Isa 14:4, 47:5, Jer 51:41 | JFB | STEP | 4. proverb —The Orientals, having few books, embodied their thoughts in weighty, figurative, briefly expressed gnomes. Here a taunting song of triumph ( ). the king —the ideal representative of Babylon; perhaps Belshazzar ( ). The mystical Babylon is ultimately meant. golden city —rather, "the exactress of gold" [MAURER ]. But the old translators read differently in the Hebrew, "oppression," which the parallelism favors (compare ).

Isaiah 14:4

4. proverb—The Orientals, having few books, embodied their thoughts in weighty, figurative, briefly expressed gnomes. Here a taunting song of triumph (Mic 2:4; Hab 2:6).

the king—the ideal representative of Babylon; perhaps Belshazzar (Da 5:1-31). The mystical Babylon is ultimately meant.

golden city—rather, "the exactress of gold" [MAURER]. But the old translators read differently in the Hebrew, "oppression," which the parallelism favors (compare Isa 3:5).

Isaiah 47:5

5. Sit—the posture of mourning (Ezr 9:4; Job 2:13; La 2:10).

darkness—mourning and misery (La 3:2; Mic 7:8).

lady of kingdoms—mistress of the world (Isa 13:19).

Jeremiah 51:41

41. Sheshach—Babylon (compare Note, see Jer 25:26); called so from the goddess Shach, to whom a five days' festival was kept, during which, as in the Roman Saturnalia, the most unbridled licentiousness was permitted; slaves ruled their masters, and in every house one called Zogan, arrayed in a royal garment, was chosen to rule all the rest. He calls Babylon "Sheshach," to imply that it was during this feast the city was taken [SCALIGER].