Isaiah 66:6

WEB

A voice of tumult from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the Lord that renders recompense to his enemies.

KJV

A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the LORD that rendereth recompence to his enemies.

Commentary

A voice of noise from the city,.... From the city of Jerusalem, as the Targum; so Kimchi, who says, that in the days of the Messiah shall go out of Jerusalem the voice of noise concerning Gog and Magog: this indeed respects the days of the Messiah, but such as are now past, and a voice of crying in the city of Jerusalem, at, the taking and destruction of it by the Romans; when were heard from it the noisy voices of the Roman soldiers, triumphing and rejoicing at it, and the shrieks of the inhabitants, running about from place to place for shelter; so when destruction and desolation are come upon any place, a voice or a cry is said to come from it; see Jer 48:3 , a voice from the temple; either from heaven, as Aben Ezra; or rather from the temple at Jerusalem, of the priests there hindered from doing their service, and starving for want of sustenance; or of the people that fled thither for security, but forced from thence by the soldiers; and especially a voice of crying and lamentation was heard, when set on fire. Some illustrate this by what the priests heard in the temple a little before the destruction of it, a rustling and a noise like persons shifting and moving, and a voice in the holy of holies, saying, "let us go hence"; as also the words of Jesus the son of Ananus, a countryman, who went about uttering these words, "a voice from the east, a voice from the west, a voice from the four winds, a voice against Jerusalem and against the temple, a voice against the bridegrooms and the brides, a voice against all the people:'' this he did before the war began, nor could he be persuaded to desist from it, but continued it afterwards; going on the walls of the city, saying, "woe, woe to the city, and to the temple, and to the people, woe to myself also;'' and while he was speaking the last words, a stone, cast from a Roman engine, killed him, as Josephus (q) relates: a voice of the Lord, that rendereth recompence to his enemies; for the Lord's voice was in all this, and his hand in the destruction of those people; it was according to his appointment, direction, and order, in righteous judgment for their sins, they being his implacable enemies, that would not have him to rule over them, Luk 19:14 . (q) De Bello Jud. I. 6. c. 5. sect. 3.