Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/5_600_p.lzh/5_683.TXT

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demerit of their sins; a recompense or reward by way
of punishment for them; see Rev,. xviii. 6.
Vet. 7. Babylon hath been tt golden cup in the hand
o.f the Lord, &c.] Either so called from the liquor
in it, being of' a yellow colour, or pure as gold, as the
Jewish commentators generally; or from the matter
of it, being made of gold, denoting the grandeur,
splendour, and riches of the Babyloninn empire; which,
.f.o.r the same reason, is called the head of gold, Dan.
iii 38. this was in the hand of the I. ord, under his
direction, and at his dispose; an instrument he ma, le
use of to dispense the cup of his wrath and vengeance
to other nations, or to inflict punishment on them for
their sins; see ch. xxv. 15--o,6. or else the sense is,
that, by the permission of God, Babylon had by various
specious pretences drawn the nations of the earth into
idolatry, and other sins, which were as poison in a
golden cup, by which they had been deceived; and this
suits best ,, ith the use of the phrase in Rcv. xvii. 4:
that made all the earth drunken; either disturbed them
with wars, so that they were like a ,trunken man that
reels to and fro, and falls, as they did, into ruin and
destruction; or made them drunk with the wine of her
fornication, with idolatry, so that they were intoxicated
with it, as the whore of Rome, mystical Babylon, is
said to do, Rev. xvii. 2: the nations have drunken of
her wi,te, therefore the nations are made: they drank of
the wine of God's wrath by her means, being engaged
in wars, which proved their ruin, and deprived theft
of their riches, strength, and substance, as mad men
are of their reason; or they drank in her errors, and
partook of her idolatry, and ran mad upon her idols,
as she did, ch. !. 38. see Rev. xviii. 3.
Ver. 8. Babylon is suddenly .fallen and destroyed,
&c.] Or brokerig; even into shivers, as a cup is; for
when it had been used to answer the purposes designed
by the Lord, he let it fall cut of his hands at once,
and it was broken; or rather he dashed it in pieces, as
a potter's vessel. The destruction of Babylon was
brought about in a very short time, considering the
strength of it; and was unexpected by the inhabitants
of it, and by the nations round about; but, when it was
come, it was irreparable: so the destruction of mystical
Babylon will be in one hour, and it will be an utter
and entire destruction, Rev. xviii. 8: howl .for her; as
the inhabitants of Babylon, and her friends and allies
that loved her, did no doubt; and as the kings and
merchants of the earth, and others, will howl tbr
spiritual Babylon, Bey. xviii. 9--19: take balm for her
pain, zf so be she may be healed: or balsam; see ch.
xivi. 11. which is said by way of irrision and mockery,
as Kimchi and A barbinel observe; or in an ironical and
sarcastic manner; suggesting, that, let what means
soever be made use of, her wound was incurable,-her
ruin inevitable, and her case irrecoverable.
Vet. 9. We would have healed Babylon, but she is not
healed. &c.]  These are either the words of the friends
of Babylon. of her auxiliaries and allies, who did all
they conld to defend her against the Persians, but to
.no purpose; it was not in their power to help her; the
time or' her destruction was come, and there was no
avoiding it; or of the prophets and goo.a people of the
Jews that were in Babylon, that took pares to convince.
the inhabitants of Babylon of their idolatries and other
sins, and refbrm them, that so they might not be their
ruin; but all instructions and admonitions were in vain ;
in like manner many worthy reformers have labourcd
much to reclaim mystical Babylon, or the church of
Rome, from her errors and idolatrics; but still she
rains them; wherefore it follows: forsake her, and let
us go every one into his own country; so said the auxiliary
troops that were in the service of the king of Babylon;
since we can do hitn no good, and are ourselves
posed to danger, let us desert him, and provide for our
satiety by hastening to our own country as fast as we
can; this was really the case after the tirst battle .of
Cyrus with the Babylouians, in which their king
Neriglissar was slain: Crcesus and the rest of the allies,
seeing their case so distressed and helpless, left them to
shift for themselves, and fled by night {}: or so might the
Jews say when the city was taken, and they were
livered out of the hands of their oppressors; and so will
the people of God say, who shall be called out of
mystical Babylon just before its ruin, Rcv. xviii. 4:
for her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted np
even to the skies: that is, her sins were so many, that they
reached even to heaven; and were taken notice of by God
that dwelleth there; and were the cause of judgment or
punishment being from thence inflicted on her, which
was unavoidable, being the decree of heaven, and the
just demerit of her sin; and therefore no help could
be afforded her; nor was there any safety by being in
her; see Rcv. xviii. 5.
Ver. 10. The Lord hath brought.forth our righteous~
tess, &c.] Or righteousnesses {}. 'this, as Kimchi ob-
serves, is spoken in the person of the Israelites; not as
though the Jews had done no iniquity, for which they
were carried oaptive; they had committed much, and
were far from being righteous iu themselves, but were
so in comparison of the Chaldeans; and who had gone
beyond their commission, and had greatly oppressed
them, and used them cruelly.; and now the Lord, by
bringing destruction upon them, vindicated the cause
of his people, and shewed it to be a righteous one;
and that the religion they professed was true, and
which the Chaldeans had derided and reproached: this
righteousness, not of their persons, but of their cause,
and the truth of their holy religion, the Lord
brought forth to the light, and made it manifest, by
taking their parts, and destroying their enemies: come,
and let us declare in Zion the work of the Lord our God;
the Jews encourage one another to return into their
own !and, rebuild their temple, and set up the worship
of God in it; and there declare the wondrous work of
God in the destruction of Babylon, and their deliver-
ance from thence; giving him the praise and glory of
it; and exciting others to join with them in it, it
being the Lord's work, and marvelIons in their eyes;
and so, when mystical Babylon is destroyed, voices
will be heard in heaven, in the church, ascribing

{g} \^rbvt\^ confracta est, Schmidt; fracta est, Cocceius; contrita
est, Piscator.
{h} Xenophon, Cyropaedia I.4.c.2.
{i} \^wnytqdu\^ justitas nostras, Vulg, Lat. Pagninus, Montanus,
Piscator, Cocceius, Schmidt.