- her idols:
- "At the noiseª¹ of the takingª° of Babylonª the earthª is moved,ª° and the cryª is heardª° among the nations.ª" {Jer 50:46} + "And I will kindleª° a fireª in the housesª of the godsª of Egypt;ª and he shall burnª° them, and carry them away captives:ª° and he shall array²° himself¹ with¹ the landª of Egypt,ª as¹ a shepherdª° putteth onª°¹ his garment;ª and he shall go forthª° from thence¹¹ in peace.ª ... He shall breakª° also¹ the imagesª of Bethshemesh,ª that¹ [is] in the landª of Egypt;ª and the housesª of the godsª of the Egyptiansª shall he burnª° with fire.ª" {Jer 43:12-13} + "And have castª°¹ their godsª into the fire:ª for¹ they¹ [were] no¹ gods,ª but¹¹ the workª of men'sª hands,ª woodª and stone:ª therefore they have destroyedª° them." {Isa 37:19} + "The LORDª [will be] terribleª° unto¹ them: for¹ he will famishª°¹ all¹ the godsª of the earth;ª and [men] shall worshipª° him, every oneª from his place,ª¹ [even] all¹ the islesª of the heathen.ª" {Zph 2:11}; Xerxes, after his return from his unsuccessful expedition into Greece, partly out of religious zeal, being a professed enemy to image worship, and partly to reimburse himself after his immense expenses, seized the sacred treasures, and plundered or destroyed the temples and idols of Babylon, thereby accomplishing the prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah. ("And, behold,¹ here¹ comethª° a chariotª of men,ª [with] a coupleª of horsemen.ª And he answeredª° and said,ª° Babylonª is fallen,ª° is fallen;ª° and all¹ the graven imagesª of her godsª he hath brokenª° unto the ground.ª" {Isa 21:9} + "Belª boweth down,ª° Neboª stoopeth,ª° their idolsª were¹ upon the beasts,ª and upon the cattle:ª your carriagesª [were] heavy loaden;ª° [they are] a burdenª to the wearyª [beast]." {Isa 46:1} + "Declareª° ye among the nations,ª and publish,ª° and set upª° a standard;ª publish,ª° [and] concealª° not:¹ say,ª° Babylonª is taken,ª° Belª is confounded,ª° Merodachª is broken in pieces;²°¹ her idolsª are confounded,ª° her imagesª are broken in pieces.ª°" {Jer 50:2} + "And I will punishª°¹ Belª in Babylon,ª and I will bring forthª° out of his mouthª¹¹ that which he hath swallowed up:ª and the nationsª shall not¹ flow togetherª° any more¹ unto¹ him: yea,¹ the wallª of Babylonª shall fall.ª°" {Jer 51:44} + "Therefore,¹ behold,¹ the daysª come,ª° that I will do judgmentª° upon¹ the graven imagesª of Babylon:ª and her whole¹ landª shall be confounded,ª° and all¹ her slainª shall fallª° in the midstª of her." {Jer 51:47} + "Wherefore,¹ behold,¹ the daysª come,ª° saithª° the LORD,ª that I will do judgmentª° upon¹ her graven images:ª and through all¹ her landª the woundedª shall groan.ª°" {Jer 51:52}.) What God declares, "I will punish Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth that which he has swallowed," was also literally fulfilled, when the vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought from Jerusalem and placed in the temple of Bel, "And the Lordª gaveª°¹ Jehoiakimª kingª of Judahª into his hand,ª with partª¹ of the vesselsª of the houseª of God:ª which he carried²° into¹ the landª of Shinarª to the houseª of his god;ª and he broughtª° the vesselsª into the treasureª houseª of his god.ª" {Dan 1:2}, were restored by order of Cyrus, "Also Cyrusª the kingª brought forthª°¹ the vesselsª of the houseª of the LORD,ª which¹ Nebuchadnezzarª had brought forthª° out of Jerusalem,ª¹ and had putª° them in the houseª of his gods;ª" {Ezr 1:7}, and again carried to Jerusalem. Bp. Newton, Dis. X.
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