(31) O thou most proud.--Literally, O Pride, the prophet using the word (Zadon) as a proper name for Babylon, as he had before used Merathaim and Pekod (Jeremiah 50:21). It is analogous in its meaning to the Rahab of Isaiah 51:9; Psalm 87:4; Psalm 89:10, as the name of Egypt. The word points, perhaps, to the self-exaltation of Nebuchadnezzar as embodying that of his people (Daniel 4:30).
Verse 31. - O thou most proud; rather, O Pride! Just as in ver. 21 Babylon is called Merathaim, and as Egypt is, in Hebrew poetry, called Rahab, i.e. "boisterousness" or "arrogance" (Isaiah 30:7; Isaiah 51:9; Job 26:12; Psalm 87:4; Psalm 89:10).
50:21-32 The forces are mustered and empowered to destroy Babylon. Let them do what God demands, and they shall bring to pass what he threatens. The pride of men's hearts sets God against them, and ripens them apace for ruin. Babylon's pride must be her ruin; she has been proud against the Holy One of Israel; who can keep those up whom God will throw down?
Behold, I am against thee, O thou most proud, saith the Lord God of hosts,.... Or, O "pride", or O "man of pride" (i); intolerably proud, superlatively so, as the kings of Babylon were, as Nebuchadnezzar, and Belshazzar likewise, the present king; so the Targum interprets it of a king,
"behold, I send my fury against thee, O wicked king;''
and is applicable enough to the man of sin, that monster of pride, that exalts himself above all that is called God, or is worshipped, 2 Thessalonians 2:4; and therefore it is no wonder that the Lord is against him, who resists all that are proud; and woe to him and them that he is against:
for the day is come, the time that I will visit thee; in a way of vindictive wrath and justice, for pride and other this; see Jeremiah 50:27.
(i) Heb. "superbia", Schmidt; vel "vir superbiae", Piscator; so Abarbinel.
"behold, I send my fury against thee, O wicked king;''
and is applicable enough to the man of sin, that monster of pride, that exalts himself above all that is called God, or is worshipped, 2 Thessalonians 2:4; and therefore it is no wonder that the Lord is against him, who resists all that are proud; and woe to him and them that he is against:
for the day is come, the time that I will visit thee; in a way of vindictive wrath and justice, for pride and other this; see Jeremiah 50:27.
(i) Heb. "superbia", Schmidt; vel "vir superbiae", Piscator; so Abarbinel.