Isaiah 33:7

7 But look! Listen! Tough men weep openly. Peacemaking diplomats are in bitter tears.

Isaiah 33:7 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 33:7

Behold, their valiant ones shall cry without
Or, "in the street": this, and the two following verses ( Isaiah 33:8 Isaiah 33:9 ) , describe the sad and desolate condition of the people of God, before the above happy times take place; "their valiant ones", such who have been valiant for the truth on earth; or "their angels", as Aben Ezra, Kimchi, and Ben Melech interpret the word; these are the angels and pastors of the churches, the two witnesses that prophesy in sackcloth openly and publicly, and who will be slain, and their bodies lie unburied in the street of the great city, ( Revelation 11:3 Revelation 11:8 ) : the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly;
most interpreters understand this of the ambassadors which Hezekiah sent to the king of Assyria to obtain peace, but could not succeed, on account of which they are said to weep bitterly; but the character of "ambassadors of peace" well agrees with the ministers of the Gospel, who are "ambassadors" in Christ's stead, and whose work it is to exhort men to "be reconciled to God", and to preach the Gospel of peace to sinful men; these now will "weep bitterly", when they are removed into corners, and are silenced, and not suffered to deliver their messages of peace, to the comfort of the Lord's people, and the glory of his name; which will be the case at the time of the slaying of the witnesses.

Isaiah 33:7 In-Context

5 God is supremely esteemed. His center holds. Zion brims over with all that is just and right.
6 God keeps your days stable and secure - salvation, wisdom, and knowledge in surplus, and best of all, Zion's treasure, Fear-of-God.
7 But look! Listen! Tough men weep openly. Peacemaking diplomats are in bitter tears.
8 The roads are empty - not a soul out on the streets. The peace treaty is broken, its conditions violated, its signers reviled.
9 The very ground under our feet mourns, the Lebanon mountains hang their heads, Flowering Sharon is a weed-choked gully, and the forests of Bashan and Carmel? Bare branches.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.