John Trapp on Isaiah 21:1

CHAP. XXI.

Ver. 1. THe burden of the Deſart of the Sea] i. e. Of Babylon, ver. 9. which is here called a ſea, becauſe ſcituate by many waters, Jer. 51.13, 36. and the deſart or plain of the ſea, becauſe it ſtood in a Plain, Gen. 11.2. Or was to be turned into a Deſart: ſee chap. 13. & 14. Jer. 51. It is ſo often propheſied againſt. 1. For the comfort of Gods people, who were to ſuffer hard and heavy things from this City. 2. For a caution to them, not to truſt in ſuch a tottering State; A Lapide ſaith, that about the time of this Propheſie, Hezekiah was making a League and amity with Merodach King of Babylon, to whoſe Ambaſſadours he had ſhewed all his Treaſures, and was well ſhent for it, 2 King. 20.12. To take him off which Deſign, the ruine of Babylon is here fore-propheſied.

Pliny ſaith, the greateſt tempeſts at Sea come from t[illegible: 1 letter]e South. As whirlwinds in the South paſs thorow] Patentibus campis, ac locis arenoſis, vehementiſſimo impetu cuncta proſternentes, without ſtop or ſtay, bearing down all before them: covering whole armies with ſand ſometimes, and deſtroying them.

So it cometh] Or, ſo He cometh, that is Cyrus with his Armies, Vaſtator Babyloniae, he cometh fiercely and furiouſly.

From the Wilderneſs] From Perſia, which is deſart in many places, eſpecially toward Babylon.

From a terrible Land] From Media, the people whereof were barbarous, and brutiſh, Herodot. skilful to deſtroy. Nitocris Queen of Babylon feared an hoſtile irruption from this Land, did her utmoſt to prevent it: but that would not be.