The Book of the Prophet Isaiah
Isaiah 29
Chapter XXIX · Vol. III, pp. 1179–1181
1 God's heavy judgment upon Jerusalem. 7 The unsatiableness of her enemies. 9 The senselessness, 13 and deep hypocrisy of the Jews. 18 A promise of sanctification to the godly.
1 Woe to 1Ariel,2 to Ariel, the city3 where David dwelt!4 add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices.5
B.C. cir. 725.
1 Or, O Ariel, that is, the lion of God, 2 Sa.23.20, or altar, Eze.43.15,16.
2 Zion is undoubtedly the place intended. See ver. 8. Ariel signifies 'the altar or lion of God.' It may have been named 'a lion,' in reference to the character of Judah, Ge.49.9. But altar seems the proper idea in this place, as there is an immediate reference to sacrifice.—C.
3 Or, of the city, i.e. Jerusalem, 2 Sa.5.7,9.
4 That is, once the seat of true religion, victory, peace, and prosperity.—C.
5 Heb. cut off the heads, or let the feasts go round, Ho.5.6. ch.1.11-15. Mi.6.6,7. ch.66.3; 1.11-15. Je.7.21. Am.4.4,5.
2 Yeta I will distress Ariel, and there shall be heaviness and sorrow: and it shall be unto me as 6Ariel.7
3 Andb I will camp against thee round about, and will lay siege against thee with a mount, and I will raise forts against thee.
4 Andc thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper8 out of the dust.9
c La.1.9. 2 Ki.18.14; xxiv. xxv. ch.8.19; 2.11-17. Lu.19.43,44; 21.24. 1 Th.2.16.
8 Heb. peep or chirp.
9 See note * in second column.
* As of a mourner sitting in the dust, or with dust upon his head, emblematic actions familiar to the Jews, Jos.7.6. Job 2.12; 42.6.—C.
5 Moreover dthe multitude of thy strangers1 shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones shall be eas chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly.2
6 Thou shalt be visited3 of the LORD of hosts withg thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.
3 Thou shalt be visited with evidences of the divine compassion upon thyself, and of terrible judgments upon thine enemies.—C.
g ch.5.26-30; 28.2; 8.8, or ch.30.30-33; 33.11,12; 37.36.
7 Andh the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision.
h ch.41.11,12; 30.30-33; 31.8,9; 17.12-14; 37.36. Ps.73.20. Job 20.8. Zec.14.1-3.
8 Iti shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be that fight against mount Zion.4
i ch.10.7-34; xxxvi. xxxvii. 2 Ki.xviii. xix. 2 Ch.32.21. ch.xiii. xiv. Je.l. li. Re.6.12-17. Eze.xxxviii. xxxix. Mi.7.8-10.
4 See note † in second column.
† The invaders were eager to devour up Zion, and deemed its capture as certain as the hungry or thirsty dreamer deems his visionary banquet. But the dreamer awakes—the banquet is fled. Even so shall God finally disappoint all the hopes of his people's enemies.—C.
9 jStay5 yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry:6 they kare drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.
10 Forl the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers,7 the nseers hath he covered.
l Ro.11.8. Ps.69.23. 2 Th.2.10-12. ch.66.4; 8.14; 28.8,9,21. Mat.13.14; 11.25. Jn.12.40. Ac.13.40,41; 28.25,26. Mat.15.9,15; 23.16. Jn.9.39,40. Mi.3.6,7. ver.14.
A.M. cir. 3279. B.C. cir. 725.
7 Heb. heads, ch.1.5; 3.2. Je.26.8.
n 1 Sa.9.9. ch.30.9.
11 And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book8 that is osealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
12 And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am pnot learned.
13 Wherefore the Lord said, qForasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
14 Therefore, rbehold, I will proceed to 9do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: sfor the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
9 Heb. I will add.
s ver.10. Je.49.7. Ob.8. 1 Co.1.19. Ro.1.21,22. Mat.11.25. ch.19.14.
15 Woe unto them that tseek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?
t ch.30.1. Re.2.24. Eze.8.12; 9.9. Job 22.13,14. Ps.10.11,13; 64.5; 94.7; 139.7, &c.
16 Surely uyour turning of things upside down1 shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?
u ch.31.2; 45.9. Je.18.6. Job 5.12,13. Ps.33.10,11. ch.44.25; 45.9. Eze.16.34. Ro.9.20.
1 'Such are your perverse thoughts! But shall the potter be esteemed as the clay?'—Boothroyd.
17 Is it not yet a vvery little while, and xLebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a 2forest?
v Hab.2.3. He.10.37. Ps.102.13. Lu.18.8.
x ch.32.15; 11.10; 55.5; 35.1-10; 43.19,20. Mat.8.11,12; 19.30. Ro.11.11-17. ver.18-24. Ju.6.37.
2 Soon shall the Gentiles, that have been uncultivated as the wilds of Lebanon, become a fruitful field; and Israel, that was as a garden, shall become as a tangled forest.—C.
18 And in that day yshall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.
19 Thez meek also shall increase3 their joy in the LORD, and athe poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
A.M. cir. 3279. B.C. cir. 725.
z ch.61.1,10. Jn.15.11. Phi.3.3; 4.4. 1 Pe.1.6,8. Ps.9.18; 10.14,17,18; 12.5. Mat.5.3; 11.5. 1 Co.1.26-29.
3 Heb. shall add.
a Ja.2.5.
20 For bthe terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and call that watch for iniquity are cut off:
21 That dmake a man an offender for a word,4 and lay a snare for him that ereproveth in the gate, gand turn aside the just for a thing of nought.
22 Therefore thus saith the LORD, who hredeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, iJacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale.
h Ge.12.1. Jos.24.2,3. Ne.9.7,8.
i ch.54.4; xlix. lx.-lxii. lxv. lxvi. Zec.8.20-23. Ro.11.11-32.
23 But when he seeth jhis children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctifyk my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel.
24 Theyl also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding,5 and they that murmured6 shall learn doctrine.
l 1 Co.6.11. ch.28.7; ver.10-12,18; 30.26; 11.9; 60.7. Ep.1.17,18. Mat.11.25. Lu.15.28. Ac.2.37; 26.18. 1 Ti.1.13.
5 Heb. shall know understanding.
6 Nothing was more characteristic of the Jews than murmuring at the words of our Saviour (see Lu.5.30; 15.2. Jn.6.41). There is here a blessed promise, that the lips of their children shall yet be filled with his praise.—C.
Notes
Ver. 1, 2. Jerusalem is called Ariel, from the altar of burnt-offering which devoured the offerings sacrificed upon it.—Notwithstanding all their sacrifices and pretended devotions, both city and temple shall be brought into great straits,—and filled with fire, blood, and carcasses of men, a great sacrifice. 3, 4. By the enemies whom I shall appoint against you, your present haughtiness and scoffing shall be turned into great debasement, distress, and submission. 5-8 doth perhaps not only denounce the sudden destruction of their enemies by the fearful judgments of God, but also the ruin of the Jews' auxiliaries and armies, and their own terrible distress, while their enemies were quite insatiable in devouring and destroying. 9-12. With amazement ponder and bewail your condition, and cry for deliverance; for all ranks are besotted with corrupt principles, unsteadiness, and stupidity; and neither ignorant nor learned either understand or regard the warnings of God. 13-16. Because their religious devotion is merely in outward appearance, while the most abominable wickedness reigns in their heart, and merely an observance of the commands of Hezekiah, or the traditions of the elders, I will punish them with astonishing miseries, baffle all the deep-laid projects of their politicians, and give up their doctors to amazing stupidity. All their subtle devices, for perverting the order which I have fixed, shall be as easily altered as clay by the potter, and as ineffectual to accomplish their designs as clay without a potter. 17-21. Amazing changes shall happen on fields and nations: the long-barren Gentile world being converted to Christ, and rendered fruitful in good works, while the Jews shall be rejected because of their unbelief. The unconcerned and ignorant Gentiles shall be brought to the knowledge of God in Christ; and, amidst affliction and poverty, shall rejoice in himself and his favours; while their proud and powerful enemies, who watched for opportunities of doing mischief, and who hated reproof, and persecuted the prophets and ministers of God, and for a trifling consideration perverted justice, shall be destroyed. 22-24. And notwithstanding the distresses or rejection of the Jews, the church shall be gloriously enlarged, to the great comfort of the pious Jews and honour of God; and multitudes of the most wicked and obstinate opposers shall be converted, especially in the coming period.
Ver. 10. God pours out mercy—heedless sinners disregard and pervert it. God threatens judgments, but habitual sin, acting like an opiate on the body, has drugged their consciences into insensibility; they refuse to awake; they love to slumber and dream. Wherefore God gives them over judicially to their own ways, and is so said to 'pour out the spirit of deep sleep' upon them. Yet he pours out the spirit, not to induce them to sleep; but he gives them up to it as a punishment, because they refuse to awake. C.
Ver. 14. As the point of the finger applied to the eye can exclude the sun and the world, so one single erroneous opinion can exclude the Sun of Righteousness and eternity. The single principle of self-righteousness blinded the Pharisees in the days of our Lord. The same principle, alas! continues to blind the unreformed churches; and beneath its baleful influence 'wisdom still perishes—understanding is hid.' C.
Reflections.—Formal hypocrites may go on long in a round of external duties; but dreadful and debasing is the judgment of God which awaits them, and which awaits the chastisers even of his provoking people. His judgments make the stoutest hearts to bow or to break. Fearful is their condition who are drunk with the love of pleasures, honours, or wealth, or with corrupt principles and prejudices; or who are so abandoned to spiritual stupidity, that the best means can neither enlighten nor awake them. Alas! how wicked, how villanous is it to approach God in outward forms of devotion while we hate him in our heart, and worship him only from regard to the authority of men! Absurd and fruitless is every scheme which is carried on independent of and in opposition to God. But thrice happy is it to have external calamities balanced with subsequent spiritual blessings; and that the casting away of the Jews has issued in the reconciling of the Gentile world to him;—and in some future period, how much more shall their fulness!