isa 47:13 Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from [these things] that shall come upon thee.
Ver. 13. Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. ] As all such are sure to be, with a woe to boot, as “take counsel, but not of God; and that cover with a covering, but not by his Spirit, that they may add sin to sin” Isa 30:1 Thus do those vain astrologers, that pretend to read men’s fates and fortunes in the heavens, velut in Minervae peplo, and thence to foretell good and evil. But experience frequently confuteth them, as it did Abraham the Jew, who foretold by the stars the coming of their Messiah, A.D. 1464; and Albumazar, a Mohammedan wizard, who predicted an end of the Christian religion, A.D. 1460 at utmost. A great flood was foretold by these diviners to occur in the year 1524, cum planetae comitia in piscibus celebrarent. This caused the prior of St Bartholomew’s, in London, wise manlike, to go and build him a house at Harrow-on-the-hill, for his better security. a
Stand up, and save thee.
a Hollinsh. in 1524.
b This was written, Sept. 19, 1637.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
astrologers. The scientists of Babylon were divided into three classes: writers of (1) charms to be placed on afflicted persons or houses; (2) formulae of incantations; (3) records of observations which mixed up astronomy with astrology, and resulted, in the case of any two successive or concurrent events, in the conclusion that one was the cause of the other; and, the further conclusion was reached by reasoning from the “particular” to the “general”.
the monthly prognosticators = they who make known the future by observing new moons. See the fifth “creation tablet” (British Museum).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
wearied: Isa 57:10, Eze 24:12, Hab 2:13
Let now: Isa 44:25, Dan 2:2-10, Dan 5:7, Dan 5:8, Dan 5:15, Dan 5:16, Dan 5:30
astrologers, the stargazers: Heb. viewers of the heavens, the monthly prognosticators. Heb. that gave knowledge concerning the months.
Reciprocal: Gen 3:22 – as one Gen 41:8 – the magicians of Egypt Exo 7:11 – wise men Exo 8:18 – they could Lev 19:31 – General Num 22:6 – I wot Num 23:8 – General Deu 18:10 – that useth divination 1Sa 6:2 – called 2Ki 17:17 – used Ecc 10:15 – labour Isa 2:6 – and are Isa 16:12 – but Isa 47:9 – for the multitude Jer 50:35 – her wise men Eze 21:29 – they see Nah 2:8 – Stand Nah 3:4 – the mistress Act 19:19 – used