“A plague,
Like this plague,
Shall fall on
The horses,
The mules,
The camels,
The donkeys,
Whatever animals
May be in those camps.”
The domestic animals would not be spared. This plague would hit the horses, the mules, the camels, the donkeys, and whatever other animals that were in the camps of the people. These animals would not be immune from this plague.
“Fire devours
In front of them.
Behind them,
A flame burns.
Before them,
The land is
Like the garden of Eden.
But after them,
It is
Like a desolate wilderness.
Nothing escapes them.”
This fire or swarming grasshoppers was coming to devour everything. It was all around them. In front of them, it looked like the Garden of Eden, but after the locusts had hit them, it was like a desolate wilderness. Nothing escaped these swarming locusts.
“The king
Gave a command.
Those men,
Who had accused Daniel,
Were brought to him.
He threw them
Into the den of lions.
He not only threw them,
But their children,
With their wives.
Before they reached
The bottom
Of the den,
The lions
Overpowered them.
The lions broke
All their bones
Into pieces.”
In a reversal of fortunes, which is common among the biblical writings, like in Esther, chapter 6, the conspirators and their families were put into the lion’s den. Before they hit the bottom of the den, the lions had overpowered them, their children, and their wives. All their bones were broken into pieces. The moral of the story is not to be a conspirator.
“I will let loose
Against you
My deadly arrows
Of famine.
These are the arrows
For destruction.
I will let them loose
To destroy you.
I will bring more and more
Famine upon you.
I will break your staff
Of bread.
I will send famine.
I will send wild animals
Against you.
They will rob you
Of your children.
Pestilence
With bloodshed
Shall pass
Through you.
I will bring the sword
Upon you.
I!
Yahweh!
Have spoken!”
Yahweh said that he was going to let loose his deadly arrows against Jerusalem. He was going to hit them with the arrows of famine. This would destroy them. He was going to bring more and more famine to them. He was going to break their staff of bread, their basic staple food. He was going to send wild animals against them and their children. Pestilence and bloodshed would pass through them like a sword. There was no question, Yahweh had spoken.
“‘Like lions,
They shall roar together.
They shall growl
Like lions’ whelps.
While they are inflamed,
I will set out their drink.
I will make them drunk,
Until they become merry.
I will make them sleep
A perpetual sleep.
They will never wake.’
Says Yahweh.
‘I will bring them down
Like lambs
To the slaughter,
Like rams,
Or like goats.’”
The mighty lion Babylon will no longer roar or growl. They will be reduced to young baby lions, whelps. They would get drunk and be merry until they fell into a perpetual sleep. Thus they will never wake up again. They will be like lambs, rams, and goats brought to the slaughter. They would not realize what hit them.
“‘Like lions,
They shall roar together.
They shall growl
Like lions’ whelps.
While they are inflamed,
I will set out their drink.
I will make them drunk,
Until they become merry.
I will make them sleep
A perpetual sleep.
They will never wake.’
Says Yahweh.
‘I will bring them down
Like lambs
To the slaughter,
Like rams,
Or like goats.’”
The mighty lion Babylon will no longer roar or growl. They will be reduced to young baby lions, whelps. They would get drunk and be merry until they fell into a perpetual sleep. Thus they will never wake up again. They will be like lambs, rams, and goats brought to the slaughter. They would not realize what hit them.
“Therefore thus says Yahweh!
The God of hosts!
‘Because they have spoken this word,
I am making my words
In your mouth a fire.
This people shall be wood.
The fire shall devour them.
I am going to bring upon you
A nation from far away.
O house of Israel!’
Says Yahweh.
‘It is an enduring nation,
It is an ancient nation,
It is a nation whose language
You do not know.
You cannot understand what they say.
Their quiver is
Like an open tomb.
All of them are mighty warriors.
They shall eat up your harvest.
They shall eat your food.
They shall eat up your sons.
They shall eat up your daughters.
They shall eat up your flocks.
They shall eat up your herds.
They shall eat up your vines.
They shall eat up your fig trees.
They shall destroy with the sword
Your fortified cities
In which you trust.’”
Yahweh tells Jeremiah about the impending destructive invasion. They would be set on fire from their mouths. A nation from far away would come upon the house of Israel. They would not understand the language of this ancient enduring nation. This nation’s mighty warriors had many arrows to hit them. They would come and eat up the food of their harvest. They would devour their sons and daughters. They would eat up their flocks, herds, vines, and fig trees. They would destroy their trusted fortified cities with the sword. Destruction was coming.
“You felt secure
In your wickedness.
You said.
‘No one sees me.’
Your wisdom
With your knowledge
Led you astray.
You said in your heart,
‘I am.
There is no one besides me.’
But evil shall come upon you.
You cannot charm it away.
Disaster shall fall upon you.
You will not be able to ward it off.
Ruin shall come on you suddenly,
When you know nothing about it.”
Another common biblical theme was the idea that no one saw them when they were doing wicked things. The Babylonians were led astray by their own knowledge and wisdom, instead of helping them. They thought that there was no one equal to them. Their charms will not help them to ward off disaster, since their ruin will come quickly. They will not know what hit them.
“Yahweh will raise a signal
For a nation far away.
He will whistle for a people
At the ends of the earth.
Here they come!
Swiftly!
Speedily!
None are weary.
None stumbles.
None slumbers.
None sleeps.
Not a loin cloth is loose.
Not a sandal-thong broken.
Their arrows are sharp.
All their bows bent.
Their horses’ hoofs seem like flint.
Their wheels seem like the whirlwind.
Their roaring is like a lion.
Like young lions,
They roar.
They growl.
They seize their prey.
They carry it off.
None can rescue it.
They will roar over it
On that day,
Like the roaring of the sea.
If one looks to the land,
There is only darkness.
There is only distress.
The light grows dark
With clouds.”
This oracle of Isaiah probably refers to one of the various Assyrian invasions of Judah and Jerusalem between 735-701 BCE. The nation from far away may be the Babylonians who will execute God’s judgment on them. These invaders are actually acting on Yahweh’s behalf since he gave them a signal and a whistle. They are going to come speedily, swiftly, not stumbling, sleeping, or growing weary. Their loin clothes and sandals are tight and ready to go. Their spears, bows and arrows, as well as horses are on the move. They roar like a lion about to eat its prey. They roar like a sea storm about to hit land. There will be darkness and distress, as everything will be cloudy.
“Shafts of lightning will fly
With true aim.
He will leap from the clouds
To the target,
As from a well-drawn bow.
Hailstones full of wrath will be hurled
As from a catapult.
The water of the sea will rage against them.
Rivers will relentlessly overwhelm them.
A mighty wind will rise against them.
Like a tempest
It will winnow them away.
Lawlessness will lay waste the whole earth.
Evildoing will overturn the thrones of rulers.”
The Lord will send aimed shafts of lightning. He will leap from the clouds to hit the target like a good archer. Hailstones will come down as from a catapult launcher. The sea and waters will rage and overwhelm them. A tempest will roar across the land. Lawlessness will destroy the earth as the evildoers will take over the royal thrones. So the judgment has come upon earth.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 