Isaiah 33:8

8 The highways lie waste, The traveling man ceases. He has broken the covenant, He has despised the cities, He regards no man.

Isaiah 33:8 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 33:8

The highways lie waste
No man walking in them, for fear of the enemy; "the ways of Zion", which are said to "mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts", ( Lamentations 1:4 ) none daring to attend the ministry of the word and ordinances; see ( Isaiah 35:8 ) : the wayfaring man ceaseth;
or, "the traveller rests" ^F26; or stops; he does not proceed on his journey; a stop is put to a religious course and conversation; there is an entire cessation of religious worship; a sabbath is kept, but not a religious one; he that would walk in Zion's ways is forbid, and is obliged to sit still: he hath broken the covenant;
some, as Kimchi's father, interpret this of the Jews' complaining that God had broken his covenant with them, as in ( Psalms 89:39 ) but most of Sennacherib's breaking his covenant with Hezekiah, ( 2 Kings 18:14-17 ) rather this is to be understood of antichrist, whose doctrine is, that faith is not to be kept with heretics, and which will abundantly appear at this distressing time: he hath despised the cities;
as Sennacherib did the fenced cities of Judah; he despised their fortifications, and easily took them, and treated the inhabitants with disdain and contempt; and so will the reformed Protestant cities and countries be invaded, seized upon, and insulted, by the Romish antichrist: he regardeth no man;
so as to keep covenant with them, have compassion on them, and spare them, he fearing neither God nor man.

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FOOTNOTES:

F26 (xra rbe tbv) "cessaverat viator", Junius & Tremellius; "desiit viator", Cocceius.

Isaiah 33:8 In-Context

6 Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, And the strength of salvation; The fear of the Lord is His treasure.

7 Surely their valiant ones shall cry outside, The ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly.

8 The highways lie waste, The traveling man ceases. He has broken the covenant, He has despised the cities, He regards no man.

9 The earth mourns and languishes, Lebanon is shamed and shriveled; Sharon is like a wilderness, And Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits.

10 "Now I will rise," says the Lord; "Now I will be exalted, Now I will lift Myself up.

Footnotes

• [a] Following Masoretic Text and Vulgate; Dead Sea Scrolls read witnesses; Septuagint omits cities; Targum reads They have been removed from their cities.