Jesaja 1:5

5 Waartoe zoudt gij meer geslagen worden? Gij zoudt des afvals des te meer maken; het ganse hoofd is krank, en het ganse hart is mat.

Jesaja 1:5 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 1:5

Why should ye be stricken any more?
&c.] Or "for what are ye stricken again" ^F1? with afflictions and chastisements, with which God smites his people by way of correction for their sins, ( Isaiah 57:17 ) ( Hosea 6:1 ) and the sense is, either that they did not consider what they were afflicted for, that it was for their sins and transgressions; they thought they came by chance, or imputed them to second causes, and so went on in sin, and added sin to sin; to which sense the Targum, Jarchi, and Kimchi, incline: or the meaning is, that the chastisements that were laid upon them were to no purpose; had produced no good effect, were of no avail, and unprofitable to them; and which is mentioned as an aggravation of their sins, obstinacy, and impenitence; see ( Jeremiah 5:3 ) . Ye will revolt more and more,
or "add defection" ^F2; go on in sin, and apostatize more and more, and grow more obdurate and resolute in it; unless afflictions are sanctified, men become more hardened by them: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint;
which may be understood either of their chastisements, which were universal, and had reached all sorts and ranks of men among them, without any reformation, and therefore it was in vain to use more; or of their sins and transgressions which abounded among them, even among the principal of them; their civil rulers and governors, meant by the "head"; and the priests, who should feed the people with knowledge and understanding, designed by the "heart"; but both were corrupted, and in a bad condition.

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FOOTNOTES:

F1 (wkt hm le) "super quo", V. L. "ad quid", Ar.
F2 (hro wpyowt) "addentes prevaricationem", Sept. V. L.

Jesaja 1:5 In-Context

3 Een os kent zijn bezitter, en een ezel de krib zijns heren; maar Israel heeft geen kennis, Mijn volk verstaat niet.

4 Wee het zondige volk, het volk van zware ongerechtigheid, het zaad der boosdoeners, de verdervende kinderen! Zij hebben den HEERE verlaten, zij hebben den Heilige Israels gelasterd, zij hebben zich vervreemd, wijkende achterwaarts.

5 Waartoe zoudt gij meer geslagen worden? Gij zoudt des afvals des te meer maken; het ganse hoofd is krank, en het ganse hart is mat.

6 Van de voetzool af tot het hoofd toe is er niets geheels aan hetzelve; maar wonden, en striemen, en etterbuilen, die niet uitgedrukt noch verbonden zijn, en geen derzelve is met olie verzacht.

7 Uw aardrijk is een verwoesting, uw steden zijn met het vuur verbrand; uw land verteren de vreemden in uw tegenwoordigheid, en een verwoesting is er, als een omkering door de vreemden.