Wesley Corpus

The land - Babylon, or the land of Chaldea. At one end - Cyrus entered the city at one end, by the channel of the river, which he had drained, and surprized Belshazzar in the midst of his feast. The passages - The passages over the river Euphrates, and all the other passages by which the Babylonians might make their escape, were guarded with soldiers. Reeds - On the border of the river Euphrates were vast quantities of great and tall reeds, which with the mud in which they stood, were as another wall to the city; but the Medes had burnt them so as the way was open. Threshing floor - Babylon had been a threshing instrument, by which, and a threshing - floor in which God had threshed many other nations; God now intended to make it as a threshing - floor wherein he would thresh the Chaldeans. Tread her - So they used to prepare their threshing - floors against the time of harvest. The time - The harvest which the justice of God would have from the ruin of the Chaldeans. Me - The prophet speaks this in the name of the Jews. Cast me out - As beasts of prey eat what they please of other beasts they have preyed upon, and leave the rest in the field. Dry up - Alluding to what Cyrus did. They - The Babylonians, upon the taking of their city. Heat - When they shall grow hot with wine, I will make them a feast of another nature. Interpreters judge that Belshazzar, Dan 5:1, made a feast to a thousand of his Lords, when he and his wives, and concubines, drank wine in the vessels belonging to the temple, during which feast the city was taken. And not awake - While they were merry with their wine, they fell into a sleep which they never awoke out of. Sheshach - A name given to the city of Babylon. The sea - A multitude of enemies. Bel - Bel was the principal Babylonian idol. Bring forth - All the vessels of the temple, 2Chron 36:7, and whatever gifts the Babylonians had presented to him. The wall - And the city of Babylon shall be also ruined. Go out of her - At all hazards escape for your lives.