Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 34:12
They shall call the nobles thereof to the kingdom, but none [shall be] there, and all her princes shall be nothing.
12. They shall call the nobles there ] A very obscure sentence, probably through a defect in the text. The rendering of E.V. might be maintained if with Prof. Weir we suppose a transposition of words in the original; the inference being that the monarchy in Edom was elective (cf. Gen 36:31 ff.). More likely, however, “her nobles” is the subject of a sentence the rest of which is now lost; and the following words are to be translated “and there is no kingdom there which they may proclaim.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
They shall call the nobles thereof to the kingdom – A more correct rendering of this would be, As to the nobles, they shall call them, but there shall be there no kingdom. The idea is, that the kingdom would be desolate; there would be no people to rule. Or, there will be no nobles there who shall survive the destruction, and who can undertake the government of the state. The idea is taken from a government or constitution where the monarch is chosen from the ranks of the nobility. Idumea was formerly governed, as we have seen (see the Introduction to the chapter), by dukes or princes; and it is probable that when it became a monarchy it was a part of the constitution that the sovereign should be chosen from their ranks. The idea here is, that none would be left who could be called to the throne; or if any were left, they would be unwilling to undertake the government of a country where all was disorder and confusion.
And all her princes shall be nothing – Long since Idumea has ceased to be a kingdom, and there are neither nobles nor princes there, nor are there any remains of an organized and independent government.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
They shall call the nobles thereof to the kingdom, but none shall be there; they shall endeavour to heal their breaches, but in vain; the remnant of the people shall seek for any fit person, and offer the kingdom to him; but they shall not find any such who shall be willing to undertake the government.
Shall be nothing; either shall be lost and cut off, or shall have no courage or strength left in them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
12. Rather, “As to hernobles, there shall be none there who shall declare a kingdom,”that is, a king [MAURER];or else, “There shall be no one there whom they shall call tothe kingdom” [ROSENMULLER](Isa 3:6, c.). Idumea was atfirst governed by dukes (Ge 36:15)out of them the king wan chosen when the constitution became amonarchy.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
They shall call the nobles thereof to the kingdom, but none [shall be] there,…. They shall call them to take upon them the kingdom and government, and there shall be none to do it, or that will care to do it; or rather there will be no kingdom to take unto them. The words may be rendered either, “as for the nobles thereof, not there a kingdom shall they be called” p; or, “the nobles shall call”; or, “they shall call the nobles”, and “there shall be no kingdom” q; the kingdom of the beast, as it is called, Re 16:10 shall be no more; and though the cardinals, who are like to nobles, may call for it, and expect it, or be called to it, yet to no purpose; this kingdom will not only be full of darkness, but utterly destroyed:
and all her princes shall be nothing; shall come to nothing; the above mentioned cardinals, who are clothed and live like princes, these shall be no more; the same with the merchants of the earth, which like the merchants of Tyre are princes, Re 18:3.
p “nobiles ejus, et non ibi regnum vocabuntur”, Forerius. q “Ingenuos ejus vocabunt, et non erit ibi regnum”, Tigurine version.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
12. They shall call her nobles without a kingdom. This passage has received various interpretations, which I do not quote, because it would be tedious to refute them. One of the most probable is, “They shall call his nobles to reign, but in vain.” As if he had said, “In their wretched condition none will be found willing to rule over them, and to undertake the charge of the commonwealth.” A statement of the same kind is found elsewhere, and we have formerly (Isa 3:6) seen one that is almost alike; but the words do not correspond. When the Prophet speaks thus, “They shall call her nobles, and they shall not be there,” he employs, I doubt not, witty raillery to censure the pride of that nation which had been cherished by longcontinued peace and abundance. When the Edomites, therefore, out of their mountains breathed lofty pride, the Prophet declares that they shall be disgracefully cast down, so that they shall have no nobility and no government; just as, when a kingdom has been overturned, government is taken away, so that the general mass of the people resembles a maimed or disfigured body, and there is no distinction of ranks. To those stately nobles who vaunted themselves so much, he says in mockery, that they shall be princes without subjects.
And all her princes shall be nothing. The meaning of the former clause is still more evident from this second clause, in which he adds for the sake of explanation, that her princes “shall be reduced to nothing.’ It amounts to this, that the land of Edom shall resemble a mutilated body, so that nothing shall be seen in it but shocking confusion. This is the utmost curse of God; because, if men have no political government, they will hardly differ at all from beasts. Indeed, their condition will be far worse, for beasts can dispense with a governor, because they do not make war against their own kind; but nothing call be more cruel than man, if he be not held by some restraint, for every one will be driven by the furious eagerness of his own passions to every kind of vicious indulgence.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(12) They shall call the nobles thereof . . .The monarchy of Edom seems to have been elective, its rulers being known, not as kings, but by the title which the English version renders by dukes (Gen. 36:15-43). It will be noticed that no chief in the list of dukes is the son of his predecessor. Isaiah fore tells as part of the utter collapse of Edom that there shall be neither electors nor any to elect.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Isa 34:12 They shall call the nobles thereof to the kingdom, but none [shall be] there, and all her princes shall be nothing.
Ver. 12. They shall call the nobles thereof to the kingdom. ] The Venetians have magistrates called pregadi; because at first men were prayed to take the office, and to help to govern the State: but here were none left for such a purpose.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
call: Isa 3:6-8, Ecc 10:16, Ecc 10:17
nothing: Isa 41:24, 1Co 8:4, 1Co 13:2, 2Co 12:11
Reciprocal: Jdg 10:18 – What man
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
34:12 {m} They shall call her nobles to the kingdom, but none [shall be] there, and all her princes shall be nothing.
(m) Meaning, here will be neither order nor policy nor state of commonwealth.