Isaiah 21:1. The burden of the desert of the sea.— The sixth discourse contained in this chapter represents, under a mystical name, Babylon, (the rulers whereof made great desolations in the world, and much distressed many other nations as well as the Jews,) besieged and overthrown by the Medes and Persians, after a long and patient expectation hereof by the people of God; and that in the night, when the Babylonians were luxuriously enjoying themselves; an event most pleasing and joyful to the Jewish exiles: and hereto is subjoined the fate of the Edomites, and of the Arabians. It is not certain at what time this prophesy was delivered: but it seems most probable that it was delivered at the same time with that immediately preceding; that is, in the seventh year of king Hezekiah. It contains, first, an inscription, and secondly, the body of the prophesy; wherein we have, first, a prediction of the fall of Babylon, for its crimes committed against the people of God, Isaiah 21:1-5; secondly, an emblematical confirmation hereof; Isaiah 21:6-9; and thirdly, the conclusion, Isaiah 21:10. The desert of the sea, taken literally, signifies a vast tract of plain land, which is surrounded and sometimes overflowed with much water; but figuratively, a vast empire, which is sustained by a populous metropolis. It seems probable, that the prophet uses the expression here figuratively, and yet alludes to some analogous property of those countries which formed a principal part of the Babylonish dominions. See Eze 20:35 and Hosea 2:14. Vitringa is of opinion, that the sea here alluded to was the Euphrates. See Jeremiah 51:36. Zec 10:11 and Revelation 17:3; Rev 17:15 where we find that St. John, when he was to see the spiritual Babylon, was carried into the Wilderness, where he beheld a woman sitting upon a scarlet-coloured beast, and that near many waters. See chap. Isa 14:23 and Vitringa.
As whirlwinds—Ver. 2. The spoiler spoileth.— This prophesy has principally for its object the fall of Babylon; but, as the divine judgment against the Babylonians had sufficient foundation, the Holy Spirit, before he foretells the fate of Babylon, exhibits to the prophet, in vision, those grievous evils which the kings of Babylon should bring perfidioudly upon other nations, and principally upon the Jews; which done, in an extatic rapture, he calls upon the Medes and Persians to besiege and destroy Babylon. He sees, therefore, in a vision, Nebuchadnezzar moving with his forces from Babylon to subdue those people of Asia who refused his yoke, or had shaken it off; among whom were the Jews. He compares this prince, incited by rage and revenge, and armed with great power, to whirlwinds in the south, rushing with great force, and carrying away whatever opposed them: He beholds him like a southern tempest troubling Asia; promiscuously raging upon all who refuse to obey him; invading Jerusalem, impiously destroying the temple of the true God, and leading the remnant of his people into banishment; which revelation he calls a hard or grievous vision. So I understand these words, says Vitringa, after a long and most serious consideration; and, I think, rightly. Some understand them of Cyrus, to whom yet it is evident the words, the treacherous dealer, &c. cannot be applied. See Jeremiah 4:6; Jeremiah 7:11.

Isaiah 21:2. Go up, O Elam; besiege, O Media!— The prophet, in a rapture, had various images succeeding one another before his sight. He had just beheld the Babylonians raging against Asia and Judaea. Presently, this scene being removed, he beholds the city of Babylon itself flourishing in strength and glory; then he observes the motion of a hostile army towards this city, which he understands to consist of the Medes and Persians, raised up by the divine providence to besiege Babylon, and punish it for its pride and wickedness; and he hears at the same moment of time a divine voice, commanding this people to approach and besiege Babylon, with a prediction of undoubted success, which he involves in a short consolatory sentence; All the sighing thereof I have made to cease: that is, "God hath made all that sighing, all those groans and calamities which Babylon had brought upon other nations, and upon the people of God also, to cease and be no more, having determined the destruction of Babylon itself." Elam was an old name for Persia, for the name of Persia does not appear to have been known in Isaiah's time. The Persians seem to have taken their name from becoming horsemen in the time of Cyrus. The country is called Paras, and the inhabitants Parasi, which signifies both Persians and horsemen. Babylon was accordingly besieged by the united force of the Medes and Persians under the command of Cyrus the Persian, the nephew and son-in-law of the king of the Medes. If by Elam we understand the province strictly so called, it is no less true that this also, though subject to Babylon, rose up against it on account of the generous behaviour of Cyrus to Panthea. See Bp. Newton and Vitringa.

Isaiah 21:10. O my threshing, &c.— These words, which form the conclusion of the prophesy, contain an address of the prophet to the church, signifying that he had faithfully related to them what God had revealed to him. The church is elegantly called the threshing-floor, where the true wheat is separated from the chaff. See chap. Isaiah 28:27. Mat 3:12 and Galatians 4:19.

Isaiah 21:13. The burden upon Arabia— While God revealed to his prophet the fate of foreign nations, among others he declared that of those Arabians who inhabited the western part of Arabia Deserta or Petraea; that they should be oppressed and driven into flight by the Assyrians, a calamity which should fall upon them within a year. These Arabians bordered upon the Idumaeans. This prophesy, besides the inscription, contains first, an exordial denunciation of the divine judgment; Isaiah 21:13. Secondly, A figurative declaration thereof, Isaiah 21:14-15. Thirdly, a confirmation, with a discovery of the time when this judgment should be executed, and of the greatness thereof, to be collected from its consequences. The Arabians here mentioned were the Nabathaean Arabians, so called from Nebaioth, who is said to have been the first-born of Ishmael, Genesis 25:13. They are called the children of Kedar, who was the brother of Nebaioth; and also inhabitants of the land of Tema, who was another brother of Nebaioth; and also Dedanim; that is to say, the sons or descendants of Dedan, who was the son of Jokshan, the son of Abraham by Keturah. See Jeremiah 49:28. The time of the delivery, and that of the completion of this prophesy, it is evident, were closely connected; and Vitringa thinks that it was the same year with that mentioned, chap. Isa 20:1 when Salmanezer, after having possessed himself of the fortified cities of Palestine, and driven away the Egyptians and Ethiopians, or Cushites, the next year invaded the Nabathaean Arabs, who were of their party, that he might prepare his way for the invasion of Egypt. The meaning of the exordial proposition in this verse is, "O ye Dedanites, who used to follow your business securely in the desarts of Arabia Petraea, you will be compelled, through fear of the enemies' sword, to retire into the inner parts, the forests of Arabia, having left your tents and the furniture behind, and to pass your nights in inhospitable places. See Jeremiah 8:22. Diodorus Siculus says of the Arabians, that when they are attacked by any powerful enemy, they fly into the desart, εις την ερημον, as into a place of defence." The ερημος of Diodorus seems to be the same with the יער iangar of our prophet; that is to say, the interior recesses of the desart.