1 Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast.
2 They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity.
3 Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb:
4 And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.
5 To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?
6 They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship.
7 They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble.
8 Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors.
9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
11 Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.
12 Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness:
13 I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.
<html><b>Bel squats; Nebo soils himself</b> The deities of Babylon squatted and soiled themselves. This is an expression of ridicule of the idols, like one who suffers from diarrhea and does not manage to sit down on the seat in the privy before he discharges with a splash. <b>Bel squats; Nebo soils himself</b> Heb. כָּרַע בֵּל קֹרֵס נְבוֹ. Akropid sei Bel; konkiad sei Nebo. Bel squats; Nebo soils himself. So I heard in the name of Rabbenu Gershom, the Light of the Diaspora. <b>their idols were</b> The images of the forms of Bel and Nebo were to the beasts and the cattle, compared to the beasts and the cattle, which soil and dirty themselves with their droppings. <b>what you carry is made a load, a burden</b> The feces in their bowels are heavy to bear like a burden for a weary man. Therefore, they soiled themselves and squatted together, the soiling with the squatting.</html>
<html><b>they could not deliver the burden</b> to discharge the feces in their bowels as others discharge, in the normal manner. <b>deliver</b> Heb. מַלֵּט, an expression of discharging from an embedded place. Comp. (supra 34:15) “There, the owl has made its nest, and she has laid eggs (וַתְּמַלֵט),” he has discharged her egg. Comp. also (infra 66:7) “And she has been delivered (וְהִמְלִיטָה) of a male child.” Jonathan, however, did not render these verses in this manner.</html>
<html><b>who are borne from birth</b> Since you were born in the house of Laban the Aramean, I bore you on My arms, for since then, adversaries stand up against you in every generation and not like the idolaters (other nations [K’li Paz and mss.]) who are laden and carry their Gods, as is mentioned above, but you are laden and borne in My arms.</html>
<html><b>And until old age</b> that you have aged and your strength is depleted, that you have no merit, I am the same with My mercy and with My trait of goodness to save you and to bear you and to carry you and deliver you. Since he says regarding their deity, that it is carried and also that it cannot deliver its burden, he says, “But I bear others, and I will deliver My burden.”</html>
<html><b>and compare Me</b> Heb. וְתַמְשִׁלֻנִי. Comp. (Job 30:19) “And I have become like (וָאֶתְמַשֵּׁל) dust and ashes.” An expression of comparison. <b>that we may be alike</b> That I and he be alike, one to the other.</html>
<html><b>Those who let gold run from the purse</b> Heb. הַזָּלִים, an expression of (Ps. 146:18) “Water runs (יִזְּלוּ) .” <b>with the balance</b> Heb. קָנֶה, the bar of a scale, called flael in O.F.</html>
<html><b>Remember this</b> what I wish to say. <b>and strengthen yourselves</b> Heb. וְהִתְאשָׁשׁוּ. Comp. (supra 16: 7) “For the walls (לַאֲשִׁישֵׁי) of Kir-hareseth.” <b>take to heart, you transgressors</b> And what do I say to you to remember and to take to heart?</html>
<html><b>Remember the first things of old</b> that you have seen that I am God and there is no other; I am God and there is none like Me.</html>
<html><b>[I] tell the end from the beginning</b> The Egyptian exile and its redemption I announced in the Covenant between the Segments, before they came about.</html>
<html><b>[I] call from the east a swift bird</b> Heb. עַיִט. From the land of Aram, which is in the east, I called Abraham to Me to take counsel with Me. עַיִט Comp. (Dan. 2:14) “Answered with counsel (עֵיטָא) and discretion”; (ibid. 6:8) “All the presidents of the kingdom have taken counsel (אִתְיָעֲטוּ).” Alternatively, it can be interpreted as an expression of a bird. I called him to hasten after Me like a bird that flies and wanders from its place. <b>from a distant land</b> I called My man of counsel, and with him I took counsel between the parts concerning the four exiles, as it is explained in Gen. Rabbah (44:17) “And behold, a fear, great darkness was falling upon him.” [“Fear” refers to Babylon… “Darkness” refers to Media, who darkened the eyes of Israel with fasting. “Great” refers to Greece… “Was falling upon him” refers to Edom…, etc.] <b>yea I spoke</b> with him concerning the exiles and their redemption; I will also bring it.</html>
<html><b>stout-hearted</b> You who have strengthened your heart among the heathens (the nations [Parshandatha, K’li Paz]) and have clung to Me. <b>that are far from righteousness</b> For it has been a long time for you, and I have not demonstrated to you My righteousness to redeem you.</html>
<html><b>I have brought near My righteousness</b> from now on, and it will not be far off.</html>