Isaías 5:18

18 ¡Qué aflicción para los que arrastran sus pecados
con sogas hechas de mentiras,
que arrastran detrás de sí la maldad como si fuera una carreta!

Isaías 5:18 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 5:18

Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity,
&c.] The prophet returns to the wicked again, and goes on with the account of their sin and punishment; and here describes such, not that are drawn into sin unawares, through the prevalence of their own hearts' lusts and corruptions, through the temptations of Satan, the snares of the world, or the persuasions of others; but such who draw it to themselves, seek after it, and willingly commit it; who rush and force themselves into it; who solicit it, and seek and take all occasions and opportunities of doing it; and take a great deal of pains about it; and make use of all arguments, reasonings, and pretences they can devise, to engage themselves and others in the practice of it; which are all cords of vanity, fallacious and deceitful. And sin as it were with a cart rope;
using all diligence, wisdom, policy, and strength; labouring with all might and main to effect it. Some by "iniquity" and "sin" understand punishment, as the words used sometimes signify; and that the sense is, that such persons described by their boldness and impudence in sinning, by their impenitence and hardness of heart, and by adding sin to sin, draw upon themselves swift destruction, and the greater damnation. The Targum interprets it of such that begin with lesser sins, and increase to more ungodliness; paraphrasing it thus,

``woe to them that begin to sin a little, and they go on and increase until that they are strong, and "their" sins "are" as a cart rope;''

to which agrees that saying in the Talmud ^F7,

``the evil imagination or corruption of nature at first is like a spider's thread, but at last it is like to cart ropes; as it is said, "woe to them that draw iniquity"''

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FOOTNOTES:

F7 T. Bab. Succa, fol. 52. 1. & Sanhedrin, fol. 99. 2. Vid. Bereshit Rabba, sect. 22. fol. 19. 2.

Isaías 5:18 In-Context

16 Pero el Señor
de los Ejércitos Celestiales será exaltado por su justicia;
la santidad de Dios se demostrará por su rectitud.

17 En aquel día, los corderos encontrarán buenos pastos,
y entre las ruinas apacentarán las ovejas engordadas y los cabritos.

18 ¡Qué aflicción para los que arrastran sus pecados
con sogas hechas de mentiras,
que arrastran detrás de sí la maldad como si fuera una carreta!

19 Hasta se burlan de Dios diciendo:
«¡Apresúrate, haz algo!,
queremos ver lo que puedes hacer.
Que el Santo de Israel lleve a cabo su plan,
porque queremos saber qué es».

20 ¡Qué aflicción para los que dicen
que lo malo es bueno y lo bueno es malo,
que la oscuridad es luz y la luz es oscuridad,
que lo amargo es dulce y lo dulce es amargo!