Isaiah 22:14

14 And the voice of the Lord of hosts is showed in mine ears (And the voice of the Lord of hosts was heard in my ears), This wickedness shall not be forgiven to you, till ye die, saith the Lord God of hosts.

Isaiah 22:14 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 22:14

And it was revealed in my ears by the Lord of hosts
Both what they said in the preceding verse ( Isaiah 22:13 ) , their profane, impious, and scoffing language; which perhaps was not expressed by words, but said in their hearts, and which God the searcher of hearts knew, and revealed it to the prophet; and also what he determined to do upon this, which is afterwards said, which being a purpose within himself, could not be known without a divine revelation; so the Targum,

``the prophet said, with mine ears I was hearing, when this was decreed from before the Lord of hosts;''

namely, that their iniquity should not be forgiven; the Vulgate Latin version is, "the voice of the Lord of hosts is revealed in mine ears"; saying what is expressed in the next clause: but the Septuagint, and Arabic versions, understand it of the ears of Lord of hosts himself: and Aben Ezra thinks the word "ani" or "I" is wanting, and so Kimchi; and that the words should be rendered thus, "it was revealed in mine ears, [I am] the Lord of hosts": and so it is by some others, "it was revealed in the ears of me, the Lord of hosts" ^F17, or, "of the Lord of hosts"; the wickedness, profaneness, and luxury of the people; the cry of their sins came up into the ears of the Lord of hosts, and therefore he determined to do what he next declares: Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die;
it being of heinous nature, so daring, insolent, and affronting, such a contempt of God and his word, and discovering such impenitence and hardness of heart, it should not be expiated by any sacrifice whatever; not by the day of atonement, nor death itself, as the Jews from hence fancy; in short, it should not be forgiven, neither in this world, nor in that to come; for if not till they died, then not after, where there is no repentance, nor remission; see ( Matthew 12:32 ) the words are in the form of an oath, "if this iniquity be purged, or expiated" ^F18; the Lord swears to it, that it never should be pardoned, but they should die in it; as a corporeal, so an eternal death. The Targum interprets it of the second death; that is, as Kimchi explains it, the death of the soul in the world to come; see ( Revelation 21:8 ) : saith the Lord God of hosts;
and therefore this would certainly be the case; for his word and oath are his two immutable things, in which it is impossible for him to lie.

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 (ynzab hlgnw) "et revelabitur in auribus meis Domini exercituum", Montanus; "et revelatum in auribus Domini" Musculus.
F18 (rpky Ma) "si exibitur", Pagninus, Montanus, Piscator; "si expietur", Junius & Tremellius.

Isaiah 22:14 In-Context

12 And the Lord of hosts shall call in that day to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to a girdle of sackcloth; (And the Lord of hosts shall call on that day for weeping, and for mourning, and for baldness, and for a girdle of sackcloth;)

13 and lo! joy and gladness is to slay calves, and to strangle wethers, to eat flesh, and to drink wine; eat we, and drink we, for we shall die tomorrow (and lo! joy and happiness is to kill calves, and to strangle rams, yea, to eat flesh, and to drink wine; eat we, and drink we, for tomorrow we shall die.)

14 And the voice of the Lord of hosts is showed in mine ears (And the voice of the Lord of hosts was heard in my ears), This wickedness shall not be forgiven to you, till ye die, saith the Lord God of hosts.

15 The Lord God of hosts saith these things, Go thou, and enter to him that dwelleth in the tabernacle, to Shebna, the sovereign of the temple; and thou shalt say to him, (The Lord God of hosts saith these things, Go thou, and go to him who liveth in the palace, to Shebna, the ruler of the king's household; and thou shalt say to him,)

16 What (hast) thou here, either as who (art thou) here? for thou hast hewed [out] to thee a sepulchre here, thou hast hewed a memorial in (an) high place diligently, a tabernacle in a stone to thee. (What hast thou here, and who art thou? for thou hast hewn out for thyself a tomb here, yea, thou hast diligently hewn out a memorial in a high place, a home for thyself in the stone.)