Isaiah 1
1
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1 Here is the message about Judah and Jerusalem#map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4. that was revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz during the time when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah reigned over Judah.#tn Heb “The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, [and] Hezekiah, kings of Judah.”sn Isaiah’s prophetic career probably began in the final year of Uzziah’s reign (ca. 740 b.c., see Isa 6:1) and extended into the later years of Hezekiah’s reign, which ended in 686 b.c.
Obedience, not Sacrifice
2 Listen, O heavens,
pay attention, O earth!#sn The personified heavens and earth are summoned to God’s courtroom as witnesses against God’s covenant people. Long before this Moses warned the people that the heavens and earth would be watching their actions (see Deut 4:26; 30:19; 31:28; 32:1).
For the Lord speaks:
“I raised children,#tn Or “sons” (NAB, NASB).sn “Father” and “son” occur as common terms in ancient Near Eastern treaties and covenants, delineating the suzerain and vassal as participants in the covenant relationship. The prophet uses these terms, the reference to heavens and earth as witnesses, and allusions to deuteronomic covenant curses (1:7-9, 19-20) to set his prophecy firmly against the backdrop of Israel’s covenantal relationship with Yahweh. I brought them up,#sn The normal word pair for giving birth to and raising children is יָלַד (yalad, “to give birth to”) and גָּדַל (gadal, “to grow, raise”). The pair גָּדַל and רוּם (rum, “to raise up”) probably occur here to highlight the fact that Yahweh made something important of Israel (cf. R. Mosis, TDOT 2:403).
but#sn Against the backdrop of Yahweh’s care for his chosen people, Israel’s rebellion represents abhorrent treachery. The conjunction prefixed to a nonverbal element highlights the sad contrast between Yahweh’s compassionate care for His people and Israel’s thankless rebellion. they have rebelled#sn To rebel carries the idea of “covenant treachery.” Although an act of פֶּשַׁע (pesha’, “rebellion”) often signifies a breach of the law, the legal offense also represents a violation of an existing covenantal relationship (E. Carpenter and M. Grisanti, NIDOTTE 3:707). against me!
3 An ox recognizes its owner,
a donkey recognizes where its owner puts its food;#tn Heb “and the donkey the feeding trough of its owner.” The verb in the first line does double duty in the parallelism.
but Israel does not recognize me,#tn Although both verbs have no object, the parallelism suggests that Israel fails to recognize the Lord as the one who provides for their needs. In both clauses, the placement of “Israel” and “my people” at the head of the clause focuses the reader’s attention on the rebellious nation (C. van der Merwe, J. Naudé, J. Kroeze, A Biblical Hebrew Reference Grammar, 346-47).
my people do not understand.”
4#sn Having summoned the witnesses and announced the Lord’s accusation against Israel, Isaiah mourns the nation’s impending doom. The third person references to the Lord in the second half of the verse suggest that the quotation from the Lord (cf. vv. 2-3) has concluded. The sinful nation is as good as dead,#tn Heb “Woe [to the] sinful nation.” The Hebrew term הוֹי, (hoy, “woe, ah”) was used in funeral laments (see 1 Kgs 13:30; Jer 22:18; 34:5) and carries the connotation of death. In highly dramatic fashion the prophet acts out Israel’s funeral in advance, emphasizing that their demise is inevitable if they do not repent soon.
the people weighed down by evil deeds.
They are offspring who do wrong,
children#tn Or “sons” (NASB). The prophet contrasts four terms of privilege – nation, people, offspring, children – with four terms that depict Israel’s sinful condition in Isaiah’s day – sinful, evil, wrong, wicked (see J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah, 43). who do wicked things.
They have abandoned the Lord,
and rejected the Holy One of Israel.#sn Holy One of Israel is one of Isaiah’s favorite divine titles for God. It pictures the Lord as the sovereign king who rules over his covenant people and exercises moral authority over them.
They are alienated from him.#tn Heb “they are estranged backward.” The LXX omits this statement, which presents syntactical problems and seems to be outside the synonymous parallelistic structure of the verse.
5#sn In vv. 5-9 Isaiah addresses the battered nation (5-8) and speaks as their representative (9). Why do you insist on being battered?
Why do you continue to rebel?#tn Heb “Why are you still beaten? [Why] do you continue rebellion?” The rhetorical questions express the prophet’s disbelief over Israel’s apparent masochism and obsession with sin. The interrogative construction in the first line does double duty in the parallelism. H. Wildberger (Isaiah, 1:18) offers another alternative by translating the two statements with one question: “Why do you still wish to be struck that you persist in revolt?”
Your head has a massive wound,#tn Heb “all the head is ill”; NRSV “the whole head is sick”; CEV “Your head is badly bruised.”
your whole body is weak.#tn Heb “and all the heart is faint.” The “heart” here stands for bodily strength and energy, as suggested by the context and usage elsewhere (see Jer 8:18; Lam 1:22).
6 From the soles of your feet to your head,
there is no spot that is unharmed.#tn Heb “there is not in it health”; NAB “there is no sound spot.”
There are only bruises, cuts,
and open wounds.
They have not been cleansed#tn Heb “pressed out.” or bandaged,
nor have they been treated#tn Heb “softened” (so NASB, NRSV); NIV “soothed.” with olive oil.#sn This verse describes wounds like those one would receive in battle. These wounds are comprehensive and without remedy.
7 Your land is devastated,
your cities burned with fire.
Right before your eyes your crops
are being destroyed by foreign invaders.#tn Heb “As for your land, before you foreigners are devouring it.”
They leave behind devastation and destruction.#tn Heb “and [there is] devastation like an overthrow by foreigners.” The comparative preposition כְּ (kÿ, “like, as”) has here the rhetorical nuance, “in every way like.” The point is that the land has all the earmarks of a destructive foreign invasion because that is what has indeed happened. One could paraphrase, “it is desolate as it can only be when foreigners destroy.” On this use of the preposition in general, see GKC 376 §118.x. Many also prefer to emend “foreigners” here to “Sodom,” though there is no external attestation for such a reading in the mss or ancient versions. Such an emendation finds support from the following context (vv. 9-10) and usage of the preceding noun מַהְפֵּכָה (mahpekhah, “overthrow”). In its five other uses, this noun is associated with the destruction of Sodom. If one accepts the emendation, then one might translate, “the devastation resembles the destruction of Sodom.”
8 Daughter Zion#tn Heb “daughter of Zion” (so KJV, NASB, NIV). The genitive is appositional, identifying precisely which daughter is in view. By picturing Zion as a daughter, the prophet emphasizes her helplessness and vulnerability before the enemy. is left isolated,
like a hut in a vineyard,
or a shelter in a cucumber field;
she is a besieged city.#tn Heb “like a city besieged.” Unlike the preceding two comparisons, which are purely metaphorical, this third one identifies the reality of Israel’s condition. In this case the comparative preposition, as in v. 7b, has the force, “in every way like,” indicating that all the earmarks of a siege are visible because that is indeed what is taking place. The verb form in MT is Qal passive participle of נָצַר (natsar, “guard”), but since this verb is not often used of a siege (see BDB 666 s.v. I נָצַר), some prefer to repoint the form as a Niphal participle from II צוּר (tsur, “besiege”). However, the latter is not attested elsewhere in the Niphal (see BDB 848 s.v. II צוּר).
9 If the Lord who commands armies#tn Traditionally, “the Lord of hosts.” The title pictures God as the sovereign king who has at his disposal a multitude of attendants, messengers, and warriors to do his bidding. In some contexts, like this one, the military dimension of his rulership is highlighted. In this case, the title pictures him as one who leads armies into battle against his enemies. had not left us a few survivors,
we would have quickly become like Sodom,#tc The translation assumes that כִּמְעָט (kim’at, “quickly,” literally, “like a little”) goes with what follows, contrary to the MT accents, which take it with what precedes. In this case, one could translate the preceding line, “If the Lord who commands armies had not left us a few survivors.” If כִּמְעָט goes with the preceding line (following the MT accents), this expression highlights the idea that there would only be a few survivors (H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:20; H. Zobel, TDOT 8:456). Israel would not be almost like Sodom but exactly like Sodom.
we would have become like Gomorrah.
10 Listen to the Lord’s word,
you leaders of Sodom!#sn Building on the simile of v. 9, the prophet sarcastically addresses the leaders and people of Jerusalem as if they were leaders and residents of ancient Sodom and Gomorrah. The sarcasm is appropriate, for if the judgment is comparable to Sodom’s, that must mean that the sin which prompted the judgment is comparable as well.
Pay attention to our God’s rebuke,#tn Heb “to the instruction of our God.” In this context, which is highly accusatory and threatening, תּוֹרָה (torah, “law, instruction”) does not refer to mere teaching, but to corrective teaching and rebuke.
people of Gomorrah!
11 “Of what importance to me are your many sacrifices?”#tn Heb “Why to me the multitude of your sacrifices?” The sarcastic rhetorical question suggests that their many sacrifices are of no importance to the Lord. This phrase answers the possible objection that an Israelite could raise in response to God’s indictment: “But we are offering the sacrifices you commanded!”sn In this section the Lord refutes a potential objection that his sinful people might offer in their defense. He has charged them with rebellion (vv. 2-3), but they might respond that they have brought him many sacrifices. So he points out that he requires social justice first and foremost, not empty ritual.
says the Lord.
“I am stuffed with#tn The verb שָׂבַע (sava’, “be satisfied, full”) is often used of eating and/or drinking one’s fill. See BDB 959 s.v. שָׂבַע. Here sacrifices are viewed, in typical ancient Near Eastern fashion, as food for the deity. God here declares that he has eaten and drunk, as it were, his fill. burnt sacrifices
of rams and the fat from steers.
The blood of bulls, lambs, and goats
I do not want.#sn In the chiastic structure of the verse, the verbs at the beginning and end highlight God’s displeasure, while the heaping up of references to animals, fat, and blood in the middle lines hints at why God wants no more of their sacrifices. They have, as it were, piled the food on his table and he needs no more.
12 When you enter my presence,
do you actually think I want this –
animals trampling on my courtyards?#tn Heb “When you come to appear before me, who requires this from your hand, trampling of my courtyards?” The rhetorical question sarcastically makes the point that God does not require this parade of livestock. The verb “trample” probably refers to the eager worshipers and their sacrificial animals walking around in the temple area.
13 Do not bring any more meaningless#tn Or “worthless” (NASB, NCV, CEV); KJV, ASV “vain.” offerings;
I consider your incense detestable!#sn Notice some of the other practices that Yahweh regards as “detestable”: homosexuality (Lev 18:22-30; 20:13), idolatry (Deut 7:25; 13:15), human sacrifice (Deut 12:31), eating ritually unclean animals (Deut 14:3-8), sacrificing defective animals (Deut 17:1), engaging in occult activities (Deut 18:9-14), and practicing ritual prostitution (1 Kgs 14:23).
You observe new moon festivals, Sabbaths, and convocations,
but I cannot tolerate sin-stained celebrations!#tn Heb “sin and assembly” (these two nouns probably represent a hendiadys). The point is that their attempts at worship are unacceptable to God because the people’s everyday actions in the socio-economic realm prove they have no genuine devotion to God (see vv. 16-17).
14 I hate your new moon festivals and assemblies;
they are a burden
that I am tired of carrying.
15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I look the other way;#tn Heb “I close my eyes from you.”
when you offer your many prayers,
I do not listen,
because your hands are covered with blood.#sn This does not just refer to the blood of sacrificial animals, but also the blood, as it were, of their innocent victims. By depriving the poor and destitute of proper legal recourse and adequate access to the economic system, the oppressors have, for all intents and purposes, “killed” their victims.
16#sn Having demonstrated the people’s guilt, the Lord calls them to repentance, which will involve concrete action in the socio-economic realm, not mere emotion. Wash! Cleanse yourselves!
Remove your sinful deeds#sn This phrase refers to Israel’s covenant treachery (cf. Deut 28:10; Jer 4:4; 21:12; 23:2, 22; 25:5; 26:3; 44:22; Hos 9:15; Ps 28:4). In general, the noun ַמעַלְלֵיכֶם (ma’alleykhem) can simply be a reference to deeds, whether good or bad. However, Isaiah always uses it with a negative connotation (cf. 3:8, 10).
from my sight.
Stop sinning!
17 Learn to do what is right!
Promote justice!
Give the oppressed reason to celebrate!#tn The precise meaning of this line is uncertain. The translation assumes an emendation of חָמוֹץ (khamots, “oppressor [?]”) to חָמוּץ (khamuts, “oppressed”), a passive participle from II חָמַץ (khamats, “oppress”; HALOT 329 s.v. II חמץ) and takes the verb II אָשַׁר (’ashar) in the sense of “make happy” (the delocutive Piel, meaning “call/pronounce happy,” is metonymic here, referring to actually effecting happiness). The parallelism favors this interpretation, for the next two lines speak of positive actions on behalf of the destitute. The other option is to retain the MT pointing and translate, “set right the oppressor,” but the nuance “set right” is not clearly attested elsewhere for the verb I אשׁר. This verb does appear as a participle in Isa 3:12 and 9:16 with the meaning “to lead or guide.” If it can mean to “lead” or “rebuke/redirect” in this verse, the prophet could be contrasting this appeal for societal reformation (v. 17c) with a command to reorder their personal lives (v. 17a-b). J. A. Motyer (The Prophecy of Isaiah, 47) suggests that these three statements (v. 17a-c) provide “the contrast between the two ends of imperfect society, the oppressor and the needy, the one inflicting and the other suffering the hurt. Isaiah looks for a transformed society wherever it needs transforming.”
Take up the cause of the orphan!
Defend the rights of the widow!#tn This word refers to a woman who has lost her husband, by death or divorce. The orphan and widow are often mentioned in the OT as epitomizing the helpless and impoverished who have been left without the necessities of life due to the loss of a family provider.
18#sn The Lord concludes his case against Israel by offering them the opportunity to be forgiven and by setting before them the alternatives of renewed blessing (as a reward for repentance) and final judgment (as punishment for persistence in sin). Come, let’s consider your options,”#tn Traditionally, “let us reason together,” but the context suggests a judicial nuance. The Lord is giving the nation its options for the future. says the Lord.
“Though your sins have stained you like the color red,
you can become#tn The imperfects must be translated as modal (indicating capability or possibility) to bring out the conditional nature of the offer. This purification will only occur if the people repent and change their ways. white like snow;
though they are as easy to see as the color scarlet,
you can become#tn The imperfects must be translated as modal (indicating capability or possibility) to bring out the conditional nature of the offer. This purification will only occur if the people repent and change their ways. white like wool.#tn Heb “though your sins are like red, they will become white like snow; though they are red like scarlet, they will be like wool.” The point is not that the sins will be covered up, though still retained. The metaphorical language must be allowed some flexibility and should not be pressed into a rigid literalistic mold. The people’s sins will be removed and replaced by ethical purity. The sins that are now as obvious as the color red will be washed away and the ones who are sinful will be transformed.
19 If you have a willing attitude and obey,#tn Heb “listen”; KJV “obedient”; NASB “If you consent and obey.”
then you will again eat the good crops of the land.
20 But if you refuse and rebel,
you will be devoured#sn The wordplay in the Hebrew draws attention to the options. The people can obey, in which case they will “eat” v. 19 (תֹּאכֵלוּ [to’khelu], Qal active participle of אָכַל) God’s blessing, or they can disobey, in which case they will be devoured (Heb “eaten,” תְּאֻכְּלוּ, [tÿ’ukkÿlu], Qal passive/Pual of אָכַל) by God’s judgment. by the sword.”
Know for certain that the Lord has spoken.#tn Heb “for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” The introductory כִּי (ki) may be asseverative (as reflected in the translation) or causal/explanatory, explaining why the option chosen by the people will become reality (it is guaranteed by the divine word).
Purifying Judgment
21 How tragic that the once-faithful city
has become a prostitute!#tn Heb “How she has become a prostitute, the faithful city!” The exclamatory אֵיכָה (’ekhah, “how!”) is used several times as the beginning of a lament (see Lam 1:1; 2;1; 4:1-2). Unlike a number of other OT passages that link references to Israel’s harlotry to idolatry, Isaiah here makes the connection with social and moral violations.
She was once a center of#tn Heb “filled with.” justice,
fairness resided in her,
but now only murderers.#tn Or “assassins.” This refers to the oppressive rich and/or their henchmen. R. Ortlund (Whoredom, 78) posits that it serves as a synecdoche for all varieties of criminals, the worst being mentioned to imply all lesser ones. Since Isaiah often addressed his strongest rebuke to the rulers and leaders of Israel, he may have in mind the officials who bore the responsibility to uphold justice and righteousness.
22 Your#tn The pronoun is feminine singular; personified Jerusalem (see v. 21) is addressed. silver has become scum,#tn Or “dross.” The word refers to the scum or impurites floating on the top of melted metal.
your beer is diluted with water.#sn The metaphors of silver becoming impure and beer being watered down picture the moral and ethical degeneration that had occurred in Jerusalem.
23 Your officials are rebels,#tn Or “stubborn”; CEV “have rejected me.”
they associate with#tn Heb “and companions of” (so KJV, NASB); CEV “friends of crooks.” thieves.
All of them love bribery,
and look for#tn Heb “pursue”; NIV “chase after gifts.” payoffs.#sn Isaiah may have chosen the word for gifts (שַׁלְמוֹנִים, shalmonim; a hapax legomena here), as a sarcastic pun on what these rulers should have been doing. Instead of attending to peace and wholeness (שָׁלוֹם, shalom), they sought after payoffs (שַׁלְמוֹנִים).
They do not take up the cause of the orphan,#sn See the note at v. 17.
or defend the rights of the widow.#sn The rich oppressors referred to in Isaiah and the other eighth century prophets were not rich capitalists in the modern sense of the word. They were members of the royal military and judicial bureaucracies in Israel and Judah. As these bureaucracies grew, they acquired more and more land and gradually commandeered the economy and legal system. At various administrative levels bribery and graft become commonplace. The common people outside the urban administrative centers were vulnerable to exploitation in such a system, especially those, like widows and orphans, who had lost their family provider through death. Through confiscatory taxation, conscription, excessive interest rates, and other oppressive governmental measures and policies, they were gradually disenfranchised and lost their landed property, and with it, their rights as citizens. The socio-economic equilibrium envisioned in the law of Moses was radically disturbed.
24 Therefore, the sovereign Lord who commands armies,#tn Heb “the master, the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].” On the title “the Lord who commands armies,” see the note at v. 9.
the powerful ruler of Israel,#tn Heb “the powerful [one] of Israel.” says this:
“Ah, I will seek vengeance#tn Heb “console myself” (i.e., by getting revenge); NRSV “pour out my wrath on.” against my adversaries,
I will take revenge against my enemies.#sn The Lord here identifies with the oppressed and comes as their defender and vindicator.
25 I will attack you;#tn Heb “turn my hand against you.” The second person pronouns in vv. 25-26 are feminine singular. Personified Jerusalem is addressed. The idiom “turn the hand against” has the nuance of “strike with the hand, attack,” in Ps 81:15 HT (81:14 ET); Ezek 38:12; Am 1:8; Zech 13:7. In Jer 6:9 it is used of gleaning grapes.
I will purify your metal with flux.#tn Heb “I will purify your dross as [with] flux.” “Flux” refers here to minerals added to the metals in a furnace to prevent oxides from forming. For this interpretation of II בֹּר (bor), see HALOT 153 s.v. II בֹּר and 750 s.v. סִיג.
I will remove all your slag.#sn The metaphor comes from metallurgy; slag is the substance left over after the metallic ore has been refined.
26 I will reestablish honest judges as in former times,
wise advisers as in earlier days.#tn Heb “I will restore your judges as in the beginning; and your counselors as in the beginning.” In this context, where social injustice and legal corruption are denounced (see v. 23), the “judges” are probably government officials responsible for making legal decisions, while the “advisers” are probably officials who helped the king establish policies. Both offices are also mentioned in 3:2.
Then you will be called, ‘The Just City,
Faithful Town.’”
27#sn The third person reference to the Lord in v. 28 indicates that the prophet is again (see vv. 21-24a) speaking. Since v. 27 is connected to v. 28 by a conjunction, it is likely that the prophet’s words begin with v. 27. Zion will be freed by justice,#tn Heb “Zion will be ransomed with justice.” Both cola in this verse end with similar terms: justice and righteousness (and both are preceded by a בְּ [bet] preposition). At issue is whether these virtues describe the means or result of the deliverance and whether they delineate God’s justice/righteousness or that of the covenant people. If the righteousness of Israelite returnees is in view, the point seems to be that the reestablishment of Zion as a center of justice (God’s people living in conformity with God’s demand for equity and justice) will deliver the city from its past humiliation and restore it to a place of prominence (see 2:2-4; cf. E. Kissane, Isaiah, 1:19). Most scholars conclude that “righteousness and “justice” refers to God alone (J. Ridderbos, Isaiah [BSC], 50; J. Watts, Isaiah [WBC], 1:25; E. J. Young, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:89; cf. NLT, TEV) or serves as a double reference to both divine and human justice and righteousness (J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah, 51; J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:10; H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:72). If it refers to both sides of the coin, these terms highlight the objective divine work of redemption and the subjective human response of penitence (Motyer, 51).
and her returnees by righteousness.#tc The Hebrew text has, “her repentant ones/returnees with righteousness.” The form שָׁבֶיהָ (shaveha, “her repentant ones”), as pointed in MT, is a masculine plural Qal participle from שׁוּב (shuv, “return”). Used substantivally, it refers to the “returning (i.e., repentant) ones.” It is possible that the parallel line (with its allusion to being freed by a ransom payment) suggests that the form be repointed to שִׁבְיָהּ (shivyah, “her captivity”), a reading that has support from the LXX. Some slightly emend the form to read וְשָׁבָה (vÿshavah, “and will return”). According to this view, the verb from the first line applies to the second line as well with the following translation as a result: “she will be released when fairness is restored.” Regardless, it makes best sense in the context to regard this as a reference to repentant Israelites returning to the land of promise. This understanding provides a better contrast with the rebels and sinners in 1:28.
28 All rebellious sinners will be shattered,#tn Heb “and [there will be] a shattering of rebels and sinners together.”
those who abandon the Lord will perish.
29 Indeed, they#tc The Hebrew text (and the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa) has the third person here, though a few Hebrew mss (and Targums) read the second person, which is certainly more consistent with the following context. The third person form is the more difficult reading and probably original. This disagreement in person has caused some to emend the first verb (3rd plural) to a 2nd plural form (followed by most English translations). The BHS textual apparatus suggests that the 2nd plural form be read even though there is only sparse textual evidence. LXX, Syriac, and the Vulgate change all the 2nd person verbs in 1:29-31 to 3rd person verbs. It is likely that the change to a 2nd person form represents an attempt at syntactical harmonization (J. de Waard, Isaiah, 10). The abrupt change from 3rd person to 2nd person may have been intentional for rhetorical impact (GKC 462 §144.p). The rapid change from exclamation (they did!) to reproach (you desired!) might be regarded as a rhetorical figure focusing attention on the addressees and their conditions (de Waard, 10; E. König, Stilistik, Rhetorik, Poetik, 239). This use of the 3rd person could also be understood as an impersonal third person: “one will be ashamed” (de Waard, 10). In v. 29 the prophet continues his description of the sinners (v. 28), but then suddenly makes a transition to direct address (switching from 3rd to 2nd person) in the middle of his sentence. will be ashamed of the sacred trees
you#tn The second person pronouns in vv. 29-30 are masculine plural, indicating that the rebellious sinners (v. 28) are addressed. find so desirable;
you will be embarrassed because of the sacred orchards#tn Or “gardens” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “groves.”
where you choose to worship.
30 For you will be like a tree whose leaves wither,
like an orchard#tn Or “a garden” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV). that is unwatered.
31 The powerful will be like#tn Heb “will become” (so NASB, NIV). a thread of yarn,
their deeds like a spark;
both will burn together,
and no one will put out the fire.
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Isaiah 1
1
1Here is the vision # 1:1 Or “prophecy.” This refers to the entire book as a divine revelation from God. The Hebrew word chazown means “to see spiritually,” “to have a revelation or dream,” or “to receive an oracle.” This word was commonly used to describe how the prophets received divine communication. that Isaiah, # 1:1 It is believed that Isaiah was an aristocrat, a member of the royal family, and the nephew of King Uzziah. His father, Amoz, was the brother of King Amaziah. the son of Amoz, received by divine revelation concerning what was going to happen to Judah and Jerusalem during the times of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. # 1:1 Even the names mentioned in v. 1 have something to teach us. Isaiah means “Yahweh is salvation [victory].” Amoz means “to be made strong or courageous.” Judah means “praise.” Jerusalem means “the teaching of peace (wholeness).” Isaiah prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah (“the power of Yahweh” or “mighty is Yahweh”), Jotham (“the one Yahweh makes perfect” or “Yahweh is upright”), Ahaz (“possessor” or “to lay hold of”), and Hezekiah (“strengthened by Yahweh” or “the one Yahweh makes firm”). Here is what the meanings in the names of v. 1 teach us: We can see that prophetic vision from a courageous prophet imparts the power of Yahweh, which releases those whom Yahweh makes perfect to maturity. They will be possessors and those who lay hold of heaven’s promises until they are strengthened by Yahweh and made firm in all their ways! All of this will take place in the land of praise and in the teaching of peace.
A Nation in Rebellion
2Listen, O heavens! Hear, # 1:2 The Hebrew is literally “ear me.” O earth!
For the Lord Yahweh has spoken: # 1:2 God summoned into his courtroom his two witnesses (see Deut. 19:15), the heavens and the earth, concerning God’s seven-count indictment against Israel for breaking covenant with him. See Deut. 4:26; 30:19; 31:28; 32:1; Ps. 50:4; Jer. 2:12.
“I tenderly nurtured children and made them great, # 1:2 Or “raised them up high [exalted].” The words translated as “nurtured” and “made them great” are two Hebrew synonyms that could be translated “exalt,” “advance,” “set on high,” “mature,” “increase,” “magnify,” “promote,” “raise up,” or “cause to grow.” This is what Father God will do for his children. In the book of Isaiah, God’s love toward Israel is displayed in a threefold way: He is Father (see Isa. 1:2–3; 63:16; 64:8), a nursing Mother (see 66:12–13), and a Husband (see 54:5). God was Israel’s Father, Mother, and Husband.
but they have rebelled # 1:2 The Hebrew word for “rebelled” (pasha`) indicates the breaking of a contract. The covenant Israel entered into with Yahweh was broken by their idolatry and unbelief. It was as though God’s children disowned their Father. against me!
3Even a dumb ox instinctively knows its owner
and the stubborn mule knows the hand that feeds it, # 1:3 Or “where to find its master’s feeding trough [crib].” God is showing that “dumb” animals have more devotion to their masters than God’s people have toward him.
but Israel does not know me # 1:3 Although implied in the Hebrew, both the Latin Vulgate and the Septuagint (LXX) have “know me.” The Hebrew word for “know” is yaḏa‛ and refers to having a personal, intimate relationship with someone. God’s people had no intimacy with God, seemingly unaware of the incredible opportunity to be intimate with the God of heaven. At least the donkey knows where his master will feed him, while God’s people do not understand where they can be fed and strengthened by the Word and by the Spirit. It is time to know the Master and his manger. Isn’t it interesting that Jesus was laid in an animal’s manger at his birth? The “master’s feeding trough” is the birthplace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has come to feed us his living Bread.
nor do my people understand.” # 1:3 That is, “my people neither understand my ways nor how kind I am.”
Isaiah’s Indictment
4Oh, # 1:4 Or “Alas” or “Woe.” The Hebrew word (hoy) was used at funerals as a lament. how this nation keeps sinning!
See them dragging the heavy burden of their guilt!
They are corrupt children, descendants of evildoers.
They have turned their backs on the Lord God
and despised the Holy One of Israel! # 1:4 This is Isaiah’s favorite title of God; he uses it twenty-six times in this book. Twenty-six is the numerical value of the Hebrew name for God, YHWH (Yahweh).
They have cut themselves off from the help of God! # 1:4 Or “They are utterly estranged [alienated from God]” or “They have gone backward [running away from God].”
5Why would you seek to be injured further?
Why would you stubbornly continue in your rebellion? # 1:5 Or “Why, knowing you’ll be beaten again, do you rebel again?” This is more the lament of a loving father than the indictment of a judge. The broken heart of God toward his wayward people is revealed.
Your whole head is sick, # 1:5 The “head” speaks of at least two things: the leadership of the nation and the thoughts that have turned from God.
and your heart and your will are weak and faint.
6You are corrupt from the bottom of your feet
to the top of your head. There is no integrity # 1:6 Their corrupt “feet” speak of their walking away from God; “the top of the head” represents their thought lives that crowded out God. —
nothing but bruises, putrefying sores, and raw open wounds!
They have not been drained or bandaged or soothed with oil. # 1:6 Yet, if we turn to God, he will bandage our wounds and bring us healing (see Luke 4:18; 10:34). Jesus was wounded from head to toe, bruised and beaten, to bring us life and healing. Jesus took all the punishment described in this chapter, and he took it all for us.
7Your country is devastated
and your cities burned to the ground; # 1:7 This was literally fulfilled about 175 years after this prophetic declaration with the invasion of Jerusalem by Babylon in 586 BC. See Jer. 25.
foreigners plunder your crops before your eyes—
with nothing but devastation and destruction in their wake! # 1:7 God’s judgment takes the form of military invasion and destruction.
8And the daughter of Zion # 1:8 Even during devastation, God called his people the “daughter of Zion.” God’s people are his daughter, born out of Zion, the holy realm. Instead of being his dwelling place, they have become like a flimsy hut. The work of God, as seen in the book of Isaiah, is to restore this “hut” to the place of the divine shelter or dwelling place (see Isa. 66). Even the besieged city will one day become the New Jerusalem, where God and humanity mingle as one. is left as helpless as
a deserted shack in a vineyard or
a flimsy shelter in a field of cucumbers—
in every way like a city besieged! # 1:8 Isaiah might be prophesying of the coming Assyrian invasion of Judah under King Sennacherib. See Isa. 36–37.
9If the Lord of Angel Armies # 1:9 Or “the Lord of every sort of host” or “Yahweh, who is hosts.” had not left us survivors,
our fate would have been the same as Sodom and Gomorrah! # 1:9 But mercy won and took dominion over judgment (see James 2:13). God will leave survivors, a remnant in the land. A “holy seed” (Isa. 6:13) will spring up. The “remnant” is an important theme found in the message of the prophets (Isa. 6:13; 10:20–22; 11:11–13, 16; Jer. 6:9; 23:3; 31:7; Mic. 2:12; Zech. 8:12) and Paul (Rom. 9:27–29; 11:5). The theology of God preserving a remnant meant so much to Isaiah that he named one of his sons Shear-Jashub, “a remnant will return” (Isa. 7:3).
Justice, Not Hypocritical Worship
10Hear the word of Yahweh: # 1:10 Isaiah used this command twenty-three times in this book.
“You leaders of Sodom, heed the correction # 1:10 Although the Hebrew uses the word torah (“law,” “instruction”), it is used in this context to mean “correction” or “rebuke.” of our God!
People of Gomorrah, you’d better listen to his rebuke.”
11And Yahweh keeps saying:
“Why such countless sacrifices—what use are they to me?
I’ve had my fill of your burnt offerings of rams
and your fattened animals. # 1:11 Outward sacrifices are empty if there is no inward reality (see Ps. 51:16–17; Mic. 6:6–8; Matt. 23:23). God cannot be bought. He looks at the heart and requires offerings given in holiness and truth. The sacrifice of a fattened animal is an outward picture of what God wants to do inside of us. He wants to kill that “fattened” part of us that is stuffed not with the humility taught by the Word but only with the letter of the Word (see Deut. 8:2–3; 2 Chron. 7:14; Isa. 66:2; James 1:21).
I find no delight in the blood of bulls, lambs, or goats!
12When you come before my face,
who asked you to come trampling on my courtyards?
13Stop bringing your meaningless offerings. # 1:13 Or “your gifts of nothing.”
Your burning incense stinks!
Your sin-stained celebrations, # 1:13 Or “iniquity and obligatory assemblies,” a likely hendiadys. See Jer. 7:11.
your new moon festivals, Sabbaths,
your various pious meetings—I can’t stand them!
14With all my soul # 1:14 God has a soul with emotions and desires. He is perfect throughout. I hate
your new moon festivals and your feasts; # 1:14 God called them “your feasts,” not his (see Lev. 23:2). Their celebrations had become so shamefully sin-stained that God didn’t even want his holy name associated with their sinful conduct on those sacred days. See Amos 5:21–24.
they are nothing but a burden
that I’m sick and tired of carrying.
15When you stretch out your hands to pray,
I will hide my eyes from you. # 1:15 See Ps. 66:18; 1 Tim. 2:8.
Repeat your prayers all you want, but I will not listen,
for your hands are stained with innocent blood.
16Wash yourselves and make yourselves clean.
Remove your evil actions from my sight
and stop sinning! # 1:16 This was also the message of John the Baptizer (Matt. 3:8).
17Learn what it means to do what is good
by seeking righteousness and justice!
Rescue the oppressed. # 1:17 Or “Vindicate the victim.” Uphold the rights of the fatherless
and defend the widow’s cause. # 1:17 See Ps. 9:18; Isa. 58:7; Jer. 22:16; James 1:27.
18Come now and let’s deliberate over the next steps to take together.” # 1:18 Or “Come now and let us argue it out together.” This is taken from the Hebrew word yākah, which has clear judicial overtones with an implication of a verdict in court.
Yahweh promises you over and over: # 1:18 Instead of pronouncing judgment to the guilty, Judge-Yahweh, in his grace and mercy, offered complete forgiveness.
“Though your sins stain you like scarlet, # 1:18 The Hebrew for “scarlet” is taken from a root word for “double (dyed)” or “twice (dipped in scarlet dye),” making a permanent color.
I will whiten them like bright, new-fallen snow!
Even though they are deep red like crimson, # 1:18 The word for “crimson” (Hb. tola) is also the word for a worm that, when crushed, bleeds a deep crimson color and is then used to dye fabric a permanent color. Psalms refers to Jesus as a “worm [tola],” as one who was crushed and bleeding crimson blood. See Ps. 22:6.
they will be made white like wool! # 1:18 Snow and wool are both naturally white. The Lord will not only deal with our outward sins but he will cleanse our nature, changing us from the inside out. Grace includes full amnesty.
19If you have a willing heart to let me help you,
and if you will obey me, you will feast on the blessings
of an abundant harvest. # 1:19 Or “the best of the land.” For the believer today, this is the land of grace that the meek inherit. The best of the land is the fruit of the life of Jesus (“the fruit produced by the Spirit”; Gal. 5:22).
20But if you are stubborn and refuse to obey,
the sword will eat you instead.” # 1:20 The Hebrew text contains an obvious wordplay. “If you listen, you will eat the harvest; if you rebel, you will be eaten by the sword.” The devouring sword is the flashing sword of the Word, exposing us and penetrating to our very cores (see Heb. 4:12).
The mouth of Yahweh has spoken.
The Collapse of Society
21Look how the once faithful city
has become as unfaithful as a prostitute!
She who was once the “Center of Justice,”
where righteousness made its home,
is now the dwelling place of murderers! # 1:21 Or “those who cause to execute,” a possible indictment of judges who condemned the innocent to death.
22She was once like sterling silver, now only mixture;
once so pure, now diluted like watered-down wine. # 1:22 What was silver (redemption) had become dross. The choice wine (fullness and gifts of the Spirit) had become watered down and unintelligible. The gifts of God had been diluted by fleshly lives that did not measure up to the standard of holiness—the choice wine of the Spirit ruined (watered down) by the works of the flesh.
23Your rulers are rebellious and companions of crooks.
They are self-centered racketeers
who love a bribe and who chase after payoffs.
They don’t defend the fatherless
or consider the rights of a helpless widow.
24Therefore, here is what the Sovereign One,
the Lord God of Angel Armies, the Mighty One of Israel, decrees:
“Ah, # 1:24 Or “Woe!” The Septuagint reads “Woe to those who have power in Israel.” I will get relief from my adversaries
and avenge myself on my foes! # 1:24 Sadly, because the once faithful people and their leaders turned away from what is right, God now called them his “adversaries” and his “foes.” To fight against the sovereign God means that he may turn and fight against you.
25I will put my fiery hand upon you
and purify you with fire into something clean.” # 1:25 Or “I will purge you thoroughly from your dross and remove all your impurities.” The Septuagint adds a sentence not found in Hebrew: “I will destroy those who refuse to obey and remove the lawbreakers from your midst.” The Hebrew is “I will turn my hand against you and smelt away all your dross and remove your alloy.”
God Promises Deliverers
26“I will restore deliverers as in former times
and your wise counselors as at the beginning. # 1:26 God promised a restoration of deliverers (see Obad. 21) or “judges” and “wise counselors.” Apostolic judges and prophetic counselors are on their way. They are sent to challenge the status quo and make us consider our ways. The result of their needed ministries is that God’s people will become the Righteous City and be restored to be the Faithful City (church). This is Isaiah’s glimpse of the New Jerusalem, the Bridal City coming to the earth. It will be a “Righteous City,” for God will dwell with his people.
Only then will you be called the Righteous City
and the Faithful City!” # 1:26 See also Gal. 4:26.
27Yes, Zion will be redeemed with justice
and her repentant converts with righteousness. # 1:27 The Septuagint reads “mercy.”
28There will be a shattering of rebels and sinners together,
and those who forsake the Lord will be consumed.
29You will reap shame from the idols you once delighted in
and you will be humiliated by your cultic sacred groves, # 1:29 The Hebrew word for “sacred groves” (or “terebinths”) rhymes with the Hebrew word for “idols.” It is a play on words that is common to the prophets. The Baal cult worshiped at the groves of sacred oaks. See Ezek. 6:13; 20:28; Hos. 4:13.
where you chose to worship.
30You will be like an oak tree with faded, fallen leaves
and like a withered, waterless garden.
31The “powerful elite” will become like kindling
and their evil deeds like sparks—both will burn together
and no one will be able to put out the fire.
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