Woe to them that devise iniquity
Any kind of iniquity; idolatry, or worshipping of idols, for the
word is used sometimes for an idol; or the sin of uncleanness, on
which the thoughts too often dwell in the night season; or
coveting of neighbours' goods, and oppressing the poor; sins
which are instanced in ( Micah 2:2 ) ; and every
thing that is vain, foolish, and wicked, and in the issue brings
trouble and distress: now a woe is denounced against such that
think on such things, and please themselves with them in their
imaginations, and contrive ways and means to commit them:
and work evil upon their beds;
when, the senses being less engaged, the thoughts are more free;
but should not be employed about evil; but either in meditating
on the divine goodness, and praising the Lord for his mercies; or
in examining a man's heart, state, and case, and mourning over
his sins, and applying to God for the remission of them; but,
instead of this, the persons here threatened are said to "work
evil on their beds", when they should be asleep and at rest, or
engaged in the above things; that is, they plot and contrive how
to accomplish the evil they meditate; they determine upon doing
it, and are as sure of effecting it as if it was actually done;
and do act it over in their own minds, as if it was real; see (
Psalms 36:4 )
; when the morning is light, they practise it;
they wish and wait for the morning light, and as soon as it
appears they rise; and, instead of blessing God for the mercies
of the night, and going about their lawful business, they
endeavour to put in practice with all rigour and diligence, and
as expeditiously as they can, what they have projected and
schemed in the night season; because it is in the power of
their hand;
to commit it; and they have no principle of goodness in them, nor
fear of God before them, to restrain them from it: or, "because
their hand is unto power" F2; it is stretched out, and
made use of in the commission of sin to the utmost of their
power, without any regard to God or man. The Vulgate Latin
version is, "because their hand is against God"; their hearts are
enmity to God, and therefore they oppose him with both their
hands, and care not what iniquity they commit; they are rebels
against him, and will not be subject to him. The Septuagint and
Arabic versions are, "because they lift not up their hands to
God"; they do not pray to him, and therefore are bold and daring
to perpetrate the grossest iniquity, which a praying man dared
not do; but the Syriac version is the reverse, "they do lift up
their hands to God"; make a show of religion and devotion, when
their hearts and their hands are deeply engaged in, sinning;
which shows their impudence and hypocrisy; but the passages in (
Genesis
31:29 ) ( Deuteronomy
32:28 ) ( Proverbs
3:27 ) favour and confirm our version, and the sense of it;
so the Targum.