1DAS Wort, das Jesaja, der Sohn des Amoz, über Juda und Jerusalem schaute: 2Und es wird geschehen in den letzten Tagen, da wird der Berg mit dem Hause des Herrn festgegründet stehen an der Spitze der Berge und die Hügel überragen; und alle Völker werden zu ihm hinströmen, 3und viele Nationen werden sich aufmachen und sprechen: «Kommt, lasset uns hinaufziehen zum Berge des Herrn, zu dem Hause des Gottes Jakobs, dass er uns seine Wege lehre und wir wandeln auf seinen Pfaden; denn von Zion wird die Weisung ausgehen, und das Wort des Herrn von Jerusalem.» Joh. 4,22. 4Und er wird Recht sprechen zwischen den Völkern und Weisung geben vielen Nationen; und sie werden ihre Schwerter zu Pflugscharen schmieden und ihre Spiesse zu Rebmessern. Kein Volk wird wider das andre das Schwert erheben, und sie werden den Krieg nicht mehr lernen. 5Haus Jakobs, auf, lasset uns wandeln im Lichte des Herrn! 6VERSTOSSEN hast du dein Volk, das Haus Jakobs; denn sie sind voll von Wahrsagerei des Morgenlandes und von Zeichendeutern wie die Philister, und mit Fremden tauschen sie Handschlag. 7Und ihr Land ward voll Silber und Gold, und ihrer Schätze kein Ende, und ihr Land ward voll von Rossen, und ihrer Wagen kein Ende, Jes. 31,1; Ps. 33,17; Mi. 5,10. 8und ihr Land ward voll von Götzen; das Werk ihrer Hände beten sie an, das, was ihre Finger gemacht haben. Ps. 115,4. 9Da ward gebeugt der Mensch und gedemütigt der Mann, und erhaben ist der Herr allein an jenem Tage. 10Gehe hinein in den Felsen und verbirg dich im Staube vor dem Schrecken des Herrn und vor seiner hehren Majestät! 11Die Hoffart der Menschen wird gebeugt und der Stolz der Männer gedemütigt, und erhaben ist der Herr allein an jenem Tage. 12Denn ein Tag des Herrn der Heerscharen kommt über alles Stolze und Erhabene und über alles Ragende und Hohe, 13über alle Zedern des Libanon und über alle Eichen Basans, 14über alle Berge, die hohen, und über alle Hügel, die ragenden, 15über jeden hohen Turm und über jede feste Mauer, 16über alle Tharsisschiffe und über alle köstlichen Schaustücke. Ps. 48,8. 17Da wird erniedrigt die Hoffart der Menschen und der Stolz der Männer gedemütigt, und erhaben ist der Herr allein an jenem Tage. 18Und die Götzen - das fährt alles dahin! 19Gehet hinein in Felsenhöhlen und in Erdlöcher vor dem Schrecken des Herrn und vor seiner hehren Majestät, wenn er sich erhebt, die Erde zu schrecken! 20An jenem Tage wird der Mensch seine silbernen und goldenen Götzen, die er sich gemacht, sie anzubeten, den Ratten und Fledermäusen hinwerfen, Jes. 30,22. 21hinein in die Felsspalten und in die Steinklüfte, vor dem Schrecken des Herrn und vor seiner hehren Majestät, wenn er sich erhebt, die Erde zu schrecken. 22Lasset doch fahren den Menschen, in dessen Nase nur ein Hauch ist! Denn wofür ist er zu achten?
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 (Isa. 2:1-22)
The inscription.
The word--the revelation.
2 Same as
Μιχ. 4:1. As Micah prophesied in Jotham's reign, and Isaiah in Uzziah's, Micah rests on Isaiah, whom he confirms: not vice versa. HENGSTENBERG on slight grounds makes
Μιχ. 4:1 the original.
last days--that is, Messiah's: especially the days yet to come, to which all prophecy hastens, when "the house of the God of Jacob," namely, at Jerusalem, shall be the center to which the converted nations shall flock together (
Ματθ. 13:32;
Λουκ. 2:31-
Λουκ. 2:32;
Πράξ. 1:6-
Πράξ. 1:7); where "the kingdom" of Israel is regarded as certain and the time alone uncertain (
Ψαλ. 68:15-
Ψαλ. 68:16;
Ψαλ. 72:8,
Ψαλ. 72:11).
mountain of the Lord's house . . . in the top, &c.--the temple on Mount Moriah: type of the Gospel, beginning at Jerusalem, and, like an object set on the highest hill, made so conspicuous that all nations are attracted to it.
flow--as a broad stream (
Ησ. 66:12).
3 If the curse foretold against Israel has been literally fulfilled, so shall the promised blessing be literal. We Gentiles must not, while giving them the curse, deny them their peculiar blessing by spiritualizing it. The Holy Ghost shall be poured out for a general conversion then (
Ιερ. 50:5;
Ζαχ. 8:21,
Ζαχ. 8:23;
Ιωήλ 2:28).
from Jerusalem-- (
Λουκ. 24:47) an earnest of the future relations of Jerusalem to Christendom (
Ρωμ. 11:12,
Ρωμ. 11:15).
4 judge--as a sovereign umpire, settling all controversies (compare
Ησ. 11:4). LOWTH translates "work," "conviction."
plowshares--in the East resembling a short sword (
Ησ. 9:6-
Ησ. 9:7;
Ζαχ. 9:10).
5 The connection is: As Israel's high destiny is to be a blessing to all nations (
Γέν. 12:3), let Israel's children walk worthy of it (
Εφεσ. 5:8).
6 Therefore--rather, "For": reasons why there is the more need of the exhortation in
Ησ. 2:5.
thou--transition to Jehovah: such rapid transitions are natural, when the mind is full of a subject.
replenished--rather, filled, namely, with the superstitions of the East, Syria, and Chaldea.
soothsayers--forbidden (
Δευτ. 18:10-
Δευτ. 18:14).
Philistines--southwest of Palestine: antithesis to "the east."
please themselves--rather, join hands with, that is, enter into alliances, matrimonial and national: forbidden (
Έξ. 23:32;
Νεεμ. 13:23, &c.).
7 gold--forbidden to be heaped together (
Δευτ. 17:17). Solomon disobeyed (
1Βασ. 10:21,
1Βασ. 10:27).
horses . . . chariots--forbidden (
Δευτ. 17:16). But Solomon disobeyed (
1Βασ. 20:26). Horses could be used effectively for war in the plains of Egypt; not so in the hilly Judea. God designed there should be as wide as possible a distinction between Israel and the Egyptians. He would have His people wholly dependent on Him, rather than on the ordinary means of warfare (
Ψαλ. 20:7). Also horses were connected with idolatry (
2Βασ. 23:11); hence His objection: so the transition to "idols" (
Ησ. 2:8) is natural.
8 (
Ωσ. 8:4). Not so much public idolatry, which was not sanctioned in Uzziah's and Jotham's reign, but (see
2Βασ. 15:4,
2Βασ. 15:35) as private.
9 mean--in rank: not morally base: opposed to "the great man." The former is in Hebrew, Adam, the latter, ish.
boweth--namely, to idols. All ranks were idolaters.
forgive . . . not--a threat expressed by an imperative. Isaiah so identifies himself with God's will, that he prays for that which he knows God purposes. So
Αποκ. 18:6.
10 Poetical form of expressing that, such were their sins, they would be obliged by God's judgments to seek a hiding-place from His wrath (
Αποκ. 6:15-
Αποκ. 6:16).
dust--equivalent to "caves of the earth," or dust (
Ησ. 2:19).
for fear, &c.--literally, "from the face of the terror of the Lord."
11 lofty looks--literally, "eyes of pride" (
Ψαλ. 18:27).
humbled--by calamities. God will so vindicate His honor "in that day" of judgments, that none else "shall be exalted" (
Ζαχ. 14:9).
12 Man has had many days: "the day of the Lord" shall come at last, beginning with judgment, a never-ending day in which God shall be "all in all" (
1Κορ. 15:28;
2Πέτ. 3:10).
every--not merely person, as English Version explains it, but every thing on which the nation prided itself.
13 cedars . . . oaks--image for haughty nobles and princes (
Άμ. 2:9;
Ζαχ. 11:1-
Ζαχ. 11:2; compare
Αποκ. 19:18-
Αποκ. 19:21).
Bashan--east of Jordan, north of the river Jabbok, famous for fine oaks, pasture, and cattle. Perhaps in "oaks" there is reference to their idolatry (
Ησ. 1:29).
14 high . . . hills--referring to the "high places" on which sacrifices were unlawfully offered, even in Uzziah's (equivalent to Azariah) reign (
2Βασ. 15:4). Also, places of strength, fastnesses in which they trusted, rather than in God; so
15 tower . . . wall--Towers were often made on the walls of cities.
fenced--strongly fortified.
16 Tarshish--Tartessus in southwest Spain, at the mouth of the Guadalquivir, near Gibraltar. It includes the adjoining region: a Phśnician colony; hence its connection with Palestine and the Bible (
2Χρ. 9:21). The name was also used in a wide sense for the farthest west, as our West Indies (
Ησ. 66:19;
Ψαλ. 48:7;
Ψαλ. 72:10). "Ships of Tarshish" became a phrase for richly laden and far-voyaging vessels. The judgment shall be on all that minister to man's luxury (compare
Αποκ. 18:17-
Αποκ. 18:19).
pictures--ordered to be destroyed (
Αρ. 33:52). Still to be seen on the walls of Nineveh's palaces. It is remarkable that whereas all other ancient civilized nations, Egypt, Assyria, Greece, Rome, have left monuments in the fine arts, Judea, while rising immeasurably above them in the possession of "the living oracles," has left none of the former. The fine arts, as in modern Rome, were so often associated with polytheism, that God required His people in this, as in other respects, to be separate from the nations (
Δευτ. 4:15-
Δευτ. 4:18). But Vulgate translation is perhaps better, "All that is beautiful to the sight"; not only paintings, but all luxurious ornaments. One comprehensive word for all that goes before (compare
Αποκ. 18:12,
Αποκ. 18:14,
Αποκ. 18:16).
17 Repeated from
Ησ. 2:11, for emphatic confirmation.
18 idols--literally, "vain things," "nothings" (
1Κορ. 8:4). Fulfilled to the letter. Before the Babylonian captivity the Jews were most prone to idolatry; in no instance, ever since. For the future fulfilment, see
Ζαχ. 13:2;
Αποκ. 13:15;
Αποκ. 19:20.
19 The fulfilment answers exactly to the threat (
Ησ. 2:10).
they--the idol-worshippers.
caves--abounding in Judea, a hilly country; hiding-places in times of alarm (
1Σαμ. 13:6).
shake . . . earth--and the heavens also (
Εβρ. 12:26). Figure for severe and universal judgments.
20 moles--Others translate "mice." The sense is, under ground, in darkness.
bats--unclean birds (
Λευ. 11:19), living amidst tenantless ruins (
Αποκ. 11:13).
22 The high ones (
Ησ. 2:11,
Ησ. 2:13) on whom the people trust, shall be "brought low" (
Ησ. 3:2); therefore "cease from" depending on them, instead of on the Lord (
Ψαλ. 146:3-
Ψαλ. 146:5).