Isaiah 5

14. hell--the grave; Hebrew, sheol; Greek, hades; "the unseen world of spirits." Not here, "the place of torment." Poetically, it is represented as enlarging itself immensely, in order to receive the countless hosts of Jews, which should perish ( Numbers 16:30 ).
their--that is, of the Jewish people.
he that rejoiceth--the drunken reveIler in Jerusalem.

15. (Compare Isaiah 2:9 Isaiah 2:11 Isaiah 2:17 ). All ranks, "mean" and "mighty" alike; so "honorable" and "multitude" ( Isaiah 5:13 ).

16. God shall be "exalted" in man's view, because of His manifestation of His "justice" in punishing the guilty.
sanctified--regarded as holy by reason of His "righteous" dealings.

17. after their manner--literally, "according to their own word," that is, at will. Otherwise, as in their own pasture [GESENIUS]: so the Hebrew in Micah 2:12 . The lands of the Scenite tent dwellers ( Jeremiah 35:7 ). Arab shepherds in the neighborhood shall roam at large, the whole of Judea being so desolate as to become a vast pasturage.
waste . . . fat ones--the deserted lands of the rich ("fat," Psalms 22:29 ), then gone into captivity; "strangers," that is, nomad tribes shall make their flocks to feed on [MAURER]. Figuratively, "the lambs" are the pious, "the fat ones" the impious. So tender disciples of Jesus Christ ( John 21:15 ) are called "lambs"; being meek, harmless, poor, and persecuted. Compare Ezekiel 39:18 , where the fatlings are the rich and great ( 1 Corinthians 1:26 1 Corinthians 1:27 ). The "strangers" are in this view the "other sheep not of the" the Jewish "fold" ( John 10:16 ), the Gentiles whom Jesus Christ shall "bring" to be partakers of the rich privileges ( Romans 11:17 ) fell from. Thus "after their (own) manner" will express that the Christian Church should worship God in freedom, released from legal bondage ( John 4:23 , Galatians 5:1 ).

18. Third Woe--against obstinate perseverance in sin, as if they wished to provoke divine judgments.
iniquity--guilt, incurring punishment [MAURER].
cords, &c.--cart-rope--Rabbins say, "An evil inclination is at first like a fine hair-string, but the finishing like a cart-rope." The antithesis is between the slender cords of sophistry, like the spider's web ( Isaiah 59:5 , Job 8:14 ), with which one sin draws on another, until they at last bind themselves with great guilt as with a cart-rope. They strain every nerve in sin.
vanity--wickedness.
sin--substantive, not a verb: they draw on themselves "sin" and its penalty recklessly.

19. work--vengeance ( Isaiah 5:12 ). Language of defiance to God. So Lamech's boast of impunity ( Genesis 4:23 Genesis 4:24 ; compare Jeremiah 17:15 , 2 Peter 3:3 2 Peter 3:4 ).
counsel--God's threatened purpose to punish.

20. Fourth Woe--against those who confound the distinctions of right and wrong (compare Romans 1:28 ), "reprobate," Greek, "undiscriminating: the moral perception darkened."
bitter . . . sweet--sin is bitter ( Jeremiah 2:19 , 4:18 , Acts 8:23 , Hebrews 12:15 ); though it seem sweet for a time ( Proverbs 9:17 Proverbs 9:18 ). Religion is sweet ( Psalms 119:103 ).

21. Fifth Woe--against those who were so "wise in their own eyes" as to think they knew better than the prophet, and therefore rejected his warnings ( Isaiah 29:14 Isaiah 29:15 ).

22, 23. Sixth Woe--against corrupt judges, who, "mighty" in drinking "wine" (a boast still not uncommon), if not in defending their country, obtain the means of self-indulgence by taking bribes ("reward"). The two verses are closely joined [MAURER].
mingle strong drink--not with water, but spices to make it intoxicating ( Proverbs 9:2 Proverbs 9:5 , Solomon 8:2 ).
take away the righteousness--set aside the just claims of those having a righteous cause.

24. Literally, "tongue of fire eateth" ( Acts 2:3 ).
flame consumeth the chaff--rather, withered grass falleth before the flame ( Matthew 3:12 ).
root . . . blossom--entire decay, both the hidden source and outward manifestations of prosperity, perishing ( Job 18:16 , Malachi 4:1 ).
cast away . . . law--in its spirit, while retaining the letter.

25. anger . . . kindled--( 2 Kings 22:13 2 Kings 22:17 ).
hills . . . tremble--This probably fixes the date of this chapter, as it refers to the earthquake in the days of Uzziah ( Amos 1:1 , Zechariah 14:5 ). The earth trembled as if conscious of the presence of God ( Jeremiah 4:24 , Habakkuk 3:6 ).
torn--rather, were as dung ( Psalms 83:10 ).
For all this, &c.--This burden of the prophet's strains, with dirge-like monotony, is repeated at Isaiah 9:12 Isaiah 9:17 Isaiah 9:21 , 10:4 . With all the past calamities, still heavier judgments are impending; which he specifies in the rest of the chapter ( Leviticus 26:14 , &c.).

26. lift . . . ensign--to call together the hostile nations to execute His judgments on Judea ( Isaiah 10:5-7 , 45:1 ). But for mercy to it, in Isaiah 11:12 , 18:3 .
hiss--(compare 7:18). Bees were drawn out of their hives by the sound of a flute, or hissing, or whistling ( Zechariah 10:8 ). God will collect the nations round Judea like bees ( Deuteronomy 1:44 , Psalms 118:12 ).
end of the earth--the widely distant subject races of which the Assyrian army was made up ( Isaiah 22:6 ). The ulterior fulfilment took place in the siege under Roman Titus. Compare "end of the earth" ( Deuteronomy 28:49 , &c.). So the pronoun is singular in the Hebrew, for "them," "their," "whose" (him, his, &c.), Isaiah 5:26-29 ; referring to some particular nation and person [HORSLEY].

27. weary--with long marches ( Deuteronomy 25:18 ).
none . . . slumber--requiring no rest.
girdle--with which the ancient loose robes used to be girded for action. Ever ready for march or battle.
nor the latchet . . . broken--The soles were attached to the feet, not by upper leather as with us, but by straps. So securely clad that not even a strap of their sandals gives way, so as to impede their march.

28. bent--ready for battle.
hoofs . . . flint--The ancients did not shoe their horses: hence the value of hard hoofs for long marches.
wheels--of their chariots. The Assyrian army abounded in cavalry and chariots ( Isaiah 22:6 Isaiah 22:7 , 36:8 ).

29. roaring--their battle cry.

30. sorrow, and the light is darkened--Otherwise, distress and light (that is, hope and fear) alternately succeed (as usually occurs in an unsettled state of things), and darkness arises in, &c. [MAURER].
heavens--literally "clouds," that is, its sky is rather "clouds" than sky. Otherwise from a different Hebrew root, "in its destruction" or ruins. HORSLEY takes "sea . . . look unto the land" as a new image taken from mariners in a coasting vessel (such as all ancient vessels were), looking for the nearest land, which the darkness of the storm conceals, so that darkness and distress alone may be said to be visible.