Isa 14:7-8, 42:11 | JFB | STEP | 7. they —the once subject nations of the whole earth. HOUBIGANT places the stop after "fir trees" ( ), "The very fir trees break forth," &c. But the parallelism is better in English Version.

Isaiah 14:7-8

7. they—the once subject nations of the whole earth. HOUBIGANT places the stop after "fir trees" (Isa 14:8), "The very fir trees break forth," &c. But the parallelism is better in English Version.

8. the fir trees—now left undisturbed. Probably a kind of evergreen.

rejoice at thee— (Ps 96:12). At thy fall (Ps 35:19, 24).

no feller—as formerly, when thou wast in power (Isa 10:34; 37:24).

Isa 14:9-11. THE SCENE CHANGES FROM EARTH TO HELL.

Hades (the Amenthes of Egypt), the unseen abode of the departed; some of its tenants, once mighty monarchs, are represented by a bold personification as rising from their seats in astonishment at the descent among them of the humbled king of Babylon. This proves, in opposition to WARBURTON [The Divine Legation], that the belief existed among the Jews that there was a Sheol or Hades, in which the "Rephaim" or manes of the departed abode.

Isaiah 42:11

11. cities—in a region not wholly waste, but mainly so, with an oasis here and there.

Kedar—in Arabia-Deserta (Isa 21:16; Ge 25:13). The Kedarenians led a nomadic, wandering life. So Kedar is here put in general for that class of men.

rock—Sela, that is, Petra, the metropolis of Idumea and the Nabath an Ishmaelites. Or it may refer in general to those in Arabia-Petræa, who had their dwellings cut out of the rock.

the mountains—namely, of Paran, south of Sinai, in Arabia-Petræa [VITRINGA].