Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 14:7

The whole earth is at rest, [and] is quiet: they break forth into singing.

7. they break forth into singing ] A favourite idea in the second part of the book: ch. Isa 44:23, Isa 49:13, Isa 54:1, Isa 55:12.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

The whole earth is at rest – The kingdom of Babylonia, or Chaldea, extended nearly over the whole pagan world. Now that Babylon was fallen, and that those oppressions would cease, the world is represented as in peace and quietness.

They break forth into singing – That is, the inhabitants of all the nations that were subject to Babylon now rejoice that they are released from its galling and oppressive yoke.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

The whole earth; the inhabitants and subjects of that vast empire, who groaned under their cruel bondage.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

7. theythe once subjectnations of the whole earth. HOUBIGANTplaces the stop after “fir trees” (Isa14:8), “The very fir trees break forth,” &c. Butthe parallelism is better in English Version.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

The whole earth is at rest, [and] is quiet,…. The troubler of them being gone; and which will be the ease of the people of God, who in the latter day will fill the face of the earth, when the beast and false prophet will be taken and cast alive into the lake of fire; and especially when Satan shall be bound, and put in prison for a thousand years, that he may deceive the nations no more, Re 19:20:

they break forth into singing; that is, the inhabitants of the earth, because of the fall of the king of Babylon, they being delivered from so great a tyrant or oppressor; or, “utter a song of praise”, as the Targum, Aben Ezra says the word in the Arabic language is expressive of “clearness”, and so it does signify to speak purely, dearly, and fluently, with open, mouth, and a clear voice z; it is rendered in Ps 98:4 “make a loud noise”; by singing a joyful song; and such a song will be sung by the church, when the mystical Babylon is fallen; see Re 15:2.

z “perspicuo, puriore sermone fuit, fluida oratione disertas fuit, —-diserte, eleganter locutus est”, Castel. col. 3040.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

“The whole earth rests, is quiet: they break forth into singing. Even the cypresses rejoice at thee, the cedars of Lebanon: ‘Since thou hast gone to sleep, no one will come up to lay the axe upon us.’” The preterites indicate inchoatively the circumstances into which the whole earth has now entered. The omission of the subject in the case of patz’chu (they break forth) gives the greatest generality to the jubilant utterances: patzach rinnah ( erumpere gaudio ) is an expression that is characteristic of Isaiah alone (e.g., Isa 44:23; Isa 49:13); and it is a distinctive peculiarity of the prophet to bring in the trees of the forest, as living and speaking beings, to share in the universal joy (cf., Isa 55:12). Jerome supposes the trees to be figuratively employed here for the “chiefs of the nations” ( principes gentium ). But this disposition to allegorize not only destroys the reality of the contents, but the spirit of the poetry also. Cypresses and cedars rejoice because of the treatment which they received from the Chaldean, who made use of the almost imperishable wood of both of them for ornamental buildings, for his siege apparatus, and for his fleets, and even for ordinary ships – as Alexander, for example, built himself a fleet of cypress-wood, and the Syrian vessels had masts of cedar. Of the old cedars of Lebanon, there are hardly thirty left in the principle spot where they formerly grew. Gardner Wilkinson (1843) and Hooker the botanist (1860) estimated the whole number at about four hundred; and according to the conclusion which the latter drew from the number of concentric rings and other signs, not one of them is more than about five hundred years old.

(Note: See Wilkinson’s paper in the Athenaeum (London, Noverse 1862).)

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

7. and 8. They break forth into singing. Here he shows how greatly tyrants are hated by the whole world. When they are dead or ruined, all men break forth into joy, and express the feelings which they formerly entertained towards the tyrants, and which they dissembled through fear. Then do their hatred and spite burst forth, and not only do men make known their joy, but even the dumb creatures, as the Prophet, for the sake of amplification, adds the fir-trees and the cedars. As tyranny overturns everything, so when tyranny is done away, everything appears to be restored to its original condition.

Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us. To make the discourse more energetic, he adds a personification, in which he introduces the trees as speaking and congratulating themselves that, since the tyrant is dead, they will now stand gladly and at ease. The design of the Prophet is to show, that the Heavenly Judge cannot endure tyrants, who are abhorred by the whole world. Hence, we ought to conclude that, though under the sway of tyrants unhappy men are silent, and do not venture to open their mouths, yet the Lord listens to their secret groans. Let us not wonder therefore that tyrants come to such a dismal end; for God, who is a witness of the injuries which they have inflicted, must in the exercise of his justice assist the innocent.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

(7) They break forth into singing . . .The phrase is noticeable as characteristic of Isaiah (Isa. 44:23; Isa. 49:13; Isa. 52:9; Isa. 54:1; Isa. 55:12), and is not found elsewhere. The emancipated nations are represented as exulting in the unfamiliar peace that follows on the downfall of their oppressor.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

7, 8. Earth is at rest Better, Hath gone into rest.

Is quiet Has become quiet. The verbs are inchoatively past.

Break forth into singing There being no subject to the verb, great generality is given to the rejoicing. Yea, the fir trees, etc. Indeed, cypress and cedar join the chorus. By these, some suppose the usual symbols for rulers, leaders, generals, etc., are intended. Now that they are safe from an all-crushing opposer, they too rejoice. But a better sense is, that firs and cedars are conspicuous parts of the one great scenery, or picture, representing all nature as rejoicing. These almost imperishable timbers were used by the tyrants for ornamental building, for siege apparatus, for fleets and ordinary ships, and they also share the general joy. Tristram, ( Nat. Hist. Bible,) regards the “fir” of the Bible to be the Aleppo pine, and for strength and durability to be only inferior to the cedar of Lebanon.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Isa 14:7 The whole earth is at rest, [and] is quiet: they break forth into singing.

Ver. 7. The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet. ] Quievit, conticuit. a All is hushed that was used to be set in an uproar by these restless ambitionists.

They break forth into singing. ] By a wide opening of the lips and lungs, as the word signifieth.

a . – Sept.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)