7 It is decreed: she is uncovered, she is carried away; and her handmaids moan as with the voice of doves, beating on their breasts.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
There is some ambiguity in these words, and many interpreters think that htsv, estab, to be the name of the queen. The queen then they say, of the name of htsv, estab, is drawn away into exile; she is bidden to ascend, that she might migrate to a hostile land. But this view is too strained; nor was there any reason to suppose the word to be a proper name, except that there was a wish to say something, and that there was no other conjecture more probable. But I regard their opinion more correct, who refer this to the state of the kingdom; and there is here, I have no doubt, a personification, which is evident if we attend to the meaning. If any one prefers to regard the queen as intended, it would yet be better to take htsv, estab, in its proper and real meaning, -- that the queen, previously hid in her palace, and hardly able, through being so delicate, to move a step, -- that she was brought forth to the light; for glh, gele, means to uncover, and also to cast out. If we render it, was made manifest, the Prophet alludes to hiding-places, and means that the queen did not go forth to the light, but was like delicate women who keep themselves within their chambers: but if we render it, Who is drawn forth into exile, it would be more suitable to one who was previously fixed in her dwelling. The word comes from ytsv, itsab, to stand; but it is here in Hophal, hvtsv, eustab,: it then signifies one who was before fixed and firmly settled, that is, in her concealment; she is drawn, he says, into exile. If then any one chooses to refer this to the person of the queen, the most suitable meaning would be, -- that the queen, who before sat in the midst of her pleasures, shall be violently drawn into exile, and carried away to another country. And it is probable that the Prophet speaks of the queen, because it immediately follows, Her handmaids lead her as with the voice of doves, and smite on their breasts; that is, her maids, who before flattered her, shall laments and with sighing and tears, and mourning, shall lead away, as a captive, their own mistress. Thus the context would harmonize. But, as I have said, their opinion seems right, who think that under the person of a woman the state of the kingdom is here described. She then, who before stood, or remained fixed, shall be drawn into captivity; or she, who before sat at leisure, shall be discovered; that is, she shall no more lie hid as hitherto in her retirement, but shall be forced to come abroad. And then, she shall ascend; that is, vanish away, for the verb is to be here taken metaphorically; she shall then vanish away, or be reduced to nothing. And as the Prophet sets a woman here before us, what follows agrees with this idea, -- Her handmaids shall weep and imitate the doves in their moaning; that is, the whole people shall bewail the fate of the kingdom, when things shall be so changed, as when handmaids lead forth their own mistress, who had been before nourished in the greatest delicacies. [1] Now this accumulation of words was by no means in vain; for it was necessary to confirm, by many words, the faith of the Israelites and of the Jews respecting the near approach of the destruction of the city Nineveh, which would have been otherwise incredible; and of this we can easily form a judgment by our own experience. If any one at this day were to speak of mighty kings, whose splendor amazes the whole world, -- if any one were to announce the ruin of the kingdom of one of them, it would appear like a fable. This then is the reason why the Prophet, by so many figures, sets forth an event which might have been expressed in few words, and confirms it by so many forms of speech, and even by such as are hyperbolical. He at length subjoins --
1 - Various have been the opinions respecting the construction of this verse. The Rabbins have generally considered the first word as the name of the queen of Nineveh: but this opinion has been adopted but by a few. Newcome joins the word with the last verse, and changes it into mtsv, on no authority but that of conjecture, and renders it "fortress." What Henderson has adopted seems the best: he also joins it to the last verse, but makes no change in it, only he gives the v an adversative meaning, which it often has. The evident gender, as he rightly says, of htsv proves its connection with the former verse, it being masculine, while the verbs in this verse are feminines. His version of the two verses is the following, -- 7. The floodgates are opened, And the palace is dissolved, Though firmly established. 8. She is made bare, she is carried up, While her handmaids moan like doves, And smite upon their hearts. With the exception of the word htsv, this version is liable to several objections. The verb glh is often used in Kal intransitively, "is removed;" and this meaning enables us better to understand that of the next verb, "she is made to ascend," that is, into captivity, even into Babylon, the seat of empire, being ever considered as the highest place. mnhgvt is a word which in some form or another often occurs in Hebrew, and has never the meaning here given to it. Here it is a participle in Hophal, and "carried away" is its evident meaning, and is rendered egonto, led away, by the Septuagint. "Like," or, as "the voice of doves," are literally the words which follow this verb. However connected, they must be considered as elliptical -- "as with the voice, or, with a voice as that of doves." They might then be construed with the next line. The whole verse would then be this, -- She is removed, she is made to ascend; Yea, her handmaids are led away, Who with a voice as that of doves, tabor on their breasts. They were accompanying the tabering with a voice like that of doves. "Tabor" is literally the original, and "on their breasts" is an English idiom, as "on their hearts" is a Hebrew idiom. -- Ed.
The first word should he rendered, "And it is decreed; She shall be laid bare. It is decreed." All this took place, otherwise than man would have thought, because it was the will of God. She (the people of the city, under the figure of a captive woman) "shall be laid bare," in shame, to her reproach; "she shall be brought up" , to judgment, or from Nineveh as being now sunk low and depressed; "and her maids," the lesser cities, as female attendants on the royal city, and their inhabitants represented as women, both as put to shame and for weakness. The whole empire of Nineveh was overthrown by Nabopalassar. Yet neither was the special shame wanting, that the noble matrons and virgins were so led captives in shame and sorrow. "They shall lead her, as with the voice of doves," moaning, yet, for fear, with a subdued voice.
And Huzzab shall be led away captive - Perhaps Huzzab means the queen of Nineveh, who had escaped the burning mentioned above by Diodorus. As there is no account of the queen being burnt, but only of the king, the concubines, and the eunuchs, we may, therefore, naturally conclude that the queen escaped; and is represented here as brought up and delivered to the conqueror; her maids at the same time bewailing her lot. Some think Huzzab signifies Nineveh itself.
And Huzzab shall be led away captive,.... The Targum translates it the queen; and Jarchi and Aben Ezra, after R. Samuel, take it to be the name of the queen of Assyria; so called, as every queen might, from her standing at the king's right hand, Psalm 45:9 who, when the royal palace was destroyed, was taken out, and carried captive with the rest, who before was in a well settled and tranquil state and condition: or perhaps the king himself is designed, who may be represented as a woman, as follows, for his effeminacy; conversing only with women; imitating their voice; wearing their apparel; and doing their work, spinning, &c. which is the character historians (l) give of the last king of the Assyrians: some (m) take it to be the idol Venus, worshipped by the Ninevites: though it may be meant either of the palace itself, as Kimchi's father, which was firm and well established; or rather Nineveh itself, thought to be stable and secure, the inhabitants of which should be carried into a strange land:
she shall be brought up; the queen, or the king, out of the palace or private retirement, where they were in peace and safety; or Nineveh, and the inhabitants of it, out of their secure state and condition:
and her maids shall lead her; her maids of honour, supporting her on the right hand and left, ready to sink and faint under her misfortunes: this may also be understood of towns and villages, and the inhabitants of them, that should go into captivity along with Nineveh:
as with the voice of doves, tabering upon their breasts; mourning like doves, inwardly and secretly, not daring to express their sorrow more publicly, because of their enemies; but knocking and beating upon their breasts, as men do upon tabrets or drums, thereby expressing the inward grief of their minds; see Ezekiel 7:16.
(l) Diodor. Sicul. l. 2. p. 109, 110. (m) Gebhardus apud Burkium in loc.
Huzzab--the name of the queen of Nineveh, from a Hebrew root implying that she stood by the king (Psalm 45:9), [VATABLUS]. Rather, Nineveh personified as a queen. She who had long stood in the most supreme prosperity. Similarly CALVIN. MAURER makes it not a proper name, and translates, "It is established," or "determined" (compare Genesis 41:32). English Version is more supported by the parallelism.
led away captive--The Hebrew requires rather, "she is laid bare"; brought forth from the apartments where Eastern women remained secluded, and is stripped of her ornamental attire. Compare Isaiah 47:2-3, where the same image of a woman with face and legs exposed is used of a city captive and dismantled (compare Nahum 3:5), [MAURER].
brought up--Her people shall be made to go up to Babylon. Compare the use of "go up" for moving from a place in Jeremiah 21:2.
her maids . . . as . . . doves--As Nineveh is compared to a queen dethroned and dishonored, so she has here assigned to her in the image handmaids attending her with dove-like plaints (Isaiah 38:14; Isaiah 59:11. The image implies helplessness and grief suppressed, but at times breaking out). The minor cities and dependencies of Nineveh may be meant, or her captive women [JEROME]. GROTIUS and MAURER translate, for "lead her," "moan," or "sigh."
tabering--beating on their breasts as on a tambourine.
Huzzab - The queen. The voice of doves - Sighing out their complaints. Upon their breasts - Instead of musical instruments, on which they were used to play, now they only strike their breasts.
*More commentary available at chapter level.