36 A sword is on the boasters, and they shall become fools; a sword is on her mighty men, and they shall be dismayed.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
He repeats the same thing, but in other words; and in the first clause he mentions diviners whom he before called wise men; and he calls them now by their true and proper name; for vdym, bedim, mean mendacious men as well as falsehoods. He then calls those now impostors to whom he conceded before the name of wise men. But when he called them wise men, he spoke according to the common opinion, and he was unwilling to contend with the Chaldeans as to the character of their wisdom: he, however, at the same time made known the impositions of those who boasted that they had a familiar intercourse with God and angels, whilst they pronounced by the stars what was to be. [1] That art itself is indeed worthy of praise, were men to preserve moderation. But as the curiosity of men is insatiable, so they wandered here and there, and overleaped all limits, and thus perverted the whole order of nature. The Chaldeans, then, were not genuine, but, on the contrary, spurious astrologers. This is the reason why the Prophet calls them now liars; for we have before seen, that it was a mere imposition, when the Chaldeans held that the whole life of man is subject to the influence of the stars. Hence he exhorted the faithful to fear no dangers from the stars. It is then no wonder that the Prophet now charges all the diviners with falsehoods, who yet proudly arrogated to themselves the name of wise men, they shall be infatuated, he says. The verb y'l, ial, means indeed to begin, but in Niphal it means to become foolish, or to be infatuated. [2] Then he says, The sword shall be on her valiant men; whom before he called chief men or princes, srym, sherim, he now calls strong, gvrym, geberim, or those who excelled in valor. The amount of the whole is, -- that whatever wisdom Babylon arrogated to itself would become folly, and that the valor in which it prided, would vanish away. For he says, that they would be broken in pieces The verb chtt, chetat, means to be broken, but as we have elsewhere seen, it is often applied to the mind, and then it means to dread, or to be terrified. He then says, that the valiant would not be able to stand when the sword was upon them, for they would become, as it were, lifeless, or, at least, they would become so effeminate as to think of nothing but flight.
1 - The word is rendered "diviners" by the Vulg., the Syr., and the Targ.; it is left out by the Sept. Some derive it from vd', to feign, to devise, to invent, the ' being left out in vdym, others say that it comes from vd, alone, solitary, separate, so that vdym were the recluse, retirement or seclusion being often the habit of impostors. It is connected, in Isaiah 44:25, with qsmym, diviners, prognosticators. -- Ed.
2 - Events would prove, that they were foolish and ignorant, being not able to foretell the ruin of their own nation, notwithstanding their boast in the knowledge of futurity. -- Ed.
Liars - Soothsayers, fortune-tellers.
A sword is upon the liars,.... Some render it "bars" (m), as the word sometimes signifies; and interpret it of great men, who are the strength and security of cities and commonwealths; but these are mentioned both before and after. The Targum renders it "diviners"; and so Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it (n); of which there were many among the Chaldeans, who were a lying set of men, who imposed upon and deceived the people; these with their divinations and soothsayings could not save the land, nor themselves, from the devouring sword; nay, their sorceries and divinations were the cause of the ruin of it; see Isaiah 47:9;
and they shall dote; or, that they may "become foolish" (o); be infatuated, and act a mad part, and be at their wits' end; not knowing what course to take for their own safety, and much less be able to give direction and advice to others:
a sword is upon her mighty men, and they shall be dismayed; the soldiers and their officers, the most valiant and courageous of them; these would be in the utmost fright and consternation at the approach of the enemy; especially when they perceived the city taken, and the carnage made of the king and his nobles.
(m) "vectes"; so some in Gataker. (n) "Divinos", V. L. Vatablus, Tigurine version, Calvin, Pagninus; so R. Song. Urbin. Ohel Moed, fol. 84. (o) "stultescant", Schmidt; "ut stulte agant", Piscator; "et insanient", Pagninus, Montanus.
liars--Those whom he before termed "wise men," he here calls "liars" (impostors), namely, the astrologers (compare Isaiah 44:25; Romans 1:21-25; 1-Corinthians 1:20).
Dote - Their soothsayers and wizards shall dote, not foreseeing what will be. Dismayed - Their hearts shall fail them when this day comes.
*More commentary available at chapter level.