Isaiah 46:1-4 Bel bows down, Nebo stoops, their idols were on the beasts, and on the cattle: your carriages were heavy laden… "From the womb" and "from the lap" point back to the time when the nation whose existence began with Abraham, marching from Egypt, was born, so to speak, to the light of the world; from that time it has lain like a willingly assumed burden on Jehovah, who carries it as a nurse the babe (Numbers 11:12); as a man his son (Deuteronomy 1:31); as an eagle its young (Deuteronomy 32:11). The seneetus and canities in verse 4 are self-evidently the nation's, but not as if this were at present in a senile state, but the yet future and latest days of its history. Up to that moment Jehovah is He, i.e. the Absolute One, and always the same (chap. 41:4). As He has done hitherto, He will act in the future — bearing and saving. (F. Delitzsch, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: 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. |
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