1Ephraim threatened for pride and drunkenness. 5God will be the glory and strength of the residue. 7They are reproved for their excess, 14and carnal security. 16Christ, the sure foundation, promised. 17The security of the scorners shall end in destruction. 23The wisdom of God's providence is seen in the discreet labours of the husbandman.
1WOE1 to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, 2whose glorious beauty is a 3fading flower, 4which 5are on the head of the fat valleys of them 6that are overcome with wine!
1 Hebr. woe to the crown of pride, etc. It is a description of the kingdom of the ten tribes of Israel, of which Samaria was the capital city, which he calls here the head of the fat valley, because it was situated upon a mountain, and below this there was a very fruitful valley. See verse 3; Hosea 5:5; 7:10.
2 That is, whose glorious state and condition (namely, of Ephraim, or of the kingdom of Samaria), which heretofore has flourished so excellently, but now has withered, and will soon utterly decay and perish.
3 Or, withering flower.
4 Namely, flower.
5 Which is set upon a very fat valley.
6 That is, who are daily full and delirious with wine, and whose brains are as it were smitten and wounded by wine.
2Behold, the Lord hath a 7mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and 8a destroying storm, as a flood of 9mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth 10with the hand.
7 Namely, the king of Assyria, by whom the Lord had purposed to punish the ten tribes of Israel, and to destroy the land.
8 This may be taken thus: a gate of destruction, that is, a wide opening unto destruction. It signifies the ruin and fall of the entire status of the kingdom of Israel. In the gates of the city the magistrates used to sit in judgment. Other, a tempest of destruction.
9 Or, of many waters.
10 That is, with power, or might. Shalmaneser subdued the kingdom of the ten tribes in a few years, 2 Kings 18:10, 11.
311The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet:
11 Or, with feet shall be trodden the crown, the pride of the drunkards of Ephraim.
4And the glorious 12beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be a fading flower, and as the 13hasty fruit 14before the summer; which 15when he that looketh upon it seeth, 16while it is yet in his hand he 17eateth it up.
12 Namely, of Ephraim.
13 Or, ripe before due time.
14 Or, ere it is summer, that is, before its season.
15 Hebr. when the seer seeth it, or, as soon as he gets it into his hand (Hebr. palm).
16 That is, presently.
17 Or, he swalloweth it down. The sense of this verse is, that Ephraim shall be suddenly and with great pleasure be devoured of his enemies.
5 ¶ 18In that day shall the LORD of hosts be 19for a crown of glory, and for a diadema of beauty, unto 20the residue of his people,
18 Namely, when the Lord shall have poured out His wrath upon the wicked.
19 The Lord shall bring them to honor, and beautify them most gloriously.
a head-dress
20 Hebr. unto the remnant.
6And for a spirit of judgment to him 21that sitteth in judgment, and 22for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate.
21 Or, to him that shall sit over the judgment, that is, God shall richly communicate His Holy Spirit unto the judges and rulers of His people, in order that they may rightly judge and rule their subjects well.
22 That is, God shall also give unto His people valiant heroes to fight against their enemies, and to beat and drive them back to the very gates of their enemies. When men are able to beat and chase their enemies unto and into their own gates and are able to make them keep in and not stir out, then those who beat or chase them keep their borders free.
7¶But 23they alsob have erred 24through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the 25priest and the 26prophet have erred through strong drink, 27they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; 28they err in vision, they 29stumble in judgment.
23 Namely, many among the Jews, or of the tribe of Judah.
b Isa. 5:11.
24 Or, in wine, that is, since they have given themselves entirely to drunkenness and to carnal pleasure, they are almost bereaved of all their wit. This may also be understood of spiritual drunkenness, whereby men are drowned in sin and wickedness, as Isa. 29:9. See Prov. 20 on verse 1.
25 Or, prince. See Gen. 41 on verse 45.
26 Namely, the false prophets, as Isa. 29:10.
27 The meaning is: As they have swallowed down the wine in great abundance, the same wine does also swallow and destroy them.
28 That is, the priests err in expounding the prophecies; they wrest and turn them as they list, and after their own pleasures and fancies.
29 Or, stagger in judgment.
8For all tables are 30full of vomit and 31filthiness, 32so that there is no place clean.
30 Or, are filled with vomit.
31 Or, dung.
32 Understand in addition: but everywhere it is spattered and defiled; or, so that there is no place anymore, namely, which is not polluted or defiled.
9¶Whom shall 33he teach 34knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand 35doctrine? 36them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
33 Namely, the Lord by His prophets.
34 Namely, the knowledge of necessary things, or, of things worthy to be known.
35 Hebr. hearing. The sense is: That which I, Isaiah, have heard from the Lord. Or, preaching. See Isa. 53:1.
36 The prophet intimates that they are altogether delirious and full with wine; that they are like unto little children, which are incapable of instruction.
1037For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
37 These are the words of God by the mouth of the prophet, and this is the meaning of them: One precept is given after another, and yet it does not avail anything; for, they are children in understanding, both old and young.
1138For with 39stammering lips and 40anotherc tongue will he speak to this people.
38 The sense is: Forasmuch as this people would not permit themselves to be instructed by the plain Word of God, therefore He will deal with them after another manner; He shall address them in an unknown language, for a punishment of their unthankfulness and obstinacy. See Isa. 33:19; 1 Cor. 14:21.
39 That is, with foreign languages, for, it is habitual of men to laugh at them whom they do not understand. Other, by ridiculousness of lips. The meaning of these words of God, also of the following, is that He would visit them with foreign enemies and armies, whose language they would not understand.
40 That is, a foreign speech.
c 1 Cor. 14:21.
12To 41whom 42he said, 43This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
41 That is, unto which people.
42 Namely, the Lord, by His ministers the prophets.
43 Thus shall ye attain unto rest and peace, and obtain the blessing of the Lord, if ye comfort and relieve those who are weary. See Isa. 1:17. Or, this is the rest, that ye keep God’s commandments, and in doing so, you will bring your wearied country unto rest.
1344But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; 45thatd they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
44 The sense is: While they have despised the word of the Lord, therefore they shall be left in their ignorance and folly, and be like unto little children, which must be taught one precept after another, and one line or rule after another, etc.
45 That is, that they may fall into destruction and all kinds of misery that commonly follows when men will not receive and embrace the Word of God.
d 2 Cor. 2:16.
14¶Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, 46ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.
46 Hebr. ye men of scorning or mocking, ye rulers of this people.
15Because ye have said, We have 47made a covenant with death, and 48with hell are we at agreement; when 49the overflowing scourge shall 50pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made 51lies our refuge, and under 52falsehood have we hid ourselves:
47 See the annotation Gen. 15 on verse 18.
48 Or, we have made a consideration with the grave or hell. It might also be read thus according to the modern style: we have, or hold intelligence, or correspondence with hell or the grave. The pleasure and grandeur of this world do make the wicked commonly so presumptuous and bold, that they presume that they need not fear either death or hell, so that they dare even challenge and defy the Almighty Himself. See Job 5 on verse 23; Isa. 5:19.
49 He means the army of the king of Babel that, as a flood of waters, would overwhelm and cover the land.
50 Other, passeth through, or, goeth through the land.
51 Thus the prophet calls the devices of this people, which they perceived would not fail or miscarry.
52 That is, hypocrisy.
16¶Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, Ie lay in Zion for 53a foundation a stone, 54a tried stone, a precious corner stone, 55a sure foundation: 56he that believeth 57shall not make haste.
e Psalm 118:22; Mat. 21:42; Acts 4:11; Rom. 9:33; 10:11; Eph. 2:20; 1 Peter 2:6, 7, 8.
53 Hebr. I am he that foundeth a stone in Zion. Christ is the true Cornerstone of Zion, that is, of His church, Which secures us against death, hell and all calamity. He ought, and that justly, to be the Jews’ comfort and refuge, not their lies and hypocrisy.
54 And consequently precious and costly. See 1 Peter 2:6 (a similitude taken from precious stones, which upon trial are found to be precious) and suitable and sufficient to bear up the building of the entire church. Other, a touchstone.
55 Hebr. which is founded founded, that is, Which is thoroughly founded or grounded.
56 Namely, in Christ, as the apostle expounds it 1 Peter 2:6.
57 Other, he maketh no haste. Understand in addition: and therefore he comes not to shame, Rom. 5:4, 5, but obtains at length the blessed end, which he waited for with patience; being satisfied and content, looking for no other comfort and refuge than Christ Jesus. The apostle Paul, Rom. 9:33, and the apostle Peter, 1 Peter 2:6, put for these words he shall not make haste, these, he shall not be ashamed or confounded, having respect to the sense of the words.
17Judgment also will 58I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet:f and 59the hail shall 60sweep away 61the refuge of lies, and the waters shall 62overflow the hiding place.
58 God threatens in these words that He will deal with His people according to their works. See 2 Kings 21 on verse 13.
f a measuring line having a weight at the end
59The hail, as also later the waters, signify here the army of the Babylonians, as verse 2. Some expound this and some following verses also further of that final destruction and desolation of the Jews by the Romans.
60 As with brooms.
61 That is, the false refuge.
62 Or, overrun, overwhelm.
18¶And your covenant with death 63shall be disannulled, and your agreement 64with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, 65then ye shall be trodden down by it.
63 Hebr. be pitched over, or, be chalked over, or, be smeared or be daubed over, that is, it shall be destroyed or abolished.
64 Or, with the grave.
65 Hebr. shall ye be trodden down to them.
19From the time that 66it goeth forth it shall take 67you: for 68morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the 69report.
66 Namely, the overflowing scourge, or the flood.
67 O ye wicked and obstinate men.
68 The meaning is: it shall come in the morning, and so continue all day and all night; that is, it shall not cease, but last from time to time. Hebr. in morning in morning.
69 Hebr. the hearing, that is, the report of the punishments that shall come upon you. The sense is: When ye shall be confounded and ruined, and be carried away captive to Babylon, it shall make all those who hear it afraid. Others take it thus: The mere report of the enemies coming shall so affright you that you will not be able to know what to do, or what counsel to take.
2070For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can 71wrap himself in it.
70 The meaning is: Ye shall suffer want and misery in the Babylonian captivity. Some apply it to the refuge and covering of falsehood, whereof mention is made in verses 15 and 17.
71 Hebr. gathereth himself, namely, by retracting the body.
21For the LORD shall rise up as in mount 72Perazim, 73he shall be wroth as 74in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, 75his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.
72 On this mountain God did formerly smite the Philistines by David, 2 Sam. 5:20; 1 Chron. 14:11.
73 Or, he shall be moved, that is, He shall be wroth.
74 See Joshua 10:10; 1 Chron. 14:16.
75 God is a gracious and merciful God, Who is slow to wrath and slow to punish, and therefore in comparison of His former lovingkindness and mercy, continually shown unto His people, His work of justice or punishment is called a strange work.
22Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest 76your bands be made strong: for I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts a consumption, even 77determined upon the whole earth.
76 Wherewith the Babylonians shall bind you. The meaning is: Your bands, by daily sinning, are made daily faster and faster, but by sorrow and repentance for sin, they are made looser; therefore, would you be eased of your bands, then return unto the Lord and cease from sinning.
77 Or, a conclusion; also Isa. 10:22, 23; that is, which is firmly concluded and determined by the unchangeable God, and shall surely come to pass.
23¶Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech.
24Doth the 78plowman plow 79all day to sow? doth he 80open and break the clods of his ground?
78 The sense of this verse is: As a skillful husbandman knows the time when he should plow, till, sow and harrow, so does God likewise know His time when He shall assay and effect one thing or another to or about His congregation to preserve the godly, and to punish the wicked.
79 That is, always.
80 Or, doth he cast up in furrows, or, doth he make furrows always?
25When he hath made plain 81the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the 82fitches, and 83scatter the cummin,g and cast in the 84principal wheat and the 85appointed barley and the rieh in 86their place?
81 Or, the uppermost part thereof. Hebr. the face thereof, namely, of the earth, or of the land.
82 It is very uncertain which kind of seed this really was.
83 Or, spread the cummin.
g a plant like fennel with hot seeds used as a spice
84 Or, noblest. Hebr. prince, or, princely, lordly wheat. Thus wheat is called, because it is the prince or king, that is, the most important seed among all seeds.
85 Hebr. marked out.
h rye, spelt, a cereal like wheat
86 Namely, of the seeds, or, in her, namely, of the earth, or, of the ground, that is, each in its proper field.
26For his God doth 87instruct him 88to discretion, and doth teach him.
87 That is, God teaches him, namely, the husbandman, to do as he ought; He teaches and instructs him how he should deal with every kind of seed, according to its nature and kind, at what time of the year he is to sow it, and what time of the year he is to reap it.
88 That is, how he should do. The Hebrew word signifies here the way or manner how each thing one must do.
27For the fitches are not threshed 89with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod.
89 The Jews did in former time thresh their seed-fruits or their grain in different ways. Over some seed they dragged a threshing-cart or threshing sled; over some they drew or thrust a wheel; some they caused to be trodden out by oxen; the seed that grows in little shells, they did beat out with sticks. Such is then the meaning of this verse: As the husbandman does not thresh the seed all in one way, so God does not always punish one way, but smites and punishes one sorer than another, according to the nature and quality of the offence.
2890Bread corn is bruised; because 91he will not 92ever be threshing it, 93nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen.
90 In verse 27 he has stated what judgment or discretion the husbandman uses in threshing of this kind of seed or that kind of seed. Here he shows what discretion the husbandman uses in handling the wheat: this must be bruised before it can be made fit of which to make bread, yet he does not bruise it by long and often threshing again and again, for, to do it such, it would be spoiled in the threshingfloor, and be good for nothing; therefore wheat, after it is threshed, must be ground and bruised small with millstones. Therefore, the husbandman knowing and understanding this full well, he uses discretion and understanding in dealing with the seed for bread. This judgment or understanding and discretion come also from the Lord. In the Hebrew the word bread is used for bread-corn, as Psalm 104:15.
91 Namely, the husbandman.
92 Hebr. everlastingly, always.
93 Or, nor doth the wheel of his cart break it.
2994This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts, 95which is wonderful in counsel, 96and excellenti in working.
94 Namely, this destruction of the land, whereof mention is made in verse 22, comes also from the Lord. See 2 Sam. 16:10; 2 Kings 18:25.
95 Hebr. he maketh the counsel wonderful, he maketh the deed, or the being great. See the annotations at Job 5:12; 38:2.
96 The sense is: God is glorious in deed or working, causing His counsel and purpose to be put in practice, and to get as it were its being; He performs or executes all things gloriously.
i Jer. 32:19.