King James Version
Isaiah 33
24 verses with commentary
Distress and Deliverance
Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled</strong> (הוֹי שׁוֹדֵד וְאַתָּה לֹא שָׁדוּד, <em>hoy shoded ve'atah lo shadud</em>)—woe to the שׁוֹדֵד (<em>shoded</em>, spoiler, plunderer, devastator) who wasn't שָׁדַד (<em>shadad</em>, spoiled, plundered). <strong>And dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee</strong> (וּבוֹגֵד וְלֹא־בָגְדוּ בוֹ, <em>uvoged ve...
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XXXIII.
(1) **Woe to thee that spoilest . . .**—No chapter in the prophet’s writings presents so little traceable connection. A thought is expressed in one, or it may be two, verses, and then another follows without anything to link it on. This may be, perhaps, explained either by the strong emotion which filled the prophet’s mind as he looked on the coming perils of his country, or, as I think, m...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**11. Go forth--**(Mt 25:6).
**daughters of Zion--**spirits of saints, and angels (Is 61:10; Zec 9:9).
**crown--**nuptial (Eze 16:8-12), (the Hebrews wore costly crowns or chaplets at weddings), and kingly (Psa 2:6; Re 19:12). The crown of thorns was once His nuptial chaplet, His blood the wedding wine cup (Joh 19:5). "His mother," that so crowned Him, is the human race, for He is "the Son of ...
Read full commentary →O LORD, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.
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<strong>O LORD, be gracious unto us</strong> (יְהוָה חָנֵּנוּ, <em>YHWH chanennu</em>)—the imperative חָנַן (<em>chanan</em>, be gracious, show favor) pleads for divine grace. <strong>We have waited for thee</strong> (לְךָ קִוִּינוּ, <em>lekha qivinu</em>)—we have קָוָה (<em>qavah</em>, waited, hoped, expected). <strong>Be thou their arm every morning</strong> (הֱיֵה זְרֹעָם לַבְּקָרִים, <em>heyeh...
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(2) **O Lord, be gracious . . .**—Faith transforms itself into prayer. The prophet will still “wait” upon God. In the change of person, “*their *arm,” “*our *salvation,” we hear the very words of the prayer as it was spoken, the first referring to the soldiers who were to fight the battles of their country, the second to the non-combatants who were assembled with Isaiah in supplication.
At the noise of the tumult the people fled; at the lifting up of thyself the nations were scattered.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>At the noise of the tumult the people fled</strong> (מִקּוֹל הָמוֹן נָדְדוּ עַמִּים, <em>miqol hamon nadedu ammim</em>)—at the קוֹל (<em>qol</em>, voice, noise) of הָמוֹן (<em>hamon</em>, tumult, roar, multitude) the עַמִּים (<em>ammim</em>, peoples) fled (נָדַד, <em>nadad</em>, flee, wander, retreat). <strong>At the lifting up of thyself the nations were scattered</strong> (מֵרוֹמְמֻתֶךָ ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **At the noise of the tumult . . .**—The “people” are the mingled nations of the Assyrian armies; the “tumult” is that of the rush and crash, as of a mighty tempest, when Jehovah should at last up lift Himself for the deliverance of His chosen ones.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 4
So 4:1-16.
1. Contrast with the bride's state by nature (Is 1:6) her state by grace (So 4:1-7), "perfect through His comeliness put upon her" (Eze 16:14; Joh 15:3). The praise of Jesus Christ, unlike that of the world, hurts not, but edifies; as His, not ours, is the glory (Joh 5:44; Re 4:10, 11). Seven features of beauty are specified (So 4:1-5) ("lips" and "speech" are but one feat...
Read full commentary →And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpiller: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpiller</strong> (וְאֻסַּף שְׁלַלְכֶם אֹסֶף הֶחָסִיל, <em>ve'usaf shalalkhem osef hechasil</em>)—your שָׁלָל (<em>shalal</em>, spoil, plunder) will be gathered like the אֹסֶף (<em>osef</em>, gathering) of the חָסִיל (<em>chasil</em>, caterpillar, locust). <strong>As the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them</stro...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **Your spoil . . .**—The words are addressed to the invader. He who came to spoil should find himself spoiled. As caterpillars and locusts devour the green herbage, so should he (or they, the indefinite pronoun standing for the people of Jerusalem) strip his camp of all its treasures.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**2. even shorn--**the Hebrew is translated (1Ki 6:25), "of one size"; so the point of comparison to teeth is their symmetry of form; as in "came up from the washing," the spotless whiteness; and in "twins," the exact correspondence of the upper and lower teeth: and in "none barren," none wanting, none without its fellow. Faith is the tooth with which we eat the living bread (Joh 6:35, 54). Contra...
Read full commentary →The LORD is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness.
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<strong>The LORD is exalted; for he dwelleth on high</strong> (נִשְׂגָּב יְהוָה כִּי שֹׁכֵן מָרוֹם, <em>nisgav YHWH ki shokhen marom</em>)—Yahweh is נָשַׂג (<em>nasag</em>, exalted, high, inaccessible) because He שָׁכַן (<em>shakhan</em>, dwells) in מָרוֹם (<em>marom</em>, the heights). <strong>He hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness</strong> (מִלֵּא צִיּוֹן מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה, <em>mi...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(5) **The Lord is exalted . . .**—The vision of the seer takes in the ideal city of God, Jehovah dwelling on high in His holy Temple, the city at last filled with “judgment and righteousness.”
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3. thread--**like a delicate fillet. Not thick and white as the leper's lips (type of sin), which were therefore to be "covered," as "unclean" (Le 13:45).
**scarlet--**The blood of Jesus Christ (Is 6:5-9) cleanses the leprosy, and unseals the lips (Is 57:19; Ho 14:2; He 13:15). Rahab's scarlet thread was a type of it (Jos 2:18).
**speech--**not a separate feature from the lips (Zep 3:9; Col ...
Read full commentary →And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure. salvation: Heb. salvations
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<strong>And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times</strong> (וְהָיָה אֱמוּנַת עִתֶּיךָ חֹסֶן יְשׁוּעֹת חָכְמַת וָדָעַת, <em>vehayah emunat ittekha chosen yeshu'ot chakhmat vada'at</em>)—אֱמוּנָה (<em>emunah</em>, faithfulness, stability) of your times is a חֹסֶן (<em>chosen</em>, treasure, store) of יְשׁוּעוֹת (<em>yeshu'ot</em>, salvation), חָכְמָה (<em>chokhmah</em>, wisdom) an...
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(6) **Wisdom and knowledge . . .**—The words are used in the higher sense, as in Proverbs 1:1-4, in contrast with the craft and devices of men, just as the “fear of the Lord” is the true treasure, in contrast with the silver and gold in which Hezekiah had been led to place his trust.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**4. neck--**stately: in beautiful contrast to the blushing temples (So 4:3); not "stiff" (Is 48:4; Ac 7:51), as that of unbroken nature; nor "stretched forth" wantonly (Is 3:16); nor burdened with the legal yoke (La 1:14; Ac 15:10); but erect in gospel freedom (Is 52:2).
**tower of David--**probably on Zion. He was a man of war, preparatory to the reign of Solomon, the king of peace. So warfare...
Read full commentary →Behold, their valiant ones shall cry without: the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly. valiant: or, messengers
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Behold, their valiant ones shall cry without</strong> (הֵן אֶרְאֶלָּם צָעֲקוּ חוּצָה, <em>hen er'elam tsa'aqu chutsah</em>)—their אֶרְאֶלָּם (<em>er'elam</em>, heroes, valiant ones) cry out (צָעַק, <em>tsa'aq</em>) חוּצָה (<em>chutsah</em>, outside, in the streets). <strong>The ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly</strong> (מַלְאֲכֵי שָׁלוֹם מַר יִבְכָּיוּן, <em>mal'akhey shalom mar yi...
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(7) **Behold, their valiant ones.**—Literally, *their lions of God. *Heb., *Arielam, *probably with a reference to the “Ariel” of Isaiah 29:1, the lion-like heroes of the lion-like city. (Comp. 2Samuel 23:20; 1Chronicles 11:22.) The whole passage paints the panic caused by the approach of Sennacherib.
**The ambassadors of peace.**—The envoys sent by Hezekiah to Sennacherib at Lachish. They “weep b...
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**5. breasts--**The bust is left open in Eastern dress. The breastplate of the high priest was made of "two" pieces, folded one on the other, in which were the Urim and Thummim (lights and perfection). "Faith and love" are the double breastplate (1Th 5:8), answering to "hearing the word" and "keeping it," in a similar connection with breasts (Lu 12:27, 28).
**roes--**He reciprocates her praise (...
Read full commentary →The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man.
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<strong>The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth</strong> (נָשַׁמּוּ מְסִלּוֹת שָׁבַת עֹבֵר אֹרַח, <em>nashamu mesilot shavat over orach</em>)—highways (מְסִלָּה, <em>mesilah</em>) are desolate (נָשַׁם, <em>nasham</em>), travelers (עֹבֵר אֹרַח, <em>over orach</em>) cease (שָׁבַת, <em>shavat</em>). <strong>He hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man</stron...
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(8) **The highways lie waste . . .**—Another feature in the picture of terror. No traveller dared to show himself in the main road. (Comp. Judges 5:6.)
**He hath broken.**—Sennacherib is denounced as having broken the treaty of 2Kings 18:14. Hezekiah had complied with his conditions, and yet there was no suspension of hostilities.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
6. Historically, the hill of frankincense is Calvary, where, "through the eternal Spirit He offered Himself"; the mountain of myrrh is His embalmment (Joh 19:39) till the resurrection "daybreak." The third Canticle occupies the one cloudless day of His presence on earth, beginning from the night (So 2:17) and ending with the night of His departure (So 4:6). His promise is almost exactly in the wor...
Read full commentary →The earth mourneth and languisheth: Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down: Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits. hewn: or, withered away
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>The earth mourneth and languisheth</strong> (אָבַל אֻמְלְלָה אָרֶץ, <em>aval umlelah arets</em>)—the אֶרֶץ (<em>erets</em>, earth, land) mourns (אָבַל, <em>aval</em>) and languishes (אֻמְלַל, <em>umlal</em>, withers, fades). <strong>Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down</strong> (הֶחְפִּיר לְבָנוֹן קָמַל, <em>hechpir Levanon qamal</em>)—לְבָנוֹן (<em>Levanon</em>, Lebanon) is ashamed (חָפֵר, <e...
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(9) **The earth mourneth . . .**—Lebanon, with its cedars, *the *Sharon (as we say, *the *Campagna), Bashan, with its oaks (Isaiah 2:13), Carmel, with its copse-wood, are the types of beauty and fertility, now languishing and decaying. Possibly the embassy referred to was sent in the autumn, so that the prophet saw in the natural features of that season the symbols of failure and decay.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
7. Assurance that He is going from her in love, not in displeasure (Joh 16:6, 7).
**all fair--**still stronger than So 1:15; So 4:1.
**no spot--**our privilege (Ep 5:27; Col 2:10); our duty (2Co 6:17; Jude 23; Jas 1:27).
Now will I rise, saith the LORD; now will I be exalted; now will I lift up myself.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Now will I rise, saith the LORD</strong> (עַתָּה אָקוּם יֹאמַר יְהוָה, <em>attah aqum yomar YHWH</em>)—now (עַתָּה, <em>attah</em>) I will arise (קוּם, <em>qum</em>), declares Yahweh. <strong>Now will I be exalted; now will I lift up myself</strong> (עַתָּה אֵרוֹמָם עַתָּה אֶנָּשֵׂא, <em>attah eromam attah enase</em>)—now I will be exalted (רוּם, <em>rum</em>), now I will lift myself up (נ...
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(10) **Now will I rise . . .**—We note the emphatic iteration of the adverb of time. Man’s necessity was, as ever, to be God’s opportunity. He had been, as it were, waiting for this crisis, and would at once arise in His might.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
8. Invitation to her to leave the border mountains (the highest worldly elevation) between the hostile lands north of Palestine and the Promised Land (Psa 45:10; Php 3:13).
**Amana--**south of Anti-Libanus; the river Abana, or Amana, was near Damascus (2Ki 5:12).
**Shenir--**The whole mountain was called Hermon; the part held by the Sidonians was called Sirion; the part held by the Amorites, S...
Read full commentary →Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath, as fire, shall devour you.
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<strong>Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble</strong> (תַּהֲרוּ חֲשַׁשׁ תֵּלְדוּ קַשׁ, <em>taharu chashash teledu qash</em>)—you conceive (הָרָה, <em>harah</em>) חֲשַׁשׁ (<em>chashash</em>, chaff, dry grass) and give birth to (יָלַד, <em>yalad</em>) קַשׁ (<em>qash</em>, stubble). <strong>Your breath, as fire, shall devour you</strong> (רוּחֲכֶם אֵשׁ תֹּאכַלְכֶם, <em>ruchakem esh t...
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(11) **Ye shall conceive chaff . . .**—Primarily the words are addressed to the Assyrian invaders, but not without a side glance at all who had been weaving their own webs of policy instead of trusting in Jehovah. Scheme and result, conception and parturition, would be alike worthless.
**Your breath, as fire . . .**—“Breath,” the hot panting of rage; this, instead of working the destruction of Jud...
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**9. sister ... spouse--**This title is here first used, as He is soon about to institute the Supper, the pledge of the nuptial union. By the term "sister," carnal ideas are excluded; the ardor of a spouse's love is combined with the purity of a sister's (Is 54:5; compare Mr 3:35).
**one--**Even one look is enough to secure His love (Zec 12:10; Lu 23:40-43). Not merely the Church collectively, b...
Read full commentary →And the people shall be as the burnings of lime: as thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire.
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<strong>And the people shall be as the burnings of lime</strong> (וְהָיוּ עַמִּים מִשְׂרְפוֹת שִׂיד, <em>vehayu ammim misrefot sid</em>)—peoples (עַמִּים, <em>ammim</em>) will be like מִשְׂרָפוֹת (<em>misrefot</em>, burnings, kilns) of שִׂיד (<em>sid</em>, lime). <strong>As thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire</strong> (קוֹצִים כְּסוּחִים בָּאֵשׁ יִצַּתּוּ, <em>qotsim kesuchim ba'esh yit...
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(12) **And the people shall be . . .**—The two images of destruction are singularly vivid. The limekiln and the oven which was fed with thorns were alike in this. The outcome of their work was seen in a residuum of ashes.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**10. love--**Hebrew, "loves"; manifold tokens of thy love.
**much better--**answering to her "better" (So 1:2), but with increased force. An Amoebean pastoral character pervades the Song, like the classic Amoebean idylls and eclogues.
**wine--**The love of His saints is a more reviving cordial to Him than wine; for example, at the feast in Simon's house (Lu 7:36, 47; Joh 4:32; compare Zec 10:...
Read full commentary →Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge my might.
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<strong>Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done</strong> (שִׁמְעוּ רְחוֹקִים אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי, <em>shim'u rechoqim asher asiti</em>)—hear (שָׁמַע, <em>shama</em>) you who are רָחוֹק (<em>rachoq</em>, far, distant) what I've done (עָשָׂה, <em>asah</em>). <strong>And, ye that are near, acknowledge my might</strong> (וּדְעוּ קְרוֹבִים גְּבֻרָתִי, <em>ude'u qerovim geburati</em>)—and know (יָדַע, ...
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(13) **Hear, ye that are far off . . .**—The fate of Assyria is proclaimed as a warning to other nations, and to Israel itself. For the “sinners in Zion” also there is the furnace of fire of the wrath of God. “Who,” they ask, “can dwell with that consuming fire, those everlasting (*œonian?*) burnings,” which are one aspect of the righteousness of God?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**11. drop--**always ready to fall, being full of honey, though not always (Pr 10:19) actually dropping (So 5:13; De 32:2; Mt 12:34).
**honeycomb--**(Pr 5:3; 16:24).
**under thy tongue--**not always on, but under, the tongue, ready to fall (Psa 55:21). Contrast her former state (Psa 140:3; Ro 3:13). "Honey and milk" were the glory of the good land. The change is illustrated in the penitent thi...
Read full commentary →The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites</strong> (פָּחֲדוּ בְצִיּוֹן חַטָּאִים אָחֲזָה רְעָדָה חֲנֵפִים, <em>pachedu veTsiyon chata'im achazah re'adah chanefim</em>)—חַטָּאִים (<em>chata'im</em>, sinners) in Zion are terrified (פָּחַד, <em>pachad</em>); trembling (רְעָדָה, <em>re'adah</em>) seizes חֲנֵפִים (<em>chanefim</em>, hypocrites, godless ones). <st...
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12. The Hebrew has no "is." Here she is distinct from the garden (So 5:1), yet identified with it (So 4:16) as being one with Him in His sufferings. Historically the Paradise, into which the soul of Jesus Christ entered at death; and the tomb of Joseph, in which His body was laid amid "myrrh," &c. (So 4:6), situated in a nicely kept garden (compare "gardener," Joh 20:15); "sealed" with a stone...
Read full commentary →He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; righteously: Heb. in righteousnesses uprightly: Heb. uprightnesses oppressions: or, deceits blood: Heb. bloods
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly</strong> (הֹלֵךְ צְדָקוֹת וְדֹבֵר מֵישָׁרִים, <em>holekh tsedaqot vedover meyasharim</em>)—the one walking (הָלַךְ, <em>halakh</em>) in צְדָקָה (<em>tsedaqah</em>, righteousness) and speaking (דָּבַר, <em>davar</em>) מֵישָׁרִים (<em>meyasharim</em>, uprightness, straightness). <strong>He that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaket...
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(15, 16) **He that walketh righteously . . .**—The answer to the question shows that the words point not to endless punishments, but to the infinite holiness of God. The man who is true and just in all his dealings can dwell in closest fellowship with that holiness which is to others as a consuming fire. To him it is a protection and defence, a “rock fortress,” in which he can dwell securely, wher...
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**13. orchard--**Hebrew, "a paradise," that is, a pleasure-ground and orchard. Not only flowers, but fruit trees (Joh 15:8; Php 1:11).
**camphire--**not camphor (So 1:14), hennah, or cypress blooms.
He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure. high: Heb. heights, or, high places
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>He shall dwell on high</strong> (הוּא מְרוֹמִים יִשְׁכּוֹן, <em>hu meromim yishkon</em>)—he will dwell (שָׁכַן, <em>shakhan</em>) in מָרוֹם (<em>marom</em>, the heights). <strong>His place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks</strong> (מְצָדוֹת סְלָעִים מִשְׂגַּבּוֹ, <em>metsadot sela'im misgabo</em>)—fortresses (מְצוּדָה, <em>metsudah</em>) of rocks (סֶלַע, <em>sela</em>) are his re...
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**14. calamus--**"sweet cane" (Ex 30:23; Jr 6:20).
**myrrh and aloes--**Ointments are associated with His death, as well as with feasts (Joh 12:7). The bride's ministry of "myrrh and aloes" is recorded (Joh 19:39).
Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off. that: Heb. of far distances
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty</strong> (מֶלֶךְ בְּיָפְיוֹ תֶּחֱזֶינָה עֵינֶיךָ, <em>melekh beyofyo techezeynah eynekha</em>)—your eyes will see (חָזָה, <em>chazah</em>, behold, gaze upon) the מֶלֶךְ (<em>melekh</em>, king) in his יֹפִי (<em>yofi</em>, beauty, splendor). <strong>They shall behold the land that is very far off</strong> (תִּרְאֶינָה אֶרֶץ מַרְחַקִּים, <em>tire'e...
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(17) **Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty . . .**—Torn from their context, the words have been not unfitly used to describe the beatific vision of the saints of God in the far-off land of heaven. So the Targum gives “Thine eyes shall see the Shekinah of the King of Ages.” Their primary meaning is, however, obviously historical. The “king” is Hezekiah, who shall be seen no longer in sackcl...
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**15. of--**This pleasure-ground is not dependent on mere reservoirs; it has a fountain sufficient to water many "gardens" (plural).
**living--**(Jr 17:8; Joh 4:13, 14; 7:38, 39).
**from Lebanon--**Though the fountain is lowly, the source is lofty; fed by the perpetual snows of Lebanon, refreshingly cool (Jr 18:14), fertilizing the gardens of Damascus. It springs upon earth; its source is heav...
Read full commentary →Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers? receiver: Heb. weigher?
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Thine heart shall meditate terror</strong> (לִבְּךָ יֶהְגֶּה אֵימָה, <em>libbekha yehgeh eymah</em>)—your heart (לֵב, <em>lev</em>) will meditate (הָגָה, <em>hagah</em>, muse, ponder) on אֵימָה (<em>eymah</em>, terror, dread). <strong>Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?</strong> (אַיֵּה סֹפֵר אַיֵּה שֹׁקֵל אַיֵּה סֹפֵר אֶת־הַמִּגְדָּלִים, <em>ay...
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(18) **Thine heart shall meditate terror**—i.e., shall recall the memory of the past evil days, as a dream that had passed away, leaving behind it the thankful joy which rises out of such recollections.
**Where is the scribe?**—Then, in those times of panic, each Assyrian official was an object of dread. There was the “scribe,” who fixed the amount of tribute to be paid by each village or landowne...
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**16. Awake--**literally, "arise." All besides is ready; one thing alone is wanted--the breath of God. This follows rightly after His death (So 6:12; Ac 2:1-4). It is His call to the Spirit to come (Joh 14:16); in Joh 3:8, compared to "the wind"; quickening (Joh 6:63; Eze 27:9). Saints offer the same prayer (Psa 85:6; Ha 3:2). The north wind "awakes," or arises strongly, namely, the Holy Ghost as ...
Read full commentary →Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand. stammering: or, ridiculous
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Thou shalt not see a fierce people</strong> (אֶת־עַם נוֹעָז לֹא תִרְאֶה, <em>et-am no'az lo tir'eh</em>)—you won't see (רָאָה, <em>ra'ah</em>) the נוֹעָז (<em>no'az</em>, fierce, barbarous) people. <strong>A people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand</strong> (עַם עִמְקֵי שָׂפָה מִשְּׁמוֹעַ נִלְעַג לָשׁוֹן אֵין בִּינָה, <em>am...
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(19) **Thou shalt not see a fierce people . . .**—Better, *The fierce people thou shalt not see ***. . .** The words answer the question just asked. The whole Assyrian army, with their barbarous, unintelligible speech (Isaiah 28:11), shall have passed away.
Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities</strong> (חֲזֵה צִיּוֹן קִרְיַת מוֹעֲדֵנוּ, <em>chazeh Tsiyon qiryat mo'adenu</em>)—behold (חָזָה, <em>chazah</em>) Zion, city of our מוֹעֵד (<em>mo'ed</em>, appointed feasts, assemblies). <strong>Thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation</strong> (עֵינֶיךָ תִרְאֶינָה יְרוּשָׁלִַם נָוֶה שַׁאֲנָן, <em>eynekha tire'enah Yerushalaim naveh sh...
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(20) **Look upon Zion . . .**—The words sound like an echo of Psalms 46, 48, which were probably written by the sons of Korah on the destruction of Sennacherib’s army. Men had seen Zion desecrated by Ahaz, besieged by Sennacherib; now they should see it once again as it had been at the beginning of Hezekiah’s reign, emphatically a “city of solemnities,” a *tent that shall not be removed, *the latt...
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CHAPTER 5
So 5:1-16.
1. Answer to her prayer (Is 65:24; Re 3:20).
**am come--**already (So 4:16); "come" (Ge 28:16).
**sister ... spouse--**As Adam's was created of his flesh, out of his opened side, there being none on earth on a level with him, so the bride out of the pierced Saviour (Ep 5:30-32).
**have gathered ... myrrh--**His course was already complete; the myrrh, &c. (Mt 2:11...
Read full commentary →But there the glorious LORD will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby. of: Heb. broad of spaces, or, hands
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>But there the glorious LORD will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams</strong> (כִּי אִם־שָׁם אַדִּיר יְהוָה לָנוּ מְקוֹם־נְהָרִים יְאֹרִים רַחֲבֵי יָדָיִם, <em>ki im-sham adir YHWH lanu meqom-neharim ye'orim rachavey yadayim</em>)—there the אַדִּיר (<em>adir</em>, glorious, majestic) Yahweh is to us a place of rivers (נָהָר, <em>nahar</em>) and streams (יְאֹר, <em>ye'or</em>) of...
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(21) **A place of broad rivers and streams . . .**—Better, *rivers and canals. *The bold imagery has its starting-point in what the prophet had heard of the great cities of the Tigris and Euphrates. What those rivers were to Nineveh and Babylon, that the presence of Jehovah would be to Jerusalem, that could boast only of the softly going waters of Shiloah (Isaiah 8:6). Here, again, we have an echo...
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2. Sudden change of scene from evening to midnight, from a betrothal feast to cold repulse. He has gone from the feast alone; night is come; He knocks at the door of His espoused; she hears, but in sloth does not shake off half-conscious drowsiness; namely, the disciples' torpor (Mt 26:40-43), "the spirit willing, the flesh weak" (compare Ro 7:18-25; Ga 5:16, 17, 24). Not total sleep. The lamp was...
Read full commentary →For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us. lawgiver: Heb. statutemaker
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us</strong> (כִּי יְהוָה שֹׁפְטֵנוּ יְהוָה מְחֹקְקֵנוּ יְהוָה מַלְכֵּנוּ הוּא יוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ, <em>ki YHWH shoftenu YHWH mechoqenu YHWH malkenu hu yoshienu</em>)—Yahweh is our שֹׁפֵט (<em>shofet</em>, judge), our מְחֹקֵק (<em>mechoqeq</em>, lawgiver, engraver of statute), our מֶלֶךְ (<em>melekh</em>, king)...
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(22) **The Lord is our judge . . .**—The verb is better omitted, and the threefold iteration of the name of Jehovah, in each case with a special characteristic, taken as the subject of the final verb: “The Lord, our judge, the Lord, our lawgiver **. . .** He will save us.”
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
3. Trivial excuses (Lu 14:18).
**coat--**rather, the inmost vest, next the skin, taken off before going to bed.
**washed ... feet--**before going to rest, for they had been soiled, from the Eastern custom of wearing sandals, not shoes. Sloth (Lu 11:7) and despondency (De 7:17-19).
Thy tacklings are loosed; they could not well strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail: then is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey. Thy: or, They have forsaken thy tacklings
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Thy tacklings are loosed; they could not well strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail</strong> (נִטְּשׁוּ חֲבָלָיִךְ בַּל־יְחַזְּקוּ־כֵן תָּרְנָם בַּל־פָרְשׂוּ נֵס, <em>nitteshu chavalayikh bal-yechazzequ-khen tornam bal-parsesu nes</em>)—your ropes (חֶבֶל, <em>chevel</em>) are loosened (נָטַשׁ, <em>natash</em>), they can't strengthen (חָזַק, <em>chazaq</em>) the mast (תֹּרֶן...
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(23) **Thy tacklings are loosed . . .**—The words have been taken as applicable either to Assyria, as one of the *“*ships of Tarshish” that had been wrecked, or to Zion, as a vessel that had been driven by the wind and tossed, but had escaped shipwreck. On the whole, the first view seems most in harmony with the context. The terms have been taken by some critics for the cords, poles, and canvas of...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
4. A key in the East is usually a piece of wood with pegs in it corresponding to small holes in a wooden bolt within, and is put through a hole in the door, and thus draws the bolt. So Jesus Christ "puts forth His hand (namely, His Spirit, Eze 3:14), by (Hebrew, 'from,' so in So 2:9) the hole"; in "chastening" (Psa 38:2; Re 3:14-22, singularly similar to this passage), and other unexpected ways le...
Read full commentary →And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick</strong> (וּבַל־יֹאמַר שָׁכֵן חָלִיתִי, <em>uval-yomar shakhen chaliti</em>)—the שָׁכֵן (<em>shakhen</em>, inhabitant, dweller) won't say 'I am sick' (חָלָה, <em>chalah</em>). <strong>The people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity</strong> (הָעָם הַיֹּשֵׁב בָּהּ נְשֻׂא עָוֺן, <em>ha'am hayoshev bah nesu avon</em>)—the people dwell...
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(24) **The inhabitant shall not say, I am sick . . .**—The words seem to have had their starting- point in the pestilence which attacked the Assyrian army, and which had probably been felt, during the siege, in Jerusalem itself. The prophet, seeing in such a pestilence the punishment of iniquity, couples together the two blessings of health and pardon. Healthy, because holy, was his report as to t...
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**5. dropped with myrrh--**The best proof a bride could give her lover of welcome was to anoint herself (the back of the hands especially, as being the coolest part of the body) profusely with the best perfumes (Ex 30:23; Es 2:12; Pr 7:17); "sweet-smelling" is in the Hebrew rather, "spontaneously exuding" from the tree, and therefore the best. She designed also to anoint Him, whose "head was fille...
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