Swallowing

According to Isaiah 25, Yahweh will swallow ( bala ‘) the covering over the peoples (v. 7), the “veil,” and “death” (v. 8). He has spread a banquet on this mountain, and His portion is to eat the covering and feast.

Most of the uses of “swallow” in the OT don’t refer to normal swallowing. Thin ears of grain swallow fat ones (Genesis 41:7, 24), earth swallows Pharaoh (Exodus 15:12) and Korah (Numbers 16:30, 32, 34). David flees the land lest he be swallowed by Absalom (2 Samuel 17:16), and Joab threatens to swallow up a city (2 Samuel 20:19). Turbulent water threatens to swallow David (Psalm 69:15; 35:25). Graves swallow (Proverbs 1:12). Leaders mislead the people so that they get swallowed (Isaiah 9:16). Nebuchadnezzar is a dragon ( taniym ) that swallows up the nations (Jeremiah 51:34).

Satan encourages Him to swallow Job without cause (Job 2:3). Yahweh swallows the wicked in His wrath (Psalm 21:9), and David asks Yahweh to gulp down His enemies (55:9). He swallows down the counsel of the Egyptians (Isaiah 19:4). He swallows Jacob (Lamentations 2:2, 5, 8), or lets the enemies of Jerusalem swallow the city (Lamentations 2:16).

To swallow death means: Death swallows, but Yah swallows the swallower. Enemies swallow Jerusalem, but Yah eats them. The Gentile sea swallows the Israelite land, but Yah drinks the dea to the dregs. Yah’s wrath swallows the wicked, but then He Himself swallows down the swallowing wrath.