View Isaiah 1 in the note window.
Judah's sins, ver. 1 - 4.
Her judgments, ver. 5 - 9.
Her worship is rejected, ver. 10 - 15.
Exhortations to repentance, promises of grace and mercy, threatenings
of sore judgments, and complaints by reason of their backsliding,
ver. 16 - 31
1: Vision - Or, the visions; the word being here collectively
used: the sense is, this is the book of the visions or prophecies. As
prophets were called Seers, (1Sa 9:9), so prophecies are called
visions, because they were as clearly and certainly represented to
the prophets minds, as bodily objects are to mens eyes. Saw - Foresaw and
foretold. But he speaks, after the manner of the prophets, of things to
come, as if they were either past or present. Judah - Principally, but
not exclusively. For he prophecies also concerning Egypt and
Babylon, and divers other countries; yet with respect to Judah.
The days - ln the time of their reign. Whence it may be gathered, that
Isaiah exercised his prophetical office above fifty years altogether.
2: Hear - He directs his speech to those senseless creatures, that he
might awaken the Israelites, whom he hereby proclaims to be so dull and
stupid that they were past hearing, and therefore calls in the whole
creation of God to bear witness against them. The Lord - This is his plea
against them, of the equity whereof he is willing that all the creatures
should be judges.
3: Know - Me their owner and master. Knowing is here taken
practically, as it is usually in scripture, and includes reverence
and obedience.
4: A seed - The children of wicked parents, whose guilt they inherit,
and whose evil example they follow. Corrupters - Heb. that corrupt
themselves, or others by their counsel and example. Backward - Instead
of proceeding forward and growing in grace.
5: Head - The very head and heart of the body politick, from whence
the plague is derived to all the other members.
7: In your presence - Which your eye shall see to torment you, when
there is no power in your hands to deliver you. As - Heb. as the
overthrow of strangers, that is, which strangers bring upon a land
which is not likely to continue in their hands, and therefore they
spare no persons, and spoil and destroy all things, which is not usually
done in wars between persons of the same, or of a neighbouring nation.
8: Is left - Is left solitary, all the neighbouring villages and
country round about it being laid waste.
10: Of Sodom - So called for their resemblance of them in wickedness.
The law - The message which I am now to deliver to you from God, your
great lawgiver.
11: To me - Who am a spirit, and therefore cannot be satisfied with
such carnal oblations, but expect to have your hearts and lives, as well
as your bodies and sacrifices, presented unto me. Blood - He mentions
the fat and blood, because these were in a peculiar manner reserved
for God, to intimate that even the best of their sacrifices were rejected
by him.
12: To appear - Upon the three solemn feasts, or upon other occasions.
Who required - The thing I commanded, was not only, nor chiefly, that you
should offer external sacrifices, but that you should do it with true
repentance, with faith in my promises, and sincere resolutions of devoting
yourselves to my service.
13: The solemn meeting - The most solemn day of each of the three
feasts, which was the last day.
15: Blood - You are guilty of murder, and oppression.
16: Wash - Cleanse your hearts and hands.
17: Learn - Begin to live soberly, righteously, and godly.
Judgment - Shew your religion to God, by practising justice to men.
Judge - Defend and deliver them.
19: If - If you are fully resolved to obey all my commands.
Shall eat - Together with pardon, you shall receive temporal and
worldly blessings.
21: The city - Jerusalem, which in the reign of former kings was
faithful to God. An harlot - Is filled with idolatry. Murderers - Under
that one gross kind, he comprehends all sorts of unrighteous men and
practices.
23: Rebellious - Against me their sovereign Lord. Companions of
thieves - Partly by giving them connivance and countenance, and partly
by practising the same violence, and cruelty, and injustice that thieves
used to do. Gifts - That is, bribes given to pervert justice.
25: And purge - I will purge out of thee, those wicked men that are
incorrigible, and for those of you that are curable, I will by my word,
and by the furnace of affliction, purge out all that corruption that yet
remains in you.
26: Thy counsellors - Thy princes shall hearken to wise and faithful
counsellors. Called faithful - Thou shalt be such.
27: Redeemed - Shall be delivered from all their enemies and
calamities. With - Or, by judgment, that is, by God's righteous
judgment, purging out those wicked and incorrigible Jews, and
destroying their unmerciful enemies. Converts - Heb. her returners,
those of them who shall come out of captivity into their own land.
Righteousness - Or, by righteousness, either by my faithfulness, in
keeping my promise, or by my goodness.
29: The oaks - Which, after the manner of the Heathen, you have
consecrated to idolatrous uses. Gardens - In which, as well is in
the groves, they committed idolatry.
31: The strong - Your idols, which you think to be strong and able
to defend you. As tow - Shall be as suddenly and easily, consumed by my
judgments, as tow is by fire. The maker - Of the idol, who can neither
save himself nor his workmanship.
