Bible Commentaries
Isaiah 46

Verse 1

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 — The chief idol of the Babylonians, called by profane historians Jupiter Belus.

Boweth — As the Babylonians used to bow down to him to worship, so now he bows down to the victorious Persians.

Nebo — Another of the famous idols, which used to deliver oracles.

Their idols — Were taken and broken, and the materials of them, gold, silver, and brass, were carried upon beasts into Persia.

Your carriages — O ye Persians, to whom he turns his speech.

Verse 2

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

They — The Babylonians.

Together — The Babylonians and their idols together, neither could help the other.

Deliver — The Babylonians could not deliver their idols.

Verse 3

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:

Carried — Whom I have nourished, ever since you were a people, and came out of Egypt; and that as tenderly, as parents bring up their own children.

Verse 7

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.

Remove — He can stir neither hand nor foot to help his people.

Verse 8

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

Bring it — Think of this again and again, ye who have been guilty of this foolish sin.

Verse 10

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:

Declaring — Foretelling from the beginning of the world, future events which should happen in succeeding ages, even to the end of the world.

Verse 11

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.

A bird — Cyrus, called a bird for his swiftness, and ravenous for his fierceness, and victoriousness over his enemies.

Verse 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.

I bring — Tho’ you are unrighteous, I will shew myself a righteous and faithful God, making good my promise of delivering you out of Babylon after seventy years.

It — My work of saving you from the Babylonish captivity.

Will place — I will bring my people to Zion, and save them from all their enemies.

My glory — In whom I will once again glory as my people.