Isaiah 29:7,8 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

And the multitude of all the nations— These verses contain the event of the siege of Jerusalem, with respect to the Chaldees and Romans; and the meaning of the parable appears to he this, that the joy of the enemies, after the destruction of Jerusalem, shall not be of a long continuance, but imaginary; such as is the joy and pleasure of dreamers; for, persuading themselves, after the great labour of taking and destroying Jerusalem, that they may give themselves up to rest, or sleep; that with the destruction of this state they had entirely cut off the religion of the true God, so that it could never more raise its head, and give trouble to the Roman empire and superstition; and on this account giving themselves awhile up to a dream of imaginary joy, they should at length be awakened from their sleep, and be experimentally convinced that they had fed themselves with false and delusive ideas; for, so far from hurting the true religion, these judgments of God should conduce to extend and amplify it, and to give it establishment over that idolatry which its enemies patronized. This was the case with many of the Chaldees, who became proselytes to the Jewish religion; and remarkably with the Romans; over whom that religion of Jesus Christ which came from the Jerusalem which they had destroyed, so remarkably triumphed: insomuch that Seneca, speaking of the Jews, says, that the conquered gave laws to the conquerors; victi victoribus leges dederint; and Rutilius, (who lived in the fifth century,) referring more immediately to the Christians, victoresque suos natio victa premit. See Vitringa.