Imagine the dead air that follows a comment on the literary genre of a text of Scripture in a room of biblical fundamentalists. 'Cuz that's what I heard this morning. My ears are still ringing from the silence.

"This is a mock lament. It has the meter of a dirge." Blank stares. "It's a mock lament."

How did I know?

Discouraged in the main, the Precepts study guide suggests commentaries in the occasional lesson. This was one of those times that I read a commentary.

Lament and dirge, so familiar from the psalms, aren't found in prophecy? Verse 9 caused no knowing grins among them. I had to share what I knew.

Some of them enjoyed it: "Sheol from beneath is excited over you to meet you when you come."

An ancient Near Eastern taunt doesn't get any better than that! Imagine it in today's language.

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Revelation depicts the devil behind Babylon and earthly kings. Behind the king of Babylon, too, then, especially when Daniel 2:37 / Luke 4:5-6 are understood together:

Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon: "You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength and the glory."

Satan to Jesus in the wilderness: "I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish."

Jesus is the antithesis of the king of Babylon. Read Isaiah 14 and contrast the man with Christ. The king thinks he'll ascend to heaven, but Christ descends from heaven. Of the king is asked, "Is this the man who made the earth tremble?" Of Christ is asked, "Is this not the carpenter's son?" The king has been cast out of his tomb, a rejected branch. But no tomb could hold Christ, the righteous branch.