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Selected Verse: Isaiah 46:1 - Strong Concordance
Verse |
Translation |
Text |
Isa 46:1 |
Strong Concordance |
Bel [01078] boweth down [03766], Nebo [05015] stoopeth [07164], their idols [06091] were upon the beasts [02416], and upon the cattle [0929]: your carriages [05385] were heavy loaden [06006]; they are a burden [04853] to the weary [05889] beast. |
|
King James |
Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
BABYLON'S IDOLS COULD NOT SAVE THEMSELVES, MUCH LESS HER. BUT GOD CAN AND WILL SAVE ISRAEL: CYRUS IS HIS INSTRUMENT. (Isa 46:1-13)
Bel--the same as the PhÅnician Baal, that is, lord, the chief god of Babylon; to it was dedicated the celebrated tower of Babylon, in the center of one of the two parts into which the city was divided, the palace being in the center of the other. Identical with the sun, worshipped on turrets, housetops, and other high places, so as to be nearer the heavenly hosts (Saba) (Jer 19:13; Jer 32:29; Zep 1:5). GESENIUS identifies Bel with the planet Jupiter, which, with the planet Venus (under the name Astarte or Astaroth), was worshipped in the East as the god of fortune, the most propitious star to be born under (see on Isa 65:11). According to the Apocryphal book, Bel and the Dragon, Bel was cast down by Cyrus.
boweth . . . stoopeth--falleth prostrate (Isa 10:4; Sa1 5:3-4; Psa 20:8).
Nebo--the planet Mercury or Hermes, in astrology. The scribe of heaven, answering to the Egyptian Anubis. The extensive worship of it is shown by the many proper names compounded of it: Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuzar-adan, Nabonassar, &c.
were upon--that is, were a burden (supplied from the following clause) upon. It was customary to transport the gods of the vanquished to the land of the conquerors, who thought thereby the more effectually to keep down the subject people (Sa1 5:1, &c.; Jer 48:7; Jer 49:3; Dan 11:8).
carriages--in the Old English sense of the things carried, the images borne by you: the lading (Act 21:15), "carriages," not the vehicles, but the baggage. Or, the images which used to be carried by you formerly in your solemn processions [MAURER].
were heavy loaden--rather, are put as a load on the beasts of burden [MAURER]. HORSLEY translates, "They who should have been your carriers (as Jehovah is to His people, Isa 46:3-4) are become burdens" (see on Isa 46:4). |
Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
Bel boweth down - Bel or Belus (בל bēl, from בעל be‛ēl, the same as בעל ba‛al was the chief domestic god of the Babylonians, and was worshipped in the celebrated tower of Babylon (compare Jer 50:2; Jer 51:44). It was usual to compound names of the titles of the divinities that were worshipped, and hence, we often meet with this name, as in Bel-shazzar, Bel-teshazzar, Baal-Peor, Baal-zebub, Baal-Gad, Baal-Berith. The Greek and Roman writers compare Bel with Jupiter, and the common name which they give to this idol is Jupiter Belus (Pliny, Nat. Hist. xxxvii. 10; Cic. De Nat. Deor. iii. 16; Diod. ii. 8, 9). Herodotus (i. 181-183) says, that in the center of each division of the city of Babylon (for the Euphrates divided the city into two parts) there is a circular space surrounded by a wall. In one of these stands the royal palace, which fills a large and strongly defended space.
The temple of Jupiter Belus, says he, occupies the other, whose huge gates of brass may still be seen. It is a square building, each side of which is of the length of two furlongs. In the midst, a tower rises of the solid depth and height of one furlong; on which, resting as a base, seven other turrets are built in regular succession. The ascent on the outside, winding from the ground, is continued to the highest tower; and in the middle of the whole structure there is a convenient resting place. In this temple there is a small chapel, which contains a figure of Jupiter in a sitting posture, with a large table before him; these, with the base of the table, and the sear of the throne, are all of the purest gold. There was formerly in this temple a statue of solid gold, twelve cubits high. This was seized, says Herodotus, by Xerxes, who put the priest to death who endeavored to prevent its removal.
The upper room of this tower was occupied as an observatory. The idol Baal, or Bel, was especially the god of the Phenicians, of the Canaanites, of the Chaldeans, of the Moabites, and of some of the surrounding nations. The most common opinion has been, that the idol was the sun (see the notes at Isa 17:8-9), and that, under this name, this luminary received divine honors. But Gesenius supposes that by the name Jupiter Belus was not denoted Jupiter, 'the father of the gods,' but the planet Jupiter, Stella Jovis, which was regarded, together with Venus, as the giver of all good fortune; and which forms with Venus the most fortunate of all constellations under which sovereigns can be born. The planet Jupiter, therefore, he supposes to have been worshipped under the name Bel, and the planet Venus under the name of Astarte, or Astareth (see Gesenius, Commentary zu Isaiah, ii. 333ff, and Robinson's Calmet, Art. Baal). The phrase 'boweth down,' means here, probably, that the idol sunk down, fell, or was removed. It was unable to defend the city, and was taken captive, and carried away. Jerome renders Confractus est Bel - 'Bel is broken.' The Septuagint, Ἔπεσε Βὴλ Epese Bēl - 'Bel has fallen.' Perhaps in the language there is allusion to the fact that Dagon fell before the ark of God Sa1 5:2-3, Sa1 5:7. The sense is, that even the object of worship - that which was regarded as the most sacred among the Chaldeans - would be removed.
Nebo stoopeth - This was an idol-god of the Chaldeans. In the astrological mythology of the Babylonians, according to Gesenius (Commentary zu Isaiah ii. 333ff), this idol was the planet Mercury. He is regarded as the scribe of the heavens, who records the succession of the celestial and terrestrial events; and is related to the Egyptian Hermes and Anubis. The extensive worship of this idol among the Chaldeans and Assyrians is evident from the many compound proper names occurring in the Scriptures, of which this word forms a part, as Neb-uchadnezzar, Neb-uzaradan: and also in the classics, as Nab-onad, Nab-onassar. Nebo was, therefore, regarded as an attendant on Bel, or as his scribe. The exact form of the idol is, however, unknown. The word 'stoopeth,' means that it had fallen down, as when one is struck dead he falls suddenly to the earth; and the language denotes conquest, where even the idols so long worshipped would be thrown down. The scene is in Babylon, and the image in the mind of the prophet is that of the city taken, and the idols that were worshipped thrown down by the conqueror, and carried away in triumph.
Their idols were upon the beasts - That is, they are laid upon the beasts to be borne away in triumph. It was customary for conquerors to carry away all that was splendid and valuable, to grace their triumph on their return; and nothing would be a more certain indication of victory, or a more splendid accompaniment to a triumph, than the gods whom the vanquished nations had adored. Thus in Jer 48:7, it is said, 'And Chemosh shall go forth into captivity, with his priests and his princes together' (compare Jer 44:3, margin.)
Your carriages - That is, they were laden with the idols that were thus borne off in triumph.
They are a burden - They are so numerous; so heavy; and to be borne so far. This is a very striking and impressive manner of foretelling that the city of Babylon would be destroyed. Instead of employing the direct language of prophecy, the prophet represents himself as seeing the heavy laden animals and wagons moving along slowly, pressed down under the weight of the captured gods to be borne into the distant country of the conqueror. They move forth from Babylon, and the caravan laden with the idols, the spoils of victory, is seen slowly moving forward to a distant land. |
Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78] |
There follows now a trilogy of prophecies referring to Babylon. After the prophet has shown what Israel has to expect of Cyrus, he turns to what awaits Babylon at the hands of Cyrus. "Bel sinketh down, Nebo stoopeth; its images come to the beast of burden and draught cattle: your litters are laden, a burden for the panting. They stopped, sank down all at once, and could not get rid of the burden; and their own self went into captivity." The reference to Babylon comes out at once in the names of the gods. Bēl was the Jupiter of the Babylonians and, as Bel-Merodach, the tutelar deity of Babylon; Nebo was Mercury, the tutelar deity of the later Chaldean royal family, as the many kings' names in which it appears clearly show (e.g., Mabonassar, Nabo-polassar, etc.). The pryamidal heap of ruins on the right bank of the Euphrates, which is now called Birs Nimrud, is the ruin of the temple of Bel, of which Herodotus gives a description in i. 181-183, and probably also of the tower mentioned in Gen 11, which was dedicated to Bel, if not to El = Saturn. Herodotus describes two golden statues of Bel which were found there (cf., Diodorus, ii. 9, 5), but the way in which Nebo was represented is still unknown. The judgment of Jehovah falls upon these gods through Cyrus. Bel suddenly falls headlong, and Nebo stoops till he also falls. Their images come to (fall to the lot of) the chayyâh, i.e., the camels, dromedaries, and elephants; and behēmâh, i.e., horses, oxen, and asses. Your נשׂאת, gestamina, the prophet exclaims to the Babylonians, i.e., the images hitherto carried by you in solemn procession (Isa 45:20; Amo 5:26; Jer 10:5), are now packed up, a burden for that which is wearied out, i.e., for cattle that has become weary with carrying them. In Isa 46:1, as the two participial clauses show, the prophet still takes his stand in the midst of the catastrophe; but in Isa 46:2 it undoubtedly lies behind him as a completed act. In Isa 46:2 he continues, as in Isa 46:1, to enter into the delusion of the heathen, and distinguish between the numina and simulacra. The gods of Babylon have all stooped at once, have sunken down, and have been unable to save their images which were packed upon the cattle, out of the hands of the conquerors. In Isa 46:2 he destroys this delusion: they are going into captivity (Hos 10:5; Jer 48:7; Jer 49:3), even "their ownself" (naphshâm), since the self or personality of the beingless beings consists of nothing more than the wood and metal of which their images are composed. |
Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
Bel - The chief idol of the Babylonians, called by profane historians Jupiter Belus. Boweth - As the Babylonians used to bow down to him to worship, so now he bows down to the victorious Persians. Nebo - Another of the famous idols, which used to deliver oracles. Their idols - Were taken and broken, and the materials of them, gold, silver, and brass, were carried upon beasts into Persia. Your carriages - O ye Persians, to whom he turns his speech. |
Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
Their carriages were heavy loaden "Their burdens are heavy" - For נשאתיכם nesuotheychem, your burdens, the Septuagint had in their copy נשאתיהם nesuotheyhem, their burdens. |
4 And even to your old age [02209] I am he; and even to hoar hairs [07872] will I carry [05445] you: I have made [06213], and I will bear [05375]; even I will carry [05445], and will deliver [04422] you.
3 Hearken [08085] unto me, O house [01004] of Jacob [03290], and all the remnant [07611] of the house [01004] of Israel [03478], which are borne [06006] by me from the belly [0990], which are carried [05375] from the womb [07356]:
4 And even to your old age [02209] I am he; and even to hoar hairs [07872] will I carry [05445] you: I have made [06213], and I will bear [05375]; even I will carry [05445], and will deliver [04422] you.
15 And [1161] after [3326] those [5025] days [2250] we took up our carriages [643], and went up [305] to [1519] Jerusalem [2419].
8 And shall also carry [0935] captives [07628] into Egypt [04714] their gods [0430], with their princes [05257], and with their precious [02532] vessels [03627] of silver [03701] and of gold [02091]; and he shall continue [05975] more years [08141] than the king [04428] of the north [06828].
3 Howl [03213], O Heshbon [02809], for Ai [05857] is spoiled [07703]: cry [06817], ye daughters [01323] of Rabbah [07237], gird [02296] you with sackcloth [08242]; lament [05594], and run to and fro [07751] by the hedges [01448]; for their king [04428] shall go [03212] into captivity [01473], and his priests [03548] and his princes [08269] together [03162].
7 For because thou hast trusted [0982] in thy works [04639] and in thy treasures [0214], thou shalt also be taken [03920]: and Chemosh [03645] shall go forth [03318] into captivity [01473] with his priests [03548] and his princes [08269] together [03162].
1 And the Philistines [06430] took [03947] the ark [0727] of God [0430], and brought [0935] it from Ebenezer [072] unto Ashdod [0795].
8 They are brought down [03766] and fallen [05307]: but we are risen [06965], and stand upright [05749].
3 And when they of Ashdod [0796] arose early [07925] on the morrow [04283], behold, Dagon [01712] was fallen [05307] upon his face [06440] to the earth [0776] before [06440] the ark [0727] of the LORD [03068]. And they took [03947] Dagon [01712], and set [07725] him in his place [04725] again [07725].
4 And when they arose early [07925] on the morrow [04283] morning [01242], behold, Dagon [01712] was fallen [05307] upon his face [06440] to the ground [0776] before [06440] the ark [0727] of the LORD [03068]; and the head [07218] of Dagon [01712] and both [08147] the palms [03709] of his hands [03027] were cut off [03772] upon the threshold [04670]; only the stump of Dagon [01712] was left [07604] to him.
4 Without me they shall [01115] bow down [03766] under the prisoners [0616], and they shall fall [05307] under the slain [02026]. For all this his anger [0639] is not turned away [07725], but his hand [03027] is stretched out still [05186].
11 But ye are they that forsake [05800] the LORD [03068], that forget [07913] my holy [06944] mountain [02022], that prepare [06186] a table [07979] for that troop [01409] [01408], and that furnish [04390] the drink offering [04469] unto that number [04507].
5 And them that worship [07812] the host [06635] of heaven [08064] upon the housetops [01406]; and them that worship [07812] and that swear [07650] by the LORD [03068], and that swear [07650] by Malcham [04428];
29 And the Chaldeans [03778], that fight [03898] against this city [05892], shall come [0935] and set [03341] fire [0784] on this city [05892], and burn [08313] it with the houses [01004], upon whose roofs [01406] they have offered incense [06999] unto Baal [01168], and poured out [05258] drink offerings [05262] unto other [0312] gods [0430], to provoke me to anger [03707].
13 And the houses [01004] of Jerusalem [03389], and the houses [01004] of the kings [04428] of Judah [03063], shall be defiled [02931] as the place [04725] of Tophet [08612], because of all the houses [01004] upon whose roofs [01406] they have burned incense [06999] unto all the host [06635] of heaven [08064], and have poured out [05258] drink offerings [05262] unto other [0312] gods [0430].
1 Bel [01078] boweth down [03766], Nebo [05015] stoopeth [07164], their idols [06091] were upon the beasts [02416], and upon the cattle [0929]: your carriages [05385] were heavy loaden [06006]; they are a burden [04853] to the weary [05889] beast.
2 They stoop [07164], they bow down [03766] together [03162]; they could [03201] not deliver [04422] the burden [04853], but themselves [05315] are gone [01980] into captivity [07628].
3 Hearken [08085] unto me, O house [01004] of Jacob [03290], and all the remnant [07611] of the house [01004] of Israel [03478], which are borne [06006] by me from the belly [0990], which are carried [05375] from the womb [07356]:
4 And even to your old age [02209] I am he; and even to hoar hairs [07872] will I carry [05445] you: I have made [06213], and I will bear [05375]; even I will carry [05445], and will deliver [04422] you.
5 To whom will ye liken [01819] me, and make me equal [07737], and compare [04911] me, that we may be like [01819]?
6 They lavish [02107] gold [02091] out of the bag [03599], and weigh [08254] silver [03701] in the balance [07070], and hire [07936] a goldsmith [06884]; and he maketh [06213] it a god [0410]: they fall down [05456], yea, they worship [07812].
7 They bear [05375] him upon the shoulder [03802], they carry [05445] him, and set him in his place [03240], and he standeth [05975]; from his place [04725] shall he not remove [04185]: yea, one shall cry [06817] unto him, yet can he not answer [06030], nor save [03467] him out of his trouble [06869].
8 Remember [02142] this, and shew yourselves men [0377]: bring it again [07725] to mind [03820], O ye transgressors [06586].
9 Remember [02142] the former things [07223] of old [05769]: for I am God [0410], and there is none else; I am God [0430], and there is none [0657] like [03644] me,
10 Declaring [05046] the end [0319] from the beginning [07225], and from ancient times [06924] the things that are not yet done [06213], saying [0559], My counsel [06098] shall stand [06965], and I will do [06213] all my pleasure [02656]:
11 Calling [07121] a ravenous bird [05861] from the east [04217], the man [0376] that executeth my counsel [06098] from a far [04801] country [0776]: yea, I have spoken [01696] it, I will also bring [0935] it to pass; I have purposed [03335] it, I will also do [06213] it.
12 Hearken [08085] unto me, ye stouthearted [047] [03820], that are far from [07350] righteousness [06666]:
13 I bring near [07126] my righteousness [06666]; it shall not be far off [07368], and my salvation [08668] shall not tarry [0309]: and I will place [05414] salvation [08668] in Zion [06726] for Israel [03478] my glory [08597].
3 Because [06440] of their wickedness [07451] which they have committed [06213] to provoke me to anger [03707], in that they went [03212] to burn incense [06999], and to serve [05647] other [0312] gods [0430], whom they knew [03045] not, neither they, ye, nor your fathers [01].
7 For because thou hast trusted [0982] in thy works [04639] and in thy treasures [0214], thou shalt also be taken [03920]: and Chemosh [03645] shall go forth [03318] into captivity [01473] with his priests [03548] and his princes [08269] together [03162].
7 And when the men [0582] of Ashdod [0795] saw [07200] that it was so, they said [0559], The ark [0727] of the God [0430] of Israel [03478] shall not abide [03427] with us: for his hand [03027] is sore [07185] upon us, and upon Dagon [01712] our god [0430].
2 When the Philistines [06430] took [03947] the ark [0727] of God [0430], they brought [0935] it into the house [01004] of Dagon [01712], and set [03322] it by [0681] Dagon [01712].
3 And when they of Ashdod [0796] arose early [07925] on the morrow [04283], behold, Dagon [01712] was fallen [05307] upon his face [06440] to the earth [0776] before [06440] the ark [0727] of the LORD [03068]. And they took [03947] Dagon [01712], and set [07725] him in his place [04725] again [07725].
8 And he shall not look [08159] to the altars [04196], the work [04639] of his hands [03027], neither shall respect [07200] that which his fingers [0676] have made [06213], either the groves [0842], or the images [02553].
9 In that day [03117] shall his strong [04581] cities [05892] be as a forsaken [05800] bough [02793], and an uppermost branch [0534], which they left [05800] because [06440] of the children [01121] of Israel [03478]: and there shall be desolation [08077].
44 And I will punish [06485] Bel [01078] in Babylon [0894], and I will bring forth [03318] out of his mouth [06310] that which he hath swallowed up [01105]: and the nations [01471] shall not flow together [05102] any more unto him: yea, the wall [02346] of Babylon [0894] shall fall [05307].
2 Declare [05046] ye among the nations [01471], and publish [08085], and set up [05375] a standard [05251]; publish [08085], and conceal [03582] not: say [0559], Babylon [0894] is taken [03920], Bel [01078] is confounded [03001], Merodach [04781] is broken in pieces [02865]; her idols [06091] are confounded [03001], her images [01544] are broken in pieces [02865].
3 Howl [03213], O Heshbon [02809], for Ai [05857] is spoiled [07703]: cry [06817], ye daughters [01323] of Rabbah [07237], gird [02296] you with sackcloth [08242]; lament [05594], and run to and fro [07751] by the hedges [01448]; for their king [04428] shall go [03212] into captivity [01473], and his priests [03548] and his princes [08269] together [03162].
7 For because thou hast trusted [0982] in thy works [04639] and in thy treasures [0214], thou shalt also be taken [03920]: and Chemosh [03645] shall go forth [03318] into captivity [01473] with his priests [03548] and his princes [08269] together [03162].
5 The inhabitants [07934] of Samaria [08111] shall fear [01481] because of the calves [05697] of Bethaven [01007]: for the people [05971] thereof shall mourn [056] over it, and the priests [03649] thereof that rejoiced [01523] on it, for the glory [03519] thereof, because it is departed [01540] from it.
2 They stoop [07164], they bow down [03766] together [03162]; they could [03201] not deliver [04422] the burden [04853], but themselves [05315] are gone [01980] into captivity [07628].
1 Bel [01078] boweth down [03766], Nebo [05015] stoopeth [07164], their idols [06091] were upon the beasts [02416], and upon the cattle [0929]: your carriages [05385] were heavy loaden [06006]; they are a burden [04853] to the weary [05889] beast.
2 They stoop [07164], they bow down [03766] together [03162]; they could [03201] not deliver [04422] the burden [04853], but themselves [05315] are gone [01980] into captivity [07628].
2 They stoop [07164], they bow down [03766] together [03162]; they could [03201] not deliver [04422] the burden [04853], but themselves [05315] are gone [01980] into captivity [07628].
1 Bel [01078] boweth down [03766], Nebo [05015] stoopeth [07164], their idols [06091] were upon the beasts [02416], and upon the cattle [0929]: your carriages [05385] were heavy loaden [06006]; they are a burden [04853] to the weary [05889] beast.
5 They are upright [04749] as the palm tree [08560], but speak [01696] not: they must needs [05375] be borne [05375], because they cannot go [06805]. Be not afraid [03372] of them; for they cannot do evil [07489], neither also is it in them to do good [03190].
26 But ye have borne [05375] the tabernacle [05522] of your Moloch [04428] and Chiun [03594] your images [06754], the star [03556] of your god [0430], which ye made [06213] to yourselves.
20 Assemble [06908] yourselves and come [0935]; draw near [05066] together [03162], ye that are escaped [06412] of the nations [01471]: they have no knowledge [03045] that set up [05375] the wood [06086] of their graven image [06459], and pray [06419] unto a god [0410] that cannot save [03467].