And I will prepare destroyers against thee
The Chaldeans, men of savage dispositions, bent upon the destruction of their neighbours; and who had already destroyed many nations, and so fit instruments for such service, as after mentioned; and who yet did not come merely of themselves, but were moved and directed to it by the powerful and all wise providence of God, in consequence of a previous preparation and appointment of them by the Lord in his counsels and purposes. It is, in the original text, "I will sanctify destroyers" {c}; and not only intends a purpose and design; but suggests, that what they should do by his will and order would be consistent with his holiness and justice; and also that being prepared and ready, they might quickly expect a visit from them: everyone with his weapons;
of war, or slaughter weapons, as in ( Ezekiel 9:2 ) ; or, "a man and his weapons" F4; not a single man only, as Nebuchadnezzar, but him and his army; everyone of the destroyers prepared with proper instruments to do execution: and they shall cut down thy choice cedars, and cast [them] into the fire;
the sons of the king, the princes of the blood, the nobles of the land, and other persons of rank and distinction, comparable to the tall cedars of Lebanon; so the Targum,
``and they shall slay the beauty of thy mighty ones, as the trees of a forest are cut down, and cast into the fire;''or else the stately palaces of the king and his nobles, and other beautiful buildings, which were lined and ceiled with cedar, are here meant; and which the Chaldeans burnt with fire, ( Jeremiah 52:13 ) .
FOOTNOTES:
F3 (ytvdqw) "sanctificabo", V. L. Montanus, Cocceius.
F4 (wylkw vya) "virum et arma ejus", Vulg. Lat. Vatablus; "virum et instrumenta ejus", Montanus, Cocceius.
