The Prophet continues the same subject: as then he had announced in God's name that the time of visitation would come when God would rise up against the Chaldeans, he now adds, stumble shall the proud, and fall. The verb lsk, cashel, means also to fall; but as it is added, lpnw, vanuphel, and fall, it ought to be rendered stumble here. Stumble, then, shall the proud, and fall -- for the Prophet denotes a gradation. Some render the words, "Fall shall the proud and tumble down:" but more suitable is the rendering I have given, that the proud would stumble, and then that he would fall. And no one, he says, shall raise him up. By these words, God intimates, that though Babylon had many nations under its authority, yet there would be no help given to it, when the time of visitation came. It indeed often happens that many busy themselves, and make every effort to assist the wicked, but without any success. When, therefore, God declares that there would be no one to raise up Babylon when fallen, the meaning is not, that courage would be wanting to all, but that the efforts of all would be of no avail, even because God, when Babylon fell, would be against her, so that were the whole world to unite for her relief, all their attempts would be useless.

And for the same purpose, he adds, I will kindle a fire which will consume or devour all his cities. God calls slaughter, by a metaphor, fire; for slaughter, like fire, raged so as to consume the whole monarchy -- not only the city, but also all the neighboring nations -- for the war reached even to Asia. Cyrus, as it is well known, passed over the sea and depopulated Phrygia. In short, though victory might have been mild, yet it was no doubt like fire, as it devoured all the neighboring nations. It follows,--