Isaiah 47:5

“Sit thou silent, &c.] Here the speech is directed again to Babylon, which used to be a place of noise and hurry, as well as famous and much talked of all the world over; but now there should be a deep silence in it, no voice to be heard, the inhabitants being gone, and no discourse concerning it; no more talked of and celebrated for its magnificence and authority, trade and riches, but buried in oblivion. It is represented as sitting in silence, either as a mourner, or as one that is free among the dead, remembered no more: and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans; meaning either captivity or imprisonment, prison houses being dark; or into the state of the dead, which is a…”

“Sit--the posture of mourning (Ezr 9:4; Job 2:13; Lam 2:10). darkness--mourning and misery (Lam 3:2; Mic 7:8). lady of kingdoms--mistress of the world (Isa 13:19).”

“Sit thou silent - The same general sentiment is expressed here as in the preceding verses, though the figure is changed. In Isaiah 47:1-3, Babylon is represented under the image of a frivolous and delicately-reared female, suddenly reduced from her exalted station, and compelled to engage in the most menial and laborious employment. Here she is represented as in a posture of mourning. To sit in silence is emblematic of deep sorrow, or affliction (see Lamentations 2:10): ‘The elders of the daughter of Zion sit upon the ground and keep silence, they have cast up dust upon their heads;’ - see the note at Isaiah 3:26 : ‘And she (Jerusalem) being desolate shall sit upon the ground;’ Job 2:13 :…”

“Silent - Thro' grief and shame, as mourners use to do. The lady - The chief and glory of all kingdoms. Isaiah 47:6”

“47:5-11 Babylon’s confidence and arrogance were well known (see 14:13-17; Dan 4:30). All of this nation’s charms, magic, and wisdom were useless against the disaster decreed for it.”

“silent: Isa 13:20, Isa 14:23; Sa1 2:9; Psa 31:17, Psa 46:10; Jer 25:10; Lam 1:1; Hab 2:20; Zac 2:13; Mat 22:12, Mat 22:13; Jde 1:13; Rev 18:21-24 for: After Babylon was taken by Cyrus, instead of being "the lady of kingdoms," the metropolis of a great empire, and mistress of all the East, it became subject to the Persians; and the imperial seat being removed to Susa, instead of having a king, it had only a deputy residing there, who governed it as a province of the Persian empire. Isa 47:7, Isa 13:19, Isa 14:4; Dan 2:37, Dan 2:38; Rev 17:3-5, Rev 17:18, Rev 18:7, Rev 18:16-19 Isaiah 47:6”

“In the second strophe the penal sentence of Jehovah is continued. "Sit silent, and creep into the darkness, O Chaldeans-daughter! for men no longer call thee lady of kingdoms. I was wroth with my people; I polluted mine inheritance, and gave them into thy hand: thou hast shown them no mercy; upon old men thou laidst thy yoke very heavily. And thou saidst, I shall be lady for ever; so that thou didst not take these things to heart: thou didst not consider the latter end thereof." Babylon shall sit down in silent, brooding sorrow, and take herself away into darkness, just as those who have fallen into disgrace shrink from the eyes of men. She is looked upon as an empress ( Isa 13:9; the king…”