Isaiah 1

Isa 1:1-31.

1.

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

1Sa 9:9;

Nu 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

(Ps 48:2, 3, 9;

Jer 3:17).

Jesus Christ is the "Lion of the tribe of Judah"

(Re 5:5).

Uzziah--called also Azariah

(2Ki 14:21;

2Ch 26:1, 17, 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

Isa 6:1-13;

the prophecies under Hezekiah follow next.

2. The very words of Moses

(De 32:1);

this implies that the law was the charter and basis of all

prophecy

(Isa 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--

(Ex 4:22).

rebelled--as sons

(De 21:18)

and as subjects, God being king in the theocracy

(Isa 63:10).

"Brought up," literally, "elevated," namely, to peculiar privileges

(Jer 2:6-8;

Ro 9:4, 5).

3.

(Jer 8:7).

crib--the stall where it is fed

(Pr 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

(Ex 19:5,

equivalent to "my people,"

Joh 1:10, 11).

consider--attend to his Master

(Isa 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

(Ho 1:10),

that they should be "laden with iniquity" is therefore the more

monstrous. Sin is a load

(Ps 38:4;

Mt 11:28).

seed--another appellation of God's elect

(Ge 12:7;

Jer 2:21),

designed to be a "holy seed"

(Isa 6:13),

but, awful to say, "evildoers!"

children--by adoption

(Ho 11:1),

yet "evildoers"; not only so, but "corrupters" of others

(Ge 6:12);

the climax. So "nation--people--seed children."

provoked--literally, "despised," namely, so as to provoke

(Pr 1:30, 31).

Holy One of Israel--the peculiar heinousness of their sin, that it

was against their God

(Am 3:2).

gone . . . backward--literally, "estranged"

(Ps 58:3).

5. Why--rather, as Vulgate, "On what part." Image from a body

covered all over with marks of blows

(Ps 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

(Pr 1:31;

Jer 2:19;

Ho 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

Isa 9:13-16.

He first states their wretched condition, obvious to all

(Isa 1:6-9);

and then, not previously, their irreligious state, the cause of it.

wounds--judicially inflicted

(Ho 5:13).

mollified with ointment--The art of medicine in the East consists

chiefly in external applications

(Lu 10:34;

Jas 5:14).

7. Judah had not in Uzziah's reign recovered from the ravages of the

Syrians in Joash's reign

(2Ch 24:24),

and of Israel in Amaziah's reign

(2Ch 25:13, 23,

&c.). Compare Isaiah's contemporary

(Am 4:6-11),

where, as here

(Isa 1:9, 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

(Ps 9:14),

Jerusalem and its inhabitants

(2Ki 19:21):

"daughter" (feminine, singular being used as a neuter collective

noun), equivalent to sons

(Isa 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

Isa 1:9

require, preserved, namely, from the desolation all round

[MAURER].

9. Jehovah of Sabaoth, that is, God of the angelic and starry hosts

(Ps 59:5; 147:4; 148:2).

The latter were objects of idolatry, called hence Sabaism

(2Ki 17:16).

God is above even them

(1Ch 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

(2Ch 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

(Ge 19:24;

Jer 23:14;

Eze 16:46;

Re 11:8).

11. God does not here absolutely disparage sacrifice, which is as

old and universal as sin

(Ge 3:21; 4:4),

and sin is almost as old as the world; but sacrifice, unaccompanied

with obedience of heart and life

(1Sa 15:22;

Ps 50:9-13; 51:16-19;

Ho 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"

(Ps 40:6, 7;

Da 9:24-27;

Heb 10:1-14).

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

(Le 3:4, 5, 11, 17).

12. appear before me--in the temple where the Shekinah, resting on

the ark, was the symbol of God's presence

(Ex 23:15;

Ps 42:2).

who hath required this--as if you were doing God a service by such

hypocritical offerings

(Job 35:7).

God did require it

(Ex 23:17),

but not in this spirit

(Mic 6:6, 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.

(Le 2:1-13).

Hebrew, mincha.

incense--put upon the sacrifices, and burnt on the altar of incense.

Type of prayer

(Ps 141:2;

Re 8:3).

new moons--observed as festivals

(Nu 10:10; 28:11, 14)

with sacrifices and blowing of silver trumpets.

sabbaths--both the seventh day and the beginning and closing days of

the great feasts

(Le 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

(Le 23:36;

Joh 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--

(Isa 43:24).

15.

(Ps 66:18;

Pr 28:9;

La 3:43, 44).

spread . . . hands--in prayer

(1Ki 8:22).

Hebrew, "bloods," for all heinous sins, persecution of

God's servants especially

(Mt 23:35).

It was the vocation of the prophets to dispel the delusion, so contrary

to the law itself

(De 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

(Ps 51:2, 7, 10).

before mine eyes--not mere outward reformation before man's

eyes, who cannot, as God, see into the heart

(Jer 32:19).

17. seek judgment--justice, as magistrates, instead of

seeking bribes

(Jer 22:3, 16).

judge--vindicate

(Ps 68:5;

Jas 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

(Isa 43:26).

scarlet--the color of Jesus Christ's robe when bearing our "sins"

(Mt 27:28).

So Rahab's thread

(Jos 2:18;

compare

Le 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--

(Ps 51:7).

Repentance is presupposed, before sin can be made white as snow

(Isa 1:19, 20);

it too is God's gift

(La+5:21,Ac+5:31">Jer 31:18,

end; La 5:21;

Ac 5:31).

red--refers to "blood"

(Isa 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, 20. Temporal blessings in "the land of their possession"

were prominent in the Old Testament promises, as suited to the childhood

of the Church

(Ex 3:17).

New Testament spiritual promises derive their imagery from the

former

(Mt 5:5).

20. Lord hath spoken it--Isaiah's prophecies rest on the law

(Le 26:33).

God alters not His word

(Numbers 23. 19).

21. faithful--as a wife

(Isa 54:5; 62:5;

Ho 2:19, 20).

harlot--

(Eze 16:28-35).

righteousness lodged--

(2Pe 3:13).

murderers--murderous oppressors, as the antithesis requires

(see on

Isa 1:15;

1Jo 3:15).

22. Thy princes and people are degenerate in "solid worth,"

equivalent to "silver"

(Jer 6:28, 30;

Eze 22:18, 19),

and in their use of the living Word, equivalent to "wine"

(So 7:9).

mixed--literally, "circumcised." So the Arabic, "to murder"

wine, equivalent to dilute it.

23. companions of thieves--by connivance

(Pr 29:24).

gifts--

(Eze 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

(Eze 5:13).

God's language condescends to human conceptions.

25. turn . . . hand--not in wrath, but in grace

(Zec 13:7),

"upon thee," as

Isa 1:26, 27

show; contrasted with the enemies, of whom He will avenge

Himself

(Isa 1:24).

purely--literally, "as alkali purifies."

thy dross--not thy sins, but the sinful persons

(Jer 6:29);

"enemies"

(Isa 1:24);

degenerate princes (see on

Isa 1:22),

intermingled with the elect "remnant" of grace.

tin--Hebrew, bedil, here the alloy of lead, tin, &c., separated

this.

26. As the degeneracy had shown itself most in the magistrates

(Isa 1:17-23),

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

(Isa 32:1; 52:8;

Jer 33:7;

Mt 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

(1Pe 1:18, 19),

the foundation of "judgment" and "righteousness," and so of

pardon. The judgment and righteousness are God's first

(Isa 42:21;

Ro 3:26);

so they become man's when "converted"

(Ro 8:3, 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"

(Re 2:27).

The prophets hasten forward to the final extinction of the ungodly

(Ps 37:20;

Re 19:20; 20:15);

of which antecedent judgments are types.

29. ashamed--

(Ro 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"

(Isa 1:29).

People become like the gods they worship; they never rise above their

level

(Ps 135:18).

So men's sins become their own scourges

(Jer 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"

(Isa 1:29).

31. strong--powerful rulers

(Am 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."