Isaiah 33:5-15

5 The Lord is magnified, for he dwelled on high, he filled Zion with doom and rightfulness (he filled Zion with justice, or judgement, and righteousness).

6 And faith shall be in thy times; the riches of health is wisdom and knowing; the dread of the Lord, that is the treasure of him. (And faith shall be in thy times; wisdom and knowledge be the riches of salvation, or of deliverance; the fear of the Lord is thy treasure.)

7 Lo! the seers withoutforth shall cry, [the] angels of peace shall weep bitterly. (Lo! the brave shall cry outside, or aloud, the messengers of peace shall weep bitterly.)

8 [The] Ways be destroyed, a goer by the path ceased; the covenant is made void, he casted down [the] cities, he areckoned not men.

9 The land mourned, and was sick; the Lebanon was shamed, and was foul; and Sharon is made as desert, and Bashan is shaken, and Carmel. (The land mourned, and was sick; Lebanon was shamed, and defiled; and Sharon is made a desert, or a wilderness, and Bashan, and Carmel, be shaken bare.)

10 Now I shall rise (up), saith the Lord, now I shall be enhanced (now I shall be exalted), and now I shall be raised up.

11 Ye shall conceive heat, ye shall bring forth stubble; your spirit, as fire, shall devour you. (Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble; your spirit, like a fire, shall devour you.)

12 And peoples shall be as ashes of the burning; thorns gathered together shall be burnt in fire. (And the peoples, or the nations, shall be like the ashes from burning; yea, like thorns gathered together that be burned in the fire.)

13 Ye that be far (Ye who be far away), hear what things I have done; and, ye neighbours, know my strength.

14 Sinners be all-broken in Zion, trembling wielded (the) hypocrites; who of you may dwell with fire devouring? who of you shall dwell with everlasting burnings? (The sinners in Zion be all-broken, fear and trembling held the hypocrites; who of you can live with devouring fire? who of you can live with everlasting burning?)

15 He that goeth in rightfulnesses, and speaketh truth; he that casteth away (the) avarice of false challenge, and shaketh away his hands from all gift(s), (or bribes); he that stoppeth his ears, that he hear not (of) blood, and closeth his eyes, that he see not evil.

Isaiah 33:5-15 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 33

This chapter contains an account of God's judgments upon the enemies of his people, and of the peaceable, comfortable, and happy state of the church in the latter day. The judgment denounced, Isa 33:1 a prayer of the church for safety and protection, which it promises itself from what God had heretofore done, Isa 33:2,3 an answer to it, declaring the spoil of the enemy, and the happy times the people of God should enjoy through his appearance for them, Isa 33:4-6 though previous thereunto there would be very distressing ones, Isa 33:7-9 when the Lord resolves to arise and exert his power in the destruction of the people, who should be burnt up like stubble, thorns, and lime, Isa 33:10-12 persons far and near are called upon to take notice of this, Isa 33:13 which would issue in a different manner, in the surprise and terror of hypocrites, and in the safety and plenty of provisions for good men, who are described, Isa 33:14-16 and then follow promises to them, of seeing the King in his beauty, and beholding a distant country of reflecting on past terror with pleasure, being freed from it, and in no danger of a foreign enemy, Isa 33:17-19 and the chapter is concluded with a famous prophecy of the peace, prosperity, and safety of the church, and of the healthfulness of its inhabitants, under the protection of Christ, its King and Lawgiver, its enemies being also an easy prey to it, Isa 33:20-24.