And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts of the nations: both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels of it; [their] voice shall sing in the windows; desolation [shall be] in the thresholds: for he shall uncover the cedar work.
Ver. 14. And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, &c.] Here are various and vehement expressions of the dreadful face of her desolations. Omnia congerit quae vastitatem horribilem denotare solent, saith Gualther, because it was held a thing almost impossible that Nineveh should be destroyed. Hence that admiration of bystanders and beholders, Zephaniah 2:15. But what can be impossible to the Almighty? and what will not he do for his Church's cause and comfort? See Zephaniah 2:6 .
All the beasts of the nations] Which shall come from far to haunt this new desert, beaudesert. See Isaiah 13:21,22, and observe that parallel texts, like glasses set one against another, do cast a mutual light. The lapidary brighteneth his hard diamond with the dust shaved from itself; so must we clear hard Scriptures.
Both the cormorant (or pelican) and the bittern] Those inauspicious birds of prey that are signs both of God's curse and man's misery, Isaiah 34:11. The former hath its name in Hebrew from vomiting, and seemeth, saith one, to be the same that we call the shovelard, which swallows shell fishes, and after vomiteth them to get the fish. The latter liveth about lakes, saith Pliny, and with her beak beateth the fish out of the shell with great vehemence.
Shall lodge in the upper lintels of it] Beautified with pomegranates, flowers, and other curious garnishes, as are wont to be seen at the porches of palaces.
Their voice shall sing in the windows] The black saints, as they say; where was wont to be heard all manner of music and melodious noises. Luxus cadet in luctum, their merry dances shall end in a miserable downfall.
Desolation shall be in the thresholds] Which were wont to be worn out with the abundance of clients and parasites tracing over them.
For he shall uncover the cedar work] i.e. God, or the enemy by God's appointment, shall uncover the roof made of cedar, for better continuance. Cedar is strong and durable; and by reason of the dryness of it the timber chawneth not, rotteth not; yea, it hath a property to preserve other things from putrefication, saith Scribonius. The Ninevites raftered their houses with it, as they say the Africans do with whale bones. But now that God shall bare them and expose them to the injury of wind and weather, how can they stand? and what can be in the thresholds but desolation?