Isaiah 1:2

Israel Refuses to Obey the LORD

2 Listen to me, heavens! Pay attention to me, earth! The LORD has said, "I raised children. I brought them up. But they have refused to obey me.

Isaiah 1:2 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 1:2

Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth
To what the Lord was about to say of his controversy with his people, which was to be managed openly and publicly before them as spectators and witnesses; this designs either strictly and properly the heavens and the earth, or figuratively the inhabitants of them, angels and men. The address is solemn, and denotes something of moment and importance to be done and attended to: see ( Deuteronomy 32:1 ) . The Targum is,

``hear, O ye heavens, that were moved when I gave my law to my people; and hearken, O earth, that trembleth before my word.''

For the Lord hath spoken:
not only by Moses, and the prophets that were before Isaiah, but he had spoken to him the words he was now about to deliver; for they were not his own words, but the Lord's: he spoke by the inspiration of God, and as moved by the Holy Ghost; and therefore what he said was to be received, not as the word of man, but as the word of God: I have nourished and brought up children;
meaning the Jews;

``my people, the house of Israel, whom I have called children,''

as the Targum paraphrases it; see ( Exodus 4:22 ) to these, as a nation, belonged the adoption; they were reckoned the children of God; the Lord took notice and care of them in their infant state, brought them out of Egypt, led them through the wilderness, and fed them in it; brought them into Canaan's land, drove out the nations before them, and settled them there; gave them his laws and ordinances, distinguished them from all other nations by his favours, and raised them to a high estate, to much greatness and prosperity, especially in the days of David and Solomon. The words may be rendered, "I have magnified", or "made great, and have exalted children" ^F19; not only brought them up, but brought them to great honour and dignity; and even unto man's estate, unto the time appointed of the Father, when they should have been under tutors and governors no longer, but under the King Messiah; but they were rebellious, as follows: and they have rebelled against me,
their Lord and King; for the Jews were under a theocracy; God, who was their Father, was their King, and they rebelled against him by breaking his laws, which rebellion is aggravated by its being not only of subjects against their king, but of children against their father; the law concerning a rebellious son, see in ( Deuteronomy 21:18 ) . The Targum paraphrases it, "they have rebelled against my Word"; the essential Word, the Messiah; the Septuagint version is, "but they have rejected me" ^F20; and the Vulgate Latin version ^F21, "but they have despised me": so the Jews rejected and despised the true Messiah when he came, would not have him to reign over them, would not receive his yoke, though easy, but rebelled against him. The Jews were a rebellious people from the beginning, in Moses's time, and in the prophets, and so quite down to the times of the Messiah.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F19 (ytldg) "magnificavi", Montanus, Vatablus; (ytmmwrw) "exaltavi", Munster; "extuli", Jun. & Tremel. (uqwsa) , Sept.
F20 (me hyeghsan) .
F21 "Spreverunt me".

Isaiah 1:2 In-Context

1 Here is the vision about Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah had. It came to him when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah were ruling. They were kings of Judah. Isaiah was the son of Amoz.

2 Listen to me, heavens! Pay attention to me, earth! The LORD has said, "I raised children. I brought them up. But they have refused to obey me.

3 The ox knows its master. The donkey knows where its owner feeds it. But Israel does not know me. My people do not understand me."

4 They are a sinful nation. They are loaded down with guilt. They are people who do nothing but evil. They are children who are always sinning. They have deserted the Lord. They have turned against the Holy One of Israel. They have turned their backs on him.

5 Israel, why do you want to be beaten all the time? Why do you always refuse to obey the LORD? Your head is covered with wounds. Your whole heart is weak.