The Prophet and His Day: Isaiah 1-39 - Free Bible Commentary

18Her gain and her harlot's wages will be set apart to the LORD; it will not be stored up orhoarded, but her gain will become sufficient food and choice attire for those who dwell in thepresence of the LORD.23:13 “the land of the Chaldeans” This seems to refer to the destruction of Babylon (not Neo-Babylon) by Assyria (cf. chapters 13-14). There are two “Babylons” mentioned in the Prophets.1 small semi-autonomous region close to the mouth of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers thatrebelled against Assyria and was invaded and their capital “Babylon” destroyed by Sargon II(722-705 B.C.), who took the Babylonian throne name “King of Babylon.” Then it wouldrefer to the Babylonian kingsa. Merodach-baladan, reigned 721-710 and again 703-702 B.C. (He sent messengers toHezekiah in 712 B.C., cf. II Kgs. 20:12-21; Isaiah 39)b. Shamash-shum-ukim, son of Esarhaddon, 681-669 B.C. and rival brother to Ashurbanipal[669-633 B.C.] who was made king of Assyria2. a new (i.e., “new”) Babylon appeared on the scene in 626 B.C. with the rise of Nabopolassor(626-605 B.C.), the father of Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562 B.C.). Nabopolassor wasinstrumental in the fall of Asshur (one Assyrian capital) in 614 B.C. and Nineveh (the mainAssyrian capital) in 612 B.C. (see of “Brief Historical Survey of the Powers of Mesopotamia”in Appendix Three).} “it” Does this refer to the Chaldean capital Babylon or Sidon/Tyre? In context it refers to Babylondestroyed by Sargon II in 710 or Sennacherib in 689 B.C. Tyre would look like Babylon. Assyria, Neo-Babylon, and Alexander the Great are coming!!!} “for desert creatures” This term (BDB 850 II) denotes wild desert animals of some kind. It has theadded connotation of being inhabited by the demonic (cf. NIDOTTE, vol. 3, p. 79, and NEB, REBtranslations).23:15 “for seventy years” The time designation appears here and in v. 17. It seems to allude to acomplete time (from 7 x 10, see Special Topic: Symbolic Numbers in Scripture at 11:12). Notice someof its usages in Scripture.1. revenge, Gen. 4:242. age of Terah when Abram was born, Gen. 11:263. seventy in Jacob’s family moved to Egypt, Exod. 1:54. seventy elders during the Wilderness Wandering Period, Exod. 24:1,9; Num. 11:16,24,25(also Ezek. 8:11)5. number of Abimelech’s brothers who were killed, Jdgs. 9:566. expected life span, Ps. 90:10 (double is a special blessing from God, Job 42:16)7. the plague of YHWH killed 70,000, II Sam. 24:15; I Chr. 21:148. Ahab’s seventy sons, II Kgs. 10:1,6,79. seventy year judgmenta. Judah in Babylon, Jer. 25:11; Dan. 9:2; Zech. 7:5b. Tyre, Isa. 23:1510. Jesus sent out seventy, Luke 10:1,1711. forgiveness 70 times 7, Matt. 18:22} “like the days of one king” This phrase designates the expected reign of a monarch. Seventy yearswas the time span for a normal life, but here it refers to a very long reign, which probably shows thesymbolic nature of the round number.232