John Calvin on Isaiah 12:6

6. Shout and sing. He again exhorts the godly to rejoice in the Lord, at the same time reminding them what is the nature of true joy, and on what it is founded. We have no other happiness than to have God dwelling in the midst of us. But for this, our life would be wretched and unhappy, though we should have abundance of other blessings and of every kind of riches. Now, if our heart be set on our treasure, (Matthew 6:21,) this happiness will attract all our feelings.

The Holy One of Israel. He calls him the Holy One, in order to inform us what he intends to prove himself to be to us, while he dwells with us; that is, that not only his majesty may fill our minds with reverence towards him, for it would at the same time overwhelm us with terror; but that he may vouchsafe to make us the objects of his peculiar care, though separated from the rest of the world. He calls him the Holy One, from the effect produced; for, by gathering us to himself, (Ephesians 1:10,) and saving us by his grace, he may be said to sanctify us to be his own property. Accordingly, if God is with us, the conviction of his presence will fill us with inconceivable joy. Hence it follows that, when he is absent, we continue to be exposed to grief and sadness.

By the words, Shout and sing, he means that when God magnifies his power in the midst of us, he gives us occasion for no ordinary joy. Again, by directly addressing the inhabitants of Zion, he intimates that all are not capable of so great a blessing, and at the same time indirectly exhorts them to maintain unity of faith, that, by being united to the Church, we may partake of this blessed joy.

CHAPTER 13

Isaiah Chapter 13:1-22

1. The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.

1. Onus Babylonis, quod vidit Isaias, filius Amoz.

2. Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.

2. Super montem excelsum levate signum; attollite vocem ad eos; agitate manum, ut ingrediantur portas munificorum.

3. I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness.

3. Ego praecepi sanctificatis meis; adeoque vocavi fortes meos ad iram meam, laetantes gloria mea.

4. The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the Lord of hosts mustereth the host of the battle.

4. Vox multitudinis in montibus instar populi multi. Vox sonitus regnorum, gentium congregatarum; Iehova exercituum recenset exercitum belli.

5. They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the Lord and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.

5. Venientes e terra longinqua, ab extremo coelorum, Iehova et vasa furoris ejus, ad vastandam universam terram.

6. Howl ye; for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.

6. Ululate; quoniam propinquus est dies Iehovae; quasi vastitas a robusto (vel, a vastatore robusto) veniet.

7. Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt:

7. Propterea omnes manus dissolventur, et omne cor hominis liquefiet.

8. And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.

8. Et terrebuntur; angustiae et dolores apprehendent; instar parturientis dolebunt; quisque ad proximum suum obstupescet; facies flammarum, facies eorum.

9. Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.

9. Ecce dies Iehovae veniet saevus; et indignatio, et aestus irae, ut redigat terram in solitudinem, et sceleratos ejus deleat ex ea.

10. For the stars of heaven, and the constellations thereof, shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.

10. Itaque stellae coelorum et sidera non expandent lumen suum; obtenebratus erit Sol in egressu suo, et Luna non emittet fulgorem suum.

11. And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.

11. Et visitabo super orbem malitiam, et super impios iniquitatem eorum; et cessare faciam arrogantiam superborum, et altitudinem tyrannorum dejiciam.

12. I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.

12. Pretiosiorem reddam mortalem auro puro, et hominem massa auri ex Ophir.

13. Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

13. Propterea concutiam coelos, et movebitur terra loco suo, in indignatione Iehovae exercituum, et in die aestus irae ejus.

14. And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up: they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land.

14. Eritque quasi damula impulsa, et ovis quam nemo colligit; quisque ad populum suum respiciet, et quisque ad terram suam confugiet.

15. Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined unto them shall fall by the sword.

15. Quisque deprehensus fuerit confodietur; et omnis aggregatus cadet in gladio.

16. Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished.

16. Parvuli eorum allidentur coram ipsis, diripientur domus ipsorum, et uxores eorum violabuntur.

17. Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.

17. Ecce, ego contra vos suscito Medos, qui de argento non cogitabunt, nec aurum ipsum appetent.

18. Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children.

18. Et arcubus pueros allident, fructus ventris non miserebuntur, nec parcet filiis oculus eorum.

19. And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

19. Et erit Babel, decor regnorum et ornamentum splendoris Chaldaeorum, instar subversionis Dei in Sodoma et Gomorrha.

20. It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there:

20. Nunquam amplius sedebit, neque habitabit in generationem et generationem; neque figet illic tabernaculum Arabs, neque pastores illic accubare facient gregem.

21. But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there.

21. Sed ibi cubabunt Ziim, et domus eorum implebunt Ohim; illic habitabunt filiae Struthionis, et illic Satyri saltabunt.

22. And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces; and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.

22. Et clamabunt Iim in magnificis aedibus eorum, et dracones in palatiis voluptuosis; ac tempus quidem ejus prope est, neque protrahentur dies ejus.