Isaiah 24:1-6

Judgment on the Whole Earth

1 Behold, ¹the LORD will empty the earth^[a] and make it desolate, and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants.

2 ²And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the slave, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; ³as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; ⁴as with the creditor, so with the debtor.

3 ⁵The earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered; ⁶for the LORD has spoken this word.

4 ⁷The earth mourns and withers; the world languishes and withers; the highest people of the earth languish.

5 The earth lies ⁸defiled under its inhabitants; for ⁹they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant.

6 Therefore ¹⁰a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants ¹¹suffer for their guilt; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched, and few men are left.

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Isaiah 24:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 24

This chapter contains a prophecy of calamities that should come upon the whole world, and the inhabitants of it, for their sins; of the preservation of a remnant; of the visitation of the kings of the earth; and of the appearance of Christ in his glory and majesty. The miserable condition of the world, and its inhabitants, especially all within the Romish jurisdiction, is set forth by various phrases, Isa 24:1-4 the causes of which are the transgression and mutation of the laws and ordinances of Christ, Isa 24:5 the effects of which are the cursing and burning of the inhabitants, Isa 24:6 cessation of all joy among them, Isa 24:7-9 and the destruction of their chief city, Rome, Isa 24:10-12 then follows a prophecy of a remnant that shall escape, and be brought into a very comfortable condition, and sing for joy, and glorify God in the midst of the earth, and in the uttermost parts of it, Isa 24:13-16 but it is intimated it shall go ill with others for their perfidy and treachery; fear and danger shall attend them everywhere, Isa 24:16-18 yea, in the issue, the world shall be shaken, and moved and removed, and be utterly dissolved, fall and not rise more, Isa 24:19,20 when the kings and great ones of the earth shall be taken prisoners, and punished by the Lord, Isa 24:21,22 and then Christ shall take to himself his great power, and reign with his people gloriously in the New Jerusalem state, Isa 24:23.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 11

1. Isaiah 13:9
2. Hosea 4:9; [Lamentations 4:16]; See Isaiah 3:1-3
3. [Ezekiel 7:12, 13]
4. [Jeremiah 15:10]
5. ver. 1, 6
6. See Isaiah 1:20
7. [Isaiah 16:8; Hosea 4:3]
8. Numbers 35:33
9. [Isaiah 2:6, 8]
10. Zechariah 5:3, 4
11. [Psalms 5:10]

Footnotes 1

[a]. Or land; also throughout this chapter

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.