Commentaria in Isaiam
Thirdly and more fittingly, “girdle,” namely of the sea, “thou hast not,” as if to say: Before, thou wast girded all around by the sea as with a girdle, and wast most strong and impregnable; now the Chaldean has taken this girdle from thee by filling up the sea and making a mainland out of the sea: and so, now stripped of thy girdle, weak and exposed, thou shalt be taken by him as a daughter now of the land, not of the sea. In like manner the Tyrians founded Gades, and called it in the Punic tongue (which is akin to Syriac and Hebrew) Gadir, that is, a fence, because on every side it is walled and girded by sea and mountain as by a fence and girdle, and in turn the sea itself fences, binds and fortifies it: for Gades lies in the narrow strait of Gibraltar. So teaches Pliny, book 4, where wrongly “seven” has crept in for “fence.” For gadir in Hebrew, Syriac and Punic signifies not seven but fence. Moreover from Gadir was made Gades: for the Phoenicians, as also the Gauls and other nations, easily change R into S. That this is so is plain from these verses of Avienus:
Nay, even Gades, with her barbarous tongue, uses this word: for the Carthaginian calls a place enclosed on every side Gadir, and from Solinus, chapter 26: “The Carthaginians in their own tongue called it Gadix, that is, a hedge.” So Delrio, adage 219, teaches it must be read. Wrongly, then, does Eustathius interpret it as though it meant the neck of the earth; for Gadir and Gadira are not a Greek but a Punic name. So from the Hebrew mammon descends the Punic mammona, that is, of the rich, says St. Augustine, sermon 35 On the Words of the Lord. So Dido descends from the Hebrew Dod, and David, that is, beloved; Hanno from Chanan is Eucharius, and nearly John; Carthago is the same as Carthada, that is, new city, says Solinus. See more in Serarius on Josue 2, question 15.
11. He stretched out his hand over the sea, he troubled the kingdoms: the Lord hath given a charge against Chanaan.—He alludes first to the ancient Hebrews, who expelled the Chanaanites from Chanaan, as if to say: Despise not, O Tyre, the God of Israel: for he once by his hand and power dried up the Red Sea, and troubled all the neighbouring kingdoms, especially of the Chanaanites, and struck them with great fear at the going out of the Hebrews from Egypt; he also commanded the Chanaanites to be destroyed.
Secondly, more properly and genuinely, by the sea and Chanaan he means Tyre: for Tyre was founded and inhabited by Chanaanites; hence it was assigned to the tribe of Aser by Josue, chapter 19, verse 29, though the Asserites could never storm and occupy it. So the Chanaanite woman in the Gospel is said to have come out of the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. In the word Chanaan he alludes to the merchandise of Tyre: for a merchant is called Chanaan. Hence in Proverbs, in the last chapter, it is said: “She delivered a girdle to the Chanaanite,” that is, sold a girdle to the merchant; and Osee 12:7: “Chanaan, in his hand are deceitful balances.”
Sanchez rightly notes that to command is a military word, and the same as to send an army: for generals of war command tribunes and captains to attack such a place or city, when they send them there to do it. So it is said in Psalm 67, “Against the people of my wrath I will give him a charge”; and chapter 13, verse 3: “I have commanded my sanctified ones”; and chapter 45, verse 12: “To all their host I have commanded”; and Amos 9:4: “There will I command the sword.” Like are 1 Machabees 6:62, and chapter 7, verse 9.
12. Thou shalt glory no more (Vatablus renders, thou shalt no longer exult), suffering calumny.—Vatablus: having suffered violence and oppression, namely from the enemy Chaldeans. The Hebrew ashaq signifies to defraud someone of his right, law or due, as unjust merchants do, especially when they become bankrupt, as if to say: You, O Tyrian merchants, defrauded and despoiled your creditors; now in turn you shall be despoiled by the Chaldeans.
Virgin daughter of Sidon,—O Tyre, who art beautiful like a virgin, and art the daughter, that is, the colony, of Sidon. Again, “virgin,” because hitherto thou hast not been stormed, but art now to be deflowered and ruined by the Chaldeans.
Pass over to Cethim (to Cyprus and the other islands, to Greece and Italy).—That the Tyrians did so I said at verse 6.
There also thou shalt have no rest.—Because God will pursue thee there also, and afflict thee with plague, famine or war.
13. Behold the land of the Chaldeans.—The Chaldeans, to whom no people is like in strength, power and antiquity; for the Assyrians founded it, namely the land and dominion of the Chaldeans, that is, Babylonia: for the Assyrians first, and all nations, built the tower and city of Babel, and thence Assur went forth into Assyria and built Ninive, Genesis 10:11.
They led away its strong ones into captivity—of Tyre, namely. So Lyranus, as if to say: The people of the Chaldeans, that is, the Chaldeans, took the strong ones of Tyre. For the Prophets leap from one person to another. So Isaias, having addressed Tyre in the preceding verse in the second person, here, turning to those who hear and read his discourse, speaks of the same in the third person. Secondly, others refer “its” to Assur and his royal city, Ninive, as if to say: The Chaldeans took the strong ones of the Assyrians and of Ninive. For Isaias, that the Tyrians may not wonder at the destruction of their so powerful, magnificent and opulent city, sets before them the destruction of the Assyrians and of Ninive, which was greater and more powerful than Tyre. So Vatablus. For Ninive was taken and destroyed before Tyre, in the time of Sardanapalus, by Arbaces the Mede and Belosus the Babylonian, as Diodorus testifies, book 3, chapter 7. The same city was again overthrown with Tyre by Nabuchodonosor, as I showed on Nahum 2.
Thirdly, plainly and simply, “its,” namely of the land of the Chaldeans. Expound this whole verse, then, thus: as if to say: It is no wonder that thou shouldst be laid waste, O Tyre, though a famous city, because the land of the Chaldeans also is likewise to be laid waste, namely Babylon, to which no city or people was like, founded by the Assyrians, far more august and strong than thou. So Forerius, who thinks that here is noted the destruction of Babylon by Alexander the Great: for he first took Tyre, then Babylon. With equal, nay better, right you may refer the same to Nabuchodonosor, who took Tyre, and after her Babylon was likewise taken by Cyrus. So Cyril. Some modern Chronologers, to show that the destruction of Babylon was earlier than the destruction of Tyre, which Isaias seems here to intimate when he sets the same before the Tyrians as an example and mirror, hold that Babylon was taken in the time of Judith, by Nabuchodonosor conquering Arphaxad. For they say that this Nabuchodonosor was the son of Asarhaddon, whom they, with Genebrard and some others, will have to have been Sardanapalus, conquered and slain by Arphaxad, that is, Arbaces the Mede, and Belosus the Babylonian, as Diodorus testifies, book 3, chapter 7; and that therefore Nabuchodonosor, to avenge the death of his father Asarhaddon and recover the kingdom of his ancestors, stormed Arphaxad, and then, his courage growing, subdued all the other nations (and therefore Tyre and the Tyrians), as is related in Judith chapters 1 and 2. Which Bellarmine, book 1 On the Word of God, Serarius, in the Preface to Judith, and others hold to have happened under Manasses king of Juda; whence therefore these 70 years of the desolation of Tyre are to be counted. For the Prophets, with the keenness of their mind lifted up, combine distant times, and speak of future things as of past, on account of their certainty. Which opinion is indeed new, but rests on probable conjectures. The Septuagint favour it here, for they render: behold the land of the Chaldeans is made desolate by the Assyrians. For the Nabuchodonosor who took it here was the son of Asarhaddon king of the Assyrians.
For into captivity the Hebrew has letsiim, which Forerius renders by ships (“they led away its strong ones,” namely into captivity); the Tigurine version renders it, those who inhabit waste places; which Vatablus explains, as if to say: The Assyrians built in Chaldea cities for those who before dwelt in the desert under tents. For tsi signifies a dry, desert, squalid place: hence ships are called tsiim, because in the sea they put out something as it were dry, says Forerius. Hence you may more aptly render thus: in squalid places they set its strong ones, which our Version renders: “They led away its strong ones into captivities.” Theodotion and other ancients in St. Jerome retain the Hebrew name, and render: he founded it siim; and St. Jerome adds: “Siim they interpret as a completed plague; the Chaldeans as breasts, the Assyrians as reproving; the etymology of siim not even we have been able to find.” But expounding it tropologically he subjoins: “Of the Chaldeans, however, they laid the foundations of siim, whom I understand to be the most wicked demons, who raised up the bulwarks and most proud towers of the city of Chaldea against the knowledge of the Lord; but all their building was turned into ruins. For it follows: Its wall is fallen. For unless the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it. We often see in the world some pass from one purpose to another, for instance those who have had bad experience of soldiering pass to trade; and again lawyers seize the arms of warriors. They change their pursuit that they may change their misfortune; and nevertheless by the dispensation of God, to those whom he deigns to save, everything contrary happens as they strive; that through want and miseries they may be forced to have confidence not in themselves but in their Creator.”