Isaiah 30:16-26

16 And you said, "No, for we will flee on 1horses," Therefore * you shall flee! "And we will ride on swift horses," Therefore * those who pursue you shall be swift.
17 2One thousand will flee at the threat of one man; You will flee at the threat of five, Until * you are left as a flag on a mountain top And as a signal on a hill.

God Is Gracious and Just

18 Therefore the LORD 3longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on 4high to have compassion on you. For the LORD is a 5God of justice; How blessed are all those who 6long for Him.
19 O people in Zion, 7inhabitant in Jerusalem, you will 8weep no longer. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will 9answer you.
20 Although the Lord has given you 10bread of privation and water of oppression, He, your Teacher will no longer 11hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher.
21 Your ears will hear a word behind * you, "This is the 12way, walk in it," whenever you 13turn to the right or to the left.
22 And you will defile your graven 14images overlaid with silver, and your molten 15images plated with gold. You will scatter them as an impure thing, and say to them, "16Be gone!"
23 Then He will 17give you rain for the seed which you will sow in the ground, and bread from the yield of the ground, and it will be rich and plenteous; on that day 18your livestock will graze in a roomy pasture.
24 Also the oxen and the donkeys which work the ground will eat salted fodder, which has been 19winnowed with shovel and fork.
25 On every lofty mountain and on 20every high hill there will be streams running with water on the day of the great 21slaughter, when the towers fall.
26 22The light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven days, on the day 23the LORD binds up the 24fracture of His people and 25heals the bruise He has inflicted.

Isaiah 30:16-26 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 30

This chapter contains a complaint of the Jews for their sins and transgressions; a prophecy of their destruction for them; a promise of grace and mercy, and of happy times, to the saints; and a threatening of utter and dreadful ruin to the wicked. The Jews are complained of for their rebellion against God, their slighting his counsel and protection, their trust in Egypt, and application there for help; whither they went with their riches for safety, but in vain, it being contrary to the will and counsel of God, Isa 30:1-7 next follows a denunciation of ruin and destruction for these things, rebellion, and lying, and vain confidence, as well as for contempt of the word of God, which, that it might appear sure and certain, is ordered to be written in a book, Isa 30:8-12 and this ruin is signified by the sudden falling of a wall, and by the breaking of a potter's vessel into pieces, which can never be used more, Isa 30:13,14 and seeing they rejected the way of salvation proposed by the Lord, and took their own way, first destruction is threatened them, which should be very easily brought about, and become so general, that few should escape it, Isa 30:15-17 and then promises of grace and mercy are made to them that wait for the Lord, Isa 30:18 such as a dwelling place in Zion, hearing their prayers, granting them teachers to instruct them, and the riddance of idolatry from them, Isa 30:19-22 and also many outward blessings, as seasonable rain, good bread corn, fat pastures, good food for cattle, and fruitfulness of mountains and hills, Isa 30:23-25 likewise an amazing degree of spiritual light and glory, and healing of the Lord's people, Isa 30:26 and the chapter is concluded with a threatening Of God's wrath upon the Assyrian, expressed by various similes, as of an angry man, an overflowing torrent, a tempest of thunder, lightning, and hail, and the fire of Tophet, Isa 30:27-33.

Cross References 25

  • 1. Isaiah 2:7; Isaiah 31:1, 3
  • 2. Leviticus 26:36; Deuteronomy 28:25; Deuteronomy 32:30; Joshua 23:10; Proverbs 28:1
  • 3. Isaiah 42:14, 16; Isaiah 48:9; Jonah 3:4, 10; 2 Peter 3:9, 15
  • 4. Isaiah 2:11, 17; Isaiah 33:5
  • 5. Isaiah 5:16; Isaiah 28:17; Isaiah 61:8
  • 6. Isaiah 8:17; Isaiah 25:9; Isaiah 26:8; Isaiah 33:2
  • 7. Isaiah 65:9; Ezekiel 37:25, 28
  • 8. Isaiah 25:8; Isaiah 60:20; Isaiah 61:1-3
  • 9. Psalms 50:15; Isaiah 58:9; Isaiah 65:24; Matthew 7:7-11
  • 10. 1 Kings 22:27; Psalms 80:5
  • 11. Psalms 74:9; Amos 8:11
  • 12. Psalms 25:8, 9; Proverbs 3:6; Isaiah 35:8, 9; Isaiah 42:16
  • 13. Isaiah 29:24
  • 14. Exodus 32:2, 4; Judges 17:3, 4; Isaiah 46:6
  • 15. Exodus 32:2, 4; Judges 17:3, 4; Isaiah 46:6
  • 16. Matthew 4:10
  • 17. Psalms 65:9-13; Psalms 104:13, 14
  • 18. Psalms 144:13; Isaiah 32:20; Hosea 4:16
  • 19. Matthew 3:12; Luke 3:17
  • 20. Isaiah 35:6, 7; Isaiah 41:18; Isaiah 43:19, 20
  • 21. Isaiah 34:2
  • 22. Isaiah 24:23; Isaiah 60:19, 20; Revelation 21:23; Revelation 22:5
  • 23. Isaiah 61:1
  • 24. Isaiah 1:6; Isaiah 30:13, 14
  • 25. Deuteronomy 32:39; Job 5:18; Isaiah 33:24; Jeremiah 33:6; Hosea 6:1, 2

Footnotes 13

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