Isaiah 30

Isa 30:1-32.

THE

THIRTIETH

THROUGH

THIRTY-SECOND

CHAPTERS

REFER

PROBABLY TO THE

SUMMER OF 714

B.C., AS THE

TWENTY-NINTH

CHAPTER TO THE

PASSOVER OF

THAT

YEAR.

Jewish ambassadors were now on their way to Egypt to seek aid against

Assyria

(Isa 30:2-6, 15; 31:1).

Isaiah denounces this reliance on Egypt rather than on Jehovah. God had

prohibited such alliances with heathen nations, and it was a leading

part of Jewish polity that they should be a separate people

(Ex 23:32;

De 7:2).

1. take counsel--rather, as

Isa 30:4, 6

imply, "execute counsels."

cover . . . covering--that is, wrap themselves in

reliances disloyal towards Jehovah. "Cover" thus answers to "seek to

hide deeply their counsel from the Lord"

(Isa 29:15).

But the Hebrew is literally, "who pour out libations"; as it was

(Ex 24:8;

Zec 9:11),

translate, "who make a league."

not of--not suggested by My Spirit"

(Nu 27:21;

Jos 9:14).

that they may add--The consequence is here spoken of as

their intention, so reckless were they of sinning: one sin

entails the commission of another

(De 29:19).

2. walk--are now setting out, namely, their ambassadors

(Isa 30:4).

Egypt--See on

Isa 19:1;

Isa 20:1.

Pharaoh--the generic name of the kings of Egypt, as Cæsar was

at Rome. The word in Egyptian means "king"

[JOSEPHUS, Antiquities, 8.6,2].

Phra, "the sun," was the

hieroglyphic symbol and title of the king.

shadow--image from shelter against heat: protection

(Ps 121:5, 6).

3. shame--disappointment. Egypt, weakened by its internal dissensions,

can give no solid help.

4. his--Judah's (compare

Isa 9:21).

at Zoan--are already arrived there on their errand to Pharaoh (see

Isa 19:11).

came to Hanes--are come there. West of the Nile, in central Egypt:

Egyptian Hnes; the Greek Heracleopolis: perhaps the Anysis of

HERODOTUS (2.137); according to

GROTIUS, Tahpanhes contracted

(Jer 43:7-9);

the seat of a reigning prince at the time, as was Zoan, hence the

Jewish ambassadors go to both.

5.

(Jer 2:36.)

6. burden--the prophecy as to, &c.

[MAURER]; so the Septuagint, the

fresh inscription here marks emphatically the prediction that

follows. Or, rather, Isaiah sees in vision, the ambassador's beasts

burdened with rich presents travelling southwards (namely, to

Egypt,

Da 11:5, 6),

and exclaims, Oh, the burden of treasure on the beasts! &c.

(Ho 8:9; 12:1).

land of trouble--the desert between Palestine and Egypt, destitute of

water and abounding in dangerous animals

(De 8:15;

Jer 2:6).

flying serpent--

(Isa 14:29),

a species which springs like a dart from trees, on its prey.

will carry--rather, present, "carry," namely, as presents to Egypt

(1Ki 15:19).

young asses--rather, "full-grown asses"

[MAURER].

7. "Egypt is vanity, and to no purpose will they help"

[G. V. SMITH].

strength--Hebrew, Rabah, a designation for Egypt

(Isa 51:9;

Ps 87:4),

implying her haughty fierceness; translate, "Therefore I call

her Arrogance that sitteth still." She who boasted of the help she

would give, when it came to the test, sat still

(Isa 36:6).

English Version agrees with

Isa 30:15;

Isa 7:4.

8. table--a tablet

(Hab 2:2),

which should be set in public, containing the prophecy in a briefer

form, to be read by all.

a book--namely, a parchment roll, containing the prophecy in full,

for the use of distant posterity. Its truth will be seen hereafter when

the event has come to pass. See on

Isa 8:1;

Isa 8:16.

for ever and ever--rather read, "For a testimony for ever"

[Chaldee, JEROME,

LOWTH]: "testimony is often joined to the notion

of perpetuity

(De 31:19, 21, 26).

9. lying--unfaithful to Jehovah, whose covenant they had taken on them

as His adopted children

(Isa 59:13;

Pr 30:9).

10.

(Mic 2:6, 11; 3:5).

See not--as you now do, foretelling misfortune.

Prophesy not . . . right things--Not that they avowedly requested

this, but their conduct virtually expressed it. No man,

professedly, wished to be deceived; but many seek a kind of teaching

which is deceit; and which, if they would examine, they might know to be

such

(1Ki 22:13).

The Jews desired success to be foretold as the issue of their league

with Egypt, though ill had been announced by God's prophet as the

result; this constituted the "deceits."

11. Depart from the true "way" (so in

Ac 19:9, 23)

of religion.

cause . . . to cease--Let us hear no more of His name. God's

holiness is what troubles sinners most.

12. Holy One--Isaiah so little yields to their wicked prejudices that

he repeats the very name and truth which they disliked.

this word--Isaiah's exhortation to reliance on Jehovah.

oppression--whereby they levied the treasures to be sent to conciliate

Egypt

(Isa 30:6).

perverseness--in relying on Egypt, rather than on Jehovah.

13. Image from a curve swelling out in a wall

(Ps 62:3);

when the former gives way, it causes the downfall of the whole wall; so

their policy as to Egypt.

14. he--the enemy; or rather, God

(Ps 2:9;

Jer 19:11).

It--the Jewish state.

potter's vessel--earthen and fragile.

sherd--a fragment of the vessel large enough to take up a live

coal, &c.

pit--cistern or pool. The swell of the wall is at first imperceptible

and gradual, but at last it comes to the crisis; so the decay of the

Jewish state.

15. returning and rest--turning back from your embassy to Egypt, and

ceasing from warlike preparations.

quietness--answering to "wait for Him (God)"

(Isa 30:18).

16. flee--not as fugitives, but we will speed our course;

namely, against the Assyrians, by the help of cavalry supplied by Egypt

(Isa 31:1).

This was expressly against the Mosaic law

(De 17:16;

see on

Isa 2:7;

Ho 14:3).

shall . . . flee--literally, "before your enemies"; their sin and its

punishment correspond.

17. One thousand--A thousand at once, or, "As one man"

[MAURER].

rebuke--the battle cry.

shall ye--at the rebuke of five shall ye, namely, all (in

contrast to the "one thousand") flee so utterly that even two shall not

be left together, but each one shall be as solitary "as a signal

staff" [G. V. SMITH], or "a banner on a

hill"

(Isa 5:26; 11:12).

The signal staff was erected to rally a nation in war. The remnant of

Jews left would be beacons to warn all men of the justice of God, and

the truth of His threatenings. GESENIUS (from

Le 26:8;

De 32:30)

arbitrarily inserts "ten thousand." "At the rebuke of five shall ten

thousand of you flee."

18. therefore--on account of your wicked perverseness

(Isa 30:1, 2, 9, 15, 16),

Jehovah will delay to be gracious [HORSLEY]. Rather, wait or delay in

punishing, to give you time for repentance

(Isa 30:13, 14, 17)

[MAURER]. Or, "Yet therefore" (namely,

because of the distress spoken of in the previous verses; that distress

will lead the Jews to repentance, and so Jehovah will pity them)

[GESENIUS].

be exalted--Men will have more elevated views of God's mercy; or else,

"He will rise up to pity you" [G. V. SMITH].

Or (taking the previous

clause as MAURER, "Therefore Jehovah will delay" in punishing you,

"in order that He may be gracious to you," if ye repent), He will be

far removed from you (so in

Ps 10:5,

far above out sight); that is, He will not immediately descend

to punish, "in order that He may have mercy," &c.

judgment--justice; faithfulness to His covenant.

wait--compare

Isa 30:15,

wait, namely, for His times of having mercy.

19.

(Isa 65:9).

The restoration from Babylon only typifies the full

accomplishment of the prophecy

(Isa 30:18-33).

weep no more--

(Isa 25:8).

thy cry--

(Isa 26:8, 9;

Jer 29:12-14).

20. Rather, "The Lord will give"; the "though" is not in the original.

bread of adversity--He will not deny you food enough to save you in

your adversity

(1Ki 22:27;

Ps 127:2).

be removed--rather, "hide themselves"; they shall no more be forced

to hide themselves from persecution, but shall be openly received with

reverence [MAURER]. Contrast with this

Ps 74:9;

Am 8:11.

21. word--conscience, guided by the Holy Spirit

(Joh 16:13).

22. covering of . . . images--rather, "images" (formed of wood or

potter's clay, and) "covered with silver." Hezekiah, and afterwards

Josiah, defiled them

(2Ki 23:8, 10, 14, 16;

2Ch 31:1;

compare

Isa 2:20;

De 7:25).

23. rain of--rather, "for thy seed." Physical prosperity

accompanies national piety; especially under the Old Testament. The

early rain fell soon after the seed was sown in October or November;

the latter rain in the spring, before the ripening of the corn. Both

were needed for a good harvest.

increase--the produce.

fat--bread made of the best wheat flour (compare

Ge 49:20;

De 32:14).

24. ear--that is, till. Asses were employed in tillage, as well

as oxen

(De 22:10).

clean--rather, salted provender

[GESENIUS]. The Arab proverb is,

"Sweet provender is as bread to camels--salted provender as

confectionery." The very cattle shall share the coming felicity. Or

else, well-fermented maslin, that is, provender formed of a mixture

of various substances: grain, beans, vetches, hay, and salt.

winnowed--not as it is usually given to cattle before it is separated

from the chaff; the grain shall be so abundant that it shall be given

winnowed.

shovel--by which the grain was thrown up in the wind to separate it

from the chaff.

fan--an instrument for winnowing.

25. Even the otherwise barren hills shall then be well-watered

(Isa 44:3).

the day, &c.--when the disobedient among the Jews shall have been

slain, as foretold in

Isa 30:16:

"towers," that is, mighty men

(Isa 2:15).

Or else, the towers of the Assyrian Sennacherib, or of

Babylon, types of all enemies of God's people.

26. Image from the heavenly bodies to express the increase of spiritual

light and felicity. "Sevenfold" implies the perfection of that

felicity, seven being the sacred number. It shall also be literally

fulfilled hereafter in the heavenly city

(Isa 60:19, 20;

Re 21:23, 24; 22:5).

breach--the wound, or calamity, sent by God on account of their sins

(Isa 1:5).

27. name of . . . Lord--that is, Jehovah Himself

(Ps 44:5; 54:1);

represented as a storm approaching and ready to burst over the

Assyrians

(Isa 30:30, 31).

burden . . . is heavy--literally, "grievousness is the flame," that is,

the flame which darts from Him is grievous. Or else (as the Hebrew means an "uplifting")

the uprising cloud is grievous [G. V. SMITH];

the gathering cloud gradually rising till it bursts.

28.

(Isa 11:4;

2Th 2:8).

reach . . . neck--the most extreme danger; yet as the head, or

capital of Judah, was to be spared

(Isa 8:8),

so the head, or sovereign of Assyria, Sennacherib, should escape.

sieve of vanity--Rather, "the winnowing fan of destruction"

[LOWTH]

(Isa 41:16).

bridle in . . . jaws--as prisoners are represented in the Assyrian

inscriptions

(Isa 37:29).

causing . . . to err--

(Isa 63:17).

"People," Hebrew, "peoples," namely, the various races composing

the Assyrian armies

(Isa 5:26).

29. the night . . . solemnity--As in the passover night ye celebrate

your deliverance from Egypt, so shall ye celebrate your rescue from

Assyrian bondage. Translate, "the solemnity"

(Ex 12:42).

goeth with a pipe--or flute. They used to go up to Jerusalem ("the

mountain of the Lord," Zion) at the three feasts with music and gladness

(De 16:16;

Ezr 2:65;

Ps 122:1-4).

30. Jehovah's "glorious voice," raised against the enemy

(Isa 30:27),

is again mentioned here, in contrast to the music

(Isa 30:29)

with which His people shall come to worship Him.

lighting down of . . . arm--

(Isa 30:32;

Ps 38:2).

The descent of His arm in striking.

scattering--namely, a blast that scatters, or an "inundation"

[MAURER].

31. The Assyrian rod which beat shall itself be beaten, and that by

the mere voice of the Lord, that is, an unseen divine agency

(Isa 10:5, 24).

32. grounded--rather, "decreed," "appointed"

[MAURER].

staff--the avenging rod.

him--the Assyrian; type of all God's enemies in every age. Margin and

MAURER construe, "Every passing through (infliction,

Isa 28:15)

of the appointed rod, which, &c., shall be with tabrets," that is,

accompanied with joy on the part of the rescued peoples.

battles of shaking--that is, shock of battles

(Isa 19:16;

compare "sift . . . sieve,"

Isa 30:28).

with it--namely, Assyria.

33. Tophet--literally, "A place of abomination"; the valley of the

sons of Hinnom, southeast of Jerusalem, where Israel offered human

sacrifices to Moloch by fire; hence a place of burning

(2Ki 23:10;

Jer 7:31).

Latterly Gehinnom or Gehenna, that is, valley of Hinnom, was the

receptacle of the refuse of the city, to consume which fires were

constantly burning. Hence it came to express hell, the place of

torment. In the former sense it was a fit place to symbolize the

funeral pyre of the Assyrian army (not that it actually perished

there); the Hebrews did not burn, but buried their dead, but the

heathen Assyrians are to be burnt as a mark of ignominy. In the latter

sense Tophet is the receptacle "prepared for the devil (antitype to the

king,

Isa 14:12-15)

and his angels," and unbelieving men

(Mt 5:22; 25:41;

Mr 9:43, 44).