Chapter 46

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.

Bel

Bel, called Belus by the Greek and Roman writers, is the same as Baal; and Nebo is interpreted by Castell and Norberg of Mercury; the two principal idols of Babylon. When that city was taken by the Persians, these images were carried in triumph.

21:9 41:6,7 Exodus 12:12 1 Samuel 5:3 Jeremiah 48:1-25 50:2 51:44,47,52

a burden

2:20 Jeremiah 10:5

They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity.

they could

36:18,19 37:12,19 44:17 45:20

but

Judges 18:17,18,24 2 Samuel 5:21 Jeremiah 43:12,13 48:7

themselves are

Heb. their soul is.

Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb:

Hearken

44:1,21 48:1,17,18 51:1,7 Psalms 81:8-13

the remnant

1:9 10:22 11:11 37:4

borne

44:1,2 49:1,2 63:9 Exodus 19:4 Deuteronomy 1:31 32:11,12 Psalms 22:9,10 71:6 Ezekiel 16:6-16

And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.

even to your

41:4 43:13,25 Psalms 92:14 102:26,27 Malachi 2:16 3:6 Romans 11:29 Hebrews 1:12 13:8 James 1:17

even to hoar

Psalms 48:14 71:18

To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?

40:18,25 Exodus 15:11 Psalms 86:8 89:6,8 113:5 Jeremiah 10:6,7,16 Philippians 2:6 Colossians 1:15 Hebrews 1:3

They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship.

lavish

40:19,20 41:6,7 44:12-19 45:20 Exodus 32:2-4 Judges 17:3,4 1 Kings 12:28 Jeremiah 10:3,4,9,14 Hosea 8:4-6 Habakkuk 2:18-20 Acts 17:29

they fall

2:8 44:17 Daniel 3:5-15

They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble.

they carry him

1 Samuel 5:3 Jeremiah 10:5 Daniel 3:1

one shall cry

37:38 45:20 Judges 10:12-14 1 Kings 18:26,40 Jeremiah 2:28 Jonah 1:5,14-16

Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors.

Remember

44:18-21 Deuteronomy 32:29 Psalms 115:8 135:18 Jeremiah 10:8 1 Corinthians 14:20

bring

47:7 Ezekiel 18:28 Haggai 1:5,7 Luke 15:17 Ephesians 5:14

Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,

the former

42:9 65:17 Deuteronomy 32:7 Nehemiah 9:7-37 Psalms 78:1-72 105:1-106 111:4 Jeremiah 23:7,8 Daniel 9:6-15

I am God

45:5,6,14,18,21,22

and there is none like

5 Deuteronomy 33:26

Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

the end

41:22,23 44:7 45:21 Genesis 3:15 12:2,3 49:10,22-26 Numbers 24:17-24 Deuteronomy 4:24-31 28:15-68 Acts 15:18

My counsel

11 43:13 Psalms 33:11 135:6 Proverbs 19:21 21:30 Daniel 4:35 Acts 3:23 Acts 4:27,28 5:39 Romans 11:33,34 Ephesians 1:9-11 Hebrews 6:17

Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.

Calling

13:2-4 21:7-9 41:2,25 45:1-6 Jeremiah 50:29 51:20-29

a ravenous bird

Or, "an eagle," a very proper emblem for Cyrus, says Bp. Lowth, as in other respects, so particularly because the ensign of Cyrus was a golden eagle, [aetos chrusous] the very word ayit, which the prophet uses here, expressed as near as may be in Greek letters.

Ezekiel 39:4

the man

44:28 45:13 48:14,15 Ezra 1:2 Psalms 76:10 Acts 4:28

that executeth my counsel

Heb. of my counsel.

Psalms 119:24 *marg:

I have spoken

14:24-27 38:15 Numbers 23:19 Job 23:13 Jeremiah 50:45 Acts 5:39 Ephesians 1:11 Ephesians 3:11

Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness:

Hearken

3 28:23 45:20 Psalms 49:1 Proverbs 1:22,23 8:1-5 Ephesians 5:14 Revelation 3:17,18

ye stouthearted

48:4 Psalms 76:5 Zechariah 7:11,12 Malachi 3:13-15 Acts 7:51

that

Psalms 119:150,155 Jeremiah 2:5 Ephesians 2:13

I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.

bring

51:5 61:11 Romans 1:17 3:21-26 10:3-15

shall not tarry

Psalms 14:7 46:1,5 Habakkuk 2:3 Hebrews 10:37

salvation

12:2 28:16 61:3 62:11 Joel 3:17 1 Peter 2:6

Israel

43:7 44:23 60:21 61:3 Jeremiah 33:9 Haggai 1:8 John 17:10 Ephesians 1:6 2 Thessalonians 1:10,12