That thou shall take up this proverb against the king
of
Babylon
Or "concerning" him, his fall, and the fall of the Babylonish
monarchy with him; if we understand this of any particular king
of Babylon, it seems best not to interpret it of Nebuchadnezzar,
whom Jerom mentions, in whom the empire was in its greatest
glory: but of Belshazzar, in whom it ended; the king of Babylon
may be here considered as a type of antichrist, and what is said
of the one may be applied to the other: the "proverb" or
"parable" taken up into the mouth, and expressed concerning him,
signifies a sharp and acute speech, a taunting one, full of
ironies and sarcasms, and biting expressions, as the following
one is. The Septuagint render it, a "lamentation"; and the Arabic
version, a "mournful song"; but as this was to be taken up by the
church and people of God, concerning their great enemy, whose
destruction is here described, it may rather be called a
triumphant song, rejoicing at his ruin, and insulting over him:
and say, how hath the oppressor ceased!
he who oppressed us, and other nations, exacted tribute of us,
and of others, and made us to serve with hard bondage, how is he
come to nothing? by what means is he brought to ruin; by whom is
this accomplished? who has been the author of it, and by whom
effected? this is said as wondering how it should be brought
about, and rejoicing that so it was: the golden city
ceased!
the city of Babylon, full of gold, drawn thither from the various
parts of the world, called a golden cup, ( Jeremiah
51:7 ) and the Babylonish monarchy, in the times of
Nebuchadnezzar, was signified by a golden head, ( Daniel 2:32 Daniel 2:38 ) so
mystical Babylon, or the Romish antichrist, is represented as
decked with gold, and having a golden cup in her hand; and as a
city abounding with gold, ( Revelation
17:4 ) ( 18:16 ) .
The word here used is a Chaldee or Syriac word F24, and
perhaps is what was used by themselves, and is the name by which
they called this city, and is now tauntingly returned; the word
city is not in the text, but supplied. Some render "tribute" {y},
a golden pension, a tribute of gold, which was exacted of the
nations in subjection, but now ceased; and when that tyrant and
oppressor, the Romish antichrist, shall cease that tribute which
he exacts of the nations of the earth will cease also, as tithes,
first fruits, annates, Peter's pence