The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass through; [so] it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land.
Ver. 1. The burden of the desert of the sea,] i.e., Of Babylon, Isa 21:9 which is here called a sea, because situated by many waters, Jeremiah 51:13 ; Jer 51:36 and the desert or plain of the sea, because it stood in a plain, Gen 11:2 or was to be turned into a desert. See Isaiah 13:1,22; Isa 14:1-32 Jeremiah 51:1,64. It is so often prophesied against; (1.) For the comfort of God's people, who were to suffer hard and heavy things from this city; (2.) For a caution to them not to trust in such a tottering state. A Lapide saith, that about the time of this prophecy, Hezekiah was making a league and amity with Merodach, king of Babylon, to whose ambassadors he had showed all his treasures, and was well shent for it. 2Ki 20:12 To take him off which design, the ruin of Babylon is here before prophesied.
As whirlwinds in the south a pass through.] Patentibus campis, ac locis arenosis, vehementissimo impetu cuncta prosternentes, without stop or stay, bearing down all before them, covering whole armies with sand sometimes, and destroying theirs.
So it cometh.] Or, So he cometh, that is, Cyrus with his armies; Vastator Babyloniae, he cometh fiercely and furiously.
From the wilderness.] From Persia, which is desert in many places, especially toward Babylon.
From a terrible land.] From Media, the people whereof were barbarous and brutish, skilful to destroy. Nitocris, queen of Babylon, feared a hostile irruption from this land, did her utmost to prevent it, but that would not be. b
a Pliny saith the greatest tempests at sea come from the South.
b Herodot.