Isaiah 5 Study Notes

5:13 This verse begins the statement of judgment proceeding from the woe. They lack the knowledge of God.

5:14 As God’s people indulged themselves with drink and food, so Sheol will open its large mouth and swallow them. Sheol refers to the grave and in some contexts signifies the underworld. The idea of Sheol swallowing its victims did not originate with the Hebrews, but may stem from the Canaanite story that describes the god of death (Mot) swallowing his victims.

5:15-17 Compare these verses with 2:9,11,17. John Oswalt (NICOT) notes the theological significance of v. 16. “It expresses the truth that what makes God truly God, what sets him off as divine, is neither his overwhelming power nor his mysterious numinousness. Rather, what marks him as God is his essential justice and righteousness.”

5:18-19 The third woe begins by picturing people whose sin was so heavy that they ended up pulling it along in a cart behind them. Their sin was one of cynicism. With a tone of disbelief, they challenged God to act. In particular they might be thinking of God’s work of judgment. They sinned and did not yet see God’s punishment.

5:20 The fourth woe is against those who confused ethical categories. They classified actions as evil that God would call good and vice versa. While the principle is broader than judicial, such moral confusion was particularly reprehensible in the courtroom (v. 23).

5:21 As with the previous verse, the issue of the fifth woe is human autonomy. On being wise in one’s own eyes, see Pr 3:7; 26:12; 28:11,26.

5:22-23 The sixth and final woe returns to the earlier issue of excessive drinking (heroes at drinking wine) and also twisting justice for money.

5:24-25 Two judgment speeches follow (therefore introduces vv. 24 and 25) the woes.

5:26-28 God will call for foreign armies to descend on his people. Though these armies are not mentioned by name, we know from later history that these nations were Assyria and Babylon. Notice that God would signal them with a whistle, and they would immediately respond. This illustrates God’s sovereign rule over the nations.

5:29 Assyrian royal inscriptions often compare their kings to lions.