1The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. 2Give heed, O heavens, and hear, O earth! For Jehovah has spoken: I have nourished and brought up children, but they have rebelled against Me. 3The ox knows his owner, and the ass his master's manger, but Israel does not know; My people have not discerned. 4Woe, sinful nation, a people heavy with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children who corrupt! They have forsaken Jehovah; they have scorned the Holy One of Israel. They are estranged backward. 5Why will you be stricken any more? Will you rebel more and more? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart is faint. 6From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it; only wounds and bruises and fresh stripes; they have not been closed nor bound up, nor has it been softened with oil. 7Your land is a desolation; your cities burned with fire. Strangers devour your land before you; and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. 8And the daughter of Zion is left as a booth in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field, like a besieged city. 9Except Jehovah of Hosts had left us a small remnant, we would be as Sodom; we would be as Gomorrah. 10Hear the Word of Jehovah, you rulers of Sodom. Give heed to the Law of our God, you people of Gomorrah. 11What good to Me are your many sacrifices, says Jehovah? I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of well-fed cattle; nor do I delight in the blood of bulls, of lambs, or he goats. 12When you come to appear before Me, who has required this at your hand, to trample My courts? 13Bring no more vain sacrifices; its incense is an abomination to Me. I cannot endure the new moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies, and the wicked festivals. 14My soul hates your new moons and your appointed feasts. They are a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. 15And when you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you. Even though you multiply prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood. 16Wash yourselves, purify yourselves. Put away the evil of your doings from My eyes; stop doing evil. 17Learn to do good, seek justice, set straight the oppressor, judge for the orphan, plead for the widow. 18Come now and let us reason together, says Jehovah: Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 19If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land. 20But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured with the sword; for the mouth of Jehovah has spoken. 21Oh how the faithful city has become a harlot! It was full of justice; righteousness lodged in it; but now, murderers! 22Your silver has become dross; your wine is diluted with water. 23Your rulers are rebellious and companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe, and pursues rewards. They do not judge for the orphan, nor does the cause of the widow come before them. 24Therefore says the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah! I will be eased of My adversaries, and avenge Myself of My enemies. 25And I will turn back My hand upon you, and refine your dross, as with lye, and remove all your alloy. 26And I will return your judges as at the first; and your advisers, as at the beginning; then you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city. 27Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and her returning ones with righteousness. 28And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together. And those who forsake Jehovah shall be consumed. 29For they shall be ashamed of the mighty trees which you desired; and you shall be ashamed of the gardens that you have chosen. 30For you shall be like a mighty tree whose leaf fades, and like a garden that has no water. 31And the strong shall be as tinder, and the work as a spark; and they both shall burn together; and no one shall quench them.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 (Isa. 1:1-31)
THE GENERAL TITLE OR PROGRAM applying to the entire book: this discountenances the Talmud tradition, that he was sawn asunder by Manasseh.
Isaiah--equivalent to "The Lord shall save"; significant of the subject of his prophecies. On "vision," see
1Цар 9:9;
Чис 12:6; and see my Introduction.
Judah and Jerusalem--Other nations also are the subjects of his prophecies; but only in their relation to the Jews (Isa. 13:1-23:18); so also the ten tribes of Israel are introduced only in the same relation (Isa. 7:1-9:21). Jerusalem is particularly specified, being the site of the temple, and the center of the theocracy, and the future throne of Messiah (
Псал 48:2-
Псал 48:3,
Псал 48:9;
Иер 3:17). Jesus Christ is the "Lion of the tribe of Judah" (
Откр 5:5).
Uzziah--called also Azariah (
4Цар 14:21;
2Пар 26:1,
2Пар 26:17,
2Пар 26:20). The Old Testament prophecies spiritually interpret the histories, as the New Testament Epistles interpret the Gospels and Acts. Study them together, to see their spiritual relations. Isaiah prophesied for only a few years before Uzziah's death; but his prophecies of that period (Isa. 1:1-6:13) apply to Jotham's reign also, in which he probably wrote none; for Isa. 7:1-25 enters immediately on Ahaz' reign, after Uzziah in
Ис 6:1-
Ис 6:13; the prophecies under Hezekiah follow next.
2 The very words of Moses (
Втор 32:1); this implies that the law was the charter and basis of all prophecy (
Ис 8:20).
Lord--Jehovah; in Hebrew, "the self-existing and promise-fulfilling, unchangeable One." The Jews never pronounced this holy name, but substituted Adonai. The English Version, LORD in capitals, marks the Hebrew "Jehovah," though Lord is rather equivalent to "Adonai" than "Jehovah."
children-- (
Исх 4:22).
rebelled--as sons (
Втор 21:18) and as subjects, God being king in the theocracy (
Ис 63:10). "Brought up," literally, "elevated," namely, to peculiar privileges (
Иер 2:6-
Иер 2:8;
Рим 9:4-
Рим 9:5).
3 (
Иер 8:7).
crib--the stall where it is fed (
Прит 14:4). Spiritually the word and ordinances.
Israel--The whole nation, Judah as well as Israel, in the restricted sense. God regards His covenant-people in their designed unity.
not know--namely, his Owner, as the parallelism requires; that is, not recognize Him as such (
Исх 19:5, equivalent to "my people,"
Ин 1:10-
Ин 1:11).
consider--attend to his Master (
Ис 41:8), notwithstanding the spiritual food which He provides (answering to "crib" in the parallel clause).
4 people--the peculiar designation of God's elect nation (
Ос 1:10), that they should be "laden with iniquity" is therefore the more monstrous. Sin is a load (
Псал 38:4;
Мф 11:28).
seed--another appellation of God's elect (
Быт 12:7;
Иер 2:21), designed to be a "holy seed" (
Ис 6:13), but, awful to say, "evildoers!"
children--by adoption (
Ос 11:1), yet "evildoers"; not only so, but "corrupters" of others (
Быт 6:12); the climax. So "nation--people--seed children."
provoked--literally, "despised," namely, so as to provoke (
Прит 1:30-
Прит 1:31).
Holy One of Israel--the peculiar heinousness of their sin, that it was against their God (
Амос 3:2).
gone . . . backward--literally, "estranged" (
Псал 58:3).
5 Why--rather, as Vulgate, "On what part." Image from a body covered all over with marks of blows (
Псал 38:3). There is no part in which you have not been smitten.
head . . . sick, &c.--not referring, as it is commonly quoted, to their sins, but to the universality of their punishment. However, sin, the moral disease of the head or intellect, and the heart, is doubtless made its own punishment (
Прит 1:31;
Иер 2:19;
Ос 8:11). "Sick," literally, "is in a state of sickness" [GESENIUS]; "has passed into sickness" [MAURER].
6 From the lowest to the highest of the people; "the ancient and honorable, the head, the prophet that teacheth lies, the tail." See
Ис 9:13-
Ис 9:16. He first states their wretched condition, obvious to all (
Ис 1:6-
Ис 1:9); and then, not previously, their irreligious state, the cause of it.
wounds--judicially inflicted (
Ос 5:13).
mollified with ointment--The art of medicine in the East consists chiefly in external applications (
Лк 10:34;
Иак 5:14).
7 Judah had not in Uzziah's reign recovered from the ravages of the Syrians in Joash's reign (
2Пар 24:24), and of Israel in Amaziah's reign (
2Пар 25:13,
2Пар 25:23, &c.). Compare Isaiah's contemporary (
Амос 4:6-
Амос 4:11), where, as here (
Ис 1:9-
Ис 1:10), Israel is compared to "Sodom and Gomorrah," because of the judgments on it by "fire."
in your presence--before your eyes: without your being able to prevent them.
desolate, &c.--literally, "there is desolation, such as one might look for from foreign" invaders.
8 daughter of Zion--the city (
Псал 9:14), Jerusalem and its inhabitants (
4Цар 19:21): "daughter" (feminine, singular being used as a neuter collective noun), equivalent to sons (
Ис 12:6, Margin) [MAURER]. Metropolis or "mother-city" is the corresponding term. The idea of youthful beauty is included in "daughter."
left--as a remnant escaping the general destruction.
cottage--a hut, made to give temporary shelter to the caretaker of the vineyard.
lodge--not permanent.
besieged--rather, as "left," and
Ис 1:9 require, preserved, namely, from the desolation all round [MAURER].
9 Jehovah of Sabaoth, that is, God of the angelic and starry hosts (
Псал 59:5;
Псал 147:4;
Псал 148:2). The latter were objects of idolatry, called hence Sabaism (
4Цар 17:16). God is above even them (
1Пар 16:26). "The groves" were symbols of these starry hosts; it was their worship of Sabaoth instead of the Lord of Sabaoth, which had caused the present desolation (
2Пар 24:18). It needed no less a power than His, to preserve even a "remnant." Condescending grace for the elect's sake, since He has no need of us, seeing that He has countless hosts to serve Him.
10 Sodom--spiritually (
Быт 19:24;
Иер 23:14;
Иез 16:46;
Откр 11:8).
11 God does not here absolutely disparage sacrifice, which is as old and universal as sin (
Быт 3:21;
Быт 4:4), and sin is almost as old as the world; but sacrifice, unaccompanied with obedience of heart and life (
1Цар 15:22;
Псал 50:9-
Псал 50:13;
Псал 51:16-
Псал 51:19;
Ос 6:6). Positive precepts are only means; moral obedience is the end. A foreshadowing of the gospel, when the One real sacrifice was to supersede all the shadowy ones, and "bring in everlasting righteousness" (
Псал 40:6-
Псал 40:7;
Дан 9:24-
Дан 9:27;
Евр 10:1-
Евр 10:14).
full--to satiety; weary of
burnt offerings--burnt whole, except the blood, which was sprinkled about the altar.
fat--not to be eaten by man, but burnt on the altar (
Лев 3:4-
Лев 3:5,
Лев 3:11,
Лев 3:17).
12 appear before me--in the temple where the Shekinah, resting on the ark, was the symbol of God's presence (
Исх 23:15;
Псал 42:2).
who hath required this--as if you were doing God a service by such hypocritical offerings (
Иов 35:7). God did require it (
Исх 23:17), but not in this spirit (
Мих 6:6-
Мих 6:7).
courts--areas, in which the worshippers were. None but priests entered the temple itself.
13 oblations--unbloody; "meat (old English sense, not flesh) offerings," that is, of flour, fruits, oil, &c. (
Лев 2:1-
Лев 2:13). Hebrew, mincha.
incense--put upon the sacrifices, and burnt on the altar of incense. Type of prayer (
Псал 141:2;
Откр 8:3).
new moons--observed as festivals (
Чис 10:10;
Чис 28:11,
Чис 28:14) with sacrifices and blowing of silver trumpets.
sabbaths--both the seventh day and the beginning and closing days of the great feasts (Lev. 23:24-39).
away with--bear, MAURER translates, "I cannot bear iniquity and the solemn meeting," that is, the meeting associated with iniquity--literally, the closing days of the feasts; so the great days (
Лев 23:36;
Ин 7:37).
14 appointed--the sabbath, passover, pentecost, day of atonement, and feast of tabernacles [HENGSTENBERG]; they alone were fixed to certain times of the year.
weary-- (
Ис 43:24).
15 (
Псал 66:18;
Прит 28:9;
Плач 3:43-
Плач 3:44).
spread . . . hands--in prayer (
3Цар 8:22). Hebrew, "bloods," for all heinous sins, persecution of God's servants especially (
Мф 23:35). It was the vocation of the prophets to dispel the delusion, so contrary to the law itself (
Втор 10:16), that outward ritualism would satisfy God.
16 God saith to the sinner, "Wash you," &c., that he, finding his inability to "make" himself "clean," may cry to God, Wash me, cleanse me (
Псал 51:2,
Псал 51:7,
Псал 51:10).
before mine eyes--not mere outward reformation before man's eyes, who cannot, as God, see into the heart (
Иер 32:19).
17 seek judgment--justice, as magistrates, instead of seeking bribes (
Иер 22:3,
Иер 22:16).
judge--vindicate (
Псал 68:5;
Иак 1:27).
18 God deigns to argue the case with us, that all may see the just, nay, loving principle of His dealings with men (
Ис 43:26).
scarlet--the color of Jesus Christ's robe when bearing our "sins" (
Мф 27:28). So Rahab's thread (
Навин 2:18; compare
Лев 14:4). The rabbins say that when the lot used to be taken, a scarlet fillet was bound on the scapegoat's head, and after the high priest had confessed his and the people's sins over it, the fillet became white: the miracle ceased, according to them, forty years before the destruction of Jerusalem, that is, exactly when Jesus Christ was crucified; a remarkable admission of adversaries. Hebrew for "scarlet" radically means double-dyed; so the deep-fixed permanency of sin in the heart, which no mere tears can wash away.
snow-- (
Псал 51:7). Repentance is presupposed, before sin can be made white as snow (
Ис 1:19-
Ис 1:20); it too is God's gift (
Иер 31:18, end;
Плач 5:21;
Деян 5:31).
red--refers to "blood" (
Ис 1:15).
as wool--restored to its original undyed whiteness. This verse shows that the old fathers did not look only for transitory promises (Article VII, Book of Common Prayer). For sins of ignorance, and such like, alone had trespass offerings appointed for them; greater guilt therefore needed a greater sacrifice, for, "without shedding of blood there was no remission"; but none such was appointed, and yet forgiveness was promised and expected; therefore spiritual Jews must have looked for the One Mediator of both Old Testament and New Testament, though dimly understood.
19 Temporal blessings in "the land of their possession" were prominent in the Old Testament promises, as suited to the childhood of the Church (
Исх 3:17). New Testament spiritual promises derive their imagery from the former (
Мф 5:5).
20 Lord hath spoken it--Isaiah's prophecies rest on the law (
Лев 26:33). God alters not His word Numbers 23. 19).
21 faithful--as a wife (
Ис 54:5;
Ис 62:5;
Ос 2:19-
Ос 2:20).
harlot-- (
Иез 16:28-
Иез 16:35).
righteousness lodged-- (
2Пет 3:13).
murderers--murderous oppressors, as the antithesis requires (see on
Ис 1:15;
1Ин 3:15).
22 Thy princes and people are degenerate in "solid worth," equivalent to "silver" (
Иер 6:28,
Иер 6:30;
Иез 22:18-
Иез 22:19), and in their use of the living Word, equivalent to "wine" (
Песн 7:9).
mixed--literally, "circumcised." So the Arabic, "to murder" wine, equivalent to dilute it.
23 companions of thieves--by connivance (
Прит 29:24).
gifts-- (
Иез 22:12). A nation's corruption begins with its rulers.
24 Lord . . . Lord--Adonai, JEHOVAH.
mighty One of Israel--mighty to take vengeance, as before, to save.
Ah--indignation.
ease me--My long tried patience will find relief in at last punishing the guilty (
Иез 5:13). God's language condescends to human conceptions.
25 turn . . . hand--not in wrath, but in grace (
Зах 13:7), "upon thee," as
Ис 1:26-
Ис 1:27 show; contrasted with the enemies, of whom He will avenge Himself (
Ис 1:24).
purely--literally, "as alkali purifies."
thy dross--not thy sins, but the sinful persons (
Иер 6:29); "enemies" (
Ис 1:24); degenerate princes (see on
Ис 1:22), intermingled with the elect "remnant" of grace.
tin--Hebrew, bedil, here the alloy of lead, tin, &c., separated by smelting from the silver. The pious Bishop Bedell took his motto from this.
26 As the degeneracy had shown itself most in the magistrates (
Ис 1:17-
Ис 1:23), so, at the "restoration," these shall be such as the theocracy "at the first" had contemplated, namely, after the Babylonish restoration in part and typically, but fully and antitypically under Messiah (
Ис 32:1;
Ис 52:8;
Иер 33:7;
Мф 19:28).
faithful--no longer "an harlot."
27 redeemed--temporarily, civilly, and morally; type of the spiritual redemption by the price of Jesus Christ's blood (
1Пет 1:18-19), the foundation of "judgment" and "righteousness," and so of pardon. The judgment and righteousness are God's first (
Ис 42:21;
Рим 3:26); so they become man's when "converted" (
Рим 8:3-
Рим 8:4); typified in the display of God's "justice," then exhibited in delivering His covenant-people, whereby justice or "righteousness" was produced in them.
converts--so MAURER. But Margin, "they that return of her," namely the remnant that return from captivity. However, as Isaiah had not yet expressly foretold the Babylonian captivity, the English Version is better.
28 destruction--literally, "breaking into shivers" (
Откр 2:27). The prophets hasten forward to the final extinction of the ungodly (
Псал 37:20;
Откр 19:20;
Откр 20:15); of which antecedent judgments are types.
29 ashamed-- (
Рим 6:21).
oaks--Others translate the "terebinth" or "turpentine tree." Groves were dedicated to idols. Our Druids took their name from the Greek for "oaks." A sacred tree is often found in Assyrian sculpture; symbol of the starry hosts, Saba.
gardens--planted enclosures for idolatry; the counterpart of the garden of Eden.
30 oak--Ye shall be like the "oaks," the object of your "desire" (
Ис 1:29). People become like the gods they worship; they never rise above their level (
Псал 135:18). So men's sins become their own scourges (
Иер 2:9). The leaf of the idol oak fades by a law of necessary consequence, having no living sap or "water" from God. So "garden" answers to "gardens" (
Ис 1:29).
31 strong--powerful rulers (
Амос 2:9).
maker of it--rather, his work. He shall be at once the fuel, "tow," and the cause of the fire, by kindling the first "spark."
both--the wicked ruler, and "his work," which "is as a spark."