Commentary upon the Prophecy of Isaiah

Vers. 21. Prepare a slaughter for his children, for the iniquity of their fathers: let them not rise up nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with ^*enemies.

Vers. 21. Prepare a slaughter for his children, for the iniquitie of their fathers: let them not rise vp nor possesse the land, nor fill the face of the world with ^*enemies.

1. *Or, Cities.

Here Isaiah prophesieth against the king of Babylon in plainer terms then heretofore. Now we must remember what I have said already, to wit, that hitherunto he hath not spoken of one particular man only, but of the whole kingdom: and now he also takes away the ambiguity of this manner of speech. Whereas the old translation hath it, Prepare his sons to the slaughter, it comes not near enough, to the right sense, for the letter Lamed being put before the word sons, shows it should be translated, Prepare a slaughter for his sons. Now let us see to whom this speech is directed, for we must of necessity understand that he here covertly speaks to certain officers, sergeants, or executioners, whom God commands to prepare themselves for the execution of his judgement. And who are they? partly the Medes and Persians, as also others, by whom Babylon was razed to the foundation. It was not utterly destroyed when the Persians took it (as we have said before.) Thus then he speaks to those whom God had ordained in his secret counsel to destroy Babylon. This phrase of speech ⟨p. 160⟩hath greater vehemency in it then if he had barely said, The slaughter is prepared: for he shows that God not only disposeth of that which the wicked are to do, but that he also hath executioners at his commandment, to avenge himself upon their iniquities.