Isaiah 14:1

“For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, will yet choose Israel, &c.] While the Jews were in captivity, the Lord seemed to have no pity for them, or compassion on them, and it looked as if he had rejected them, and wholly cast them off; but by delivering them from thence, he showed that he had a merciful regard unto them, and made it to appear that they were his chosen people, and beloved by him: and this is a reason why Babylon should be destroyed, and her destruction be no longer deferred, because the Lord’s heart of compassion yearned towards his own people, so that his mercy to them brought ruin upon others: a choice of persons to everlasting salvation, though it is not made in time, but…”

“CONFIRMATION OF THIS BY THE HEREFORETOLD DESTRUCTION OF THE ASSYRIANS UNDER SENNACHERIB; (Isa 14:24-27) choose--"set His choice upon." A deliberate predilection [HORSLEY]. Their restoration is grounded on their election (see Psa 102:13-22). strangers--proselytes (Est 8:17; Act 2:10; Act 17:4, Act 17:17). TACITUS, a heathen [Histories, 5.5], attests the fact of numbers of the Gentiles having become Jews in his time. An earnest of the future effect on the heathen world of the Jews' spiritual restoration (Isa 60:4-5, Isa 60:10; Mic 5:7; Zac 14:16; Rom 11:12).”

“For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob - That is, he will pity the captive Jews in Babylon. He will not abandon them, but will remember them, and restore them to their own land. And will yet choose Israel - Will show that he regards them as still his chosen people; or will again “choose” them by recovering them from their bondage, and by restoring them to their country as his people. The names ‘Jacob’ and ‘Israel’ here simply denote the Jews. They do not imply that all of those who were to be carried captive would return, but that as a people they would be restored. And set them ... - Hebrew, ‘Will cause them to rest in their own country;’ that is, will give them peace, quietness, and…”

“Chuse - Will renew his choice of them; for he had rejected them. Isaiah 14:2”

“14:1-2 This message for Israel separates two prophecies of judgment against Babylon (ch 13; 14:3-23). 14:1 The Hebrew word here translated mercy draws from the imagery of a woman’s maternal care for her child to illustrate God’s merciful love for his people (see also 49:15; 66:13). • God had initially chosen Israel as his special people when he called Abraham (see 41:8; Gen 12:1-3). Although their status did not change during the Exile, they faced God’s wrath like any other wicked nation because they had rejected him. • settle once again in their own land: This promise began to be fulfilled in 538 BC (see Ezra 1:1-11). • People from many different nations would join Israel as the people of…”

“the Lord: Isa 40:1, Isa 40:2, Isa 44:21, Isa 44:22, Isa 54:7, Isa 54:8; Lev 26:40-45; Deu 4:29-31; Neh 1:8, Neh 1:9; Psa 98:3, Psa 102:13, Psa 136:10-24, Psa 143:12; Jer 50:4-6, Jer 50:17-20, Jer 50:33; Jer 51:4-6, Jer 51:34-37; Luk 1:54, Luk 1:72-74 choose: Isa 27:6; Zac 1:17, Zac 2:12 set: Deu 30:3-5; Jer 24:6, Jer 24:7, Jer 29:14, Jer 30:18-22, Jer 31:8-12, Jer 32:37-41; Eze 36:24-28, Eze 39:25-29 the strangers: Isa 19:24, Isa 19:25, Isa 49:16-23, Isa 56:6-8, Isa 60:3-5, Isa 66:20; Rut 1:14-18; Est 8:17; Jer 12:15, Jer 12:16; Zac 2:11, Zac 8:22, Zac 8:23; Mal 1:11; Luk 2:32; Act 15:14-17; Eph 2:12-19 Isaiah 14:2”

“But it is love to His own people which impels the God of Israel to suspend such a judgment of eternal destruction over Babylon. "For Jehovah will have mercy on Jacob, and will once more choose Israel, and will settle them in their own land: and the foreigner will associate with them, and they will cleave to the house of Jacob. And nations take them, and accompany them to their place; and the house of Israel takes them to itself in the land of Jehovah for servants and maid-servants: and they hold in captivity those who led them away captive; and become lords over their oppressors." We have here in nuce the comforting substance of chapters 46-66. Babylon falls that Israel may rise. This is…”