Isaiah 5:8-30

Judah's Sins Denounced

8 Woe to those who add house to house and join field to field until there is no more room and you alone are left in the land.

9 In my hearing the Lord of Hosts [has taken an oath]: Indeed, many houses will become desolate, grand and lovely ones without inhabitants.

10 For a ten-acre^[a] vineyard will yield only six gallons,^[b] and 10 bushels^[c] of seed will yield only [one] bushel.^[d]

11 Woe to those who rise early in the morning in pursuit of beer, who linger into the evening, inflamed by wine.

12 At their feasts they have lyre, harp, tambourine, flute, and wine. They do not perceive the Lord's actions, and they do not see the work of His hands.

13 Therefore My people go into exile because they lack knowledge; the^[e] dignitaries are starving, and the^[f] masses are parched with thirst.

14 Therefore Sheol enlarges its throat and opens wide its enormous jaws, and down go Zion's dignitaries, her masses, her crowds, and those who carouse in her!

15 Humanity is brought low, man is humbled, and haughty eyes are humbled.

16 But the Lord of Hosts is exalted by His justice, and the holy God is distinguished by righteousness.

17 Lambs will graze as [if in]^[g] their own pastures, and strangers^[h] will eat [among] the ruins of the rich.

18 Woe to those who drag wickedness with cords of deceit and [pull] sin along with cart ropes,

19 to those who say: "Let Him hurry up and do His work quickly so that we can see it! Let the plan of the Holy One of Israel take place so that we can know it!"

20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.

21 Woe to those who are wise in their own opinion and clever in their own sight.^[i]

22 Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, who are fearless at mixing beer,

23 who acquit the guilty for a bribe and deprive the innocent of justice.

24 Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes straw and as dry grass shrivels in the flame, so their roots will become like something rotten and their blossoms will blow away like dust, for they have rejected the instruction of the Lord of Hosts, and they have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

25 Therefore the Lord's anger burns against His people. He raised His hand against them and struck them; the mountains quaked, and their corpses were like garbage in the streets. In all this, His anger is not removed, and His hand is still raised [to strike].

26 He raises a signal flag for the distant nations and whistles for them from the ends of the earth. Look-how quickly and swiftly they come!

27 None of them grows weary or stumbles; no one slumbers or sleeps. No belt is loose, and no sandal strap broken.

28 Their arrows are sharpened, and all their bows strung. Their horses' hooves are like flint; their [chariot] wheels are like a whirlwind.

29 Their roaring is like a lion's; they roar like young lions; they growl and seize their prey and carry [it] off, and no one can rescue [it].

30 On that day they will roar over it, like the roaring of the sea. When one looks at the land, there will be darkness and distress; light will be obscured by clouds.^[j]

Isaiah 5:8-30 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 5

In this chapter, under the parable of a vineyard and its ruins, the Jews and their destruction are represented; the reasons of which are given, their manifold sins and transgressions, particularly enumerated, with the punishment threatened to them, and which is delivered in form of a song. The vineyard is described by the owner of it, a well beloved one; by the situation of it, in a fruitful hill; by the fence about it, and care and culture of it; and by its not answering the expectation of the owner, it bringing forth wild grapes instead of good ones, Isa 5:1,2 wherefore the men of Judah and Jerusalem are made judges between the owner and his vineyard, what more could have been done to it, or rather what was now to be done to it, since this was the case; and the result is, that it should be utterly laid waste, and come to ruin; and the whole is applied to the house of Israel, and men of Judah, Isa 5:3-7 whose sins, as the cause of their ruin, are mentioned in the following verses; their covetousness, with the punishment of it, Isa 5:8-10 their intemperance, luxury, and love of pleasure, with the punishment threatened thereunto, Isa 5:11-14 whereby haughty men should be humbled, the Lord be glorified, and at the same time his weak and innocent people would be taken care of, Isa 5:15-17 next, other sins are taken notice of, and woes pronounced on account of them, as, an impudent course of sinning, insolent impiety against God, confusion of good and evil, conceit of their own wisdom, drunkenness, and perversion of justice, Isa 5:18-23 wherefore for these things, and for their contempt and rejection of the law and word of the Lord, utter destruction is threatened them, Isa 5:24 yea, the anger of God had been already kindled against them, and they had felt it in some instances, Isa 5:25 but they are given to expect severer judgments, by means of foreign nations, that should be gathered against them; who are described by their swiftness, strength, and vigilance; by their armour, horses, and carriages; and by their terror and cruelty; the consequence of which would be utter darkness, distress, and calamities, in the land of Judea, Isa 5:26-30.

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit ten-yoke
• [b]. Lit one bath
• [c]. Lit one homer
• [d]. Lit [one] ephah
• [e]. Lit its
• [f]. Lit its
• [g]. Syr reads graze in
• [h]. LXX reads sheep
• [i]. Lit clever before their face
• [j]. Lit its clouds