Isaiah 1

16. God saith to the sinner, "Wash you," &c., that he, finding his inability to "make" himself "clean," may cry to God, Wash me, cleanse me ( Psalms 51:2 Psalms 51:7 Psalms 51:10 ).
before mine eyes--not mere outward reformation before man's eyes, who cannot, as God, see into the heart ( Jeremiah 32:19 ).

17. seek judgment--justice, as magistrates, instead of seeking bribes ( Jeremiah 22:3 Jeremiah 22:16 ).
judge--vindicate ( Psalms 68:5 , 1:27 ).

18. God deigns to argue the case with us, that all may see the just, nay, loving principle of His dealings with men ( Isaiah 43:26 ).
scarlet--the color of Jesus Christ's robe when bearing our "sins" ( Matthew 27:28 ). So Rahab's thread ( Joshua 2:18 ; compare Leviticus 14:4 ). The rabbins say that when the lot used to be taken, a scarlet fillet was bound on the scapegoat's head, and after the high priest had confessed his and the people's sins over it, the fillet became white: the miracle ceased, according to them, forty years before the destruction of Jerusalem, that is, exactly when Jesus Christ was crucified; a remarkable admission of adversaries. Hebrew for "scarlet" radically means double-dyed; so the deep-fixed permanency of sin in the heart, which no mere tears can wash away.
snow--( Psalms 51:7 ). Repentance is presupposed, before sin can be made white as snow ( Isaiah 1:19 Isaiah 1:20 ); it too is God's gift ( Jeremiah 31:18 , end Lamentations 5:21 , Acts 5:31 ).
red--refers to "blood" ( Isaiah 1:15 ).
as wool--restored to its original undyed whiteness. This verse shows that the old fathers did not look only for transitory promises (Article VII, Book of Common Prayer). For sins of ignorance, and such like, alone had trespass offerings appointed for them; greater guilt therefore needed a greater sacrifice, for, "without shedding of blood there was no remission"; but none such was appointed, and yet forgiveness was promised and expected; therefore spiritual Jews must have looked for the One Mediator of both Old Testament and New Testament, though dimly understood.

19, 20. Temporal blessings in "the land of their possession" were prominent in the Old Testament promises, as suited to the childhood of the Church ( Exodus 3:17 ). New Testament spiritual promises derive their imagery from the former ( Matthew 5:5 ).

20. Lord hath spoken it--Isaiah's prophecies rest on the law ( Leviticus 26:33 ).

21. faithful--as a wife ( Isaiah 54:5 , 62:5 , Hosea 2:19 Hosea 2:20 ).
harlot--( Ezekiel 16:28-35 ).
righteousness lodged--( 2 Peter 3:13 ).
murderers--murderous oppressors, as the antithesis requires

22. Thy princes and people are degenerate in "solid worth," equivalent to "silver" ( Jeremiah 6:28 Jeremiah 6:30 , Ezekiel 22:18 Ezekiel 22:19 ), and in their use of the living Word, equivalent to "wine" ( Solomon 7:9 ).
mixed--literally, "circumcised." So the Arabic, "to murder" wine, equivalent to dilute it.

23. companions of thieves--by connivance ( Proverbs 29:24 ).
gifts--( Ezekiel 22:12 ). A nation's corruption begins with its rulers.

24. Lord . . . Lord--Adonai, JEHOVAH.
mighty One of Israel--mighty to take vengeance, as before, to save.
Ah--indignation.
ease me--My long tried patience will find relief in at last punishing the guilty ( Ezekiel 5:13 ). God's language condescends to human conceptions.

25. turn . . . hand--not in wrath, but in grace ( Zechariah 13:7 ), "upon thee," as Isaiah 1:26 Isaiah 1:27 show; contrasted with the enemies, of whom He will avenge Himself ( Isaiah 1:24 ).
purely--literally, "as alkali purifies."
thy dross--not thy sins, but the sinful persons ( Jeremiah 6:29 ); "enemies" ( Isaiah 1:24 ); degenerate princes grace.
tin--Hebrew, bedil, here the alloy of lead, tin, &c., separated by smelting from the silver. The pious Bishop Bedell took his motto from this.

26. As the degeneracy had shown itself most in the magistrates ( Isaiah 1:17-23 ), so, at the "restoration," these shall be such as the theocracy "at the first" had contemplated, namely, after the Babylonish restoration in part and typically, but fully and antitypically under Messiah ( Isaiah 32:1 , 52:8 , Jeremiah 33:7 , Matthew 19:28 ).
faithful--no longer "an harlot."

27. redeemed--temporarily, civilly, and morally; type of the spiritual redemption by the price of Jesus Christ's blood ( 1 Peter 1:18 1 Peter 1:19 ), the foundation of "judgment" and righteousness, and so of pardon. The judgment and "righteousness" are God's first ( Isaiah 42:21 , Romans 3:26 ); so they become man's when "converted" ( Romans 8:3 Romans 8:4 ); typified in the display of God's "justice," then exhibited in delivering His covenant-people, whereby justice or "righteousness" was produced in them.
converts--so MAURER. But Margin, "they that return of her," namely the remnant that return from captivity. However, as Isaiah had not yet expressly foretold the Babylonian captivity, the English Version is better.

28. destruction--literally, "breaking into shivers" ( Revelation 2:27 ). The prophets hasten forward to the final extinction of the ungodly ( Psalms 37:20 , Revelation 19:20 , 20:15 ); of which antecedent judgments are types.

29. ashamed--( Romans 6:21 ).
oaks--Others translate the "terebinth" or "turpentine tree." Groves were dedicated to idols. Our Druids took their name from the Greek for "oaks." A sacred tree is often found in Assyrian sculpture; symbol of the starry hosts, Saba.
gardens--planted enclosures for idolatry; the counterpart of the garden of Eden.

30. oak--Ye shall be like the "oaks," the object of your "desire" ( Isaiah 1:29 ). People become like the gods they worship; they never rise above their level ( Psalms 135:18 ). So men's sins become their own scourges ( Jeremiah 2:9 ). The leaf of the idol oak fades by a law of necessary consequence, having no living sap or "water" from God. So "garden" answers to "gardens" ( Isaiah 1:29 ).

31. strong--powerful rulers ( Amos 2:9 ).
maker of it--rather, his work. He shall be at once the fuel, "tow," and the cause of the fire, by kindling the first "spark."
both--the wicked ruler, and "his work," which "is as a spark."