Isaiah 24:10

“The city of confusion is broken down, &c.] Or “of vanity”, as the Vulgate Latin version; or of “emptiness” or “desolation”; the word is “tohu”, used in (<010102>Genesis 1:2) this is to be understood not of Bethel, where one of Jeroboam’s calves was, called Bethaven, or “the house of vanity”; nor Samaria, the chief city of the ten tribes; nor Jerusalem; but mystical Babylon, whose name signifies “confusion”; even the city of Rome, in which there is nothing but disorder and irregularity, no truth, justice, or religion; a city of vanity, full of superstition and idolatry, and devoted to ruin and desolation; and will be broke to pieces by the judgments of God, which will come upon it in one…”

“city of confusion--rather, "desolation." What Jerusalem would be; by anticipation it is called so. HORSLEY translates, "The city is broken down; it is a ruin." shut up--through fear; or rather, "choked up by ruins."”

“The city of confusion - That Jerusalem is here intended there can be no doubt. The name ‘city of confusion.’ is probably given to it by anticipation of what it would be; that is, as it appeared in prophetic vision to Isaiah (see the note at Isaiah 1:1). He gave to it a name that would describe its state when these calamities should have come upon it. The word rendered ‘confusion’ (תהו tôhû) does not denote disorder or anarchy, but is a word expressive of emptiness, vanity, destitution of form, waste. It occurs Genesis 1:2 : ‘And the earth was without form.’ In Job 26:7, it is rendered ‘the empty place;’ in 1 Samuel 12:21; Isaiah 45:18-19, ‘in vain;’ and usually ‘emptiness,’ ‘vanity’,…”

“The city - Jerusalem, and other cities; for the singular word may be here taken collectively. A city of confusion or disorder, breaking all the laws and orders which God had established among them. Shut up - Because the inhabitants are either dead, or gone into captivity. Isaiah 24:11”

“24:10 city writhes in chaos: With normal levels of urban disarray being raised to chaotic and dangerous disorder, people will be forced to seek refuge in locked homes.”

“city: Isa 24:12, Isa 25:2, Isa 27:10, Isa 32:14, Isa 34:13-15; Kg2 25:4, Kg2 25:9, Kg2 25:10; Jer 39:4, Jer 39:8; Jer 52:7, Jer 52:13, Jer 52:14; Mic 2:13, Mic 3:12; Luk 19:43, Luk 21:24 of confusion: Gen 11:9; Jer 9:25, Jer 9:26; Mat 23:34, Mat 23:35; Rev 11:7, Rev 11:8, Rev 17:5, Rev 17:6, Rev 18:2 Isaiah 24:11”

“The world with its pleasure is judged; the world's city is also judged, in which both the world's power and the world's pleasure were concentrated. "The city of tohu is broken to pieces; every house is shut up, so that no man can come in. There is lamentation for wine in the fields; all rejoicing has set; the delight of the earth is banished. What is left of the city is wilderness, and the gate was shattered to ruins. For so will it be within the earth, in the midst of the nations; as at the olive-beating, as at the gleaning, when the vintage is over." The city of tohu (kiryath tōhu): this cannot be taken collectively, as Rosenmller, Arndt, and Drechsler suppose, on account of the…”